THEATRE UNDER THE STARS
PRESENTS
TUTS' 2023 - 2024 SEASON
THEATRE UNDER THE STARS ANNOUNCES 2023 / 2024 SEASON
SONDHEIM, CINDERELLA, UGLY X-MAS SWEATERS AND CHER
ARE AMONG THE TREATS THAT MAKE UP THE TUTS 2023/24 NEW SEASON!
HOUSTON – Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) announced the full lineup for the
2023/24 Season, and it includes a brand-new musical written by TUTS Artistic
Director, Dan Knechtges and Megan Larche Dominick..
“The 2023/24 Season really does have it all – thrills, chills, humor, passion
and heart! Every show this season will have you talking about it after whether
it’s your new favorite musical or you left the theatre with a different
perspective on the world around you, you’re not going to want to miss a moment
of it,” said Knechtges.
The season kicks off in August with the Houston premiere of the National Tour
of Jagged Little Pill, the Tony Award-winning musical set to the music of Alanis
Morissette. In October, just in time for Halloween, TUTS takes to the dark
streets of London with an immersive production of the Sondheim
masterpiece, Sweeney Todd.
This holiday season, TUTS has not one, but two holiday shows to keep you
celebrating all season. First in November, TUTS will have the world premiere of
the new, laugh-out-loud musical, The Ugly X-mas Sweater Musical, an alternative
holiday show where audience participation is highly encouraged. This will be an
add-on option for the season performed on the Zilkha stage, and TUTS subscribers
will get exclusive access to the show before tickets go on sale to the public in
the summer. Then in December, TUTS will delight audiences with a brand-new
production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. The production, which is a nod
to the popular version that was produced for television by Disney will thrill
audiences, young and old alike.
In the spring of 2024 TUTS brings Houston two vibrant productions that will have
audiences dancing and singing in the aisles. First in January, On Your Feet, the
story of two people who together became an international sensation, Gloria and
Emilio Estefan. Their story, interwoven with all of her hits, will capture your
heart. In April, TUTS brings you the Houston premiere of the National Tour
of The Cher Show, a musical that celebrates all of the spectacle and glamour
that is Cher wrapped in 35 smash hits for a nonstop musical celebration of her
life.
The season wraps up in May with a brand-new TUTS production of the hit Disney
musical, Newsies! The mesmerizing dance numbers that have captivated audiences
time and time again will finally come to life on the TUTS stage after it was
canceled in March of 2020 because of the pandemic.
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JAGGED LITTLE PILL, the Musical
August 29 - September 10, 2023 at the Hobby Center
Music by Alanis Morissette
Lyrics by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard
Book by Diablo Cody
Directed by Diane Paulus
Joy, love, heartache, strength, wisdom, catharsis, LIFE—everything we’ve been
waiting to see in a Broadway show— is here in the exhilarating, fearless new
musical based on Alanis Morissette’s world-changing music.
Directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin, 1776) with a
Tony-winning book by Diablo Cody (Juno) and Grammy-winning score, this
electrifying production about a perfectly imperfect American family “vaults the
audience to its collective feet” (The Guardian). “Redemptive, rousing and
real, Jagged Little Pill stands alongside the original musicals that have
sustained the best hopes of Broadway." (The New York Times)
You live, you learn, you remember what it’s like to feel truly human… at Jagged
Little Pill.
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SWEENEY TODD
October 17 - 29, 2023, the Hobby Center
THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
PROUDLY PRODUCED BY THEATRE UNDER THE
STARS – ONLY IN HOUSTON
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Based on the
adaptation by Christopher Bond
Directed & Choreographed by Dan Knechtges
Winner of 8 Tony Awards! Stephen Sondheim’s landmark musical masterpiece, set in
the dark corners of 19th century England. This is the tale of a vengeful barber
out for blood and a resourceful pie shop owner. Together they serve up the
hottest and most wicked pies in London. It’s the perfect show to get you in the
Halloween spirit!
“Sweeney Todd,” a glorious musical thriller set in a society that has become
morally unhinged.” -- Los Angeles Times
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THE UGLY X-MAS SWEATER MUSICAL
November 28 - December 24, 2023 at the Hobby Center
“THE OFFICE” MEETS “PROJECT RUNWAY”
ADD-ON SHOW FOR THE 2023/24 SEASON!
PROUDLY PRODUCED BY THEATRE UNDER THE
STARS – ONLY IN HOUSTON
Book by Dan Knechtges and Megan Larche Dominick
Directed & Choreographed
by Dan Knechtges
A new musical written by Dan Knechtges, TUTS Artistic Director, and Megan Larche
Dominick, The Ugly X-mas Sweater Musical is a laugh-out loud, interactive
musical. Cheryl is the HR director of a large company that is being bought out
by an international conglomerate. To save their jobs, her employees (you, the
audience!) must come up with the best “Ugly X-mas Sweater” ever. Blending the
comedy of “The Office” with the competitive spirit of Project Runway “and
“Pose” The Ugly X-mas Sweater Musical includes many of your favorite holiday
songs. Singing along and walking the runway is encouraged.
