Theatre Under The Stars
www.tuts.com
Presents
DR. DOLITTLE
January 17 - 29, 2006
At The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
HOMETOWN LEGEND TOMMY TUNE RETURNS TO STAR IN TUTS' "DR. DOLITTLE"
AN ANI-MAGICAL & ANI-MAZING EVENING WITH DR. DOLITTLE AND THE ANIMALS
by Theresa Pisula
January 19, 2006
theresa@houstontheatre.com
HOUSTON, TEXAS… Are you ready to experience a magical tale of adventure and enchantment? Theatre Under The Stars co-produces the new National Tour of Tommy Tune's DR
DOLITTLE, starring Houston's own Broadway legend and nine-time Tony award-winner TOMMY TUNE. TUTS will present the popular family classic from January 17-29, 2006 at the Hobby Center for the
Performing Arts (800 Bagby at Walker). In this lavish new musical based on Leslie Bricusse's 1967 Oscar-winning movie and "The Doctor Dolittle Stories" by Hugh Lofting, Tune both directed and
stars as the beloved veterinarian who "talks to the animals." With a book, music and lyrics written by Bricusse, DR. DOLITTLE features an irresistible score families will cherish
including, the Academy Award-winning song "Talk to the Animals," "When I Look in Your Eyes," "I've Never Seen Anything Like It" and "After Today."
"Houston's own Tommy Tune began his theatrical career in his home town and now has chosen Houston to begin his latest musical theatre extravaganza, DR. DOLITTLE," said Frank Young, founder and president of Theatre Under The Stars. "No artist in America is more qualified to turn this already successful book and film into a magical stage event than Tommy. As a triple threat actor / singer / dancer, the title role is tailor made to his performing genius. And his Tony-winning staging talents will bring a new dimension to this wonderful musical for children of all ages."
Throughout his prolific career, the legendary Tommy Tune has garnered many prestigious awards, including the National Medal of Arts presented by the President in 2003, nine Tony Awards, eight Drama Desk Awards, two Obie Awards and two Fred Astaire Awards. The multi-talented performer, choreographer and director has many credits to his name including Grand Hotel, The Will Rogers Follies, A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and the original production of Nine. As a Houston native and Lamar High School alumnus, Tune serves as the namesake for TUTS' annual Tommy Tune Awards, which honors musical theatre excellence at the high school level in the Greater Houston area. Tommy Tune's theatrical style is marked all over DR. DOLITTLE as you begin to watch the singing and the dancing, especially the tap-dancing. Patti Columbo of Cathy Rigby's Peter Pan fame provides the choreography along with associate choreographer Joel Blum.
Tap-dancing sensation TOMMY TUNE. Tommy Tune photo by Howard Schatz from www.tommytune.com
Broadway sensation Dee Hoty stars opposite Tune as love interest Emma Fairfax. Houston audiences will remember Hoty from her performance last January as Reno Sweeney in TUTS' production of Anything Goes. Hoty received Tony nominations for her performances in Footloose, Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public and the Will Rogers Follies, with the latter two shows directed by Tune. Hoty's other Broadway credits include City of Angels, Mamma Mia!, Me and My Girl, and Big River, among others.
Joining Tune and Hoty is twelve-year-old newcomer Aaron Burr, who was handpicked by Tune to play Chee-Chee the chimpanzee. This past summer, Burr won the Greatest Dancer Competition on ABC's "Good Morning America," judged by Tune and a handful of other celebrity judges. Aaron does an excellent Tap dancing routine in the monkey - monkey island scene with the other monkey tap-dancers. Another tap-dancing sequence, which was especially delightful were the circus characters when they introduced the most exotic creature - the Pushme-Pullyu, a rare white Llama with two heads.
