New Fox TV Show Takes Over Rialto For Filming: Exclusive

JOLIET, IL — At the same time Joliet's historic Rialto Square Theatre is featured in the Netflix special on comedian Larry The Cable Guy, a brand new Fox TV dramedy pilot has taken over the Rialto to start filming "The Big Leap."

The giant Rialto marquee posted an announcement Wednesday proclaiming: The Big Leap. Auditions Today. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Val Devine, executive director of Rialto's Square Theatre, told Joliet Patch that "The Big Leap" is expected to be filming outdoors Thursday and inside the theater Friday.

Fox's filming schedule is fluid, she said, but production crews are likely to wrap up their filming in the middle of next week.

Back on March 11, Deadline broke the news that Scandal and Whiskey Cavalier alum Scott Foley would have a lead part in "The Big Leap," Fox’s ballet-themed hour long comedy-drama pilot inspired by the UK reality series "Big Ballet."

According to a Dec. 2 article published by Deadline, Piper Perabo and Kevin Daniels are also joining "The Big Leap."

"The show revolves around a group of diverse underdogs from all different walks of life who compete to be part of a competition reality series that is putting on a modern, hip remake of 'Swan Lake,'" Deadline reported last week. " What they lack in the traditional dancer body type, they make up for with their edge, wit and desire to reimagine an iconic story to fit their own mold."

In years past, the cast for the TV show "Empire" used the Rialto for filming.

Since early March, the Rialto has been closed to live concerts and entertainers because of the pandemic, as have hundreds of other performing arts theaters all over the U.S.

In the summer and fall, the Will County Courthouse used the Rialto's rotunda for hosting traffic court, but that arrangement ended when the new $215 million courthouse opened Nov. 2.

Devine said that Dec. 8 marked "nine months to the day" since the Rialto began canceling all of its booked concerts and shows for the year because of the deadly coronavirus.

Having "The Big Leap" here in Joliet "is just a wonderful feeling seeing the stagehands and people inside the theater," Devine told Joliet Patch's editor. "It was like normal. The theater has been closed nine months. Nine months. People give birth to babies in less time."

On Wednesday afternoon, film crews and production assistants were busy coming and going from the Rialto and plastering giant posters advertising their new show, "The Big Leap."

"It's good for everyone and it puts the theater on the map," Devine said. "The fact that 'Empire' came back so many times must mean their experiences are good. I'm just happy."

Joliet's 1926 theater is regarded as one of the top 10 most beautiful indoor performing arts buildings in North America.

This article originally appeared on the Joliet Patch