TUT's KICK ARSE SEASON!

mmm... that's a great season. hopefully beauty and the beast will be reimagined and not just a copy of the Broadway show. and they better get the rights to use "A Change in Me" or I'm not going!!! MTI still lists the licenced script as being the original Broadway version... poo...

I've been a TUTS subscriber since 96, and I have to respectfully disagree. I think this is the most disappointing season since I started subscribing. I started going to TUTS the year after they debuted Beauty and the Beast, so at least it will be new to me. Chicago was just here last year. Cinderella and Dr. Dolittle are safe choices, but neither one gets me excited. We Will Rock You may turn into a guilty pleasure, but it's certainly not anything to write home about.

110 in the Shade is the real standout to me. The graphic on the web site lists Robert Cucioli (sp?) above the title which makes me more interested.

I'll still be renewing because I believe in TUTS, and their execution has been outstanding for the last 5 years. They manage to make even uninteresting shows enjoyable. Plus, the lineup frequently changes. This year, We Will Rock You cancelled, and we got A Chorus Line which proved to be the best musical production in Houston for at least the last couple of years.

Something else I noticed that I have not seen mentioned elsewhere. They are cutting the run of each show from 3 weeks to 2. This really concerns me because it indicates a drop off in subsription sales and might make it harder to attract top notch performers.

Zack

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"110 in the Shade is the real standout to me. The graphic on the web site lists Robert Cucioli (sp?) above the title which makes me more interested."

Oh no. As Starbuck, I assume?! That doesn't sound right.

Well, if they need a File, I don't think Ben Davis is working on any shows at the moment, and he was phenomenal in the Pasadena Playhouse production...psst...

Updated On: 1/21/05 at 07:09 PM

this is what i want next years TUTS season

1 Cabaret
2 Taboo
3 How To Suceed (sp?)
4 Barnum
5 Company or Pacific Overtures or Sweeny Todd
6 Carosel

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yeah. thats what i figured. maybe some place like Masquerade Theater or Stages or Little Room Downstairs would. but the rights arent even available

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haha. that might be a while.

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i guess i think its good because ive never seen any of the shows. Like this current season i've seen every show except Hair and Chorus Line. i guess i'm excited because of the new shows (for me) that they are presenting

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Just curious. What exactly is Rosie doing with Taboo? Anything specific or just kinda sitting on them? Just wondering?

I was on the TUTS web site today, and I noticed they have replaced We Will Rock You with Bombay Dreams and Cinderella with Cats.

I knew the We Will Rock You tour had been cancelled again, but I don't know what happened to Cinderella. I'm not sure it the Cats run will be locally-produced or if it is a tour.

I was personally lobbying them to mount a production of Sundown which released a studio recording late last year and has had 2 small regional productions. TUTS needs to get back into the business of launching new shows, but I guess they have to get on sound financial footing first.

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Even though they are non-profit, they still have to pay the bills, and a lot of the corporate donors in Houston (e.g. Enron, Continental Airlines) have been hurting lately. The letter I got with my renewal info said they had been running deficits for the last couple of years. They are cutting 5 performances from each run next year and have started charging subscribers for parking to help balance the books.

I can accept these changes because they have not reduced their committment to education and outreach which I strongly support. They have also assured everyone that the quality of the productions will not change next year. I take them at their word because everything they've done this year has been of the highest quality.

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