Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) Winter Camp! For both age groups, there are four days available to explore four different Broadway musicals, each day culminating in a showcase presentation. Students will rehearse songs, dances and scene excerpts from Broadway musicals all in one day. Don't miss out on any of these four fantastic opportunities with the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre! For more information and applications, please visit www.TUTS.com/HSMT.
TUTS Underground reveals the rock maven quartet to stage TUTS Underground's season opener and 'killer' rock musical Lizzie. Carrie Manolakos, Carrie Cimma, Natalie Charle Ellis and Courtney Markowitz headline the blood soaked retelling of the legend of Victorian girl and leading double murder suspect Lizzie Borden. The show runs Oct. 10 - 20 in Hobby Center's Zilkha Hall.
Theatre Under the Stars' (TUTS) Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) introduced Houston, Texas to the 2007 stage musical adaptation of XANADU this weekend. The musical film Xanadu opened to mixed-to-negative reviews and audience responses in 1980, but over the interceding years has gained a cult following. However, from its release, the film's soundtrack has been a commercial success. It contains five Top 20 singles and was certified Double Platinum in the US. The musical adaption retains Electric Light Orchestra's original pop songs written for the film, featuring music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar. Douglas Carter Beane stepped in to write the book for the musical, and added a pair of "evil" muses as a plot twist. For the musical, the creative team pieced together a tacky, self-indulgent, and self-referential one act that despite a talented cast is uninteresting and bland.
Grab your skates and sweatbands as Theatre Under The Stars' (TUTS) Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) takes you back to the 1980s for the Houston premiere of the hilarious roller skating musical Xanadu! Playing at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts tonight and tomorrow, September 13 - 14, 2013, Xanadu will feature an all-teen cast made entirely of local high school students who train at the professional and award-winning Humphreys School.
An all-star cast will take the stage at The 5th Avenue Theatre this fall in the celebrated organization's 15th new musical, Secondhand Lions. Based on the beloved film starring Michael Caine and Robert Duvall, Secondhand Lions springs to musical life in Seattle with a superbly talented cast of Broadway stars and Seattle musical theater actors. Lead by Tony Award nominees Gregg Edelman and Mark Jacoby, this adventure story also features Jason Danieley, Jenny Powers, Kevin Earley, Jared Michael Brown, Kendra Kassebaum, Sophia Anne Caruso, and Justin Huertas. Johnny Rabe, star of Broadway's A Christmas Story, takes center stage as Walter.
For the second summer in a row, Canadian Stage's popular Shakespeare in High Park has set an all-time high attendance record with more than 32,000 audience members enjoying theatre under the stars at the High Park Amphitheatre. The double-bill featuring Shakespeare's powerful tragedy, Macbeth, and controversial comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, was on stage from June 28 to September 1.
Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is thrilled to announce the 45 Houston area high schoolscompeting in the 12th annual Tommy Tune Awards. Developed by TUTS in 2002, the Tommy Tune Awards honor musical theatre excellence at the high school level, celebrating outstanding student achievement in 15 categories. During the 2013-2014 school year, a team of Houston-based theatre professionals will evaluate the participating high schools' productions and announce the winners at a Tony Awards-style ceremony to be heldApril 16, 2014 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. The event will spotlight musical numbers from the nominated shows as well as reveal the winning performers, directors, choreographers, orchestras and designers who have defined excellence throughout the 2013-2014 school year. The Best Leading Actor and Actress, the most prestigious recognitions of the Tommy Tune Awards, will represent TUTS in an all-expense paid trip as they go on to compete at the national level for the Jimmy Award at the National High School Musical Theater Awards in New York City in June 2014.
PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL, or the ultimate party bus, is headed towards Houston. With our ears to the ground we can hear the faint pulse of the poppy disco beats filling Denver audiences with joy. Soon the splashy, feel good musical will be mirthfully leaving Houston audiences dancing in the aisles. Last week, while the bus was stopped in San Francisco I chatted with Gillian Austin, the shows' Wardrobe Supervisor, about the amazingly audacious, memorable, and vastly impressive and Tony Award winning costumes, which were designed by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner who also won an Oscar for their costumes design for the film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Broadway On 22nd Street Returns to The Metropolitan Room for its Third Smash Year. Conceived and Produced by Joseph Macchia Broadway On 22nd Street the bi-monthly series brings some of Broadways most talented singers down to the Metropolitan Room.
Houston, it is a new theatre season and Theatre Under the Stars is kicking off theirs with the fabulously fun PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL. This heartwarming musical follows a trio of friends as they embark on a life-changing journey to the Australian outback, and it incorporates genuine themes of self-acceptance, belonging, community, camaraderie, and family. Comprised of popular hit songs from the 60's to the 90's, PRISCILLA is one glitzy party from beginning to end with a little something for everyone. Playing Tick/Mitzi, Wade McCollum took time out of his busy schedule to talk PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL and to let Houston audiences know what they can expect when the party comes to town.
Grab your skates and sweatbands as Theatre Under The Stars' (TUTS) Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) takes you back to the 1980s for the Houston premiere of the hilarious roller skating musical Xanadu! Playing at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts September 13 - 14, 2013, Xanadu will feature an all-teen cast made entirely of local high school students who train at the professional and award-winning Humphreys School.
The first requirement of any girl that steps into the role of Annie is that they have to be totally adorable. With a kind demeanor and sweet charm, former Houston-area actress Sadie Sink has no problems in that domain. This morning, I got to chat with the 11-year-old starlet who is now sharing the role of titular role with Taylor Richardson in the Broadway revival of ANNIE. In our brief talk, we discussed how she got started acting and what it is like playing Annie in both Houston and in New York City.
An all-star cast will take the stage at The 5th Avenue Theatre this fall in the celebrated organization's 15th new musical, Secondhand Lions. Based on the beloved film starring Michael Caine and Robert Duvall, Secondhand Lions springs to musical life in Seattle with a superbly talented cast of Broadway stars and Seattle musical theater actors. Lead by Tony Award nominees Gregg Edelman and Mark Jacoby, this adventure story also features Jason Danieley, Jenny Powers, Kevin Earley,Jared Michael Brown, Kendra Kassebaum, Sophia Anne Caruso, and Justin Huertas. Johnny Rabe, star of Broadway's A Christmas Story, takes center stage as Walter.
The producers of I Forgive You, Ronald Reagan, the new play by John S. Anastasi, in which the present is on a collision course with the past, present the limited Off-Broadway run this summer. Directed by Charles Abbott, performances began at The Beckett Theatre (410 West 42nd Street - between 9th & 10th Aves.) on Monday, July 15. Opening Night is set for tonight, Tuesday, July 30 at 7:00 p.m. The show is scheduled to play through August 25th.
Back in February, when Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) announced their 2013-2014 season, Bruce Lumpkin, TUTS' Artistic Director, gave BroadwayWorld an exclusive heads up about an exciting development that was occurring within the organization. Now TUTS is ready to announce their exhilarating new project, an invigorating and diverse season of fresh, edgy musical theatre called TUTS Underground. This season will run in The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts' intimate Zilkha Hall and feature innovative modern works. According to Bruce Lumpkin, the intended audience for this line up is "a contemporary minded audience, an audience looking for something new, something different than what's been offered." The inaugural season for TUTS Underground will feature four fresh shows that are "not only new, newly done, but newly done for our audiences here."
After a nationwide search, the Hangar Theatre announces the appointment of Jen Waldman as Artistic Director. Her tenure will begin in mid-August when the theatre concludes its summer season. Waldman brings extensive Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theatre experience to her new role, having worked as a director, choreographer, actor, teacher, and movement coach based in New York City.
Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) debuts its 2013-2014 season with Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical at Hobby Center from September 29 - October 12. With more than 500 dazzling 2011 Tony Award-winning costumes, Priscilla features a hit parade of more than 20 dance-floor favorites including "It's Raining Men," "Finally" and "I Will Survive."
A CHORUS LINE, inspired by the real stories of several Broadway dancers, first opened on Broadway on July 25, 1975. It ran for an unprecedented 6,137 performances and held the distinction of being the longest running Broadway musical until it was surpassed by Andrew Lloyd Webber's CATS. It is currently the sixth longest running Broadway musical. In addition to taking New York by storm, the musical won the celebrated Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1976. The musical has truly left an indelible mark in the history of musical theatre. With Theatre Under the Stars free performances of A CHORUS LINE at The Miller Outdoor Theatre this summer, they are giving the Houston community an unparalleled and enjoyable gift.
Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) presents A Chorus Line, running tonight, July 16 - 21 at Miller Outdoor Theatre. A Chorus Line is 'one singular sensation' that garnered virtually every award imaginable, including the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize. The groundbreaking musical, set during an audition for an upcoming Broadway show, shines a light on the hopes, fears and dreams of performers vying for a chance to do what they all know they were born to do. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast below!
