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Chicago Tribune
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Paramount ending season with high-flying musical and plenty of angst
The first time I saw 'Cats' in Chicago back in the days of young motherhood, I hated it, an aversion that likely had something to do with the fact I was getting the flu. But even then I could tell this campy, whimsical musical from jolly old England was not my cup of tea. That's why, when the Paramount Theatre made 'Cats' part of its 2014 Broadway Series, I had minimal expectations, and was, therefore, pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it, although it was a far cry from one of my favorite downtown Aurora productions and not one I'd want to see again. Boy, was I wrong. Both literally and figuratively, Paramount's current 'Cats' production – playing through June 15 – lifts this Tony-winning Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to a whole different level. A really high level, in fact, because those in Director Trent Stork's reimagined production can not only sing, dance and mimic a feline's most adorable – and annoying – characteristics, eight of the 32 cast members are also acrobats, aerialists and contortionists who, under a spectacular big top set, fly through the air – on ropes, trapezes and suspended swaths of silk – with the greatest of ease. And, I have to add, with the greatest of confidence as they do so without a net. Think 'Cats' and Cirque du Soleil and you can get an idea of what I'm talking about. In fact, like any three-ring circus, there's so much going on, it's hard to figure out where your eyes should land. While a professional critic might think of that as a distraction, it made me just want to see the show again and again. Speaking of which, one of the many thoughts going through my head during these two hours of sensory overload was the wish that Aurora's new mayor would see it at least once. It's hardly news there's plenty of angst about the future of the Paramount with John Laesch taking over the city reins from Richard Irvin, whose administration was the Paramount's biggest cheerleader. Laesch admits he's no fan of theater. But what he really hates is the 'serious debt' the city is facing, thanks to what he considers the past administration's free-spending ways. And he's been plenty upfront about the need to slash the budget, which would significantly impact the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA), the nonprofit that oversees the Paramount, Copley and Stolp Island theaters, as well as RiverEdge Park. In the days after his April 1 victory, Laesch declared ACCA's proposal for a fourth downtown Aurora entertainment venue – the City of Lights Center – to be pretty much dead in the water, although he tempered that in his inauguration speech on Tuesday by declaring it to be 'on hold' for at least the next four years. That's not exactly music to the ears of Paramount President Tim Rater, who sees this 4,000-seat theater as the fourth and last piece of Aurora's entertainment puzzle, and 'a way forward in perpetuity.' In other words, the venue would make it possible for ACCA to stand on its own without financial help from the city. That statement, Rater said, is backed by carefully prepared data from CH Johnson Consulting, which he presented to Laesch at a recent meeting he described as 'productive and positive.' 'It's clear that there is a strong mutual interest in continuing a collaborative relationship between the city and the Paramount,' he wrote in a staff email later. 'While the city is facing some financial pressures, I'm encouraged that we will continue to receive meaningful support. 'Although it's unlikely we'll receive the full amount of subsidy we originally anticipated, I'm confident we will maintain a strong partnership that allows us to sustain our mission and continue serving our community and patrons at the highest level.' It's a hopeful message, but those last few words present a tough balancing act. There's no denying the impact Rater and his talented staff have had on Aurora's downtown, which is enjoying new life and a much-improved reputation. Thanks in large part to the Paramount, headlines about murder and mayhem have been replaced by stories about new restaurants, new businesses, new apartments and new shows that are drawing rave reviews and audiences from the Chicago area and beyond. That includes the Copley Theatre BOLD Series, which puts on high-end productions in an intimate setting and therefore, along with the Paramount School of the Arts, could be the most vulnerable, and 'Million Dollar Quartet,' which the Paramount just announced has been extended at Stolp Island Theatre through Jan. 4. But all these high-quality shows come at a price. And the million-dollar question right now seems to be what dollar amount the city is willing to put on that line item next to ACCA. Thus the angst. While Laesch was not in the audience for the opening night of 'Cats,' his new chief of staff was. Like me, Shannon Cameron has never been a fan of 'Cats' but was more than impressed with Stork's production, describing it as 'beautifully done,' and noting how 'very lucky we are to have that level of artistry in the heart of our community.' She would know. Cameron comes from a theater background, arriving in Aurora in 2017 to be in charge of the Paramount School of the Arts under Rater. But like her new boss, she insists 'tough decisions have to be made in the best interest of the community' and if that means 'making cuts or trimming down, we have to find ways to be more sustainable.' 