AURORA, September 23, 2016 – The sound of music, Broadway-caliber productions, comedy acts and children’s shows will ring even more clearly at Aurora’s historic Paramount Theatre, thanks to a generous grant from the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley.
Since the inception of the Paramount’s self-produced Broadway musical series in 2011, the theater has been renting state-of-the-art microphones to project music played by live musicians from the orchestra pit into the 1,888-seat house. With the Foundation’s recent donation of $20,000 to support capital improvements at the theater, the Paramount was able to purchase the acoustic equipment it previously had to rent, which will not only assure crystal clear sound quality for audiences, but significant cost-savings for the theater moving forward.
“The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley has been an ardent supporter of the Paramount Theatre, and our Broadway series in particular, since we began producing our own, large-scale musicals,” said Tim Rater, President and CEO of the Paramount Theatre. “In fact, five years ago, the Foundation stepped up to support our inaugural Broadway production, My Fair Lady, by funding the massive spotlights needed to properly light up that show, and every Paramount Broadway musical since. Now, in addition to helping light our shows, our audiences are being treated to pristine sound as well, due to the continued support of the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley. We can’t thank them enough.”
About the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley: The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a non-profit, tax-exempt, philanthropic organization that administers individual charitable funds from which grants and scholarships are distributed to benefit the citizens of the Greater Aurora Area, the TriCities and Kendall County, Illinois. Founded in 1948, the Foundation provides a simple and powerful approach to charitable giving. Individuals, families, businesses and organizations have the opportunity to custom design their own named funds that reflect their charitable goals and interests. Since its inception, the Community Foundation has grown to more than $75 million in assets and has awarded more than $60 million in grants and scholarships. For more information on the Foundation, visit www.CommunityFoundationFRV.org.
The Paramount Theatre, located at 23 E. Galena Blvd. in the heart of downtown Aurora, is the center for performing arts, entertainment and arts education in Aurora. The theater is nationally renowned for the quality and caliber of its presentations, superb acoustics and historic beauty.
Since 2011, the Paramount has self-produced its own four-play Broadway series, attracting thousands of people to downtown Aurora and multiple awards for its Broadway-quality musicals. During the 2014-15 season, Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Committee honored Paramount with an unprecedented 16 Jeff Award nominations and five awards, including Best Musical for Les Misérables. Just last month, Paramount learned it received 14 Jeff nominations for its 2015-16 season productions, more than any other Chicago theater. The 2015-16 Jeff Awards will be presented on October 16.
Today, more than 31,000 subscribers are enjoying Paramount’s 2016-17, four-play Broadway Musical Series. Now on stage, through October 30, is a critically acclaimed production of Mamma Mia!, the all-ABBA musical. Up next is Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Nov. 23, 2016-Jan. 8, 2017), Sweeney Todd-The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Feb. 8-Mar. 19, 2017) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Apr. 19-May 28, 2017). In addition to its Broadway series, Paramount presents an eclectic array of comedy, music, dance and family shows, and on most Mondays, screens a classic movie.
To purchase “Buy Two Shows, Get Two Free” Broadway series subscriptions, or single tickets to any performance, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666 or visit the Paramount Theatre box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora.
The Paramount Theatre continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of 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.
Being a part of the Community Foundation scholarship committee is the highlight of my year. For many, a scholarship from the CFFRV is the reason they are able to continue reaching for their dreams and changing the future of our world. I hope each recipients knows just how inspirational they are to those of us who are lucky enough to read their stories.
Jessica Breugelmans
Scholarship Committee Member and Board Member
YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.
Abby Vagnoni
YEP Alumni
Education is important to us. We support causes that touch our lives and align with our values. We believe in paying it forward. We are here for a short time,, and it is the next generation that will take on what we leave behind.
Michelle Emanuel
Donor and Past Scholarship Recipient
I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.
Taytum Newell
Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient
YEP has made me realize the importance of being involved in my community, and how to make a difference. There are a lot of problems in the world but if we can do everything that we can to help the world will become a better place. YEP has helped me realize this and encouraged me to help more people in the future.
Madi Porter
YEP Member
Grant funds from the Community Foundation helped provide updated technology. These upgrades were transformative. By creating new time saving processes, it turned us into a more efficient organization.
Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry
Grantee
Give your gift of time and see what it means to the people you impact. Helping others is what life is all about.
Neal Ormond
Donor & Fund Advisor
