TUTS Presents HAPPY DAYS - A NEW MUSICAL 5/12 - 5/24

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Goodbye gray skies, hello blue! The national tour of Happy Days - A New Musical will play at the Hobby Center for Performing Arts with Theatre Under The Stars May 12-24, 2009 for just two weeks. 

Based on the hit Paramount Pictures  television series, Happy Days - A New Musical reintroduces one of America s best loved families, the Cunninghams and the days of 1959 Milwaukee.  This time capsule is complete with familiar friends, Richie, Potsie, Ralph Malph, Joanie and Chachi, Pinky Tuscadero and of course, the king of cool: Arthur The Fonz” Fonzarelli.  

Arnold's - the famed drive-in malt shop is in danger of demolition, so the gang teams up to save it with a dance contest and TV-worthy wrestling match. 

Complete with varsity sweaters, hula hoops and jukebox sock-hoppin , Happy Days - A New
Musical brings back the nostalgia of the 50 s in a perfect family entertainment.  

Happy Days - A New Musical features a book written byvthe TV series  legendary creator Garry Marshall with music and lyrics by the Academy Award-winning composer Paul Williams.  Directed by Gordon Greenberg, Music Arrangement and Music Supervision by John McDaniel and Choreographed by Michele Lynch.  Set design is by Walt Spangler, Costume design by David C. Woolard, Lighting design by Julie Ferrin, Sound Design by Jay Hilton and Hair and Wig design by Mark Adam Rampmeyer. 

Tickets for TUTS' presentation of Happy Days - A New Musical  are available by phone at (713) 558-8887 or outside the Houston area at (888) 558-3882; or in person at the Theatre Under The
Stars Box Office, (800 Bagby at Walker, Mon-Fri 9a.m.-6p.m, Sat-Sun 11a.m.-4p.m.); or on-line TUTS.com. 

An audio described performance is available Sunday, May 24, 2009 at 2 p.m.; open captioning Sunday, May 24, 2009 at 7:30p.m. The Hobby Center is wheelchair accessible.

Student and senior (60+) discount tickets are available one hour before performance at the box office only.  Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more and may be purchased by calling (713) 558-8888 or via email at groupsales@tuts.com.

Garry Marshall has created, written and produced some of television's most beloved situation comedies, including  Happy Days,:  Laverne and Shirley,” Mork & Mindy” and  The Odd Couple.”  He has directed 16 movies.  Among them are Pretty Woman, Beaches, Overboard, The Princess Diaries 1 & 2 and Runaway Bride.  As an actor he's played many memorable roles, including  Mr. Harvey  in his sister Penny Marshall s A League of Their Own and  Irwin  in his son Scott Marshall s debut feature, Keeping Up with the Steins.  In 1995, Marshall wrote his autobiography with his daughter Lori, called Wake Me When It s Funny.  And in 1997, he built a theater in Burbank, California with his daughter Kathleen, called the Falcon Theatre. Academy Award winning composer Paul Williams brings a new energy to the 50's genre.  His diverse style of songwriting has given the world pop hits recorded by The Carpenters (We ve Only Just Begun” and  Rainy Days and Mondays”,  I Won t Last a Day Without You” among others) and Barbara Streisand (Evergreen” - the love theme from  A Star is Born”), and  The Theme to the Love Boat.”  His timeless standards have been recorded by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, R.E.M and Kermit the Frog ( The Rainbow Connection”).    

Happy Days - A New Musical is produced by Robert Boyett Theatricals in association with McCoy Rigby Entertainment.   Robert Boyett is one of the original producers of the successful TV series,  Happy Days.” Sponsors of the TUTS production of Happy Days - A New Musical  include Akin Gump
Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and Sterling Bank.

The TUTS 2008-2009 season is sponsored by Continental Airlines, Spectra Energy, St. Luke's
Episcopal Health System.  Founded in 1968, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is Houston's acclaimed non-profit musical theatre company and is currently under the direction of President and CEO John C. Breckenridge.  Dedicated to producing new works and classic masterpieces, the 2008-2009 "Wow! What a Season." celebrates TUTS 41st Season of bringing world-class musical theatre to Houston audiences. 

TUTS was the first theatrical organization in Houston to perform free to the public in 1968 at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park, and is the only Houston arts organization that has performed there free to the public every year since the building opened.  Since its founding by Frank M. Young, TUTS has produced more than 300 musicals including many local, national and world premieres such as Disney's Beauty and the Beast, as well as International tours including Debbie Reynolds in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Juliet Prowse in Mame, Robert Goulet in Man of La Mancha, the Tony Award-winning revival of Carousel and the Deaf West Theatre production of Big River.

As a way to continue the tradition of musical theatre, TUTS' Humphreys School of Musical Theatre provides instruction and stage experience for more than 1,700 students annually through both The
Academy and The Studio, which allow students to flourish in a year-round schedule of classes.  

Housed in the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston's High School Musical theatre programs. For more information visit www.TUTS.com.

Photo Credit: Gerry Goodstein

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