August Rush in Aurora IL

[msong]

Posted: 4/26/19 at 4:18pm

Has anyone seen/heard anything about this production yet? Im planning on going in a couple weeks, but would like to know what others think! I love George Abud, so Im very excited to get to see him in a leading role
On another notedoes anyone know anything about stagedooring at the Paramount in Aurora? Are the actors stagedooring at all?

 

EDIT: for any students wanting to see the show, I did message asking about student rush! They have a $10 student rush, one per ID (only for college students)

Updated On: 4/26/19 at 04:18 PM

[DrowsyKaye]

Posted: 4/26/19 at 4:50pm

I'm reviewing it next weekend, so fingers crossed! Not sure of the stage door situation, unfortunately.

[pc1145N]

Posted: 4/27/19 at 8:32am

Thank you for mentioning this. I live nearby and hadn't heard a word about it.

I just bought a ticket!

 

[msong]

Posted: 4/27/19 at 11:59am

pc1145N said: "Thank you for mentioning this. I live nearby and hadn't heard a word about it.

I just bought a ticket!

"

Awesome! What date are you going? I’d love to know what you think!

[A0326T]

Posted: 4/27/19 at 4:55pm

I am from Chicago and subscribe to Paramount Aurora series and I am seeing this and looking forward to it as wel, with Mr Doyle directing,on the 26th May. And an original.

Hope to see this transfer to Broadway.

[A0326T]

Posted: 4/27/19 at 4:56pm

A0326T said: "I am from Chicago and subscribe to Paramount Aurora series and I am seeing this and looking forward to it as wel, with Mr Doyle directing,on the 26th May. And an original.

Hope to see this transfer to Broadway."

It is based on a movie of same name. 

 

[Broadwaywest]

Posted: 5/1/19 at 5:45pm

See this in a few weeks.

I gotta say I'm really liking this song.

https://wgnradio.com/2019/04/28/dean-richards-sunday-morning-4-28-19-lin-manuel-miranda-august-rush-avengers-endgame/

It's at 40 minute mark.

The show is 90min

 

[Daddy Warbucks]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 1:04pm

Has anyone seen this yet?

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 1:28pm

I’m not seeing it until the 16th. I can’t wait, though!

[sjsolo]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 2:49pm

We saw this last night! John Doyle's direction was wonderful and beautiful at times. The leads (August, his parents and Hope!) we excellent. In true Doyle fashion the entire cast plays instruments and he effectively weaves them in and out throughout the entire show so the show has many seamless transitions from scene to scene. The music is beautiful, but at times seems repetitive and not as memorable as you'd think especially since about 85% of the show is sung. Overall, we enjoyed the production, I'm sure they are still working on it - the ending seem to happen very quickly. Also, there's no intermission and no merchandise. The audience seemed to love it as well - lots of "bravos" and standing ovation. 

[pc1145N]

Posted: 5/7/19 at 11:19pm

I don't think it would be possible for me to disagree with the previous post more. 

This "show" is terrible. There I said it. I saw the show on Tuesday and have been living with it since then trying to find something positive to write. 

I did not see the source movie and still really don't know what was going on onstage. Pure randomness. 

It had a very high school "let's put on a show" feel for me.

I've seen John Doyle's shows before and loved Sweeny Todd. Patti LuPone, playing a tuba was genius. But here we are many years later and the schtick is old. There doesn't really seem to be any benefit to the actors playing instruments. 

I've never felt like I should get my money back after seeing a show I didn't particularly like but I really felt robbed with this "show."

There was tons of merchandise. Windowcards ($10.00) Magnets ($5.00) Key chains and tons of hoodies.

 

[JeaniusIsMe]

Posted: 5/8/19 at 11:30am

Chris Jones' review for the Tribune came out this week, and boy did he not enjoy it: https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/reviews/ct-ent-august-rush-review-0507-story.html

From the opening paragraph: "To call “August Rush,” the new musical at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, a pre-Broadway tryout is a major overstatement. What is up on that historic stage at present is more akin to a workshop — a preliminary, 85-minute working through of ideas of how this 2007 Warner Bros. movie about a lost kid trying to hear the music and find his way to his distant parents might become a Broadway show. Nothing here was remotely ready for a full production in a theater with over 40,000 subscribers and some 1,800 seats. And if you haven’t seen the film, good luck following the story."

I was thinking about heading out to check it out (as I've enjoyed Doyle's work in the past), but this and pc1145N's thoughts definitely don't inspire hope that it's worth the drive and money.

[jon5202]

Posted: 5/8/19 at 11:45am

Reviews so far:

https://www.theatreinchicago.com/august-rush/reviews/9879/

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-Critics-Sound-Off-On-The-World-Premiere-of-AUGUST-RUSH-THE-MUSICAL-20190507

 

Updated On: 5/8/19 at 11:45 AM

[dexter3]

Posted: 5/8/19 at 11:46am

Yikes, most of the reviews were pretty negative. Makes me sad because I think the Paramount was really taking a chance on this show, and wanting the theater to become a hub for pre-broadway engagements. I hope this doesn't stop them from continuing that effort. It's a great theater. They have another world premiere this season, THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS, I'm sure they're anticipating a better reception for that.

[jon5202]

Posted: 5/8/19 at 11:54am

Note:  The Secret of My Success opens next season in February, 2020.

https://paramountaurora.com/broadway/

 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 5/9/19 at 12:36am

These reviews sound like a typical Doyle show. Lately, his productions are no longer than 90 minutes and have no sense of place. His shows feel cold, lifeless, and 1 dimensional. This is a shame because I loved his Sweeney, Company, and The Color Purple, but his recent productions have been pretty awful.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/2/25 at 4:43pm

There’s currently a workshop happening. Looks like they’ve started completely from scratch; there’s an entirely new cast and creative team.

Kathleen Marshall directs/choreographs, Book by Nick Blaemire, Music and lyrics by Blaemire, Tom Kitt, Van Hughes, John Legend, Mark Mancina, Bonnie McKee, Luke Reynolds, and Chris Trapper.

Talia Suskauer and Matthew James Thomas play the parents, Lyla and Louis.

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 12/2/25 at 4:46pm

That's a lot of composers. Also Jeremy Kushnier in the Robin Williams role

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/2/25 at 6:27pm

Fordham2015 said: "That's a lot of composers. Also Jeremy Kushnier in the Robin Williams role"

A good number of them are holdovers from the film soundtrack/score. Seems like Blaemire and Kitt will be providing new/additional material.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 12/2/25 at 7:41pm

Call_me_jorge said: "There’s currently a workshop happening. Looks like they’ve started completely from scratch; there’s an entirely new cast and creative team.

Kathleen Marshall directs/choreographs, Book by Nick Blaemire, Music and lyrics by Blaemire, Tom Kitt, Van Hughes, John Legend, Mark Mancina, Bonnie McKee, Luke Reynolds, and Chris Trapper.

Talia Suskauer and Matthew James Thomas play the parents, Lyla and Louis."

seeing that this from-scratch workshop is happening reignites my hope that someday someone will let me try to make a good musical version of The Time Traveler's Wife