There’s something to be said about the timing of the news coming out of the Paramount this week.

A total of 26 nominations for Chicago’s prestigious Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards went to Aurora’s downtown theater, besting any venue in Chicago, including the Goodman and Court theaters, which came in with 21 each.

Paramount venues picked up those two-dozen-plus nominations for six shows, with “Cats” earning 10, followed by the holiday regional premiere of “Frozen” garnering eight.

The announcement came as a much-needed shot in the arm for the Paramount, which laid off 17 of its staff and cancelled the highly acclaimed BOLD Series because of possible reductions in discussed financial support from the city of Aurora.

The mood was dark last week. Understandably.

No one was jumping up and

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