'There's no question the Paramount is the jewel of downtown, with many businesses, particularly restaurants, depending on its success. But that puts a lot of pressure on one organization' which 'has grown too quickly,' insists Cameron, noting ACCA's budget has gone from $20 million to $30 million in the last 10 years. 'We want to be good partners. We see very much how important it is to the growth of downtown,' she continued. 'But we need to be responsible to taxpayers. Everybody has to make hard choices at one time or another, and this is one of them.' Rater points out that, by all industry standards, the Paramount is considered highly efficient, operating at 70% earned revenue. But what must also be considered is it can't be viewed as just another business that needs to pay its way in order to survive. Much like the library – or police and fire stations, for that matter – it provides a valuable service to the community. In this case that's bringing people together to Aurora's downtown and exposing them to the performing arts. Which as as far as I can tell, is working quite well. I wish I had a dollar for every time I've talked to a new Paramount fan in the last year alone. Many are people who were never theatergoers but now rave about the show or shows they just saw. And, caught up in the excitement of what they experienced, they're spreading that enthusiasm to others. It's no coincidence subscriptions to the Broadway Series are expected to hit and possibly exceed a new high of 41,000 by the end of the year, putting it above its pre-pandemic levels, according to Rater, who also points to another 3,000 BOLD Series subscribers. Cameron says she'd like to see higher ticket numbers from Aurora residents, with more emphasis on community engagement that would provide artistic opportunities for all segments of the city, including its large Hispanic population and growing number of Indian residents. 'Ultimately there do need to be changes,' she said, also referring to more reliance on fundraising and cost-cutting measures. 'Sometimes simple storytelling can be more impactful than all the spectacle in the world. 'But that's what makes the Paramount so special. They have the ability to do it all so well.' Which brings me back to 'Cats' and just how unique and fun this show is. The Paramount's very creative Trent Stork got the idea of doing 'circus 'Cats'' while working as the assistant director on the original version at the theater back in 2014. The now-director has always been professionally fascinated with circus performers and wondered what it would be like to partner with Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, who's known as the 'queen of Chicago circus' choreography. When 'Cats' was on the table again as a future production. Stork decided to try and turn a long-held dream into reality. Much to everyone's delight, the Paramount and Hernandez-DiStasi not only said it could just fly, everyone worked through the 'major roadblocks' of combining circus acts with musical theater. Trust me, this production might provide a visual smorgasbord but as Stork put it, ''Cats' has no business sounding this good. Every member could lead their performance … it was meant to be.' Less certain is the future of the Paramount. Rater insists that whatever number appears next to ACCA on the city's budget line, 'we will do our best' to continue bringing high level magic to downtown Aurora. 'We just need a runway to do it,' he said.
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: At the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, ‘Cats' becomes a chaotic kitty circus
In the hands of the Paramount Theatre of Aurora, Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Cats' has been turned into a Faux kitties perform all manner of tricks from juggling to acrobatics. Instead of her Grizabella standing there and belting out 'Memory,' one of the great power ballads of all time, Emily Rohm finds herself lifted up into the air on a trapeze, just as she has to emit the most dramatically powerful note. Grizabella is hard enough, I found myself thinking, even as Rohm was then transported out across the house on an extensive, 'Mary Poppins'-like track that seemed to extend halfway to Naperville. If you are doing 'Cats,' I'm all for delivering to the people lots of spectacle. That is part of the point of 'Cats,' an early conceptual musical based on the poetry of T.S. Eliot and concerned with which cat within the lively Jellicle tribe gets to enjoy eternal life via the celestial 'heaviside layer' (a phrase coined by Eliot but turned by Lloyd Webber into a kajillion dollars over the last 44 years). I've no problem with the theming: 'Cats' is pliant, as we all discovered in New York with the brilliant staging of 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball.' Even by Paramount's high standards, this is an eye-popping show, replete with elaborate rigging, grand illusions and all manner of circus activities put together by director Trent Stork, choreographer Kasey Alfonso and circus specialist Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi. And it's stocked with acting talent, too: Aside from Rohm, a fine vocalist, behind the whiskers lurk the highly skilled likes of Lorenzo Rush Jr., Tiffany Topol and Allison Sill. But with all due respect to the amount of work and risk here (and especially the makeup from Katie Cordts) and the undeniable quality of much of the singing, I can't say I much enjoyed this particular production. It is the victim of its own excesses and, as a result, that all-important emotional connection between audience member and warbling kitty