LIVING THE DREAM

THIS IS A NEW MONTHLY SERIES IN KANE COUNTY MAGAZINE. IT

WILL EXPLORE THE HISTORY BEHIND LOCAL TRADITIONS, BUSINESSES, EVENTS AND MORE.

A conversation with the director of the Paramount Theatre’s “Dreamgirls” — plus the building’s remarkable history

By Chris Walker | Photos provided by the Paramount Theatre

Christopher Betts made his Chicago directing debut with “Dreamgirls,” which opened Aug. 31 at the Paramount Theatre.

It’s a dream come true for the Chicago native, who recognizes parallels between

“Dreamgirls” and his ambitions as a New

York-based director, writer, producer and New York University professor. He also recently completed his master of fine arts in directing at the Yale School of Drama.

“In the musical, the Dreams are actually from Chicago and we’re going to be leaning into that in the design,” he says. “They find their way up to New York to enter this talent competition at the Apollo Theater and I did the same thing. Growing up in Chicago, I was exposed to a lot of theater in the Chicagoland area, but I knew that if I really went after my dream in a big way, I just felt for me, at least, I had to get to New York. So, NYU had been my dream school for such a long time and you know, just like the Dreams, they didn’t win the talent show, and I didn’t get in.” But he also didn’t give up. “I spent a year at Millikin but felt like I was supposed to be at NYU,” he says. “So I applied a second time and after a little bit of hard work and faith, just like the Dreams, I was able to get myself to New York City and I’ve been living there for the past 11 years.” As you travel back to the turbulent times of the ’60s in “Dreamgirls,” you’ll meet three talented

young Black singers in pursuit of their dream. After a car salesman signs the trio to a record deal, their lives change forever as they try to balance love and fame while enduring the highs and lows of life. “There will be lots of sequins and some really fantastic singing,” Betts says. “I think we love ‘Dreamgirls’ because it’s so glamorous. We love ‘Dreamgirls’ because it sounds good and it feels good, and as someone who went to school primarily for directing actors, it’s going to be a very wellacted production. I want to make sure every moment in the show is felt deeply and honestly by our audience members.” Whether those theatergoers are regulars at the legendary Paramount or seeing a show there for the first time, they’re in for a treat. The gorgeous art deco venue was designed by famed Chicago architectural firm Rapp & Rapp, who also designed The Chicago Theatre over 100 years ago. “It’s such an amazing theater,” Betts says of the Paramount. “I’m so thankful that I get to work there and get to do this show here. It’s my favorite musical, so it all came together perfectly with it being the first thing I’m directing in the Chicagoland area.” While the show tells the story of the Dreamettes looking to break into the music scene, Betts is hopeful that staging this show at the Paramount will welcome a new audience to the theater.

“There are a lot of African American people excited to see this theater do this show. It is an event. It is such an iconic title and Chicago is such an eclectic arts and entertainment city,” Betts says. “I hope that doing ‘Dreamgirls’ isn’t a one-off and it really activates a new dream and a new vision for what the audience experience at the Paramount can be.”

 Performances are scheduled now through Oct. 16. Learn more at www.paramountaurora.com.

FROM FRANK SINATRA TO ‘DREAMGIRLS’

By Hannah Hoffmeister

Quickly approaching 100 years old, the Paramount Theatre looks much like it did when it opened in 1931.

“I love that it’s been here so long,” says Melissa Striedl, group sales manager. With 34 years of experience at the theater, she leads backstage tours that also incorporate history. The Paramount closed in the 1970s for a major renovation, replacing the original murals with exact replicas and restoring the interior to its 1930s appearance. The main chandelier is original, and much of the original (smaller) lobby is original, says Striedl. The main entrance and gathering place — the Grand Gallery — was added in the early 2000s and, although slightly more modern, was designed in the art deco style of the theater. “It matches beautifully,” Striedl notes.

In its 91 years, the theater has played host to a wide variety of well-known artists, comedians, vaudeville shows, movies and musicals, among them Frank Sinatra, Jay Leno, Liza Minnelli and Striedl’s favorite, violinist Itzhak Perlman. For much of its history, the space played movies and hosted shows on tour. (In a nod to its original use as a movie theater, $1 movies on Monday nights are back — no advance ticket needed.) The Broadway Series, which started in 2011, this year includes “Dreamgirls,” “The Sound of Music,” “Into the Woods” and “School of Rock.”