And the costumes by designer Ann Hould-Ward and Dona Granata (who designed the costumes for Mr. Tune, Ms. Hoty and the animal characters) were colorful and beautifully detailed depicting the scene of 1845 England. I often wonder if people back in 1845 actually walked around town singing and dancing this way. Even though I was coming down with a cold, DR. DOLITTLE's inspiring experience was so uplifting that it still made me want to wake up the next morning and sing and tap-dance my way to work. As I did exactly this when I got up the next day, it proved that my theory of people dancing and singing while they do their daily mundane chores happens in the 21st Century as well. Especially if they see a fantastic musical as magical and amazing as DR. DOLITTLE. The creative team includes set designer Kenneth Foy, lighting designer Ken Billington and puppet designed Michael Curry (The Lion King). Michael Biagi serves as musical director.
The whimsical tale first wowed audiences in the critically acclaimed 1967 movie starring Rex Harrison. It earned an impressive eight Academy Award nominations including, Best Music for the original song "Talk to the Animals" and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. DR. DOLITTLE is a world-renowned veterinarian who speaks a wide array of animal languages. He sets off from his home in Puddleby-by-the-Marsh, England, in search of the Great Pink Sea Snail. In doing so, he and his friends meet such exotic creatures as the Pushme-Pullyu and the Giant Lunar Moth.
Even though we had nose-bleed seats that night, I was still able to enjoy the show with great fervor. I realize that some macho men of today might think that big musicals like these are sort of cheesy, but the great euphoria and immense happiness that one feels after seeing this musical is very hard to resist. The DR. DOLITTLE musical is a natural high. The wedding scene in the end is quite divine. Nose-bleed seats or not, this world premiere show that kicked off in Houston, Texas will prove to Houston-Theatre going audience that every seat at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts Theater is the best seat in the house. After the show, Tommy Tune excitedly announced to everyone in the audience that they just witnessed a World Premiere! After which, he introduced Leslie Bricusse's wife, who was sitting in the audience that night and he sang a song to her, especially written for her by Leslie Bricusse. She stood up for Tommy Tune to be acknowledged by the audience. Tommy Tune also thanked the city of Houston for helping the victims of Katrina, oh and especially the animals and pets that desperately needed a home.
Throughout the show, DR. DOLITTLE kept lamenting how hard it is to understand the human race. Ain't that the truth? Why do we love animals so much? Is it because they're
easier to trust? Is it because they will never betray you or stab you in the back like some people do? That is why we love animals. That is why you'll love DR. DOLITTLE. After
the show, we walked out into the lobby and found lithograph prints of autographed animal paintings by Tommy Tune, which were on sale for $20 each. He painted giraffes, seahorses,
butterflies, monkeys, dolphins, elephants, and so on. You can also purchase a self-portrait with Tommy Tune in a tuxedo and top hat. We waited outside the backstage door and Tommy Tune
graciously autographed my Dr. Dolittle Playbill cover. The animal paintings and this amazing musical will prove to everyone that Tommy Tune is not only a giant in the theatre industry, not only
is he a giant physically (he looked like he is 7-feet tall!) he also possesses great talent and creative ability in his painting and artwork.
Single tickets for DR. DOLITTLE (27-$87) 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 January 29 at 2pm; open captioning January 29 at 7:30pm. Wheelchair accessible. Student and Seniors (60+) discounted tickets available one hour before performance. Group discounts available for 15 or more and may be purchased by calling 713-558-8888.
Theatre Under The Stars, one of America's largest producers of non profit musical theatre, was founded in 1968 by Frank M.
Young. Theatre Under The Stars was the first theatrical organization in Houston to perform free to the public at Miller
Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park, and has since performed there each summer, giving Houston 46 lavish musicals such as
South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof and The Who's Tommy. Since its founding, Theatre Under The Stars has produced more
than 275 major musicals including many local, national and world premieres and is currently represented on Broadway with
Beauty and the Beast. TUTS is also noted for mounting many International tours, including Debbie Reynolds in The
Unsinkable Molly Brown, Juliet Prowse in Mame, Jesus Christ Superstar, Robert Goulet in Man of La Mancha, and the Tony
Award winning Carousel, among others. As a way to continue the tradition of musical theatre, Theatre Under The Stars'
Humphreys School of Musical Theatre provides instruction and stage experience for more than 1,700 students annually. Now
housed in the new Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, TUTS annually presents the American Musical Theatre Awards
honoring individuals who have contributed significantly to the American musical, as well as the Tommy Tune Awards honoring
the best and brightest in Houston's high school musical theatre programs.
