Rupert Holmes, Melissa Manchester & Sharon Vaughn Premiere Musical SWEET POTATO QUEENS Comes to TUTS Underground This Weekend

TUTS Underground just announced it will stage its first-ever reading of a new musical!

With a book by Tony Award winning Rupert Holmes, music by Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Melissa Manchester, and lyrics by Oscar nominee and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Sharon Vaughn, SWEET POTATO QUEENS will be performed at Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center this weekend, March 21 & 22, featuring local actors.

Following each performance, there will be a talkback with the cast and creative team, Rupert Holmes, Melissa Manchester & Sharon Vaughn, with Jill Conner Browne -- the original "Sweet Potato Queen" (pictured, left).

SWEET POTATO QUEENS is based on the life-story of #1 New York Times best-selling author and Sweet Potato Queen founder, Jill Conner Browne.

The Sweet Potato Queens is a women's organization which is centered on Jill's philosophy and worldview, involving a belief in a sisterhood that promotes self-esteem and positive thinking. The group originated in Jackson, Mississippi, and now has over 6,200 chapters in 37 countries.

Titles in the SWEET POTATO QUEENS book series include: "Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love", "God Save the Sweet Potato Queens", "The Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Cookbook and Financial Planner", "Sweet Potato Queens' Field Guide to Men: Every Man I Love Is Either Married, Gay, or Dead", "The Sweet Potato Queens' Wedding Planner/Divorce Guide", "The Sweet Potato Queens' First Big-Ass Novel: Stuff We Didn't Actually Do, but Could Have, and May Yet", "The Sweet Potato Queens' Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit", and "American Thighs: The Sweet Potato Queen's Guide to Preserving Your Assets".