MAR. 7: 22/23 Season Announcement Event

MAR. 19: More Than Song and Dance with Paul Hope

MAR. 22 – APR. 3: Come From Away

APR. 22: Leading Ladies Luncheon

MAY 10 – 22: Jersey Boys

MAY 13 – 15: Into The Woods, a TUTS Musical Theatre Academy Production

Theatre Under The Stars salutes South Pacific Production Sponsor Apache for their longstanding commitment to musical theatre excellence in Houston. Apache has been a major sponsor of TUTS since 2007 and we are incredibly proud of our partnership.

On February 6, TUTS invited employees from Apache to the final Dress Rehearsal of South Pacific. More than 300 employees got an exciting first look at Bali Hai. Dress rehearsals are an excellent way to entertain a larger group of employees and/or clients. If you would like to learn how your company can take advantage of this and many other exclusive entertainment opportunities available through production sponsorships, please contact Melissa Jurik at melissa.jurik@tuts.com.

It’s Rodeo time in Houston and TUTS would like to salute our longtime partner Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™. Since 2008, HLSR has been a generous supporter of our Education and Community Engagement programs. In keeping with the mission of the Rodeo, all grant applications and awardees must benefit youth, support education, expand agricultural horizons and/or preserve and honor pioneer heritage and culture.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has presented nearly $84 million in research, grants, and educational program to more than 100 organizations and institutions in Texas. This year TUTS was awarded funding in support of The River and our Community Engagement programs including Public Works, Tommy Tune Awards, and Spotlight Series.

As we make it through the cold of a Houston winter, I’m counting down the days to this summer. Besides thinking of the 22/23 season to come and hanging by the poolside, I can’t wait for our first ever TUTS Travel experience when I’ll accompany supporters on a 10-day theatrical adventure to the UK this July with experiences only TUTS can bring!

We’ll be seeing the best musical theatre England’s countryside and London have to offer, including a production at The Minack, a unique open-air theatre perched high above the Atlantic Ocean, and multiple shows in the West End. In between shows, we’ll also tour Cornwall, King Arthur’s castle, and The National Theatre. You’ll also have time to explore London, Cornwall, and Sussex on your own.

TUTS Travels UK 2022 is designed by luxury travel experts FROSCH with premium hotels, travel, activities, and amenities. We’ll be traveling in comfort and style, with private transportation, tour guides, and more. I’ll also be hosting dinners with London theatre pros, just for our group!

I’m especially looking forward to a production of The Pirates of Penzance on the very cliffs of the musical. Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime experience across the pond!

I hope you will join me for this exciting excursion to check out unique and amazing theatre across the pond! For more information, visit tuts.com/travel or email emily.white@tuts.com

Cheerio,

Dan,

Artistic Director

TUTS: How did you first get involved with TUTS? 

Carrie: In 1969 I tried out and was cast as Polly in the second Theatre Under The Stars production in Miller Theater in Hermann Park – The Boy Friend. Founder Frank Young’s vision for Houston was to bring Broadway-quality musicals to Houston audiences and he did just that. Plus, he wanted to utilize the vast talent resources here. Excited to work under Frank as director of the show, I learned the songs, some of which would be sung with my handsome leading man, Travis Franklin. During that time, the only audio we had were mikes hanging from the ceiling, which meant our chins were to be tilted up when we sang! 

TUTS: What have been some of your favorite TUTS experiences? 

Carrie: During rehearsals, Frank was kind enough to bring a tiny television set so that the cast could see the first man’s walk on the moon – a truly memorable TUTS experience!  

What did it mean to you to be honored at the 2021 Leading Ladies Luncheon? 

Carrie: The honor I received at the TUTS Leading Ladies luncheon in 2021 was such a surprise and a joy! It was a beautiful event and I encourage other board members to support that wing of the TUTS family.  

TUTS: You’ve been very generous donors to TUTS and our programming; what motivates you to support TUTS? 

Carrie and Ron: With TUTS’ varied and professional educational programs, the city has been enriched in so many ways, and especially with the collaboration with The River. We are happy that a portion of our financial gifts go toward these programs. But we also support TUTS just because we love musical theatre and are proud of the success and the leadership of the organization! 

TUTS: How did your family first get involved with TUTS?  

Brad Stein: My mother Shirley Stein met Frank Young in 1968 as both were involved with the Houston Grand Opera. Frank had an idea to produce free musical theatre for the newly built Miller Outdoor Theatre. HGO turned him down on the idea. So Frank, my mom and a small cast of volunteers got the first TUTS show off the ground. Mom was cast as TUTS first chief fundraiser, president, and she even had a role in the first performance Bells Are Ringing. My brothers and I looked on as our home transformed into a TUTS satellite office where volunteers would meet and operate direct marketing and fundraising campaigns. The TUTS guild was formed years later which was the predecessor to the Leading Ladies.  

TUTS: What have been some of your favorite TUTS experiences?  

BS: My fondest memories of TUTS were as a child growing up and spending time after school at the Music Hall and at Miller Theatre meeting the actors, stagehands and shown all the workings of a theatre company. A novel concept that brought involvement from my father Bruce beginning in the ‘70s – a full performance before each opening night was staged for elderly, disabled and special needs citizens. Buses and vans from nursing homes and care centers from all over the county stretched down Main Street to fill Miller Theatre with eager theater goers who otherwise would never have had the opportunity to see live musical theatre.  

Cast parties at our home made quite an impression on my brothers and me. It was neat reading about a party at your house in the newspaper (no Twitter or Instagram) with local and sometimes national celebrities. However, the big story that I remember the most was in the 70’s when an actual swimming pool and giant slide was installed in the orchestra pit for the performance of South Pacific. TUTS received national attention on that one. It had never been done before or since. 

TUTS: What does it mean to you for TUTS to have an annual award in honor of your mother – the Shirley Stein Outstanding Champion in the Arts and Education? 

BS: I believe that mom would be very proud of that this theatre company she helped get off the ground is still going strong. It is our job as her children and grandchildren to make sure that her legacy is continued to the next generation. This award reminds us that we would not be where we are without the community minded efforts of those who came before us.  

TUTS: What impact do you feel TUTS has had on our community? 

BS: The impact TUTS has had on the Houston community is immeasurable. TUTS has given musical theatre enjoyment, education, and exposure to countless Houstonians, young and old, who would otherwise would never have the opportunity. 

 

TUTS: Why should others join you in supporting TUTS and the Leading Ladies Luncheon? 

BS: There are so many places where we can spend our time and give our dollars. The arts have always taken a backseat for public funding so it is up to the private sector to make it happen. TUTS is a jewel in the Houston crown. It belongs to all Houstonians. Like any valuable asset, it must be taken care of. The Leading Ladies is a fun, educational, and social mechanism with a mission to keep that jewel bright for the next generation.