Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID Returning to Hobby Center, 9/10-13

Dive on in with the dazzling cast of Theatre Under The Star's production of Disney's The Little Mermaid! Back by popular demand, this fun-filled, timeless tale will play for a limited run September 10 - 13 at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts!

In a magical kingdom fathoms below, we meet Ariel, the little mermaid who is tired of flipping her fins and longs to be part of the fascinating world on dry land. Joining her are Sebastian, Ariel's crabby sidekick; Ursula, the evil sea witch; Triton, King of the Sea and the handsome and human Prince Eric. Based on the Disney animated film and hit Broadway musical, The Little Mermaid features all of the favorite songs like "Under The Sea" and "Part of Your World" as well as new songs written by Oscar-winning Disney composer Alan Menken, the mastermind behind productions such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Pocahontas. Lyrics are by Howard Ashman and Glen Staler and book by Doug Wright.

Starring as the beloved Ariel is Alison Woods, accompanied by the handsome Prince Eric, played by Eric Kunze. Woods and Kunze are joined by Adam Garst as Flounder, Melvin Abston as Sebastian, Fred Inkley as King Triton, Jennifer Allen as Ursula, Scott T. Leiendecker as Flotsam, Jeffrey Christopher Todd as Jetsam, Jamie Torcellini as Scuttle and Time Winters as Grimsby.

Rounding out the ensemble are Ashley Anderson, Kim Arnett, Kristine Bennett, Marjorie Failoni, Melissa Glasgow, Devon Hadsell, Michael McGurk, Amanda Minano, Dennis O'Bannion, Marco Ramos, Robbie Roby, Aaron Ronelle, James Shackelford, Brian Steven Shaw, Tro Shaw and Jeff Skowron.

Leading the creative team is director Glenn Casale, along with choreographer John MacInnis, flying sequence choreographer Paul Rubin, musical director and conductor Colin R. Freeman, sound designer Randy Hansen and lighting designer Charlie Morrison. Casting director is Julia Flores of Flores Casting and flying equipment is provided by Flying By Foy.

Tickets (starting at only $30) are available:

• Online at TUTS.com
• Phone at (713) 558-TUTS (8887), outside the Houston area at (888) 558-3882
• In person at the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office, (800 Bagby), Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Saturday - Sunday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Special offers are available for groups of 10 or more by calling (713) 558-8888 or via email at groupsales@tuts.com.

TUTS' 2015/16 season is generously sponsored by CHI St. Luke's Health. For all shows, air transportation is provided by United Airlines, the official airline of TUTS. Media sponsors include ABC-13 and Houston Chronicle. Season support is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Theater District Association, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

For more information about TUTS and their community initiatives, visit TUTS.com.

PRINCIPAL CAST BIOS:

ALISON WOODS (Ariel) Created the roles of Cassandra Clark in First Wives Club (Chicago) and Anne Shirley in Bend in the Road (LA, NYMF). Regional: Reprise's The Fantasticks directed by Jason Alexander, Sound of Music, Rocky Horror, 42nd Street. TV/Film: "CSI:NY," "90210," "Big Love," Superhero Movie, Detention. Alison lent her dancing and mannerisms to Disney's Tangled as the animation reference for Rapunzel. www.alison-woods.com

ERIC KUNZE (Prince Eric) Broadway: Marius in Les Miserables, Chris in Miss Saigon, Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees. National Tours: "The Man" in Whistle Down the Wind (IRNE award); Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. Regional: Joseph in Joseph... Dreamcoat (Muny, KC Starlight, Sacramento Music Circus, and Boston-IRNE Award); Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid (west coast premiere); Che in Evita (LA Ovation Nomination). Concert tour: Do You Hear the People Sing. Mr. Kunze recently released a solo album. www.erickunze.com

MELVIN ABSTON (Sebastian): Broadway: Sister Act. Nat'l Tour: Lion King, Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Sister Act. Regional: Zach Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, 5th Ave Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, and Goodman Theatre. TV: "Gotham", "Raising Hope", "Touch", "Weeds" (Recurring), "Awake", "Grey's Anatomy" (Recurring) and "Chuck". Film: "Solace", "Chastity Bites" and H+: The Digital Series". VO: Verizon Wireless, South Park Studios and The Prince of Peace.

