The office of state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, is piloting a program offering free tickets to the Paramount Theatre in downtown Aurora.
The tickets are being offered to all living within Hernandez’s 50th District, which covers much of Aurora and North Aurora. However, there will be limited quantities of tickets during the pilot, she said, and her office would prefer they go to those who have never been to a Paramount show before.
“I feel like there’s a gap between the community and the Paramount Theatre,” Hernandez said. “So, I wanted to find ways to start inviting people.”
The Paramount has amazing programs, and as someone who was born and raised in Aurora, Hernandez has seen it grow “drastically” since she was a child, she said.
But, some people in the community may not feel comfortable going to the Paramount, believing it to be more of a luxury, according to Hernandez. She hopes this new program will provide a way for people to check it out.
Also, she hopes it will increase economic activity in the downtown area, as those who go to see the shows will hopefully stick around to check out the restaurants.
Many people who were born and raised in Aurora may not have gotten the chance to go to the theater, or they may avoid downtown because of the stigma from the 1980s and 1990s, Hernandez said. Growing up, her parents told her it was unsafe to go downtown, but now she lives there.
“I love to walk around and check out the new restaurants and have a nightlife with my friends there,” she said. “I want to have those same opportunities for others, too.”
The Experience the Arts program, which was announced earlier this month on Hernandez’s official social media pages, had some tickets available for this season’s final two shows: “Dear Evan Hansen” and “South Pacific.” While the online sign-up form a few days ago showed that those tickets were nearly all gone, Hernandez said that more are coming for next season’s slate of shows starting with “Mean Girls” later this year.
Those interested in signing up for next season’s tickets should watch her newsletter and social media for more information, which may come around August, she said.
Like other state representatives, Hernandez also offers free tickets to museums, zoos and more in Chicago and beyond. She’s been offering these tickets since she’s been in office through a partnership with the Illinois Association of Museums, she said.
“That’s a great opportunity because, as we’ve noticed, The Field Museum and others like The Field Museum are expensive,” Hernandez said.
Growing up, it was a great experience for her to go to these museums, she said, so she wants to make sure the price of the ticket isn’t stopping families from being able to go.
Hernandez is also set to launch a program on April 1 that will offer tickets to the Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield.
For more information about any of these programs, Hernandez’s office in downtown Aurora can be reached at 630-270-1848 or through a form on her website: www.staterepresentativebarbarahernandez.com.
rsmith@chicagotribune.com
