Andrea Prestinario likes to think of herself as a “proud mama of the Paramount,” with good reason.

The New York actor, who grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and whose family has strong ties to Aurora, was the first star of the downtown theater’s Broadway Series, playing the lead role of Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady” back in its 2011 inaugural season, and returning in 2014 for the role of Maureen Johnson in “Rent.”

Prestinario is back again, this time in a starring role in the Paramount’s hit show “Come From Away” that is running through Oct. 12. And its this professional journey that makes the 43-year-old native of Palos Hills an up-close-and-personal witness to how the Paramount Theatre has evolved, not to mention how it has contributed to the success of the city itself.

Prestinari

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