Theatre Under The Stars Announces The S.T.A.R.S. Program

Theatre Under The Stars announces a new educational initiative, S.T.A.R.S. (Sharing Theatre And Reaching Students), which empowers patrons and donors to directly impact the life of a local student through musical theatre. For $25, donors can provide a local child from an underserved school with a ticket to TUTS' student matinee of The Phantom Tollbooth Jr. (March 30-April 1, 2010), AND their own copy of the book that inspired the musical. For many of these students, a theatre experience would be otherwise out of reach.

"This program was developed to meet a real need we see in the community. A portion of the donations even go to subsidize the transportation fees. It's our goal to make theatre more accessible to Houston's children," says Marcia Hovious, Director of Development at Theatre Under The Stars. To participate in the S.T.A.R.S. program, visit www.TUTS.com for more information.

For all of Theatre Under The Stars' 2009-2010 shows, air transportation is provided by Continental Airlines, the official airline of Theatre Under The Stars. St. Luke's Episcopal Health System, is the Official Healthcare Partner of Theatre Under The Stars. Media sponsors include ABC-13 and Houston Chronicle. Season support is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Theater District Association and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

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. 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 Kopit and Yeston's Phantom, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Jekyll & Hyde, and Irving Berlin's White Christmas. TUTS has also produced international tours including Debbie Reynolds in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Juliet Prowse in Mame, Robert Goulet in Man of La Mancha, as well as critically acclaimed local re-inventions of classics such as Cabaret and Les Miserables. 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.

Visit www.TUTS.com for more information.

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