Talkies had just begun to appear in theaters, and Paramount executives predicted exponential growth in the industry.

The theater opened in September 1931 with appearances from Paramount film stars including The Marx Brothers, Jack Benny, Jeanette MacDonald and Burns and Allen.

It is capable of holding 1,885 people; originally it held 2,125, but capacity had to be reduced to conform to fire codes.

[citation needed] In 1976, the theater closed for renovation following its sale to the Aurora Civic Center Authority.

[citation needed] In March 2020 The Secret of My Success, based on the 1987 movie of the same name, was mid-run for its world premiere and pre-Broadway tryout with Sydney Morton (Christy Lockhart) and Billy Harrigan Tighe (Brantley Foster/Carlton Whitfield) as leads and Gordon Greenberg directing when production was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.