Guest Blog: EVERYBODY SAY YEAH: TUTS Unites with Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund

HOUSTON, TX - (February 19, 2015) Houston, Texas is one of the largest cities in the USA with a very eclectic arts scene. You can catch the operatic classics at Houston Grand Opera, visceral plays at The Alley and high heel stepping drag queens in KINKY BOOTS at The Hobby Center! Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) in conjunction with Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund hosted an open house to LGBT teens who have experienced homelessness and housing instability. These teens came from Covenant House, Legacy and Fresh Start Community Center to receive "the complete musical theatre experience." Bob Lawson and his incredible staff opened the doors to The Hobby Center and the teens were introduced to the magic of the theatre.

Upon entering the Sarofim Hall, the teens had no idea what they were getting themselves into. They were greeted with a warm welcome by the TUTS staff as well as a representative from Mayor Annise Parker's office, and little did they know, there was a surprise to come. The teenagers were excited to learn about the many exciting careers in the theatre. Their questions were very specific and the TUTS staff was knowledgeable and very informative. This sparked the teens' interest in working professionally in the creative arts, and prompted them to ask questions about the rehearsal process, costume design, stage and theatre management and how to run a box office. We had the pleasure to talk with Shay Rodgers who serves the Manager of Education at The Humphreys School of Musical Theatre and she said: "As a theatre educator it is my esteemed honor to have the opportunity to share the world of theatre with these teens. The themes and social awareness in KINKY BOOTS make for a great opportunity to connect with LGBT teenagers in Houston. I am so excited for them to see the show!" The excitement was evident in the Hobby Center for a special surprise visit from Houston's Mayor Annise Parker. Mayor Parker greeted the teens and staff with open arms. She let us into her personal life and told us the story of her adopted children and having adopted a gay homeless teen. Politicians can never escape the political propaganda, but Mayor Parker gave us an opportunity to see beyond the political rhetoric. There were more breakout sessions and the evening concluded with the teens seeing a production of the National Tour of KINKY BOOTS.

In the world we deem progressive, we still have a few hurdles to get over and mountains to climb. It is evident that our country is progressive with a black president and an openly lesbian mayor, but there is still work to do. One out of every 45 children - some 1.6 million - in the United States is homeless, according to a report released by the National Center on Family Homelessness. The Journal of Adolescent Health revealed that 53% of gay-identified street youths had attempted suicide, compared with 32% of a cohort of street youths that included both gay and non-gay youths. Enlightening efforts such as these allow LGBT youth to understand that there is more to like than what they are seeing and at the end of the day it gets better. It was Cyndi Lauper who said: "Pursue the truth, Learn something new, Accept yourself and you'll accept others too. Let love shine, Let pride be your guide, Change the world when you change your mind! You'll see it's beautiful!" Thank you for reading!

KINKY BOOTS plays at The Hobby Center's Sarofim Hall February 19-22, 2015.

To learn more about Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund please visit: www. truecolorsfund.org.

Learn more about The Covenant House Houston at www.covenanthouse.org.

Learn more about Fresh Start Community Haven Inc.: http://www.freshstartch.org.