JENNIFER ALLEN (Ursula) Broadway credits include starring and co-starring roles in Bridges of Madison County, Sister Act (Mother Superior), Memphis, A Catered Affair, Cats (Grizabella), Little Me, Guys and Dolls (Miss Adelaide) and City of Angels. Jennifer has been seen in National Tours of Ragtime (Emma Goldman), Jerome Robbins Broadway (Ma and Tessie Tura) and Cabaret (Sally Bowles); and regionally, she has worked at the Williamstown Theater Festival, Goodspeed Opera House and Paper Mill Playhouse.

ADAM GARST (Flounder) Spring Awakening (Moritz), Urinetown (Bobby Strong), and various readings in the L.A. area. BFA in Theatre Performance from Baylor University.

FRED INKLEY (King Triton) BROADWAY: Les Miserables(Valjean); Annie (Drake, FDR); The Addams Family (Lurch, Mal Beineke); Company, Lincoln Center (Vocal Minority); A Tale of Two Cities (Stryver); The Boys from Syracuse (Sergeant). TOUR: Beauty and the Beast (Beast); Les Miserables (Valjean). REGIONAL: Ever After (Auguste), Paper Mill Playhouse; Les Miserables (Valjean), NSMT, Pittsburg CLO; Jekyll and Hyde (Jekyll, Hyde), Ritz Theater; Boston Pops Guest Artist.

SCOTT T. LEIENDECKER (Flotsam) comes directly from a production of "George M!" in Boca Raton, FL where he played the title role. Favorite credits include: Bway Nationals: Fiddler on the Roof w/Harvey Fierstein (Fruma Sarah), Dr. Dolittle w/Tommy Tune (Pushmi Pullyu), J. C. Superstar (Apostle), Camelot (Castor of Cornwall), and Tommy Tune's autobiographical Steps in Time (Tenor, Asst. Dir/Chor), in which he performed, and helped create. Regional: Paper Mill, Sacramento Music Circus, Walnut St. Theatre, PCLO, and Portland Center Stage.

JEFFREY CHRISTOPHER TODD (Jetsam) Recent Theatre: I Love Lucy: Live on Stage (First National Tour), Romeo+Juliet: Love is a Battlefield (Rockwell), Les Miserables (Musical Theatre West), Legally Blonde (Performance Riverside), For the Record: Baz (Rockwell), Bronies (World Premiere). TV: Tobias Gray on The Young and the Restless (CBS), Switched at Birth (ABC Family), Watch What Happens: Live (Bravo), Wizards of Waverly Place (Disney Channel), Free Agents (NBC), Not Another High School Show (Comedy Central). Instagram & Twitter: @TheJeffreyTodd. www.jeffreychristophertodd.com

JAMIE TORCELLINI (Scuttle) Broadway: CATS (Mr. Mistoffelees), Little Johnny Jones (Standby to Donny Osmond), Me and My Girl (Standby for Jim Dale), Jerome Robbins Broadway, Man of La Mancha (Barber), Beauty and the Beast (LeFou), and the original company of Billy Elliot. Television and Film: "Law and Order", "ER", "Mrs. Santa Claus", "The Jamie Foxx Show," and also provided character voices for Disney's Tarzan, Pocahontas, and was the character model for the body of Aladdin.

TIME WINTERS (Grimsby) Pygmalion at Pasadena Playhouse, Amadeus on Broadway, Camleot National tour; TV - "Shameless", "About A Boy", "Southland", "Criminal Minds", "Big Love", "Carnivale", "Star Trek:N.G.", "Buffy" & many more); Film - Syfy's Lavalantula, Runaways, Life & Death Of Peter Sellers, A Little Princess, Doc Hollywood, Thinner, Sneakers, Gremlins II. Video games; voiceovers; and commercials.

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