The Drowsy Chaperone

THEATRE UNDER THE STARS
www.TUTS.com
Founded by Frank M. Young 1968
John C. Breckenridge, President and CEO

PRESENTS

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

The Five-Time Tony Award-Winning Musical THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

Will Play Houston for a Limited Two Week Engagement

May 20th - June 1st, 2008
at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

Robert Dorfman and Georgia Engel. Georgia Engel, best known as Ted Baxter's wife Georgette F. Baxter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show , reprises her role of Mrs. Tottendale for THE DROWSY CHAPERONE TOUR. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts at 800 Bagby & Walker, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

HOUSTON, TX…April 8, 2008… The most celebrated musical of the 2006 Broadway season, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, a completely original musical comedy, is coming to Houston at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts from May 20-June 1, 2008. Presented by Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS), the show is directed and choreographed by Tony Award^® nominee Casey Nicholaw (Spamalot) with music and lyrics by Tony Award^® winners Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and a book by Tony Award^®winners Bob Martin and Don McKellar.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE tells the story of a modern day musical theater addict known simply as “Man in Chair”. To chase his blues away he drops the needle on his favorite LP – the 1928 musical comedy, The Drowsy Chaperone. From the crackle of his hi-fi, the musical magically bursts to life on-stage telling the tale of a pampered Broadway starlet who wants to give up show business to get married, her producer who sets out to sabotage the nuptials, her chaperone, the debonair groom, the dizzy chorine, the Latin lover and a pair of gangsters who double as pastry chefs. Man in Chair’s love of The Drowsy Chaperone speaks to anyone who has ever been transported by the theater.

Canadian actor Jonathan Crombie, who is widely known for playing Gilbert Blythe in the popular “Anne of Green Gables” movies, plays the musical-loving Man in Chair. Georgia Engel (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Everybody Loves Raymond”) will reprise her role of Mrs. Tottendale for the tour. Joining them are Cliff Bemis (Feldzieg), Andrea Chamberlain (Janet Van De Graaff), Robert Dorfman (Underling), Fran Jaye (Trix), Mark Ledbetter (Robert Martin), Marla Mindelle (Kitty), James Moye (Aldolpho), Nancy Opel (The Drowsy Chaperone), Paul Riopelle (Gangster #1), Peter Riopelle (Gangster #2), and Richard Vida (George). Rounding out the cast are Megan Nicole Arnoldy, Kevin Crewell, Tiffany Haas, Alicia Irving, Jody Madaras, Chuck Rea, Mason Roberts and Jennifer Swiderski.
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE received more Tony Awards® than any other musical of the 2006 season, including Best Book (Bob Martin and Don McKellar); Original Score (Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison), Costume Design (Gregg Barnes) and Scenic Design (David Gallo). The creative team for THE DROWSY CHAPERONE also includes lighting design by Ken Billington (Chicago) and Brian Monahan, sound design by Acme Sound Partners, orchestrations by Larry Blank, dance and incidental music arrangements by Glen Kelly, and music director/vocal arrangements by Phil Reno.

The Drowsy Chaperone National Touring Company. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts at 800 Bagby & Walker, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

The Drowsy Chaperone is produced by Kevin McCollum, Roy Miller, Bob Boyett, Stephanie McClelland, Barbara Freitag and Jill Furman.
Starting at $29, single tickets for TUTS’ production of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE are available to the public by phone at (713) 558-8887 or outside the Houston area at (888) 558-3882; or in person at the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office, (800 Bagby at Walker, Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat-Sun 11am-4pm); or on-line at www.tuts.com. Audio described performances are available June 1 at 2 p.m.; open captioning June 1 at 7:30 p.m. Wheelchair accessible. Student and Senior (60+) discount tickets are available one hour before performance. Group discounts available for 10 or more and may be purchased by calling (713) 558-8888. In honor of TUTS’ 40th Anniversary Season, all tickets are $40 for the Tuesday, May 20 and Wednesday, May 21 performances only.
TUTS 2007-2008 “40th Anniversary” Season is sponsored by UBS Investment Bank. Sponsors of TUTS’ production of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE include Ballard Exploration Company, Inc., Humphreys Foundation, and Fluor Corporation. Air transportation is provided by Continental Airlines, the official airline of Theatre Under The Stars. Additional support is provided by St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System, the Official Healthcare Partner of Theatre Under The Stars. Media sponsors are ABC-13 and Houston Chronicle.

Founded in 1968, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is Houston’s acclaimed non-profit musical theatre company and is currently under the direction of President and CEO John C. Breckenridge. Dedicated to producing new works and classic masterpieces, the 2007-2008 “Dream of a Season” celebrates TUTS’ 40th Anniversary Season of bringing world-class musical theatre to Houston audiences. TUTS was the first theatrical organization in Houston to perform free to the public in 1968 at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park, and is the only Houston arts organization that has performed there free to the public every year since the building opened. Since its founding by Frank M. Young, TUTS has produced more than 300 musicals including many local, national and world premieres such as Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, as well as International tours including Debbie Reynolds in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Juliet Prowse in Mame, Robert Goulet in Man of La Mancha, the Tony Award-winning revival of Carousel and the Deaf West Theatre production of Big River. As a way to continue the tradition of musical theatre, TUTS’ Humphreys School of Musical Theatre provides instruction and stage experience for more than 1,700 students annually through both The Academy and The Studio, which allow students to flourish in a year-round schedule of classes.

