More than 200 people celebrated a new season of entertainment at the Paramount Arts Centre in Aurora last weekend during a special champagne reception.
Ticket holders for this special event enjoyed the excitement of two traditions: the annual opening of the Paramount, which during the past few years has been restored to its 1930s movie theater elegance, and the music and comedy of Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, who have been performing together for more than 35 years.
The 200 guests enjoyed about an hour and a half of Steve and Eydie at the Paramount before walking across Galena Boulevard to North Island Center. There, Dave Sandee and Judy, an Aurora musical group that donated its services, provided more entertainment. Guests also enjoyed champagne, hors d’oeuvres and desserts.
“There has been a great turnout,” said Judy Morrison of Aurora, event chairwoman. “The people are having a great time, and this benefits the children of the area.”
The $20,000 raised from this event, Morrison said, will subsidize entertainment for children. The Paramount Arts Centre is committed, she said, to providing affordable entertainment for families and children. It is because of such events as the champagne reception that tickets for plays such as “Anne of Green Gables,” scheduled for April 24, can be offered for as little as $5 per person.
Hollywood Casino, a neighbor of the Paramount, sponsored the reception. “This is a time when people come together to have a good time and to recognize the arts,” said Susan Gouinlock, vice president and general counsel for the casino.
Bud Meyer of Aurora, chairman of the board of the Aurora Civic Center Authority, said the event was just one piece of what was taking place in Aurora that evening. “The average person does not believe it, but there are 5,000 people at various entertainments in Aurora tonight,” he said. “We are moving toward becoming the entertainment center of the western suburbs.”
