Gulsvig Led LEGALLY BLONDE Tour Hit TUTS 2/10-2/22

Theatre Under The Stars announced today that LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL will begin performances at The Hobby Center for Performing Arts in downtown Houston, February 10 - 22, 2009!
 
Sorority star Elle Woods doesn't take "no" for an answer.  When her boyfriend dumps her for someone more "serious," Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.
 
In its first year on Broadway, LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL earned seven 2007 Tony Award nominations, 10 2007 Drama Desk Award Nominations, a 2007 Outer Critics Circle Award and the chorus of the musical was honored by Actors' Equity Association's Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs (ACCA) with the first ever ACCA Award.  The musical also ranked in the top ten list of the most requested Ticketmaster "Arts & Theatre Events" for 2007. 
 

Becky Gulsvig, the Elle understudy in the original Broadway cast, is Elle Woods on tour. Fans of the MTV reality show "Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods," which premiered June 2, 2008, will recognize two familiar faces in the tour casting: third runner-up Rhiannon Hansen plays Elle's best friend Margot and fourth runner-up Lauren Zakrin is an ensemble member and understudies the role of Elle.  The reality show represented the musical's second venture with MTV.

In the fall of 2007, MTV aired Legally Blonde The Musical in its entirety to stellar ratings and was subsequently nominated for two 2007-2008 Daytime Emmy Awards. 
 

The Original Broadway Cast Recording for "Legally Blonde The Musical," was released on Ghostlight Records, an imprint of Sh-K-Boom Records, and captured the #1 slot on the Billboard Cast Album chart and charted at #86 on the Billboard Top 200.  The album has continued its success, charting every week as one of the top-selling Broadway cast recordings and soared to the Top 10 albums (of any genre) on iTunes once the show premiered on MTV. 
As on Broadway, Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell is the director and choreographer.  Music and lyrics are by both Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, and the book is by Heather Hach.  The production features scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Kenneth Posner and Paul Miller, orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke and sound design by Acme Sound Partners.
 

LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL is produced on Broadway by Hal Luftig, Fox Theatricals and Dori Berinstein, in association with MGM Onstage, Darcie Denkert and Dean Stolber.
 
Tickets for LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL (starting at $32) 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 9a.m.-6p.m, Sat-Sun 11a.m.-4p.m.); or on-line at www.tuts.com.  An audio described performance is available Sunday, February 22 at 2p.m.; open captioning on Sunday, February 22 at 7:30p.m. The Hobby Center is wheelchair accessible. Group discounts are available for 15 or more by calling (713) 558-8888 or via email at groupsales@tuts.com.
 

The TUTS 2008-2009 season is sponsored by Continental Airlines, the official airline of Theatre Under The Stars, Spectra Energy and St. Luke's Episcopal Health System, the official healthcare Partner of Theatre Under The Stars. TUTS brings LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL to Houston with the sponsorship of Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP and Mr. & Mrs. Ed Hickam. Founded in 1968, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is Houston's acclaimed non-profit musical theatre company and is currently under the direction of President and CEO John C. Breckenridge.  Dedicated to producing new works and classic masterpieces, the 2008-2009 "Wow! What a Season." celebrates TUTS' 41 Season of bringing world-class musical theatre to Houston audiences.  TUTS was the first theatrical organization in Houston to perform free to the public in 1968 at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park, and is the only Houston arts organization that has performed there free to the public every year since the building opened.  Since its founding by Frank M. Young, TUTS has produced more than 300 musicals including many local, national and world premieres such as Disney's Beauty and the Beast, as well as International tours including Debbie Reynolds in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Juliet Prowse in Mame, Robert Goulet in Man of La Mancha, the Tony Award-winning revival of Carousel andthe Deaf West Theatre production of Big River.  As a way to continue the tradition of musicaltheatre, TUTS' Humphreys School of Musical Theatre provides instruction and stage experience for more than 1,700 students annually through both The Academy and The Studio, which allow students to flourish in a year-round schedule of classes.   Housed in the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston's High School Musical theatre programs.

Becky Gulsvig (Elle Woods). Broadway: Hairspray (Amber Von Tussle). National Tour: Peter Pan (Wendy). Regional: …Forum (Philia), Grease (Patty Simcox), Baby Case (Studio Sister/Ginger Rogers).  Readings include Princesses (Binky), Frankenstein (Justine) and Crybaby. TV: "All My Children" (Jeannie Campion) and MTV.

Photo by Peter James Zielinski