Tiny But Mighty

By Naperville Magazine
October 2024 View more Featured

By Jeff Banowetz

A big performance space isn’t necessary to see a spectacular show in the western suburbs. These companies offer some of the best entertainment in the Chicago area—without a bad seat in the house.

Next to Normal isn’t, well, your normal Broadway musical. The show, which won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three Tony Awards, features a cast of just six and examines a family’s struggle with mental illness. The show originally ran at the Booth Theatre, which is on the smaller side as far as Broadway theaters go but still seats about 800. When the Paramount Theatre in Aurora decided to stage the production last year, it bypassed its main theater (with a capacity of about 1,800) and instead opted for its newly renovated Copley Theatre across the street. There, an audience of 165 people experienced that show in a much more intimate setting, able to see the actors up-close as they dove into the emotional material. The result was a creative success, and it was rewarded this year with a nomination for the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Musical, Chicago’s version of the Tony.

But the Copley isn’t the only place in the western suburbs where you’ll find top-notch live entertainment in a smaller setting. Perhaps you were lucky enough to catch Cabaret performed by Naperville’s BrightSide Theatre, where the Meiley-Swallow Hall was transformed into the Kit Kat Club. Or the Buffalo Theatre Ensemble’s Clybourne Park, in which you felt right at home inside a Chicago bungalow. These smaller theaters and performance spaces may not get the attention of the bigger stages, but they’re often the site of some of the most interesting work.

COPLEY THEATRE

Aurora

Few people would argue with the claim that the Paramount Theatre has transformed downtown Aurora since it launched its first Broadway series in 2011. Its four musicals each year attract more than 350,000 people to the historic theater along the Fox River. In 2022, it launched its Bold Series in the modern 165-seat Copley Theatre (8 Galena Blvd.), staging plays in addition to musicals that would benefit from the smaller performance spaces.

Bold’s recent productions of Next to Normal and A Streetcar Named Desire were nominated for Joseph Jefferson Awards, while notable shows from its earlier seasons include the musical Fun Home and the Pulitzer Prize–winning drama Sweat. With Peter and the Starcatcher closing last month, the Bold Series has two remaining shows in its third season: An Act of God (running October 2 to November 10) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (March 12 to April 27).

Working with Paramount for the first time, Keira Fromm is directing An Act of God. The comedic play—originally on Broadway starring Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory—has only three actors and features the Almighty descending to Earth to set the record straight. “God has come down from the heavens to overtake the body and personhood of a well-known actor to offer up a rewrite of the Ten Commandments so that we could all better understand him and set us misguided humans on the right path,” Fromm explains. “I like to call it one part standup comedy, one part late-night TV talk show, and one part unhinged TED Talk.”

After attending graduate school at DePaul, Fromm has stuck around the last 15 years or so to work in Chicago’s “active, exciting artistic community.” She’s directed for both large and small stages and is looking forward to what can be done with this show at Copley. “It really creates a sense of intimacy between the audience and the storytelling, which is a really cool opportunity,” she says. “It’s a little bit of a proscenium [stage] and a little bit of a shallow thrust space. It’s well set up for our play.”

The compact space helps build connections. “It makes the audience feel part of the environment and really intimately connected to the story that we are telling,” Fromm says. “I enjoy working in the smaller spaces where you can see an audience eyeball to eyeball.”

TICKETS/INFO
paramountaurora.com
630-896–6666

BRIGHTSIDE THEATRE

Naperville

Julie Ann Kornak, who cofounded Naperville’s BrightSide Theatre in 2011 with Jeffrey Cass and Tin Penavic, wanted to create a professional theater company in downtown Naperville that “felt anchored in the community.” Performing primarily at the 229-seat Meiley-Swallow Hall (31 S. Ellsworth St.) on the North Central College campus, BrightSide has produced both musicals and plays that take full advantage of the small stage. “We love the space because it’s so unique,” she says. “It draws you in because you’re so close—you’re a part of it. I think that’s what’s really important. Our directors are able to use the space to keep the momentum of the show going. We like big shows in a little space, and it just fills that room with so much energy.”

Some of those big shows have included productions like Mamma Mia!, The Sound of Music, Hairspray, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which can really push the theater’s capacity. Joseph, for instance, had a big children’s chorus in addition to the cast. “We had to figure out ways just to get everyone on the stage,” Kornak says. “But it forces you to be creative, and [the show] really worked.”

Over the last few seasons, BrightSide also has started performing in the Madden Theatre—a 150-seat black-box space that’s part of the Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center (171 E. Chicago Ave.) in downtown Naperville—offering musicals “in concert,” meaning that they’re staged with the musicians visible and without sets. “In Madden we can go even smaller in a cabaret setting,” she says. “It gives us a chance to do a musical that isn’t produced very often or is difficult to stage for multiple reasons.”

Last year’s production of Chess in Madden drew big crowds for a show that may be lesser known but has a devout following. “We talked to people who’d flown in from Florida for that one,” she says. “People love that show—and here was a unique way to hear the music and enjoy it in a different way.”

BrightSide likes to theme its seasons, and the upcoming 13th has been aptly dubbed “Spells and Superstitions.” This year’s first production is Dracula, starting October 18. “It’s a little different for us, but it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Kornak says. “It’s around Halloween, and I think it’s a good way to kick off the season.”

Following will be a musical in concert at Madden opening January 17 (due to the rights deal, it can’t be announced until November—sorry!); Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (opening April 25); and the musical Pippin (opening June 13), rounding out the season at Meiley-Swallow Hall. The BrightSide Theatre Youth Project also produces a children’s show each year (Beauty and the Beast Jr. just finished up.) BrightSide also organizes Summer in the Parks (with the Naperville Park District and others), which is a free concert series performed at a variety of locations.

Thirteen years after starting BrightSide, Kornak is happy with how it has evolved. “If you’d asked me then what I wanted to be doing, I think this is exactly what I would have said.”

TICKETS/INFO
brightsidetheatre.com
630-447-8497

STEEL BEAM THEATRE

St. Charles

It was 25 years ago when Donna Steele first saw an empty storage space in an historic building, which she was hoping to turn into a professional theater in downtown St. Charles. It took a bit of vision to see beyond the dust and dirt, but one other problem hampered the otherwise perfect space: A stone wall divided the room in two. That would have to go. Upon consultation with a contractor, and after much thought, it was determined that a steel beam could be used to support the building.

So came the theater’s name, and as the managing director Catie Early points out, a commitment to bring high-quality performances to the area. “I know that Chicago has a history of a great theater town, and in recent years you’ve seen a lot more people doing a great job bringing that same level of commitment to the suburbs,” Early says. “There are so many talented people in the Fox Valley area, and it’s nice that we’ve been able to have a space to bring them together.”

Early likes to call the 80-seat Steel Beam “a quaint little theater in the heart of downtown St. Charles.” Recent productions included a successful August run of the musical Spring Awakening. “That was a little edgier than we usually do, but it was very well received,” she says. Steel Beam has a strong youth theater program (Second Story Players) in addition to its seasonal productions of both musicals and plays. It also hosts several one-off events throughout the year, including individual entertainers and shows like August’s Poor Unfortunate Roles: Miscast Cabaret, which featured songs performed by people who wouldn’t normally get the opportunity. “Let’s say you’re a 56-year-old man who’s never going to get a chance to play Elsa [from Frozen], it’s your chance to get up and sing ‘Let it Go,’ ” she explains.

This year’s upcoming productions include The Ultimate Christmas Carol (December 6 to 27), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (January 31 to February 16), and 99th & Nowhere (April 11 to 27)—a world premiere from local playwright Gary McGowan.

“That’s something we’re proud of,” Early says. “We want to be a place where local writers and actors can show their work and for the community to enjoy.”

TICKETS/INFO
steelbeamtheatre.com
630-587-8521

WHEATON DRAMA

Wheaton

When it comes to theatrical longevity, it’s tough to beat Wheaton Drama, which has been putting on live performances since the Great Depression. Founded in 1931, the organization is now housed at the 132-seat Playhouse 111 in downtown Wheaton (111 Hale St.), where the volunteer-based community theater has scheduled six shows for this season, taking full advantage of the talent pool in the area. “We’re lucky to have a membership [of about 200 people], who make all of this work,” says president Stan Austin. “We’ve been able to put on a variety of different shows because we have the people who can pull it off.”

For the 2024–25 season, Wheaton Drama opened with Moon Over Buffalo, a 1995 comedy by Ken Ludwig that originally starred Carol Burnett on Broadway. It runs through October 6. Next up will be Matilda The Musical (November 22 to December 15), based on the Roald Dahl story and featuring a cast full of kids. “We’ve already had a lot of interest in the show—finding kids isn’t usually a problem for us,” Austin says. “There’s usually a high demand for kids who want to be involved in theater.”

Following that show are two dramas, Still Alice (January 31 to February 15) and August: Osage County (March 28 to April 13), which premiered in 2007 at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The season concludes with two musicals, Sweet Charity (May 23 to June 15) and a concert version of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies (June 20 to 29).

Austin performed in his first show for Wheaton Drama in 2011 (the musical 1776), and he has both acted and directed in many shows since. “We try to produce quality theater and a reasonable price for the community,” he says. “There are a lot of options for theater in the Chicago area—and we enjoy them. But I get comments from so many of our patrons that they love that they can get such a strong theater experience right here in Wheaton without the Broadway prices.”

TICKETS/INFO
wheatondrama.org
630-260-1820

BUFFALO THEATRE ENSEMBLE

Glen Ellyn

Amelia Barrett had an inauspicious introduction to the Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, which has performed at the College of DuPage since 1986. She was driving from Chicago to Glen Ellyn for an audition with the directions jotted down on a piece of paper in the days before Google Maps. “It was a warm day, and the windows were down, and whoosh, they just flew out the window,” Barrett recalls. “I finally found a 7-Eleven and asked, ‘Do you know where I can find the College of DuPage?’ ”

Luckily someone did. She made that audition back in 1995 and has been associated with the theater ensemble ever since. Barrett is now the managing artistic director of BTE as well as the chair of the College of DuPage Theater Department.

The professional group—the only Equity ensemble theater in DuPage County—has produced more than 120 shows that, following with mission statement, “explore new ideas and provocative issues.” The ensemble—which takes its name from its first show, David Mamet’s American Buffalo—has changed over the years, but many of the members have spent decades together. “I think you find people that you gel with very easily,” Barrett says. “I think that’s probably true with most theaters, to be honest with you, that you find those people who you enjoy working with together. And because of that, you can work quickly and productively and, hopefully, in a deeper and more meaningful way.”

The collaborations have been very successful. In the last year alone, BTE has been nominated for five Joseph Jefferson Awards: performer in a principal role, scenic design, costume design, sound design, and original music. Proof positive that the ensemble has made good use of the 186-seat Playhouse Theatre at the McAninch Arts Center (425 Fawell Blvd.) on the COD campus. “In all of our pieces, we try to do something that’s a bit more thought provoking,” she says.

Recent productions included Into the Earth With You (a world premiere, no less) and Andy Warhol’s Tomato, a fictional retelling of the artist’s origin story done in conjunction with an exhibition of Warhol’s art on campus. This year’s slate of three shows (season 38) started with The Outsider (running through October 6), a political comedy about a person unexpectedly thrust into the role of governor. “He’s the last person, in theory, you’d want in that role,” Barrett says. “But he’s actually the best person that you’d want as a citizen. So while it’s political, it’s not about one side or the other. It’s more about humanity. And it’s very funny.”

Next is The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, a companion piece to last year’s Miss Bennet, taking place in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice universe. It will be followed by the final play of the season, Native Gardens, a comedy about how two sets of neighbors deal with a conflict over their fence line. “We go into a season thinking we have such diverse shows, yet almost every year some theme emerges,” Barrett says. “This year we ended up with three plays that are all funny.”

TICKETS/INFO
btechicago.com
630-942-4000

Laugh It Up

A fun(ny) night out around the burbs

THE COMEDY VAULT

This reimagined bank in downtown Batavia now hosts nationally touring comedians, local favorites, and even an open mic night for those who want to give standup a shot. The intimate space (yes, the bank vault is still there) gives you an up-close look at some of the top names in comedy. Among those performing in October will be Harland Williams (October 4 to 5), Jordan Jensen (October 15 to 17) and former SNL cast member Alex Moffat (October 24 to 25).
18 E. Wilson St., Batavia
comedyvaultbatavia.com
630-454-4174

MOONLIGHT THEATRE

Formerly the home of the Idle Hour Theater, which was built in 1900 but closed in 1926, this restored theater space in downtown St. Charles hosts improv and standup shows—in addition to its live music and theater offerings.
7 S. Second Ave., St. Charles
moonlighttheatre.com
630-549-0072

THE BIT THEATER

This comedy club near the Fox Valley Mall in Aurora features any kind of stage hilarity you can think of—improv (long form and short form), standup, open mic, family, sketch, improvised role-playing adventures, monologists, live podcast recordings, and even classes for aspiring performers.
4035 Fox Valley Center Dr.
bitimprov.com
331-900-4248

LIVE MUSIC

Prefer a live band to a play? Try these options.

THE VENUE

Owned and operated by the nonprofit Fox Valley Music Foundation, this space has a capacity up to 300 and books both national touring acts and local entertainers from a variety of genres, including blues, big band, rock, and world music.’

Shows this month:
The Claudettes with Iguana vs. Bunny (October 5), Jazz Sessions at the Venue (October 10) and a cover of Jeff Beck’s album Wired (October 20)
21 S. Broadway Ave., Aurora
themusicvenue.org
331-212-8490

THE PIAZZA

This entertainment complex has a little bit of everything, but the state-of-the art concert stage hosts nationally touring artists, local favorites, and cover bands.

Shows this month:
1980s cover band Sixteen Candles (October 4), The Wanted (October 10), and Strangelove: The Depeche Mode Experience (October 18)
85 Executive Dr., Aurora
piazzaaurora.com
630-978-2088

ARCADA THEATER

Once a vaudeville theater, this St. Charles landmark attracts a wide variety of nationally known talent as well as tribute acts. It also hosts improv nights and a silent film series with a live organist.

Shows this month:
Wayne Newton (October 10), Great White and Slaughter (October 18), and Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees (October 20).
105 E. Main St., St. Charles
arcadalive.com
630-962-7000

Photos: Liz Lauren (Copley Theatre); CM Stage Photography (BrightSide Theatre); Catie Early (Steel Beam Theatre); Ken Beach (Wheaton Drama); Rex Howard Photography (Buffalo Theatre Ensemble)