Broadway Icon André De Shields Set to Perform at TUTS Lights Up Gala

Theatre Under The Stars' Lights Up Gala will be held on Saturday, November 11, at The Post Oak at Uptown Houston.

This year’s event is chaired by Zane and Brady Carruth and will honor Amy and Rob Pierce for their two decades of leadership and generosity.

“We are thrilled to be chairing this year’s Theatre Under The Stars Lights Up Gala at The Post Oak! TUTS means so much to the Houston community with the work they do on the stage, how the classes in both schools not only train the students in the art of musical theatre, but also teach them things like empathy and inclusivity,” said Carruth.

The event, themed “Do You Believe in the Magic of Theatre?,” will be an enchanted evening featuring a live auction chaired by Dana Barton and wonderous entertainment by Tony-Award-winning Broadway legend André De Shields, who will perform alongside students from the TUTS Education Pre-Professional and Performance Troupes.

In a career spanning fifty-five years, De Shields, at age 77, has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, activist, educator and philanthropist. He is the triple-crown winner of the 2019 awards season, having won the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Grammy and Tony Awards as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his unanimously critically acclaimed performance as Hermes, Messenger to the Gods, in Hadestown. Prior to his Tony Award, Mr. De Shields was best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions: The Wiz (title role), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Emmy Award), Play On! (Tony nom.), and The Full Monty (Tony nom). Among his many other accolades are three honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degrees, the OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence, three JEFF Awards, nine AUDELCO Awards and the 2023 89th Annual Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater. The ninth of eleven children reared in Baltimore, Maryland, De Shields is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA and SDC.

The evening will also include a fabulous After Party chaired by Brittany Clark and Cynthia Wolff and with entertainment by DJ ILL-SET.  The after-party will feature food stations, a nitrogen ice cream bar, full bar and valet.  

Tickets and tables are available by visiting TUTS.com/LightsUp or by contacting Melissa Jurik at melissa.jurik@tuts.com. 

André De Shields

In a career spanning fifty-five years, André De Shields, at age 77, has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, activist, educator and philanthropist.  

Mr. De Shields is the triple-crown winner of the 2019 awards season, having won the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Grammy and Tony Awards as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his unanimously critically acclaimed performance as Hermes, Messenger to the Gods, in HADESTOWN. Prior to his Tony Award, Mr. De Shields was best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions: THE WIZ (title role), AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ (Emmy Award), PLAY ON! (Tony nom.), and THE FULL MONTY (Tony nom). Among his many other accolades are three honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degrees, the OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence, three JEFF Awards, nine AUDELCO Awards and the 2023 89th Annual Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater.  

The ninth of eleven children reared in Baltimore, Maryland Mr. De Shields is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA and SDC. www.andredeshields.com. Ubuntu! 

Zane Carson Carruth

is an award-winning international children’s book author, a certified business etiquette and protocol professional and sits on numerous non-profit boards in Houston, TX as well as Vice President of the Carruth Foundation. Zane has always loved writing, especially the magical world of children’s literature. She has been awarded by the Imaginative Children’s Book Series the 2020 Purple Dragon Award and the winner of the prestigious Story Monter’s Seal of Approval. She is Founder/President of Carson Marketing, LLC, a full-service marketing firm and Founder/President of Carson Productions, LLC, publishing and promoting books. In addition to writing children’s books, she is also a columnist for major Houston-area publications sharing insights on etiquette, Houston conservation efforts and philanthropic endeavors.

Brady Carruth was the Chairman of the Board 2021-2022. A member of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo from 1970 to the present, in 1982 Carruth joined the Lamb Auction Committee, becoming committee chair in 1996. Elected to Board of Directors in 1991, in 1998, he was appointed a Show vice president, serving as officer in charge of the Ladies’ Go Texan, Ladies’ Season Box, School Art, Special Children’s, and Western Art committees. Carruth has been a member of the Rodeo’s Executive Committee since 2013. Brady has deep ties to the rodeo; his father, Allen H. “Buddy” Carruth, was a Rodeo president and served as chairman of the board from 1979 to 1981. His mother, Ethel Carruth, was a past chairman and passionate support of the Rodeo’s School Art Committee.

Amy and Rob Pierce

Passionate about philanthropic work, Amy and Rob focus on protecting children, education and the arts.   The Pierce family have been TUTS season subscribers since 2005 and wholeheartedly believe in TUTS’ community focused mission and vision. Amy has served on the Board for more than 18 years, including serving as Chair (2015-17). Amy also co-founded TUTS’s volunteer auxiliary group, The Leading Ladies.  Rob, who heads up the Houston office of TD Securities, serves on the Board of Houston Children’s Charity and is Chair of the St. Francis Episcopal School Board of Trustees. 

Together, the couple has gladly chaired special events and galas supporting The River and TUTS education programs, including co-chairing TUTS’ 50th Anniversary Gala.  Amy and Rob have worked to instill compassion for others, service, and the importance of education in their four children, Kendall, Kyle, Kaitlyn, and Kamren.  Among their accomplishments, the couple was recognized as one of “Houston’s Treasures” by The Social Book, and Amy was honored as an Easter Seals “Mother of the Year,” as a “Woman of Substance” benefiting the Mission of Yahweh and as a Chron’s and Colitis Foundation “Woman of Distinction.” 

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