gets squelched. Time after time, you get the feeling that nobody fully trusted the material, despite its proven ability to charm at least four different generations by now. There's so much stage business going on that it ends up feeling intrusive, and you feel throughout the show that everything is so busy and prescribed and surely difficult to perform that the show never gets a chance to breathe. There was only one moment all night when I really felt something, and that came courtesy of Gene Weygandt, gamely playing the aging Gus, the theater cat, which is a pretty good description of Weygandt himself. His big number is a poignant song taken directly from the Eliot poem about that time in a cat's life when paws begin to shake, the coat turns shabby and mice and rats no longer cower in fear. But just as Weygandt, a fine actor, was invoking the horrors of mortality, every eye in the theater left his face and rose to another cat up on a trapeze. Hardly necessary and, frankly, it was emblematic of many such moments where taking a few things away would great have improved what matters most in the theater. In fairness, the show (which was first produced quite differently by the Paramount in 2014) received a warm ovation on the night I attended and, as ever at this important anchor of downtown Aurora, tickets prices are very affordable. But I found the piece too chilly, especially when you think this is a family attraction. Sure, life is full of tricks. But 'Cats,' and cats, have survived not by assaulting the senses but by building long-term relationships. Review: 'Cats' (2.5 stars) When: Through June 15 Where: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes Tickets: $28-$85 at 630-896-6666 and
New York Post
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Andrew Lloyd Webber dreams of buying this famous theater: ‘The best stage on Broadway'
In America, Andrew Lloyd Webber is best known as the composer of 'The Phantom of the Opera,' 'Evita,' 'Cats' and 'Sunset Boulevard,' among many other popular musicals. But in London, the Brit also has a reputation as a major West End theater owner. His LW Theatres counts six houses in its stable, including His Majesty's Theatre, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and the London Palladium. Nada in New York, though. Advertisement But there's one building on Broadway he's had his eye on for years — the Mark Hellinger Theatre on West 51st Street. 5 Andrew Lloyd Webber once tried with Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman to buy the Times Square Church. Emmy Park for NY Post Never heard of it? That's because today the 1600-seat house where 'My Fair Lady' and Lloyd Webber's 'Jesus Christ Superstar' long ago premiered is the Times Square Church, an interdenominational place of 'Wicked'-adjacent worship. And it's one of the neighborhood's most desirable pieces of real estate. Advertisement 'It has the best stage on Broadway,' Lloyd Webber exclusively told The Post during a sit-down. 'It was the premier house, really, for musicals,' he added. 'Everybody's tried [to buy it].' 5 The Times Square Church has occupied the Hellinger since 1989. Jeff Day Including, through a deep-pocketed partner, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Advertisement 'Funnily enough, a few years ago I had dinner with Steve Schwarzman, and I said, 'If anybody could buy it, it would be Steve Schwarzman,'' Lloyd Webber said of the chairman and CEO of the Blackstone Group who Forbes estimates is worth $43 billion. 'I said 'I bet you you can't buy the Mark Hellinger, the old Times Square theater,'' the composer prodded. ''Of course we can! Of course we can!,'' he recalls the confident Schwarzman insisting. 5 The Mark Hellinger Theatre seats 1,600. Advertisement 'I said, 'Look, OK, you buy it. I'm in as a partner with you. Go and buy it.'' Six months went by, and Lloyd Webber checked in with Schwarzman, whose wife Christine produced the Brit's 'Bad Cinderella' in 2023. 'I said to him, 'How's it going?'' 'Oh, we're negotiating',' he remembers Schwarzman saying. Persistent Lloyd Webber asked again this April. 5 'It's the best stage on Broadway,' Lloyd Webber said. 'He came to have lunch with me,' the Tony winner recalled. 'I said, 'What's it doing?' He said, 'It's the one negotiation we've not been able to pull off.'' To quote Mrs. Potts: Tale as old as time. Advertisement The Nederlander Organization first leased the building to the Times Square Church in 1989 — when the neighborhood was dirty and dangerous and the theater business was wobbly — for five years at $1 million a year. In 1991, the church bought the Hellinger for $17 million. With a congregation of more than 8,000 who regularly fill the collection plate, it's now worth several times that. The theater's last show was Peter Allen's musical 'Legs Diamond,' which closed 37 years ago. 5 Lloyd Webber's revival of 'Sunset Boulevard' starring Nicole Scherzinger is up for seven Tony Awards. Emmy Park for NY Post 'It is the theater to have,' Philip J. Smith, the late former chairman of the Shubert Organization told The Post's Michael Riedel in 2010. 'We chased it twice, but the church wouldn't sell. If they ever do, you can put us at the head of the list.' Advertisement Other power players who've tried to snap up the old Hellinger include British producer Cameron Mackintosh and crooked Canadian showman Garth Drabinsky. But everybody who's gone up against God has given up. 'That pastor there,' Lloyd Webber said of senior pastor Tim Dilena. 'He's just got one organ, a little stage, him and a microphone, and he probably outgrosses everybody on Broadway!'
