'Sound Of Music,' 'School Of Rock': 2022-23 Musicals At Paramount

AURORA, IL — Looking ahead at entertainment options for the upcoming year? Aurora's Paramount Theatre unveiled a handful of blockbuster musicals as part of its 2022-23 Broadway Series lineup.

"Dreamgirls," "The Sound of Music," "Into the Woods" and "School of Rock" are all in the works to be performed over the coming year at the downtown Aurora theater, 23 E. Galena Boulevard.

"The promise of Season Eleven is a theatrical panorama of magnificent orchestras and a rock 'n' roll romp telling tales of making music and family on the merits of some of the most popular Broadway shows ever written for the stage," Paramount Artistic Director Jim Corti said in a statement. "At once classical and contemporary, there is something for everyone here gathering us together, laughing and loving in sync, discovering loss and joy and what perhaps we have most in common: 'No one is alone.'"

Here is an overview of upcoming shows and their run dates:

"Dreamgirls"

• When: Aug. 31 through Oct. 16, 2022. Opening night is 8 p.m. Sept. 9.
• What: A Tony-winning musical about three talented young Black singers — Effie, Lorrell and Deena — whose rise to the top during the 1960s will test their friendships to the limit.
• Directed by Christopher Betts in his Chicago directing debut.

"The Sound Of Music"

• When: Nov. 9, 2022, through Jan. 8, 2023. Opening night is 8 p.m. Nov. 18.
• What: The play is set in Austria on the brink of World War II, in 1938. The classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical follows Maria, a young woman who takes a job as the governess of the von Trapp family. A clever ruse leads to the family's daring escape from the Nazis through the Austrian Alps.
• Directed by Amber Mak.

"Into The Woods"

• When: Feb. 1 through March 19, 2023. Opening night is 8 p.m. Feb. 10.
• What: A seminal work by the late Stephen Sondheim, the play reimagines Brothers Grimm characters including Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Cinderella in an original fairytale retelling.
• Directed by Jim Corti.

"School of Rock"

• When: April 12 through May 28, 2023. Opening night is 8 p.m. April 21.
• What: An Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on the popular Jack Black movie of the same name. The film tells the story of guitarist Dewey Finn who, after getting thrown out of his bar band, poses as a substitute music teacher and exposes his students to hard rock legends.
• Directed by Trent Stork.

Paramount Theater grew to be the second-largest subscription house in the U.S. after launching Broadway Series in 2011, according to theater officials. Prior to COVID-19, more than 41,000 people from across the Chicagoland area and Midwest attended its Broadway-caliber productions.

As has been the case since the series inception, tickets to shows are still offered as "buy two shows, get two shows free." Broadway Series packages start at $56.

Tickets can be purchased online, by calling 630-896-6666 or visiting the box office at 23 E. Galena Boulevard.