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DR. DOLITTLE
CAST OF CHARACTERS
DR. JOHN P. DOLITTLE…………………….TOMMY TUNE
JIP……..................…….ALLAN MANGASER, JESSICA WU
POLYNESIA……................................………..SARAH STILES
TOGGLE……………….DAVID F.M. VAUGHN, ERIN WEBLEY
GUB-GUB…………..........…………….MATTHEW CROWLE
CHEE-CHEE…............................…………..AARON BURR
EMMA FAIRFAX…………............................………..DEE HOTY
BLOSSOM…........................................…………….JOEL BLUM
PUSHMI/PULLYU………………..SCOTT LEIENDECKER, JONATHAN RICHARD SANDLER
SOPHIE………ELISA VAN DUYNE, STEVEN WENSLAWSKI
JEAN PIERRE………………JONATHAN RICHARD SANDLER
GIANT LUNAR MOTH………….............….ELISA VAN DUYNE
SCENES AND MUSICAL NUMBERS
DR. DOLITTLE…………………….DR. DOLITTLE & COMPANY
TALK TO THE ANIMALS………….DR. DOLITTLE
AT THE CROSSROADS……………..EMMA FAIRFAX
PUDDLEBY ON THE MARSH…………….COMPANY
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT……………………….BLOSSOM, DR. DOLITTLE & COMPANY
YOU'RE IMPOSSIBLE……………..DR. DOLITTLE AND EMMA FAIRFAX
WHEN I LOOK IN YOUR EYES…………………..DR. DOLITTLE
BEAUTIFUL THINGS……………….EMMA FAIRFAX
LIKE ANIMALS………………..DR. DOLITTLE
SAVE THE ANIMALS………………..DR. DOLITTLE & COMPANY
FABULOUS PLACES………………EMMA FAIRFAX AND DR. DOLITTLE
WHERE ARE THE WORDS………………EMMA FAIRFAX AND DR. DOLITTLE
SOMETHING IN YOUR SMILE.………….DR. DOLITTLE
AFTER TODAY………………..DR. DOLITTLE & COMPANY
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DR. DOLITTLE
FACT SHEET
DATES: January 17 - 29, 2005
VENUE: Hobby Center for the Performing Arts (800 Bagby & Walker)
Tap-dancing sensation TOMMY TUNE. Tommy Tune photo by Howard Schatz from www.tommytune.com
SHOW DESCRIPTION: Experience a magical tale of adventure and enchantment when Theatre Under the Stars co-produces the new National Tour of Tommy Tune's DR. DOLITTLE, starring Houston's own Broadway legend and nine-time Tony Award winner TOMMY TUNE. TUTS will present the popular family classic from January 17 - 29, 2006 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts (800 Bagby at Walker). In a lavish new musical based on Leslie Bricusse's 1967 Oscar-winning movie and "The Doctor Dolittle Stories" by Hugh Lofting, Tune will both direct and star as the beloved veterinarian who "talks to the animals." With a book, music and lyrics written by Bricusse, Dr. Dolittle features an irresistible score families will cherish including, the Academy Award-winning song "Talk to the Animals," "When I Look in Your Eyes," "I've Never Seen Anything Like It" and "After Today." Dr. Dolittle is a world-renowned veterinarian who speaks a wide array of animal languages. He sets off from his home in Puddleby-by-the-Marsh, England in search of the Great Pink Sea Snail. In doing so, he and his friends meet such exotic creatures as the Pushme Pullyu and the Giant Moon Moth.
DR. DOLITTLE Playbill autographed by tap-dancing sensation TOMMY TUNE.