TUTS Underground unveils the cast for the sizzling and explosive musical Murder Ballad. The steamy quartet of actors includes Steel Burkhardt, Pat McRoberts, Lauren Molina and Kristin Warren. Fresh off its New York City run, Murder Ballad makes its national regional premiere at Hobby Center's Zilkha Hall April 17 - 27.
Murder Ballad tells the sultry story of passion's dark side. A love triangle gone wrong, the show centers on Sara, an Upper West Sider who seemingly has it all but whose downtown past lingers enticingly and dangerously in front of her. This sexy new rock musical explores the complications of love, the compromises we make, and the betrayals that can ultimately undo us.
Heading the show as the leading ladies are
Lauren Molina, who plays Sara, and Kristin Warren, who plays the narrator. Molina's stage credits are comprised of Broadway's Rock of Ages and Sweeney Todd as well as the first national tour of Sweeney Todd. Warren is a native Houstonian who has appeared many times at TUTS. Her most recent appearances include Cabaret, The Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls and Man of La Mancha. She won an award as the Best Actress in a Musical from BroadwayWorld.com voters in 2013 for her performance in Sweeney Todd.
Steel Burkhardt stars as Tom and Pat McRoberts stars as Michael. Burdkardt's stage experience includes the lead role in Hair on Broadway, London's West End and the national tour. McRoberts has played on Broadway in Miss Saigon and Buddy: The
Buddy Holly Story as well as the national tour of Miss Saigon. Both also boast extensive regional theatre credits, having played at several theatres across the country.
The creative team consists of entirely Houston-based talent. Heading the creative team are director
Bruce Lumpkin and choreographer Michelle Gaudette. A husband and wife team, Lumpkin and Gaudette have collaborated at TUTS for Elf, Man of La Mancha and Miss Saigon. Lumpkin previously worked on several Broadway titles including Grand Hotel, My One and Only, Nine, Stepping Out, and The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. Additionally, Lumpkin co-directed Grand Hotel on London's West End and served on the creative team for the national tours of Dr. Doolittle and Nine. He received the Barrymore Award for Best Director and Best Musical for his revisionist look at Cabaret. Gaudette has performed internationally throughout her career and toured nationally in
Will Rogers Follies. She also performed as a member of the Radio City Rockettes in New York City for nine years.
Leading the band will be musical director and conductor Jack Beetle. Murder Ballad marks Beetle's debut with TUTS. A classically trained opera singer, he has performed in more than 40 productions in various regional theatres and will help bring this production's pop rock score to life for audience members.
Additional creative team members include assistant director Marley Wisnoski, fight captain Jeff Wisnoski, lighting designer
Christina Giannelli, sound designer
Andrew Harper and set designer Laura Hawkes.
In addition to the stellar cast and creative team, TUTS Underground is taking the theatre experience one step further with this musical. In keeping with the bar-theme of the show, the theatre will transform Zilkha Hall into a part of the set. The 500-seat room will play host to a fully operational bar on stage that will serve drinks starting one hour before the show up until the show starts. VIP "Bar Fly" packages with onstage bar-side tables will be available for purchase starting March 24 at
www.TUTS.com/Events or by calling the box office at
713-558-8887.
After the show, guests are encouraged to soak up the beautiful weather in The Garden - a portion of Zilkha Hall's patio that is transformed into an outdoor bar, complete with IKEA's stylish lounge furniture and special lighting. Patrons can mix and mingle in The Garden with fellow theatre fans and company members from Murder Ballad.
Murder Ballad was conceived by
Julia Jordan with book and lyrics by Jordan and music and lyrics by indie rock singer/songwriter
Juliana Nash. Jordan is a
Jonathan Larson Award winner and two-time
Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist. A rarity in musical theatre, Murder Ballad represents the first time in TUTS and TUTS Underground history that the company will present a show conceived and created by an all-female team.
Tickets (starting at only $24) are available on-line at
TUTSUnderground.com, by phone at (713) 558-TUTS (8887), outside the Houston area at
(888) 558-3882, or in person at the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office, located at 800 Bagby at Walker, Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Saturday - Sunday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Special offers are available for groups of 10 or more by calling (713) 558-8888 or via email at
groupsales@tuts.com.
Murder Ballad is generously sponsored by Berg & Androphy. The TUTS Underground series is made possible through support from the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation, IKEA, TUTS' Leading Ladies and United Airlines.
The Underground series is a new venture and legacy for TUTS, Houston's premier nonprofit musical theatre company. Forged from the guidelines of "No revivals - No dead authors - No boundaries," TUTS Underground features productions that are edgy, captivating and occasionally a bit risqué.
Visit
TUTSUnderground.com for more information.
