Paramount's Debut Connection Social Media Concert Drops This Week

Tune in to Paramount Theatre's Facebook page (facebook.com/ParamountAurora/) tomorrow, Saturday, April 4, at 8 p.m. CST, when the theater's New Works Department will drop its first free online music concert to launch Connection: A Social Media Concert Series.

Connection is an all-new virtual concert series to help artists and audiences connect with each other while the public is asked to shelter in place. It's a multi-week online music theater series with rotating themes meant to encourage emerging and veteran songwriters and playwrights to use this time to create new work and keep Paramount's patrons entertained in an innovative new way.

Saturday's debut concert features more than a half dozen original songs written, performed and submitted on video by an eclectic collection of student songwriter, plus a few Paramount artists. Each song is hooked to the first week's theme, "school." The performances range in musical style, and include everything from homages to alma maters, to responses from students grappling with being out of school.

Paramount audiences will remember Everleigh Murphy as little Ivonka in its 2018 production of Once. She wrote and performs her own song about school on video in Paramount's debut Connection Social Media Concert.

In addition to its Facebook page, the first Connection series concert video will also be posted Saturday night at 8 p.m. on Paramount's website, ParamountAurora.com, and its Instagram and YouTube pages. Each Connection concert runs approximately 30 minutes. It's free to enjoy across all platforms.

Throughout the series, Paramount's New Works Department will a new weekly theme and post guidelines for submission every Wednesday. The theme for next week's Connection concert is "home."

Musicians have until the following Wednesday, April 8, at midnight to write, perform and submit an original song on video about their connection to home. It can be anything from what home means to you now, to how you relate to home, to cleaning your home, to schooling in your home. Serious or silly, these original songs will help brighten everyone's day and entertain our Paramount Family.

To submit a video, email a downloadable link (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.) to Paramount's New Works Department at newworks@paramountarts.com. (Note: If filming with a cell phone, horizontal orientation is preferred but not required.)

Then, Paramount's New Works and Marketing departments will curate and compile the entries for the second Connection social media concert. Likewise, it will debut next Saturday, April 11 at 8 p.m. CST across Paramount's social channels and website.
"In the few days we have all been advised to socially distance ourselves, it's become clear that we need to find ways to stay in touch now more than ever," said Amber Mak, New Works Development Director, Paramount Theatre. "While we may not be able to bring you live theater right now, Paramount's New Works Department has conceived this social media concert series to keep people connected until we can all see each other again at the theater."

The series is currently slated to run for three weeks, through April 18, but may continue until stay at home orders are lifted. Each week's Connection social media concert will run approximately 30 minutes.

Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to email Paramount's New Works Department with their questions at newworks@paramountarts.com.

Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora, is the center for performing arts, entertainment and arts education in the second largest city in Illinois. More than 41,000 subscribers from throughout the city and suburbs enjoy Broadway-quality productions at highly affordable prices at Paramount Theatre. Since launching its Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount Theatre has grown to be the second largest subscription house in the nation.

For the latest news from Paramount Theatre and updates on upcoming performances, please visit ParamountAurora.com.i??