Aurora’s Paramount Theatre reached for the stars during Chicago’s 2024-25 theater season, and its commitment to excellence paid off with yesterday's news that Paramount earned 26 nominations - more than any other Chicago theater- in Chicago’s 2025 Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards.
Six Paramount productions earned 26 nominations across categories for outstanding performance, direction and design. Paramount’s tally was topped by its circus-inspired, Broadway Series staging of Cats with ten nominations, followed by Paramount’s Chicago Regional Premiere of Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical, with eight.
Donovan Hoffer plays Rum Tum Tugger on the flying trapeze in Paramount Theatre’s circus-inspired production of Cats. Photo credit: Brett Beiner Photography
Nominations for Waitress, also part of the Broadway Series, Paramount’s BOLD Series productions Peter and the Starcatcher and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and its immersive staging of Million Dollar Quartet at its new Stolp Island Theatre brought Paramount’s total nominations to 26, besting Chicago’s Goodman and Court theaters with 21 nominations each.
This year’s total also toppled Paramount’s record for most nominations in a single year, which previously stood at 18 during the 2016-2017 season.
Beth Stafford Laird (left) plays Anna and Jake DiMaggio Lopez is Hans in Paramount Theatre’s Midwest Regional Premiere of Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical. Credit: Liz Lauren
“The Jeff Committee, the critics and more than 40,000 Paramount subscribers agree - Paramount is producing the very best large-scale musicals in the entire Chicago area,” said Paramount President and CEO Tim Rater. “This is our tenth consecutive year for multiple nominations, which we see as strong recognition for the work consistently being produced by our amazing artists on stage and behind the scenes. In addition, our patrons and the City of Aurora share in the excitement every year. Indeed we all have much to take pride in and be thankful for.”
In sum, since the Jeffs started judging Paramount’s productions in 2015, Paramount has been honored with 150 Jeff nominations and 31 wins, including six Jeff Awards in 2022 for Kinky Boots, including Best Musical-Large, Paramount’s fourth win in the most coveted category following Sweeney Todd (2017), West Side Story (2016) and Les Misérables (2015).
Following is the full list of Paramount’s 26 nominations for outstanding performance, direction and design in Chicago theater during the 2025-26 season. Mark your calendars: the 2025 Equity Jeff Awards will be announced on Monday, September 29 at the Harris Theatre in downtown Chicago. For tickets and to see the total list of nominees, visit jeffawards.org.
Circus artists Ryan Huemmer (Coricopat, left) and Kat Hoil (Jennyanydots) fly through the air with the greatest of ease in Paramount Theatre’s circus-inspired production of Cats. Photo credit: Brett Beiner Photography
Cats - 9 nominations
Production - Musical - Large
Ensemble - Musical or Revue
Director - Musical - Large - Trent Stork
Costume Design - Large - Izumi Inaba
Lighting Design - Large - Greg Hofmann
Choreography - Kasey Alfonso
Music Direction - Kory Danielson
Artistic Specialization - Wig, Hair, and Makeup Design - Katie Cordts
Artistic Specialization - Circus Choreography - Sylvia Hernandez-DeStasi
Press play or here to screen and download the Cats video trailer. Credit: MeyerFilm, Inc.
Beth Stafford Laird (left) plays Anna and Emily Kristen Morris is Elsa in Paramount Theatre’s Chicago Regional Premiere of Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical. Credit: Liz Lauren
Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical - 8 nominations
Director - Musical - Large - Trent Stork
Performer in a Principal Role - Musical - Beth Stafford Laird (Anna)
Scenic Design - Large - Jeffrey D. Kmiec
Costume Design - Large - Mara Blumenfeld
Lighting Design - Large - Greg Hofmann
Music Direction - Kory Danielson
Projection Design - Paul Deziel
Artistic Specialization - - Puppet Design - Jesse Mooney-Bullock
Press play or here to screen and download the Frozen video trailer. Credit: MeyerFilm, Inc.
Garrett Forrestal plays Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet, the smash hit immersive production at Paramount Theatre’s new Stolp Island Theatre, 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, in downtown Aurora. Performances have been extended through January 4, 2026. Credit: Liz Lauren
Million Dollar Quartet - 3 nominations
Production - Musical - Large
Director - Musical - Large - Jim Corti and Creg Sclavi
Scenic Design - Large - Jeffrey D. Kmiec
Press play or here to screen and download the Million Dollar Quartet video trailer. Credit: MeyerFilm, Inc.
