32 seats in the front two rows of the orchestra will be made available for purchase by lottery for $20.00 at every performance of Rent, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony® Award-winning musical, with Theatre Under The Stars at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Opportunity to purchase the $20 tickets will be assigned by lottery and announced 90 minutes prior to curtain. To participate, patrons must register for the lottery at the box office, and be present at the time of the drawing. Each lottery winner will be allowed to purchase a maximum of two $20 tickets and will be required to pay in cash only, at the time of the announcement. Registration for each show will begin the morning of the performance when the box office opens, Wednesday through Friday at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday performances.
"In keeping with the spirit of the show and the vision of Jonathan Larson (the show's creator) we are happy to be able to offer prime seats to people who otherwise would not be able to purchase them," explained original Rent producer Kevin McCollum. "Jonathan was himself a struggling artist and his dream was to create a universal piece of musical theatre that's available to everyone." The tradition of the $20 tickets was started in New York when the show moved to Broadway after a sold-out run in a small downtown theatre. Since that time people have lined up as early as the night before to guarantee their purchase of the $20 tickets. In Houston, the lines will be avoided with the implementation of the lottery system; only the lottery winners will have the option to purchase the $20 tickets. The producers of the show are committed to continuing the tradition of offering orchestra seats for $20 in each city the show will play.
Rent makes its Houston return with Theatre Under The Stars at the The Hobby Center for Performing Arts on April 29 - May 3, 2009, for five days only. The $20 tickets are available at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts box office, 800 Bagby, Houston, TX 77002, only. For general ticket information call 713-558-8887.Tickets for TUTS' presentation of Rent are available 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 online at TUTS.com. An audio described performance is available Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 2 p.m.; open captioning Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 7:30p.m. The Hobby Center is wheelchair accessible. Student and senior (60+) discount tickets are available one hour before performance at the box office only. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more and may be purchased by calling (713) 558-8888 or via email at groupsales@tuts.com.
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' 41st 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 and the Deaf West Theatre production of Big River. As a way to continue the tradition of musical theatre, 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.
For more information on the show, visit siteforrent.com. For more information on Theatre Under The Stars visit TUTS.com
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