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CINDERELLA
December 5 – 24, 2023
IMPOSSIBLE THINGS ARE HAPPENING EVERY DAY
PROUDLY PRODUCED BY THEATRE UNDER THE STARS – ONLY IN HOUSTON
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA
Music Richard Rodgers
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Adapted for the stage by Tom Briggs
Directed by Eboni Bell Darcy
For the holidays our doors burst wide open with all the magic of this fresh,
dazzling and empowering production of the classic tale. Inspired by the
acclaimed Disney adaptation starring Brandy and Whitney Houston, this timeless,
magical fairy tale is reborn as a hilarious and romantic story featuring Rodgers
& Hammerstein’s most beloved songs.
“This version is for those who do enjoy the theatricality of a movie-musical,
the splendor of a fairy tale and the escapism of a romance and unapologetically
revels in the fun of it all.” Times News
January 30 – February 11, 2024
HER VOICE. HIS VISION. THEIR STORY.
PROUDLY PRESENTED BY THEATRE UNDER THE STARS
ON YOUR FEET, the story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan
Music and Lyrics by Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan
Book by Alexander Dinelaris
Directed by Luis Salgado
On Your Feet! is the inspiring true story about heart, heritage and two people
who believed in their talent—and each other—to become an international
sensation: Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Now their story is an all-new exhilarating
original musical winning the hearts of critics and audiences alike, with
the Chicago Tribune declaring “IT’S A HIT!” and The New York Times cheering,
“The very air in the room seems to vibrate in this undeniably crowd-pleasing
musical!”
April 16 – 28, 2024
HER LIFE. HER STORY. HER LEGEND.
PROUDLY PRESENTED BY THEATRE UNDER THE STARS
THE CHER SHOW
APR. 16 – 28, 2024
Book by Rick Elice
Directed by Jason Moore
Superstars come and go. Cher is forever. For six decades, only one unstoppable
force has flat-out dominated popular culture — breaking down barriers, pushing
boundaries, and letting nothing and no one stand in her way. This is her story,
and it’s packed with so much Cher that it takes three women to play her.
Featuring all of Cher’s amazing Bob Mackie outfits.
“…slyly fabulous and imbued with a plucky feminist spirit that's quite
stirring” -- Hollywood Reporter
Disney's NEWSIES
May 21 – June 2, 2024
SEIZE THE DAY!
PROUDLY PRODUCED BY THEATRE UNDER THE STARS – ONLY IN HOUSTON
Disney’s NEWSIES
May 21 – JUNE 2, 2024
Music by Alan
Menken
Lyrics by Jack Feldman
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Based on the
Disney Film written by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White
Originally produced on
Broadway by Disney Theatrical Productions
Directed by Ryan Scarlata
They delivered the papers, and then they made the headlines... Newsies, the
smash-hit, crowd-pleasing, Tony Award-winning musical from Disney in a brand-new
production by Theatre Under The Stars.
Newsies is the extraordinary, mostly true story of a band of underdogs who
become unlikely heroes when they stand up to the most powerful men in New York.
It’s a rousing tale about fighting for what’s right... and staying true to who
you are.
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Tickets for Theatre Under The Stars 2023/24 Season are currently available for
renewal. Subscriptions go on sale to the public April 23. Season ticket holders
enjoy a variety of perks including first access to seats, complimentary ticket
exchanges, and savings on additional seats. Tickets for individual shows will go
on sale in the summer. Visit TUTS.com/subscribe or call 713.558.8887 to learn
more.
Subscribers are also encouraged to become Annual Members. Forty percent of
Theatre Under The Stars’ annual operating expenses are covered by donors. Learn
more about all the exclusive benefits available with an Annual Membership
donation at TUTS.com/AnnualMembership!
Theatre Under The Stars is grateful to our season sponsors Hampton Inn/Homewood
Suites and ABC13. Theatre Under The Stars is funded in part by the City of
Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, The Brown Foundation and The Wortham
Foundation.
THEATRE UNDER THE STARS (“TUTS”) - (Dan Knechtges, Artistic Director; Hillary J
Hart, Executive Director) - Theatre Under The Stars delivers outstanding musical
theatre experiences. We cultivate the art form—producing world-class shows,
providing access for the community, and training the next generation—for
Houston, by Houston. For more information, visit tuts.com.
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For more information visit TUTS.com.
Theatre Under The Stars
800 Bagby Street
Houston,
TX, 77002
The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts