{"id":40414,"date":"2018-01-18T16:43:01","date_gmt":"2018-01-18T22:43:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tuts8dev.wpenginepowered.com\/uncategorized\/theatre-stars-50th-anniversary-season-celebrates-houstons-love-musical-theatre-leading-musical-theatre-organization\/"},"modified":"2025-11-13T22:54:23","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T04:54:23","slug":"theatre-stars-50th-anniversary-season-celebrates-houstons-love-musical-theatre-leading-musical-theatre-organization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tuts.org\/theatre-stars-50th-anniversary-season-celebrates-houstons-love-musical-theatre-leading-musical-theatre-organization\/","title":{"rendered":"TUTS 50th Anniversary Season Celebrates Houston\u2019s Love of Musical Theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; custom_padding_last_edited=&#8221;off|phone&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Related Programs&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;0px||0px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||0px||true|false&#8221; custom_padding_tablet=&#8221;40px||40px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding_phone=&#8221;||40px||false|false&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; collapsed=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=&#8221;on&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; width=&#8221;100%&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;0px||0px||false|false&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;9a1805a3-c29d-4ffa-bf89-82729353589e&#8221; header_3_text_color=&#8221;gcid-secondary-color&#8221; header_2_font_size_tablet=&#8221;32px&#8221; header_2_font_size_phone=&#8221;28px&#8221; header_2_line_height_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; header_2_line_height_phone=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; header_2_line_height_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; header_3_font_size_tablet=&#8221;26px&#8221; header_3_font_size_phone=&#8221;24px&#8221; header_3_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-secondary-color%22:%91%22header_3_text_color%22,%22header_2_text_color%22,%22header_3_text_color%22%93,%22gcid-heading-color%22:%91%22header_text_color%22,%22header_4_text_color%22,%22header_5_text_color%22,%22header_6_text_color%22%93,%22gcid-primary-color%22:%91%22text_text_color%22%93}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Theatre Under The Stars<\/strong>\u00a0has spent the past 50 years serving the Houston community from our first performance at Miller Outdoor Theatre to the more than 300 productions TUTS has staged at Miller, The Music Hall, and now at the Hobby Center. With our 50th Season, we will build upon the legacy, of our founder, Frank M. Young, and confidently step forward into the next 50 years!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur 50th Anniversary Season is not only going to be a year-long salute to the best musical theatre in Houston and beyond, we will also be launching new works, community projects and expanding our reach into classrooms across the greater Houston region. We are so excited to share this celebratory Season with you!\u201d said <strong>Dan Knechtges, Artistic Director for Theatre Under The Stars<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>OKLAHOMA!<\/em> \u2013 September 11-23, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We are opening our 50th Anniversary Season in September with a timeless classic, <strong>Rodgers and Hammerstein&#8217;s <em>Oklahoma!<\/em><\/strong>, which is celebrating its 75th Anniversary.<\/p>\n<p>The first collaboration by Rodgers and Hammerstein, <strong>Oklahoma!<\/strong> is often considered the single most important work in the musical theatre canon. The original production was a smash hit on Broadway running for an unprecedented 2,212 performances. It\u2019s had countless revivals, national tours, an Academy Award-winning film adaptation, and won a special Pulitzer Prize for Rodgers and Hammerstein in 1944.<\/p>\n<p>Based on <strong>Lynn Riggs<\/strong><em>\u2019 play, <em>Green Grow the Lilacs<\/em>, with music by <strong>Richard Rodgers<\/strong> and lyrics by <strong>Oscar Hammerstein II<\/strong>, <strong>Oklahoma!<\/strong><\/em> centers on life in the early 1900s in the rural farmland of Oklahoma, and the love story between Curly and Laurey.<\/p>\n<p>Full of familiar tunes that will get you humming and your toes tapping, this rousing and optimistic story of love and redemption, renewal and hard work is sure to resonate with our entire Houston community!<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>THE WIZ<\/em> \u2013 October 23 &#8211; November 4, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In October, we invite you to experience a super-soul, energetic Tony Award\u00ae-winner for Best Musical \u2013 <strong>The Wiz<\/strong><em>! A hip re-telling of L. Frank Baum\u2019s <em>The Wizard of Oz<\/em>, The Wiz is a jubilant tale of friendship and adventure.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>With music and lyrics by <strong>Charlie Smalls<\/strong>, and book by <strong>William F. Brown<\/strong>, the original production won seven Tony Awards\u00ae when it opened on Broadway in 1975 including Best Musical. <strong>The Wiz<\/strong> resonates with young and old audiences alike, and has had numerous successful revivals and a recent live, television production on NBC.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Wiz<\/strong><em> tells the story of thirteen-year-old Dorothy, who lives with her Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and her dog, Toto. After a cyclone hits her house, Dorothy is transported to the magical land of Oz where she meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion who help her on her journey to defeat the wicked Evillene, and find her way home.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Ease on down the road with Dorothy and her friends to find a world full of love, like yours, like mine \u2013 like home!<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>DISNEY\u2019S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST<\/em> \u2013 December 11-23, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Twenty-five years ago, Theatre Under The Stars helped usher in a new musical era with Disney Theatrical&#8217;s\u00a0<strong>Beauty and the Beast<\/strong> right here in Houston! Just in time for the holiday season, this magical, funny, and moving tale of what it means to love and be human will return to our stage to enchant the entire family.<\/p>\n<p>The production of <strong>Disney\u2019s Beauty and the Beast<\/strong><em> at Theatre Under The Stars set box office records for the most tickets sold in one day when it was announced that the run would be extended. Ultimately the show ran for six weeks of sold out performances.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Featuring an enchanting score by <strong>Alan Menken<\/strong>, lyrics by <strong>Howard Ashman<\/strong> and <strong>Tim Rice<\/strong>, and book by <strong>Linda Woolverton<\/strong>, <strong>Disney\u2019s Beauty and the Beast<\/strong> is a mesmerizing experience that embodies the magic of the theatre.<\/p>\n<p>Based on the classic fairy tale, <strong>Disney\u2019s Beauty and the Beast<\/strong><em> tells the story of an arrogant prince who is transformed into a hideous beast. Placed under this spell by an enchantress, he must find a way to get the beautiful, bright, Belle to love him before it is too late and he is doomed to stay a beast forever. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>Join us as the \u201ctale as old as time\u201d returns to the city where it started in a brand-new production, produced exclusively by the Theatre Under The Stars creative team.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>MAMMA MIA!<\/em> \u2013 February 19 &#8211; March 3, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Audiences in more than 400 cities world-wide have danced in the aisles over our next production, <strong>Mamma Mia!<\/strong>. This raucous, hilarious musical about a wedding on a Greek island tells the sweet story of love and heartbreak.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mamma Mia!<\/strong> is a juke box featuring all the hits you know and love from ABBA. Written by British playwright, <strong>Catherine Johnson<\/strong>, with music and lyrics by <strong>Benny Anderson<\/strong> and <strong>Bjorn Ulvaeus<\/strong>, <strong>Mamma Mia!<\/strong><em> is the ninth longest running show on Broadway, and the longest running jukebox musical in Broadway history. The Broadway production ran at the Winter Garden Theatre from October 2001 through October 2013 before transferring to The Broadhurst where it ran from November 2013 until September 2015. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Mamma Mia!<\/strong><em> is about family &#8211; both the one you\u2019re born to, the one you adopt and the family who adopts you along the way.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>RAGTIME<\/em> \u2013 April 16 &#8211; 28, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Based on <strong>E.L. Doctorow<\/strong>\u2019s powerful book about immigrants and the fight for the American soul in the early twentieth century, <strong>Ragtime<\/strong><em> is a magnificent and deeply moving musical. Featuring a Tony Award\u00ae winning score and book, <strong>Ragtime<\/strong><\/em> is set at a time when worlds and cultures are colliding on issues of race, class, gender equality, and politics.<\/p>\n<p>The plot of <strong>Ragtime<\/strong><em> shows the intersection of three groups of people in the United States &#8211; African-Americans, represented by Harlem musician, Coalhouse, upper-class suburbanites, represented by Mother, and Eastern European immigrants, represented by Tateh &#8211; and the struggles each face as their worlds collide during this time.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ragtime<\/strong>, with book by <strong>Terrence McNally<\/strong>, music by <strong>Stephen Flaherty<\/strong>, and lyrics by <strong>Lynn Ahrens<\/strong>, opened on Broadway 20 years ago in January of 1998 and ran for two years at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts. It was nominated for 13 Tony Awards\u00ae, of which it won four including Best Original Score.<\/p>\n<p>This ensemble musical takes a look at the past and, in it, we see our present, and the opportunities for our future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TO BE ANNOUNCED \u2013 May 28 &#8211; June 9, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Our sixth title of the 50th Anniversary Season is one we know you\u2019re going to love. This show has everything you\u2019ve enjoyed seeing on our stages for the last 49 seasons. The title of the sixth show will be announced later on this year. Leading up to that time, we will be posting clues on social media and our website for you to guess the title. Those who guess correctly will be entered into a lottery to win a Season subscription and more!<\/p>\n<p><strong>MAKING THEATRE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During our 50th Anniversary Season, we will also be expanding our accessibility program, No Boundaries, as part of our continued mission to make theatre accessible for everyone. Our No Boundaries program provides Open Captioning and Audio Described performances for each production, as well as Touch Tours and specialized workshops. This season, for the first time, Theatre Under The Stars will be offering an American Sign Language Interpreted (ASLI) performance for each production throughout the Season!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Theatre Under The Stars 50th Anniversary Season<\/strong> is made possible thanks to the generous support of\u00a0<strong>United Airlines<\/strong>\u00a0our official airline partner and\u00a0<strong>Phoenicia Specialty Foods<\/strong>\u00a0our official catering partner.\u00a0Theatre Under The Stars is supported in part by the <strong>City of Houston through the Theater District<\/strong> and the <strong>Texas Commission on the Arts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_video src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/n4SAFabDl1o&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;30px||||false|false&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Theatre Under The Stars\u00a0has spent the past 50 years serving the Houston community from our first performance at Miller Outdoor Theatre to the more than 300 productions TUTS has staged [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":42063,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/n4SAFabDl1o\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p><p><strong>Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS)<\/strong> has spent the past 50 years serving the Houston community from our first performance at Miller Outdoor Theatre to the more than 300 productions TUTS has staged at Miller, The Music Hall, and now at the Hobby Center. With our 50th Season, we will build upon the legacy, of our founder, Frank M. Young, and confidently step forward into the next 50 years!<\/p><p>\u201cOur 50th Anniversary Season is not only going to be a year-long salute to the best musical theatre in Houston and beyond, we will also be launching new works, community projects and expanding our reach into classrooms across the greater Houston region. We are so excited to share this celebratory Season with you!\u201d said <strong>Dan Knechtges, Artistic Director for Theatre Under The Stars<\/strong>.<\/p><p><strong><em>OKLAHOMA!<\/em> \u2013 September 11-23, 2018<\/strong><\/p><p>We are opening our 50th Anniversary Season in September with a timeless classic, <strong>Rodgers and Hammerstein's <em>Oklahoma!<\/em><\/strong>, which is celebrating its 75th Anniversary.<\/p><p>The first collaboration by Rodgers and Hammerstein, <strong>Oklahoma!<\/strong> is often considered the single most important work in the musical theatre canon. The original production was a smash hit on Broadway running for an unprecedented 2,212 performances. It\u2019s had countless revivals, national tours, an Academy Award-winning film adaptation, and won a special Pulitzer Prize for Rodgers and Hammerstein in 1944.<\/p><p>Based on <strong>Lynn Riggs<\/strong><em>\u2019 play, <em>Green Grow the Lilacs<\/em>, with music by <strong>Richard Rodgers<\/strong> and lyrics by <strong>Oscar Hammerstein II<\/strong>, <strong>Oklahoma!<\/strong><\/em> centers on life in the early 1900s in the rural farmland of Oklahoma, and the love story between Curly and Laurey.<\/p><p>Full of familiar tunes that will get you humming and your toes tapping, this rousing and optimistic story of love and redemption, renewal and hard work is sure to resonate with our entire Houston community!<\/p><p><strong><em>THE WIZ<\/em> \u2013 October 23 - November 4, 2018<\/strong><\/p><p>In October, we invite you to experience a super-soul, energetic Tony Award\u00ae-winner for Best Musical \u2013 <strong>The Wiz<\/strong><em>! A hip re-telling of L. Frank Baum\u2019s <em>The Wizard of Oz<\/em>, The Wiz is a jubilant tale of friendship and adventure.<\/em><\/p><p>With music and lyrics by <strong>Charlie Smalls<\/strong>, and book by <strong>William F. Brown<\/strong>, the original production won seven Tony Awards\u00ae when it opened on Broadway in 1975 including Best Musical. <strong>The Wiz<\/strong> resonates with young and old audiences alike, and has had numerous successful revivals and a recent live, television production on NBC.<\/p><p><strong>The Wiz<\/strong><em> tells the story of thirteen-year-old Dorothy, who lives with her Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and her dog, Toto. After a cyclone hits her house, Dorothy is transported to the magical land of Oz where she meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion who help her on her journey to defeat the wicked Evillene, and find her way home.<\/em><\/p><p>Ease on down the road with Dorothy and her friends to find a world full of love, like yours, like mine \u2013 like home!<\/p><p><strong><em>DISNEY\u2019S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST<\/em> \u2013 December 11-23, 2018<\/strong><\/p><p>Twenty-five years ago, Theatre Under The Stars helped usher in a new musical era with Disney Theatrical's\u00a0<strong>Beauty and the Beast<\/strong> right here in Houston! Just in time for the holiday season, this magical, funny, and moving tale of what it means to love and be human will return to our stage to enchant the entire family.<\/p><p>The production of <strong>Disney\u2019s Beauty and the Beast<\/strong><em> at Theatre Under The Stars set box office records for the most tickets sold in one day when it was announced that the run would be extended. Ultimately the show ran for six weeks of sold out performances.<\/em><\/p><p>Featuring an enchanting score by <strong>Alan Menken<\/strong>, lyrics by <strong>Howard Ashman<\/strong> and <strong>Tim Rice<\/strong>, and book by <strong>Linda Woolverton<\/strong>, <strong>Disney\u2019s Beauty and the Beast<\/strong> is a mesmerizing experience that embodies the magic of the theatre.<\/p><p>Based on the classic fairy tale, <strong>Disney\u2019s Beauty and the Beast<\/strong><em> tells the story of an arrogant prince who is transformed into a hideous beast. Placed under this spell by an enchantress, he must find a way to get the beautiful, bright, Belle to love him before it is too late and he is doomed to stay a beast forever. <\/em><\/p><p>Join us as the \u201ctale as old as time\u201d returns to the city where it started in a brand-new production, produced exclusively by the Theatre Under The Stars creative team.<\/p><p><strong><em>MAMMA MIA!<\/em> \u2013 February 19 - March 3, 2019<\/strong><\/p><p>Audiences in more than 400 cities world-wide have danced in the aisles over our next production, <strong>Mamma Mia!<\/strong>. This raucous, hilarious musical about a wedding on a Greek island tells the sweet story of love and heartbreak.