Billy Gardell Brings His One-Man Comedy Show to Aurora's Paramount Theatre

Whether you know him as the lovable Mike from CBS's 13-million-viewers-per-week Mike & Molly, recognize him as Umpire Haze in the baseball comedy Undrafted, or remember his, let's say, unforgettable scene with Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa, actor/comedian Billy Gardell knows how to bring funny to the screen - and stage.

Get ready for joke after joke when Gardell takes the spotlight (and stool) Saturday, November 12 at 8 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., in downtown Aurora. Tickets are $55-$65. To purchase, visit ParamountAurora.com, call the box office at (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount Theatre box office, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

On top of his successful acting career, Gardell has toured his one-man stand-up comedy show for years, cracking audiences up with totally relatable stories of childhood, wild teenage years and raising a family. Comedy Central and Showtime both premiered his stand-up specials on air, broadcasting his shows to millions of fans.

Emmy-nominated actor and comedian Billy Gardell starred in the CBS hit television series, Mike & Molly as Officer Mike Biggs from 2010-2016. Mike & Molly continues to air in syndication to this day. As a follow-up to the hit CBS series, Gardell took a dramatic turn in the CMT series Million Dollar Quartet as Colonel Tom Parker, the infamous manager of Elvis Presley. The drama series was inspired by the Broadway musical. In 2016, he received a Daytime Emmy nomination as Best Gameshow Host for Monopoly Millionaires Club. Before Mike & Molly, Gardell co-starred in the acclaimed television series Lucky. His other television credits include Yes Dear, Judging Amy, My Name is Earl, The Practice, Monk and Gary the Rat. He made his major motion picture debut alongside Anthony Quinn and Sylvester Stallone in Avenging Angelo, and had a memorable scene with Billy Bob Thornton in the Cohen Brother's film Bad Santa. He also appeared in You, Me & Dupree, played Umpire Haze in the baseball feature, Undrafted, and appeared in the Clint Eastwood directed film, Jersey Boys.

Gardell took the long road to Hollywood, stopping at every small town lounge, military base and Comedy Club along the way. His comedy act took him to Los Angeles where his dedication to acting, along with touring as a stand-up comedian, allowed him to grow consistently in both arenas. His stand-up show is a powerhouse. His grounded, down-to- earth point of view strikes a strong chord with American audiences. Stories about his rough childhood, wild adolescence and new family life are executed with the skill of a master craftsman.

As a standup comic, his comedy specials Billy Gardell: Halftime premiered on Comedy Central and Billy Gardell Presents Road Dogs premiered on Showtime. In addition, he makes regular appearances on NFL Today on CBS Sports.

A native of Pittsburgh who currently lives in Los Angeles, Gardell loves Steeler football, stand-up comedy, his wife Patty and son Will. For more, visit billygardell.com. More about Paramount Theatre's 2016-17 Season

Paramount's 2016-17 season line-up is anchored by its acclaimed Broadway musical series, including Mamma Mia! (Sept. 7-Oct. 30, 2016), Disney's The Little Mermaid (Nov. 23, 2016-Jan. 8, 2017), Sweeney Todd-The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Feb. 8-Mar. 19, 2017) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Apr. 19-May 28, 2017).

Paramount anticipates more than 30,000 subscribers will take advantage of Paramount's now-familiar Buy Two, Get Two offer, or four Broadway-caliber musicals for no more than $29.50 per show.

In addition to its Broadway series and Billy Gardell, Paramount's 2016-17 season also includes Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl (Nov. 4), Engelbert Humperdinck (Nov. 5), Under The Streetlamp (Nov. 6), Garrison Keillor (Nov.13), The Second City's Nut-Cracking Holiday Revue (Dec. 2-23, in Paramount's Copley Theatre), Defending the Caveman (Jan. 20), God Save The Queen (Jan. 21), Home Free (Mar. 24), Madeleine Peyroux and Rickie Lee Jones (Mar. 25), Golden Dragon Acrobats (Mar. 26), Riverdance: 20 Years (Mar. 31-Apr. 2, five shows), Piano Men: A Tribute to Elton John and Billy Joel (Jun. 10) and Barbra and Frank: The Concert That Never Was... (Jun. 11).

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