Paramount Theatre (Aurora, Illinois) facts for kids
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| Address | 23 E. Galena Blvd. |
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| Location | Aurora, Illinois |
| Owner | Aurora Civic Center Authority |
| Capacity | 1,885 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1931 |
| Renovated | 1978 |
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Paramount Theatre
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Architect | Rapp and Rapp |
| NRHP reference No. | 80001371 |
| Added to NRHP | September 10, 1986 |
The Paramount Theatre, also known as the Paramount Arts Center, is a famous theater in Aurora, Illinois. It first opened its doors in 1931. This beautiful building was designed by Rapp and Rapp in a cool style called Art Deco, with some fancy Venetian touches. For many years, the Paramount Theatre has shown all sorts of entertainment, like movies, plays, musicals, concerts, and funny comedy shows. The theater was fixed up in the 1970s and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, which means it's a very important historical building. It's also part of the Stolp Island Historic District.
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History of the Paramount Theatre
Building New Theaters
In the 1920s, a movie company called Paramount Pictures started building many new theaters. This was because "Talkies" (movies with sound) were becoming very popular. Paramount thought the movie business would grow super fast. Older theaters were great for live shows, but new movies needed better sound and viewing areas.
Since all the new theaters would show the same movies, their designs could be very similar. At this time, Vaudeville (a type of live variety show) was mostly shown only on weekends. It was no longer the main way for famous performers to show their talent.
Construction and Opening
The Paramount Theatre in Aurora was ordered to be built in 1931. It cost one million dollars. Famous theater architects, C. W. and George Leslie Rapp, designed it. This theater was the first building outside of Chicago to have air conditioning.
Paramount Pictures wanted to build these big theaters in all major cities across the country. However, the Great Depression, a time of serious economic hardship, stopped these plans. The theater opened in September 1931. Famous movie stars like The Marx Brothers, Jack Benny, Jeanette MacDonald, and Burns and Allen were there for the opening.
The theater can hold 1,885 people today. Originally, it could hold 2,125 people. The number was reduced to meet modern fire safety rules.
Renovations and Recognition
In 1976, the theater closed for a big renovation. This happened after the Aurora Civic Center Authority bought it. The theater re-opened on April 19, 1978, looking brand new.
On September 10, 1986, the U.S. National Park Service officially recognized it as a Historic Place. It was also recognized as an important part of the Stolp Island Historic District. In 2006, a new lobby was added. The Paramount Theatre is still a very important part of downtown Aurora's economy.
Notable Productions
In March 2020, a musical called The Secret of My Success was being performed. This musical was based on a 1987 movie. It was having its world premiere and a pre-Broadway tryout at the Paramount Theatre.
The main actors were Sydney Morton and Billy Harrigan Tighe. Gordon Greenberg was directing the show. The musical was supposed to run from February 21 to March 29. However, the last performance was on March 12. This was because the Illinois governor, J. B. Pritzker, ordered all performance places to close starting March 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
