TUTs' new shows

Theatre Under the Stars shines with new season of marvelous musicals, cutting-edge tales, and kooky comedies

TUTS brings the touring Broadway revival of Once On This Island to Houston in February 2020.

Photo by Joan Marcus

With a melodious mix of classic and contemporary musicals, along with one down-home country world premiere, Theatre Under the Stars plans to dance into their 51st year with a dynamic new season. While their 50th anniversary season continues to bring new productions of audience favorites, TUTS gets ready to leap into their future with revolting youths, a chorus of real-life stories, some Texas country twang, and a holiday elf surprise.

“On the heels of our 50th anniversary, the upcoming season is a defining moment for us as we embark on our next 50 years,” said Dan Knechtges, TUTS artistic director. “We have an exciting mix of both traditional and contemporary Broadway classics, with the professional premiere of a new Texas-themed musical, the return of a heartwarming holiday classic, and the exclusive Houston engagement of the national tour of the 2018 Tony Award-winning Best Revival.”

Here’s a closer looks at all the shows we’ll be humming along to in the fall and into 2020.

A Chorus Line (September 10-22, 2019)
Life on the line takes its place center stage in this multiple Tony Award winning classic from the 70s with with book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban. This TUTS revival might bring a bit of 21st century sensibility to the show with director Julie Kramer and choreographer Jessica Hartman perhaps adding some additional female perspective.

Spring Awakening (October 8 - 20, 2019)
Frank Wedekind’s play about youth in revolt in late 19th-century Germany found new life and great resonance with Broadway audiences as the alt-rock opera, the Tony winning Spring Awakening. The story follows a group of adolescents as they navigate their journey into adulthood with a poignancy and passion that is illuminating and unforgettable.

“Spring Awakening is a bit of a departure for us in the sense of the subject matter and in the modern rock score,” said Knechtges. “However, I want TUTS to honor recent exemplary theatre in addition to the traditional classics. This soul-stirring story from the late 1800s is remarkably relevant today.”

Elf-The Musical (December 7-22, 2019)
Buddy, the human, raised by a loving family of elves at the North Pole stops by for holiday antics at the end of the year to teach his bio family, and Houston, about the spirit of the season. The musical, with songs by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin and book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, has quickly become a holiday favorite. This production will be directed and choreographed by Dan Knechtges.

Once On This Island (February 18 - March 1, 2020)
Though TUTS self-produced all the shows for its 50th season, (which continues with Mamma Mia! in February) the company has a history of bringing in one or two Broadway touring musical a season. They go back to this beloved traditional next season with national tour of the 2018 Tony Award winner for Best Revival of a Musical, Once On This Island. The show follows Ti Moune, a peasant girl in search of her place in the world, but who is willing to risk it all for love. Guided by the mighty island gods, Ti Moune sets out on a remarkable journey to reunite with the man who has captured her heart.

Pure Country (April 14 - 26, 2020)
TUTS has premiered a few musicals to world in the past, including Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and in 2020 it gets back into the game with the world premiere professional production of this new musical based on the 1992 George Strait film, Pure Country. The musical tells a jaded hero’s journey of a country music mega-star who walks away from successful to return to his Texas roots and find his love of music and life again.

“Pure Country is obviously a celebration of Texas culture, but it also has a universal message about the importance of home, both in terms of geography as well as the inherent human need to manifest our true passions, even when the world has other expectations of us,” said Knechtges, who will also direct and choreograph the show. “I’m also excited that TUTS is able to play this pivotal role in the development of this new musical, which is a renewed commitment to our heritage of fostering new works.”

Disney’s Newsies (May 19 - 31, 2020)
The riotous, striking paperboys are back in this revival production of the feel good hit. This band of singing underdogs become unlikely heroes when they stand up to the most powerful men in turn of the 19th to 20th century New York. The production will be directed and choreographed by Chris Bailey, who just directed Disney’s Beauty and the Beast for TUTS in December.

dance theater music

Get inspired

Noted Houston street artist paints vibrant new mural at downtown venue

Photo courtesy of Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

GONZO247 poses in front of his new mural, "Houston is Inspired" inside Hobby Center

Visitors to the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts can now see an incredible new mural by one of Houston's most iconic street artists.Mario Enrique Figueroa, Jr., known as Gonzo247, debuted his piece, "Houston is Inspired" on Friday, December 12.

“This piece is all about capturing the energy that makes Houston, Houston," said the artist in a statement. "It’s that raw, vibrant hustle — the music, the culture, the stories we’ve been telling for generations. I wanted to create something that pulls people in, gets them hyped for what they’re about to experience. Every color, every shape, every detail is telling a story, a vibe. This ain’t just a mural or a piece of art — it’s a journey. It's about the grind, the growth, and the inspiration we pass on to each other, on and off the stage.”

The piece is called "Houston is Inspired," after the program at Hobby meant to showcase local performers by offering them week-long residencies on a prestigious stage. This season includes CJ Emmons's one-man comedy musical show I'm Freaking Talented; a rhythmic interactive storytelling experience called Our Road Home by Jakari Sherman; and Lavanya Rajagopalan's combination of music, dance and verse, Kāvya: Poetry in Motion. Information about all three shows, including ticket prices and availability, can be found at TheHobbyCenter.org.

The last show (debuting May 1) was a particular inspiration to Gonzo247. Viewers may notice a pair of hands in a traditional Indian dance pose, a direct reference to Rajagopalan's show.

The Houston is Inspired program was launched launched in the 2023-2024 season. In addition to the residency in Zilkha Hall, artists are given a $20,000 stipend for production and marketing costs. It is now a permanent fixture of the Hobby season. Applicants for future seasons can submit here.

Known for his original "Houston is Inspired" mural in downtown's Market Square, Gonzo247 has been an active force in Houston art for 30 years, including producing the video series Aerosol Warfare about the street art scene in the 1990s and 2000s as well as founding the Graffiti and Street Art Museum. He also served as the artist liaison for Meow Wolf's Houston installation. If anyone's visual vision is perfect to welcome audience members to shows highlighting homegrown talent, it's him.

“Art’s all about telling stories, but it ain’t just what you see — it’s what you feel," he said. "This piece speaks to the heart of everything we’re about: culture, rhythm, struggle, and triumph. When you walk into the space, you gotta feel the anticipation, the energy building up. That’s what I wanted to capture — the vibe of the whole city, the passion in the work, and that next-level hunger to rise up and create something fresh. It’s like the beat drops, and everything just connects.”

visual-art downtown mural gonzo247