New York Post
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Andrew Lloyd Webber is amazed he got Nicole Scherzinger to Broadway: 'The happiest person in history'
Andrew Lloyd Webber never thought he'd get Nicole Scherzinger to Broadway. 'I always remember when she did 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' on a TV show some years ago,' Lloyd Webber told me during an hour-long sit-down. After her performance on that 2013 ITV special, 'Cats' director Trevor Nunn excitedly rang him up and said, 'That's the best it's ever been.' Advertisement 'He was right,' Lloyd Webber said. 'And that was the moment where I thought we've got to get her into the theater.' 5 Andrew Lloyd Webber told director Jamie Lloyd, if he could get Nicole Scherzinger to play Norma Desmond, he'd be 'the happiest man in the world.' Emmy Park for NY Post A year later, the former Pussycat Doll was belting out 'Memory' at the London Palladium as Grizabella in 'Cats.' But her Broadway contract didn't work out. She was always being booked as a judge on TV singing contests. Advertisement Nine lives, er, years, went by, and then the outre director Jamie Lloyd (known for Ibsen — not singin' or dancin') approached the composer with a strange idea — Scherzinger should play Norma Desmond, the has-been Hollywood star, in 'Sunset Boulevard.' 'And I said, 'Well, good luck!',' Lloyd Webber, 77, remembered. ''If you get her to the altar, I'm going to be the happiest person in history.' And he did.' She's unforgettable in the show at the St. James — bold, beautiful, petrifying and revelatory. A week ago, the starkly reimagined production deservedly scored seven Tony Award nominations, including for Best Revival, the indomitable Scherzinger, her exciting leading man Tom Francis and director Lloyd. Advertisement 'It is darker and, I think, it's also deeper,' Lloyd Webber said of his totally different 1994 musical. 5 Lloyd Webber's revival of 'Sunset Boulevard,' starring Nicole Scherzinger (right) and Tom Francis (left) scored seven Tony nominations. Emmy Park for NY Post The composer of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and 'The Phantom of the Opera' is collaborating with Lloyd again this summer on a production of 'Evita' in London at the Palladium starring Rachel Zegler. The director, who successfully uses live cameras and screens in 'Sunset,' wants to pull a similar trick with 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina.' But so far, he's faced backlash from local politicians. Advertisement 'Do you know what Jamie wants to do with 'Evita'? And the council won't let us,' Lloyd Webber tantalizingly dangled. 'With 'Evita' in London, when he does it this time — the Palladium has a balcony outside,' he went on, suggesting Zegler could sing on it. 'It might mean crowds will gather on the street.' Uh oh — the Brits can't have that. 5 Jamie Lloyd's starkly reimagined 'Sunset Boulevard' uses live cameras and screens. Marc Brrenner Here in carefree New York, his delightful 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball,' which I adored last summer downtown, has not yet secured a Broadway house for a planned transfer. However, Lloyd Webber is confident it will find a home soon. 'I think it will come in next season,' he said. 'Everybody seems to want it. The Nederlanders have got nothing for it, but, you know, the other two, [the Shuberts and ATG].' And then there's 'Masquerade,' the immersive (and shorter) version of 'Phantom of the Opera' coming to West 57th Street. Several small groups of about 60, a source said, will be taken into the bespoke venue per day — a la 'Sleep No More.' There have been construction delays, but don't be surprised if you see one of the longest-running Phantoms back in the mask. Advertisement 5 Another new vision of 'Cats' is still searching for a Broadway theater for a transfer. Evan Zimmerman However, Lloyd Webber's not content with simply carting out the old hits. He recently created a new company with producer Michael Harrison called Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals to free himself up from the business side and make more music of the night. 'I came to the conclusion at my age now that I've got to only do composing,' he said. Advertisement So, Lloyd Webber is hard at work on a new musical (his 22nd) of the 2006 film 'The Illusionist,' which starred Edward Norton as a Vienna magician. He's completed a draft of what he calls 'an opera.' '[We've] done a reading, sing-through as it were, with just us and a couple of singers around a piano of the whole thing. And now it's at the point where one, I think, starts to deconstruct it,' Lloyd Webber said of the show which will also be directed by — who else? — Jamie Lloyd. 5 Lloyd Webber is hard at work on a new musical of the 2006 film 'The Illusionist.' Emmy Park for NY Post 'If there was a theater available, and if Jamie wasn't doing anything else, and I haven't got the other bits and pieces, I mean we could go into rehearsal this coming September or October. But we won't.' Advertisement Lloyd Webber said one hold up is a big illusion in the show 'that we've got to get right,' so it will require six weeks of rehearsal instead of the usual four. 'I think we could be up and going by next September,' he said of a 2026 West End run before hopefully Broadway. Two years ago, when Lloyd Webber's 'Bad Cinderella' closed, it ended an unrivaled streak: For 43 years, he always had a show running on Broadway. Plenty of people counted him out. But now, to quote the most famous song from 'Sunset,' 'everything's as if we never said goodbye.'