Smee (Mark David Kaplan, right) whispers a secret to his leader, Black Stache (Nick Sandys), in Paramount Theatre's BOLD Series production of Peter and the Starcatcher. Credit: Liz Lauren
Peter and the Starcatcher - 3 nominations
Ensemble - Play
Performer in a Supporting Role - Play - Nick Sandys (Black Stache)
Sound Design - Large - Eric Backus
Press play or here to screen and download the video trailer for Peter and the Starcatcher. Credit: MeyerFilm, Inc.
(front, from left) Elizabeth Stenholt plays Olive Ostrovsky, Teddy Gales is William Barfee, Ann Delaney plays Logainne Schwartzandgrubennierein, (back, from left) Shelbi Voss is Marcy Park, Nic Dantes plays Chip Tolentino, and Ben Broughton is Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, part of Paramount Theatre’s BOLD Series. Credit: Amy Nelson
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - 2 nominations
Ensemble - Musical or Revue
Performer in a Supporting Role - Musical - Elizabeth Stenholt (Olive)
Press play or here to screen and download the Spelling Bee video trailer. Credit: MeyerFilm, Inc.
(from left) Teressa LaGamba plays Becky, Michelle Lauto is Jenna and Kelly Felthous plays Dawn in Paramount Theatre’s Waitress. Photo credit: Brett Beiner Photography
Waitress - 1 nomination
Performer in a Principal Role - Musical - Michelle Lauto (Jenna)
Press play or here to screen and download the video trailer for Waitress. Credit: MeyerFilm, Inc.
Paramount’s 2025-26 Broadway Series just weeks away
Looking ahead to more award-winning, Broadway-caliber productions, Paramount 2025- 26 Broadway Series launches with the Chicago Regional Premiere of Come From Away, a breathtaking musical about September 12 and the days that followed, August 20-October 12.
Paramount Theatre’s four-play 2025-26 Broadway season also boasts Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (November 12, 2025–January 11, 2026), the Chicago Regional Premiere of Dear Evan Hansen (February 4–March 22, 2026) and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific (April 29-June 14, 2026).
Just as it has since it launched its first Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount still offers the same “Buy Two Shows, Get Two Shows Free” offer, with packages starting as low as $60. That’s four Broadway-quality musicals for less than the price of one show in downtown Chicago. Plus, Aurora boasts easy, affordable parking and a host of new restaurants all around.
That’s not all! Paramount’s immersive production of Million Dollar Quartet continues to rock in Paramount’s new Stolp Island Theatre, 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G in downtown Aurora. The critically acclaimed jukebox musical celebrating the music of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley has surpassed the one-year mark, and has been extended a third time, through January 4, 2026. All seats remain just $66 (when purchased in-person; additional fees may apply for phone and online orders). Don’t wait, as performances continue to sell-out.
For subscriptions, tickets and information, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount Theatre box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days.
Paramount Theatre Broadway Season sponsors are the Dunham Foundation, BMO, Illinois Arts Council and the City of Aurora.
About Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., is the center for performing arts in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. The beautiful, 1,843-seat theater, graced with a strong 1930s Art Deco influence and original Venetian décor, nationally known for its high-quality productions, superb acoustics and historic grandeur, has been downtown Aurora’s anchor attraction since 1931.
Since launching its own Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount has amassed more than 40,000 subscribers, making it the largest subscription house in the U.S.
Paramount Theatre is one of five live performance venues overseen by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA) in downtown Aurora. ACCA also programs and manages Stolp Island Theatre, now open at 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, with a wildly acclaimed immersive production of Million Dollar Quartet; the 165-seat Copley Theatre, at 8 E. Galena in the North Island Center; the Paramount School of the Arts; and RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway, downtown Aurora’s outdoor summer concert venue and home to Christkindlmarket Aurora.
Paramount Theatre is overseen by Tim Rater, President and CEO, Aurora Civic Center Authority; Jim Corti, Artistic Director, Paramount Theatre; a dedicated Board of Trustees and a devoted staff of live theater and music professionals.
For the latest updates, visit ParamountAurora.com or follow @paramountaurora on Facebook and Instagram, and Paramount Theatre on LinkedIn.