Column: ‘Kids get to be the heroes' in Paramount School of the Arts musical in Aurora

Chicago Tribune

17-06-2025

After seven years in the role with the Paramount Theatre as its young performer supervisor, Bailey O'Neil certainly could be described as the 'kid whisperer' of the downtown Aurora venue.
She was, after all, in charge of all those youngsters in 'The Sound of Music' and 'School of Rock,' as well as in 'Frozen' and the Bold Series production, 'Fun Home.'
In addition to teaching at Paramount School of the Arts, which attracts students from beyond the Fox Valley, O'Neil also directed its previous camp performances 'Matilda Jr.' and 'Mean Girls Jr.'
And next week, under her leadership, more than 50 kids will again take to the summer stage in 'The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical,' where they will, as the press release put it, 'play gods, battle monsters and save the world' in this action-packed fantasy based on Greek mythology.
Props to this talented young Aurora native, who is working with more than twice as many performers as the typical number in a professional Paramount musical.
But O'Neil relishes this role because she gets to see the beginning stages of so many, well, 'stage journeys' – including those who love theater but start off shy and unsure, then gradually 'begin to warm up every day and come out of their shell.'
As someone who truly enjoys working with kids, that's got to be a big payoff, as is watching the students in their third year of camp take on leadership roles, she noted.
Still, it's a lot of young people who are on a quick turnaround for these shows that are put on by the school. So yes, O'Neil also notices 'jaws drop,' and even witnesses 'a little panic in their eyes' when she tells them they only have a week to memorize the scripts.
'They have so much less time to prepare,' O'Neil pointed out, adding that the 30 hours of rehearsal also include a scavenger hunt at the beginning of the process, which she considers an important way for the young performers to bond.
'But the sooner the script is out of their hands,' O'Neil insisted, 'the better the work becomes.'
And the kids, she told me, 'really lock in. … They get so focused' and are 'down for anything' because they 'love theater and are invested in it.'
Adding to the excitement: these youngsters are supported by the Paramount's professional design and technical staff, and will perform in full custom on its historic stage.
'The Lightning Thief,' which centers around 12-year-old demigod Percy Jackson and the demigods of Camp Half-Blood, has been especially fun for the young performers – and seven technical theater students – O'Neil told me, because it is full of action and surprises, including fight choreography, puppetry and plenty of sound effects.
'They are so talented … their dancing is off the charts,' O'Neil said. 'When you put them on the stage and in costume and give them a mic, there is always a big shift as they become their character.
'Sometimes it happens overnight when those neurons connect and it all falls into place.'
The stars also seem to be aligning for this talented young Aurora native who grew up in theater camps, and when old enough became a camp counselor. So it's what O'Neil described as a 'natural progression' she will be taking on an important new role later this year as an assistant director for Stephen Schellhardt in the Paramount's iconic holiday spectacle 'White Christmas.'
No surprise, she's 'thrilled' to be working on this beloved and nostalgic blockbuster musical. But for now, O'Neil just wants to showcase the talents of 50-plus hard-working kids who are on an epic adventure of their own.
Performances for 'The Lightning Thief' are at 7:30 p.m. June 27 and at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. June 28. To purchase the $15 tickets for the show go to paramountaurora.com, call 630-896-6666 or stop by the Paramount box office.
'I love shows where kids get to be the heroes,' said O'Neil. 'It's just so fun to see where they are on the first day (of camp) and where they end.'