Bruce Lumpkin News

TUTS Underground will stage the Texas Premiere of Hands On A Hardbody, June 12-22 at Zilkha Hall at The Hobby Center.

TUTS Underground's National Regional Premiere of MURDER BALLAD is kicking off its second and final week of performances in the Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. This rocking 80-minute one-act is leaving Houston audiences electrified and exhilarated. In celebration of the amazing performances given so far and the ones still yet to come, we sat down with MURDER BALLAD's sultry and sexy love triangle gone awry (Pat McRoberts, Lauren Molina, and Steel Burkhardt) to further discuss MURDER BALLAD.

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) takes a trip under the sea with Disney's family friendly extravaganza The Little Mermaid, featuring bright, inventive sets and dazzling costumes! TUTS invites the whole family to this fun-filled, timeless tale as the stage comes to life June 13 - 29 at Hobby Center's Sarofim Hall.

The World Premiere production of MURDER BALLAD at MTC's The Studio at Stage II took New York by storm in 2012. In 2013 it transferred to the Union Square Theatre and played 17 previews and 70 regular performances before closing on July 21. Now, TUTS Underground is producing the National Regional Premiere of the exhilarating, crowd-pleasing musical, and this sultry tale of love, passion, and murder is simply too good to miss.

The 2014 Tommy Tune Awards winners have been announced! To a crowd of more than 2,500 people, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) declared the winners of TUTS' twelfth annual Tommy Tune Awards on the evening of Wednesday, April 16, at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Adding extra excitement to the evening, the award ceremony's namesake and nine-time Tony Award winnerTommy Tune made a special appearance to kick off the show and to present the night's top honor.

Last night, Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) celebrated the talents and achievements of local children with the 12th annual Tommy Tune Awards. Pulling up to the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, all I could see was hundreds of well-dressed and excited young adults. Their enthusiasm and nervous energy filled the air. The anticipation for the TONY's-inspired awards show was incredibly high, and everyone wanted to know who would win.

This past Sunday, I got to crash a technical rehearsal of TUTS Underground's steamy production of MURDER BALLAD. In its Houston Premiere, the hit musical features Steel Burkhardt (as Tom), Pat McRoberts (as Michael), Lauren Molina (as Sara) and Kristin Warren (as the Narrator).

TUTS Underground unveils the cast for the sizzling and explosive musical Murder Ballad. The steamy quartet of actors includes Steel Burkhardt, Patrick 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.

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) has announced that the first North American tour of the new stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz will play today, March 4 - 16 at Hobby Center's Sarofim Hall.

Houston native, Cesar Fernando Barajas has been working hard as a professional performer for years. He recently relocated to New York City, where he is currently making a living doing what he loves. Next week, he'll be returning home for a highly anticipated Q&A on March 6th and to teach a workshop on March 7th at The Wilson School of Acting & Musical Theatre. Recently, I got to speak with Cesar Fernando Barajas about his career and his passion for motivating and inspiring others.

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) has announced that the first North American tour of the new stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz will play March 4 - 16 at Hobby Center's Sarofim Hall. Click your heels together and join Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, Dorothy and her little dog Toto, as they journey through the magical land of Oz to meet the Wizard and obtain their hearts' desires. Watch out for the Wicked Witch of the West and her winged monkeys as you rediscover the real story of Oz in this fantastic musical treat for the whole family.

Proudly announcing Theatre Under the Stars' (TUTS) 47th season, Artistic Director Bruce Lumpkin says, 'As Houston's largest homegrown musical theatre organization, there's a lot to be excited about!'Certainly, there simply is no denying that the season features a truly diverse array of audience favorites from Broadway's golden classics to contemporary hits. Bruce Lumpkin adds, 'We're presenting some of the most exciting things happening on the musical theatre stages! We've got some of the classics, some of the edgier shows, and we've got some of the freshest productions from New York. I don't think it gets any better than this! Trust me when I say that TUTS is moving and shaking things up!' At the bottom line, TUTS is in a unique position to offer Houston audiences 'both self-produced shows as well as national tours, so I think that the Houston audiences are going to enjoy the best of both worlds.'

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) announced today that St. Luke's Health System (SLHS) will serve as the 2014-2015 season sponsor. When TUTS' 47th season begins in September 2014, it will mark the sixth consecutive year for St. Luke's as the season sponsor.

It was an exciting, interesting and surprising season in the Philadelphia/ South Jersey theater world. Here are some of my favorites picks with one additional New York entry worth remembering.

Every year the holiday season brings cherished classics to Houston stages. This year; however, we at BroadwayWorld Houston were delighted to find exciting new shows stuffed into our stockings as well. Looking back, before they are all gone, we'd like to encourage Houstonians and tourists to check out these Houston holiday highlights!

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) presents the new holiday classic, Elf The Musical, running tomorrow, Dec. 6 - 22 at Hobby Center's Sarofim Hall. Making his TUTS debut as the loveable 'elf' Buddy is Tommy J. Dose. He played Alfred Doolittle in the national tour of My Fair Lady and has circulated the regional theatre scene with companies including the Fulton Theatre, the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, and the Cumberland County Playhouse. Check out a first look at highlights below!

ELF, a holiday themed musical, first opened on Broadway in 2010. With the 2003 motion picture of the same title starring Will Ferrell as source material, theatergoers all over were interested in the sugarcoated musical. Negative reviews lead to a re-tooling of the show, and it returned to Broadway in 2012 in addition to having a mini tour of the US. Now, in 2013, Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) is bringing the confection to Houston audiences with a locally produced production of the saccharine holiday confection that is rather donuts for dinner.

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) presents Elf The Musical, running tonight, Dec. 6 - 22 at Hobby Center's Sarofim Hall. Making his TUTS debut as the loveable 'elf' Buddy is Tommy J. Dose. He played Alfred Doolittle in the national tour of My Fair Lady and has circulated the regional theatre scene with companies including the Fulton Theatre, the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, and the Cumberland County Playhouse. BroadwayWorld has photos from the TUTS production below!

Voting is now underway for Houston! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Calling all theatre fans, Theatre Under the Stars' (TUTS) exciting new series TUTS Underground is offering season subscriptions. With LIZZIE and their upcoming presentation of the national tour of 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL, TUTS Underground is shaking up the Houston theatre scene by presenting fresh and edgy shows at reasonable prices.