Housed in the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston’s high school musical theatre programs.

Visit www.drowsychaperone.com for more information.

JONATHAN CROMBIE. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Jonathan Crombie and Nancy Opel in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

The Drowsy Chaperone National Touring Company. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

James Moye and Nancy Opel. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Mark Ledbetter, Jonathan Crombie and Andrea Chamberlain. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

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Theatre Under The Stars Celebrates The Five-Time Tony Award®-Winning Musical, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, With Free Wedding Giveaway

HOUSTON, TX… April 14, 2008…It’s the perfect marriage between music and comedy! In honor of the five-time Tony Award®- winning musical comedy THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS), The Perfect Wedding Guide and Al’s Formal Wear are giving away a fabulous wedding to a lucky engaged couple on May 24, 2008 at the stunning Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. TUTS’ wedding giveaway celebrates this hilarious tale about a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day.

The grand prize wedding includes a May 24 wedding at 11:30 a.m. in the Founder’s Club room of the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, champagne and appetizers provided by Cordua Catering Company, a wedding cake provided by The Cake Place, wedding gown and tuxedos provided by Al’s Formal Wear, photography provided by Protography, DJ services provided by DJ’s Unlimited, minister services provided by Weddings Performed and tickets for the winning couple and 18 wedding guests to the May 24, 2 p.m. performance of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. The top five finalists will receive two tickets to the opening night of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE on May 20.

To enter, contestants must submit a two hundred word essay describing why they would like to be married at the Hobby Center. Entries can be e-mailed to wedding@tuts.com or submitted at any Al’s Formal Wear location in Houston. Sunny 99.1 (KODA) listeners determine the winning couple by voting online at www.sunny99.com from May 12-15. The winning couple will be notified on May 16. The deadline for submissions is May 4. For more information and complete contest rules and regulations, please visit www.tuts.com.

Andrea Chamberlain. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Jonathan Crombie and Andrea Chamberlain. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Peter Riopelle, Cliff Bemis and Paul Riopelle. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Peter Riopelle and Paul Riopelle. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Andrea Chamberlain and Mark Ledbetter. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE tells the story of a modern day musical theater addict known simply as “Man in Chair.” To chase his blues away he drops the needle on his favorite LP – the 1928 musical comedy, The Drowsy Chaperone. From the crackle of his hi-fi, the musical magically bursts to life on-stage telling the tale of a pampered Broadway starlet who wants to give up show business to get married, her producer who sets out to sabotage the nuptials, her chaperone, the debonair groom, the dizzy chorine, the Latin lover and a pair of gangsters who double as pastry chefs.

Theatre Under The Stars presents the National Tour of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, May 20-June 1 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Starting at $29, single tickets are available to the public by phone at (713) 558-8887 or outside the Houston area at (888) 558-3882; or in person at the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office, (800 Bagby at Walker, Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat-Sun 11am-4pm); or on-line at www.tuts.com. Audio described performances are available June 1 at 2 p.m.; open captioning June 1 at 7:30 p.m. Wheelchair accessible. Student and Senior (60+) discount tickets are available one hour before performance. Group discounts available for 10 or more and may be purchased by calling (713) 558-8888. In honor of TUTS’ 40th Anniversary Season, all tickets are $40 for the Tuesday, May 20 and Wednesday, May 21 performances only.

TUTS 2007-2008 “40th Anniversary” Season is sponsored by UBS Investment Bank. Sponsors of TUTS’ production of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE include Ballard Exploration Company, Inc., Humphreys Foundation, and Fluor Corporation. Air transportation is provided by Continental Airlines, the Official Airline of Theatre Under The Stars. Additional support is provided by St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System, the Official Healthcare Partner of Theatre Under The Stars. Media sponsors are ABC-13 and Houston Chronicle.
Founded in 1968, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is Houston’s acclaimed non-profit musical theatre company and is currently under the direction of President and CEO John C. Breckenridge. Dedicated to producing new works and classic masterpieces, the 2007-2008 “Dream of a Season” celebrates TUTS’ 40th Anniversary Season of bringing world-class musical theatre to Houston audiences. TUTS was the first theatrical organization in Houston to perform free to the public in 1968 at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park, and is the only Houston arts organization that has performed there free to the public every year since the building opened. Since its founding by Frank M. Young, TUTS has produced more than 300 musicals including many local, national and world premieres such as Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, as well as International tours including Debbie Reynolds in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Juliet Prowse in Mame, Robert Goulet in Man of La Mancha, the Tony Award-winning revival of Carousel and the Deaf West Theatre production of Big River. As a way to continue the tradition of musical theatre, TUTS’ Humphreys School of Musical Theatre provides instruction and stage experience for more than 1,700 students annually through both The Academy and The Studio, which allow students to flourish in a year-round schedule of classes. Housed in the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston’s high school musical theatre programs.

Visit www.drowsychaperone.com for more information.

Richard Vida and Mark Ledbetter. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Jonathan Crombie and Nancy Opel. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Georgia Engel and Robert Dorfman. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is presented by Theatre Under The Stars from May 20 - June 1, 2008 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Texas. Photo by Joan Marcus.