A Lot to Love

TUTS eclectic 2012-13 season features killer bunnies, Constantine Maroulis,Flashdance and a JFK favorite

Spamalot
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as Alex Owens in Flashdance: The Musical from the 2008UK Tour
Photo by Catherine Ashmore/® Flashdance/© Paramount Pictures Corp.
Cathy Rigby returns as Peter Pan.
Camelot
Jekyll & Hyde
Man of La Mancha

Constantine Maroulis, from Camelot to Spamalot and everything in between. The tenor of the 2012-13 Theatre Under the Stars season is a melange of familiar musical theater with a twist. That's what associate artistic director Roy Hamlin tags as "gourmet comfort food" for theater goers. These shows appeal to traditionalists but have enough of a sparkle to whet the appetite of adventurous artsy types.

"We can't deny the status of the economy when bringing unknown products to our audience," Hamlin tells CultureMap. "But we can't do the same thing we've done in the past, either."

Unlike the origins of theater, classical music, ballet and opera, jazz and musical theater are purely American genres, he points out. Taking a cue from the homegrown art form, TUTS has programmed works that, whenever possible, have strong Houston connections. That's fitting for 45-year-old nonprofit that also nurtures strong community engagement and education initiatives through the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre and The River Performing and Visual Arts Center.

"In order to make our native genres applicable still, we have to put a lot of work into them," Hamlin says. "Audiences assume jazz and American music theater are just fun. But they are as artistically important as Yo-Yo Ma."

The challenge for TUTS has been finding ways to convert single ticket buyers into subscribers. It's a strategy to get cash upfront to underwrite the cost of productions. The company has found a winning formula in offering accessible shows, with an edge. Because TUTS presents big glitzy productions in a well-equipped building, it is easy for audiences to be unaware of the effort to mount high quality theater.

Touring productions

American Idol mania is back, kicking off the season with Jekyll & Hyde (Oct. 9 -21). Both TUTS with Rock of Ages and the Alley Theatre with The Toxic Avenger have learned that headlining stars — especially amicable personalities that can sing and act — add to the bottom line. Imbued with anthem power ballads, Maroulis returns to lead as Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde in a new 2012 pre-Broadway production directed by Jeff Calhoun, set to premiere in San Diego in October.

The original Frank Wildhorn show took shape with director Gregory Boyd at the Alley in 1990. The stunning hit broke box office records, sold out quickly and the run was extended twice. It's a big undertaking with a strong Houston legacy. But the first 1999 touring version removed some of the stunning visual elements.

If theater lovers know anything about Calhoun is his ability to recreate, innovate and reinvigorate. It's what he did with Big River at the Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles, earning a Tony Honor for Excellence in 2004. Expect great things in Jekyll & Hyde.

It was back in 1986 when Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby began her journey starring as the "boy who won't grow up" in the iconic Peter Pan at TUTS. Her performance took flight on Broadway and on tour, receiving a Tony nomination in 1999. She temporarily retired from the role in 2006. Rigby returns for Peter Pan (Dec. 11 - 23) in a new production of the popular holiday show. Writes the New York Times: “Rigby still carries off the flights, fights and acrobatics that make Peter Pan audiences mesmerized.”

Five of The Lost Boys of Neverland will be played local students. A musical theater coach will arrive in Houston ahead of opening night to prepare children for the stage.

Flashdance – The Musical (June 4 - 16) follows the international trend to revive nostalgic themes from the '80s. The show premiered in 2008 and is expected to arrive in Broadway following the U.S. tour directed by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis, The Addams Family). Alongside popular tunes like “Flashdance - What a Feeling,” “Maniac,” “I Love Rock & Roll,” the production also includes 10 original songs.

Self-produced shows

Whimsically combined, Camelot (Jan. 22 - Feb. 3), Man of La Mancha (Feb. 26 - March 10) and Spamalot (May 14 - 26) pay homage, or poke fun, at legendary worlds of yesteryear.

Camelot, loosely based on Arthurian myths, tells a story of romance and heartbreak. The original 1961 cast recording was a favorite of President John F. Kennedy. Spamalot takes its cue from the hilarious 1974 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail sans regal etiquette. Instead, the witty parody includes flying cows, killer bunnies, a one-legged knight and gassy Frenchmen.

With a nob to literary giant Miguel de Cervantes, Man of La Mancha's Don Quixote ambles through the times of the Spanish inquisition attempting to right all wrongs and while wooing women along the way.

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Movie Review

George Clooney shines in Jay Kelly, a sharp and heartfelt look at fame

Photo by Peter Mountain/Netflix

George Clooney in Jay Kelly.

The life of a celebrity is paradoxical in that your life is lived in the public eye, yet who you really are is almost unknowable. Movie history is littered with films that try to dig into the private lives of real and fictional actors, with varying results. The latest film to try to unearth what it means to be famous is Jay Kelly.

In a perfect bit of casting, George Clooney stars in the title role as an actor who’s still world famous even if he’s edging toward the downside of his career. His coterie of helpers, including manager Ron (Adam Sandler) and publicist Liz (Laura Dern), make sure he is taken care of at every turn, often anticipating his needs before he realizes it.

A run-in with an old friend, Timothy (Billy Crudup), sends Jay spiraling, questioning not just the meaning of his 35-plus year career, but also his relationships with his two daughters, Jessica (Riley Keough) and Daisy (Grace Edwards). Jay’s attempt to manage the crisis pits his identity as a celebrity and as a father and friend against each other.

Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, and co-written by Emily Mortimer (who has a small role), the film has to walk the tightrope of making the audience like Jay even as he does and says things that might make him unlikable. There’s a very thin line between the character of Jay Kelly and the real life George Clooney; each is seemingly infinitely charming when dealing with the public, but they lead very different private lives.

Baumbach takes a light approach to the story, occasionally dipping into more serious territory but never going too deep. For some, this may seem like a copout, as if he’s merely pretending to want to explore what celebrity truly is. But as you see Jay navigate his way between his work, his family, and being out among the public, little details emerge that make him increasingly complex.

A lot of the film’s pleasure comes from the strong actors cast in relatively minor roles. There are not enough words to express what it means to have actors like Jim Broadbent as Jay’s mentor, or Greta Gerwig as Ron’s wife, or Stacy Keach as Jay’s father, or Patrick Wilson as a fellow longtime actor. Each of them and more lend an instant air of excellence to the film that elevates the story beyond its simple premise.

Clooney may be playing a version of himself, but as the film notes on multiple occasions, playing yourself is more difficult than it seems. He is deserving of an Oscar nomination, as is Sandler, who doesn’t give off even a whiff of insincerity as a man who has given perhaps a bit too much of himself in aid of another man’s career.

Jay Kelly is not a world-changing film, and some may accuse it of being another navel-gazing Hollywood story. But the forcefulness of Clooney’s performance, the long line of strong supporting actors, and the subtly effective storytelling by Baumbach and Mortimer (making her feature screenwriting debut) help it become much more than might be expected.

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Jay Kelly is now playing in select theaters. It debuts on Netflix on December 5.

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