By Donna Crane –
When the Paramount Theatre Broadway Series in Aurora began in 2011, there were big dreams for what it could become. Over the years, those dreams have been brought to life many times. And now, one of the Paramount’s biggest dreams has become a reality: For the first time in its history, the Paramount Theatre produced a new musical, and it is all about the music.
The director at the Paramount, John Doyle, is known for revivals of shows such as “Company” and “The Color Purple.”
As with many of Doyle’s previous shows, cast members of “August Rush” play their own instruments. “It’s certainly non-naturalistic in that sense,” Doyle said. “And it’s really quite a small story in that it doesn’t have elaborate sub-plots or anything like that. I suppose it’s like a modern-day fairytale, in a way.”
“August Rush” is a story about Evan Taylor, an 11-year-old-orphan, who believes in music similar to those who believe in fairytales. In a twist of fate, Evan’s mother, an accomplished classical cellist, and his father, the lead singer of a rock band, don’t know he exists.
Even after so many years pass, Evan has never given up hope in his search for the parents he believes need him. Once he discovers he is a musical prodigy, he surrenders himself to the symphony of sounds and follows the music. In this inspiring love story, music is everywhere, and the audience can feel his determination to find his parents.
From the theater that won the Jeff Award for Best Large Musical three years in a row, the moving story of “August Rush: The Musical” is brought to the stage in Paramount Theatre’s first new musical.