<\/p><p><strong>Mamma Mia!<\/strong> is a juke box featuring all the hits you know and love from ABBA. Written by British playwright, <strong>Catherine Johnson<\/strong>, with music and lyrics by <strong>Benny Anderson<\/strong> and <strong>Bjorn Ulvaeus<\/strong>, <strong>Mamma Mia!<\/strong><em> is the ninth longest running show on Broadway, and the longest running jukebox musical in Broadway history. The Broadway production ran at the Winter Garden Theatre from October 2001 through October 2013 before transferring to The Broadhurst where it ran from November 2013 until September 2015. <\/em><\/p><p><strong>Mamma Mia!<\/strong><em> is about family - both the one you\u2019re born to, the one you adopt and the family who adopts you along the way.<\/em><\/p><p><strong><em>RAGTIME<\/em> \u2013 April 16 - 28, 2019<\/strong><\/p><p>Based on <strong>E.L. Doctorow<\/strong>\u2019s powerful book about immigrants and the fight for the American soul in the early twentieth century, <strong>Ragtime<\/strong><em> is a magnificent and deeply moving musical. Featuring a Tony Award\u00ae winning score and book, <strong>Ragtime<\/strong><\/em> is set at a time when worlds and cultures are colliding on issues of race, class, gender equality, and politics.<\/p><p>The plot of <strong>Ragtime<\/strong><em> shows the intersection of three groups of people in the United States - African-Americans, represented by Harlem musician, Coalhouse, upper-class suburbanites, represented by Mother, and Eastern European immigrants, represented by Tateh - and the struggles each face as their worlds collide during this time.<\/em><\/p><p><strong>Ragtime<\/strong>, with book by <strong>Terrence McNally<\/strong>, music by <strong>Stephen Flaherty<\/strong>, and lyrics by <strong>Lynn Ahrens<\/strong>, opened on Broadway 20 years ago in January of 1998 and ran for two years at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts. It was nominated for 13 Tony Awards\u00ae, of which it won four including Best Original Score.<\/p><p>This ensemble musical takes a look at the past and, in it, we see our present, and the opportunities for our future.<\/p><p><strong>TO BE ANNOUNCED \u2013 May 28 - June 9, 2019<\/strong><\/p><p>Our sixth title of the 50th Anniversary Season is one we know you\u2019re going to love. This show has everything you\u2019ve enjoyed seeing on our stages for the last 49 seasons. The title of the sixth show will be announced later on this year. Leading up to that time, we will be posting clues on social media and our website for you to guess the title. Those who guess correctly will be entered into a lottery to win a Season subscription and more!<\/p><p><strong>THEATRE UNDER THE STARS PATRON CLUBS<\/strong><\/p><p>In addition to our amazing 50th Anniversary Season, we have exciting benefits for our patrons to enhance their Theatre Under The Stars experience. Next Season, TUTS offers new and enhanced Patron Club levels with exclusive access to behind-the-scenes events and a <strong>*NEW*<\/strong> Green Room, featuring complimentary bar service and dessert during intermission. TUTS Patron Clubs directly benefit our artistic and educational works on stage and in the community.<\/p><p><strong>MAKING THEATRE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL<\/strong><\/p><p>During our 50th Anniversary Season, we will also be expanding our accessibility program, No Boundaries, as part of our continued mission to make theatre accessible for everyone. Our No Boundaries program provides Open Captioning and Audio Described performances for each production, as well as Touch Tours and specialized workshops. This season, for the first time, Theatre Under The Stars will be offering an American Sign Language Interpreted (ASLI) performance for each production throughout the Season!<\/p><p><strong>Theatre Under The Stars 50th Anniversary Season<\/strong> is made possible thanks to the generous support of\u00a0<strong>United Airlines<\/strong>\u00a0our official airline partner and\u00a0<strong>Phoenicia Specialty Foods<\/strong>\u00a0our official catering partner.\u00a0Theatre Under The Stars is supported in part by the <strong>City of Houston through the Theater District<\/strong> and the <strong>Texas Commission on the Arts<\/strong>.<\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mainstage"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40414"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40414\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}