Daily Herald: Award-winning musicals at suburban theaters

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Suburban theater lovers once had to venture into Chicago for big, splashy musical spectacles and cutting-edge premieres. No more.

Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace staged a pre-Broadway run this summer of "Beaches" and hosted the regional premiere of "Next to Normal," a musical dealing with mental illness.

Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire is debuting new works, including its acclaimed current production of "October Sky." And the new kid on the block, Paramount Theatre, is producing lush shows rivaling the best touring productions out of New York - earning the Aurora theater a whopping 16 Jeff Award nominations in only its first year of eligibility.

In fact, when Jeff nominations were announced in August, Paramount was tops among all Chicago area theater, with Drury Lane claiming the number two and Marriott tying for third with Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre. The awards will be announced Monday.

You can read the full story in the Daily Herald's edition from Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015, or online at dailyherald.com.