New Theatre Producer Details Construction Plans

Imagine a marquee stretched across the front of the building and its northern neighbor in downtown Yorkville.

Imagine stepping inside and finding a lobby and cabaret theatre box office where the jewelry store used to be. Imagine there’s an area just beyond that where serves food.

After walking down a ramp to the theatre, you see the seating is arranged around café-style tables and an elevated stage sits in front of dressing rooms.

Welcome to Follies Theatre, which plans to open in downtown Yorkville on Dec. 1 after recently shutting down its location in Utica. The professional theatre was located near Starved Rock State Park for more than three years.

Producers Don Grant Zellmer and David Kuester have kept an eye on Yorkville when traveling through the area and appreciated its good vibe, Zellmer said.

“You can tell it’s growing,” said Zellmer, sitting inside the Cobblestone Bakery & Bistro, which opened about a month ago. “You can tell people are happy with the direction it’s going.”

For his part, Mayor Gary Golinski and his wife are looking forward to opening night.

"Follies Theater and their partnership with  is exactly what our city needs to help kick-start the redevelopment of our downtown,” Golinski said.  “The same way that Raging Waves has attracted people from 49 states to our city, Follies Theatre will draw people from all over Northern Illinois to our downtown.”

Follies Theatre in Utica relied heavily on tourism – with as much as 80 percent of its patrons at certain events hailing from Oswego, Naperville and Yorkville. But, the company is eager to integrate into Yorkville’s community, with children’s performance classes and possible partnerships with Waubonsee Community College and Joliet Junior College.

Zellmer complimented Executive Director Lynn Dubajic, who he said showed them about 20 possible sites over the past year.

“I feel she is the master of putting the right people together for the right projects,” Zellmer said.

They signed the lease on the connected spaces about two weeks ago, and Avanti Jewelers is moving to 60 S. Main St. in downtown Oswego.

Follies Theatre is planning to use about five of its current performers for its first Yorkville production, which has not been determined.

Zellmer expects to have a talent call for Yorkville area performers a few weeks before the new location opens. The professional schedule – rehearsing for three weeks before performing on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for three months – comes with a modest paycheck.

“It gives performers the opportunity to be in front of an audience a lot,” Zellmer said.

The new location will be gaining its footing as crews begin rebuilding Route 47, but Zellmer said the project didn’t worry him. The theatre will be an evening destination near a stoplight.

“People will certainly figure out where to park,” Zellmer said, “because they’re going to be with us for hours.”