'Puff the Magic Dragon' to 'Leavin' on a Jet Plane,' Peter & Paul to play Aurora's Paramount Theatre

Peter, Paul & Mary transformed folk music into a powerful language that soundtracked the Civil Rights movement, the anti-war scene and an entire era of social change. They've won five Grammys and made it on the Billboard Top 10 list six times.

Now, Peter & Paul of the legendary folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary will continue celebrating over 50 years of positivity, talent and activism with a live performance, one-show-only, Sunday, November 8 at 3 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora.

Join Peter & Paul for a night of gorgeous harmonies, positive messages and hits like "Puff, The Magic Dragon," "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" and "Leaving on a Jet Plane." Tickets are $45, $50 and $55. For tickets and information, go to ParamountAurora.com, call the box office at (630) 896-6666 or stop by the Paramount Theatre, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

More about Peter, Paul & Mary
Folk legends Peter, Paul & Mary sing "If I Had a Hammer"

In the decades prior to the '60s, through the work of such avatars as Woody Guthrie, the Weavers and Pete Seeger, folk music had become identified with sociopolitical commentary, but the idiom had been forced underground in the Senator Joe McCarthy witch-hunting era of the late '50s.

By the time Peter, Paul and Mary arrived on the scene, for the majority of America, folk was viewed merely as a sidebar to pop music which employed acoustic instruments. As the nation was recovering from the McCarthy era, the Civil Rights Movement was taking shape, the Cold War was heating up and with a nascent spirit of activism in the air, Peter Yarrow, Noel (Paul) Stookey and Mary Travers came together to reclaim folk's potency as a social, cultural and political force.

The group was created and launched in New York City's Greenwich Village by manager Albert Grossman, who sought to create a folk "supergroup" by bringing together "a tall blonde (Travers), a funny guy (Stookey), and a good looking guy (Yarrow)." The group released their first album, Peter, Paul & Mary, in 1962. It included "500 Miles," "Lemon Tree," "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," and the hit Pete Seeger tune "If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)." The album was listed on Billboard Magazine's Top Ten list for ten months and in the Top One Hundred for over three years.

By 1963, they had recorded three albums, released the now-famous song "Puff the Magic Dragon" and performed "If I Had a Hammer" at the 1963 March on Washington, best remembered for Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Their biggest single hit came with the Bob Dylan song, "Blowin' in the Wind." Their later hit "Leaving on a Jet Plane" was actually written by the then-unknownJohn Denver. For many years after, Peter, Paul & Mary was at the forefront of the civil rights movement and other causes promoting social justice. The trio was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.
Sadly, Mary Travers was diagnosed with leukemia in 2006 and passed away on September 16, 2009. Peter & Paul continue to tour internationally. For more information, visit peterpaulandmary.com.

More about Paramount Theatre's 2015-16 Season
In addition to Peter & Paul, Paramount's 2015-16 season is anchored by its Broadway musical series: Oklahoma!, directed by Jim Corti (Sept. 16-Oct. 18); A Christmas Story-The Musical (Nov. 25-Jan. 3), directed by Nick Bowling, Hairspray - The Broadway Musical, directed by Amber Mak (Jan. 20-Feb. 21) and West Side Story, directed by Jim Corti (Mar. 16-Apr. 24).
Paramount is still offering the same great "Buy Two Shows, Get Two Shows Free" subscription offer, with four-play packages starting as low as just $82. The rewards are ample - four amazing, Broadway-quality, classic American musicals at one of the most majestic theaters in the Midwest, all for the price of one show downtown.
Subscriber benefits include the best seats, free ticket exchange privileges, 10% discounts on additional shows at the Paramount, first notice of added shows, special subscriber events and exclusive access to our Broadway Series Premium Guest Experience (including pre-show hors d'oeuvres, open bar and private intermission bar service).

In addition to its Broadway series, Paramount's 2015-16 season also boasts Jay Leno (Oct. 30), Under The Streetlamp (Oct. 25), Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl (Oct. 31), star of A&E's hit Paranormal State The Happy Medium - Kim Russo (Nov. 6), Frank Caliendo (Nov. 7), country music hunk Josh Turner (Nov. 12), comedian and ventriloquist Terry Fator (Nov. 13), Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis (Nov. 14), The Second City's Holidazed and Confused Revue (Dec. 4-20, in Paramount's Copley Theatre), STOMP (Feb. 26 & 27), I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues (A Salute to Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and Patsy Cline) (Feb 28), Queen cover geniuses God Save the Queen (Mar. 5), Sandy Hackett's The Rat Pack Show (May 21) and Donny & Marie (May 25-29). Classic Movie Mondays are back too, with $1 screenings of everyone's favorite flicks most Monday nights. For subscriptions, single tickets or more information, go to ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666 or stop by the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in Aurora. Paramount's 2015-16 Broadway Series is sponsored by the Dunham Fund, BMO Harris Bank and Paramount Arts Centre Endowment (PACE). Broadway Series Orchestra Sponsor is Rush-Copley. Broadway Series Lighting Sponsor is ComEd. Broadway Series Costume Sponsor is Gerald Subaru.

About The Paramount Theatre
The Paramount Theatre is the center for performing arts, entertainment and arts education in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. Named "One of Chicago's Top 10 Attended Theatres" by the League of Chicago Theatres, the 1,888-seat Paramount Theatre, located in the heart of downtown Aurora at 23 E. Galena Blvd., is nationally renowned for the quality and caliber of its presentations, superb acoustics and historic beauty. The Paramount Theatre opened on September 3, 1931. Designed by nationally renowned theater architects C.W. and George L. Rapp, the theater captures a unique Venetian setting portrayed in the art deco influence of the 1930s. The first air-conditioned building outside of Chicago, the Paramount offered the public a variety of entertainment, including "talking pictures," vaudeville, concerts and circus performances for more than 40 years. In 1976, Aurora Civic Center Authority purchased the Paramount and closed the theater for restoration. The $1.5 million project restored the Paramount to its original grandeur. On April 29, 1978, the Paramount Arts Center opened, offering a variety of theatrical, musical, comedy, dance and family programming. In 2006, a 12,000-square-foot, two-story Grand Gallery lobby was added, with a new, state-of-the-art box office, café and art gallery. Today, the Paramount produces its own Broadway Musical series, presents an eclectic array of comedy, music, dance and family shows, and on most Mondays, screens a classic movie. For tickets and information, go to ParamountAurora.com or call (630) 896-6666. The Paramount Theatre is one of three live performance venues programmed and managed by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA). ACCA also oversees the Paramount's "sister" stage, the intimate, 173-seat Copley Theatre located directly across the street from the Paramount at 8 E. Galena Blvd., as well as RiverEdge Park, downtown Aurora's summer outdoor concert venue.

The Paramount Theatre continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Tim Rater, President and CEO, Aurora Civic Center Authority; Jim Corti, Artistic Director, Paramount Theatre; a dedicated Board of Trustees and a devoted staff of live theater and music professionals.

For more information, visit ParamountAurora.com.

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