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Marcus Bontempelli claps back at former team-mate Bailey Smith with a brutal sledge after he sparked outrage over a veiled swipe at his old club
Marcus Bontempelli has fired back at his former team-mate Bailey Smith after the Geelong midfielder dished up an unprompted spray to his old club. The 24-year-old has enjoyed a brilliant start to the 2025 season and was the Cats' best on ground on Saturday evening during their three-point win against Collingwood. Smith amassed 30 disposals to help his side clinch their fifth win of the season in front of a raucous 80,000 fans at the MCG. Earlier in the day, the Bulldogs sealed a huge 20.11 (131) to 5.11 (41) victory against Port Adelaide in front of less than 5,000 fans at the Mars Stadium in Ballarat. The footy ground has a reduced capacity this season while a new stand is built. Noting that reduced capacity, Smith, who moved from the Kennel to the Cattery in the off-season, opened up on his move and simultaneously issued a veiled swipe at the Dogs. '[I'm] very grateful to be where I am,' he said to Fox Sports. ☠️ — David Zita (@DavidZita1) May 4, 2025 'They've welcomed me with open arms so I'm just forever in debt to this club. 'I'll keep working my arse off to repay them and I'm doing what I love doing, and that's competing regardless if we win, lose or draw. I'm just happy, can't really lose.' He was then pressed on how good the atmosphere inside the MCG was, having played in front of 82,000 people. 'It's beautiful, mate. Not getting that at Ballarat,' Smith replied, issuing a swipe at his old club. Despite his great performances at the start of 2025, Smith has been scrutinised for flipping the bird at fans this season. And his former captain, Bontempelli, fired a barb back at Smith, noting the midfielder's indiscretions this season. 'Very interesting by Bailey. It's nice to know we're still on Bailey's mind,' Bontempelli said to Channel 7's Sunrise on Sunday morning. 'You know, he's still thinking about us even at another team. And, you know, in the end, there's probably a few less people down in Ballarat for him to flip the bird to. 'So maybe that's why he's a little bit disappointed.' After Geelong's 19-point win against the Crows last month, Smith was handed a $1,000 fine for flipping his middle finger up at a spectator. It came after the fan had appeared to berate Geelong skipper Patrick Dangerfield as the Cats walked from the field. Smith was then seen shooting the middle finger to fans after their match against Hawthorn following a spat with Jarman Impey. Smith, though, wasn't backing down following Bontempelli's barb. He took to Instagram on Sunday to post a picture of himself wearing the navy and white hoops, adding three 'fishing emojis' and tagging the location of The Salty Dog Cafe in Torquay. It seems there is no love lost between Smith and his former side with Smith set to go up against the Dogs for the first time in Round 11 on May 22, in what is set to be a mouthwatering clash. 'It makes Round 11 even more interesting, which I think we'll all be looking forward to,' Bontempelli added. 'And everyone loves a bit of theatre in the game, so we'll be happy to provide, you know, the same as we get closer.' It also appears that Bontempelli has unfollowed Smith on Instagram. Smith, meanwhile, lifted the lid on why he opted to leave the Kennel over the summer, adding that while he loved the club, he needed a fresh start. 'I still love the club, that's what people forget,' Smith said at the EJ Whitten Grand Final Legends Lunch. 'But there's a level of when you outgrow a place, or you just need a fresh change for whatever reason. I still love them, they're still my mates. I won't get too deep into it. 'I feel like I'd be doing myself a disservice for the player I want to become and the person I want to become by staying in the same environment but we'll see.' Like Geelong, the Bulldogs have also won five and lost three matches this season and are currently on a three-game winning streak.
