TUTS' HSMT Offers Free Performances of Disney's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, Now thru 6/15

School may be out for the summer but class is still in session when Theatre Under The Stars' Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) presents FREE performances of Disney's High School Musical at Miller Outdoor Theatre today, June 12 - 14 at 11:00 a.m. and June 14 - 15 at 8:15 p.m.

Disney Channel's smash hit movie musical comes to life on stage with a large, talented cast of local students playing all your favorite characters from East High. "We look forward to bringing 'Wildcat Cheer' to the Miller Outdoor Theatre audiences! The show is full of energy and kids of all ages will have a great time." said Rozie Curtis, director of High School Musical.

An extreme honor has been bestowed upon the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre as one of the very few arts organization asked to play both day and night time performances at the historic Miller Outdoor Theatre. The venue is celebrating 90 years of providing free entertainment to the people of Houston, which Theatre Under The Stars has gratefully been a part of since 1968. The Humphreys School of Musical Theatre has performed at Miller Outdoor Theatre for 17 years with family favorites such as My Son Pinocchio, Jr., Aladdin: Dual Language, Camp Rock and The Little Mermaid, Jr.

The Jocks, Brainiacs, Thespians and Skater Dudes all have their cliques at East High until basketball star Troy Bolton meets the studious Gabriella Montez and threaten the current "status quo" after auditioning for the school musical. The most popular kid in school, Troy Bolton, will be played by Westside High School senior Trey Curtis. Curtis was last seen at TUTS and Miller Outdoor Theatre as Sebastian in the underwater adventure The Little Mermaid, Jr. Some of his other previous credits include RENT, Camp Rock and Godspell. The new girl in school and Troy's romantic counterpart, Gabriella Montez, will be played by Woodlands native Katja Yanko. She was last seen at TUTS in the role of Paulette in the wildly successful Legally Blonde. Yanko's other credits include Annie, The Fantastiks and Little Women. Megan McGuff appears as the egocentric diva star of the school musicals at East High, Sharpay Evans. McGuff turned Houston "pink" when she starred as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde at TUTS last September. She also appeared in the productions of Peter Pan with Cathy Rigby and Annie.

Also appearing in Disney's High School Musical is Dillon Glass as Chad Danforth, Troy's best friend and fellow jocK. McKenna Marmolejo appears as the drama club's rehearsal pianist and student composer extraordinaire, Kelsi Neilson. Libby Jasper is the competitive Brainiac of the school, Taylor McKessie;Liam Johnson is Sharpay's twin brother, Ryan Evans; and London Lane appears as Martha Cox. The adult cast members include Jill Giles as Mrs. Darbus, Henry Edwards as Coach Bolton and Jim Sullivanas Mr. Tenney.

The ensemble cast is composed of 37 students of the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre includingTaylor Barry, Sydnie Brown, Bianca Canal, Brett Conrad, Sydney Crofton, Natalie Davidson,Bethany Eggleston, Daniel Fonseka, Gerra Gistand, Preston Granger, Taylor Hall, Isabella Jarosz,Fallon Jones, Katelyn Kapocsi, Ashton Lambert, Dylan Lambert, Miho Maeda, Mizuki Maeda, Alexa Magro, Julian Malone, Miles Marmolejo, Savannah May, Samantha McHenry, William Metivier, Mia Munn, Raegan Roberts, Carlie Sachs, Hannah Seavey, Emmy Smith, Matthew Smith, Michelle Smith,Kerry Sullivan, Ian Tonroy, Alexas Vargas, Abby Weeks, Ryan Williams and Christopher Wolff.

Theatre Under The Stars production of Disney's High School Musical is made possible by the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, Inc. and The Wortham Foundation, Inc. For more information on the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre or Disney's High School Musical, visit www.tuts.com/highschoolmusical.

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is Houston's acclaimed nonprofit musical theatre company whose mission is to enrich life through the experience of quality musical theatre and to positively impact lives beyond the stage through innovative education & community engagement programs. Currently TUTS engages more than 200,000 people annually through productions at Sarofim Hall and Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center and at Miller Outdoor Theatre. TUTS was the first theatrical organization in Houston to perform free to the public when it was founded 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 theatre opened. Founded by Frank M. Young and currently under the direction of President and CEO John C. Breckenridge and Artistic Director Bruce Lumpkin, TUTS has produced more than 300 musicals including many local, national and world premieres such as Kopit and Yeston's Phantom, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Jekyll & Hyde, and Irving Berlin's White Christmas as well as critically acclaimed re-inventions of classics Cabaret and Les Miserables. Through its membership in the Independent Presenters Network, TUTS has helped bring Bombay Dreams, 9 to 5, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Spamalot, Legally Blonde,Ragtime, Curtains and The Color Purple to Broadway and ultimately back to Houston audiences.

In support of TUTS' mission, TUTS' Education & Community Engagement programs provide instruction and stage experience for more than 48,000 Houstonians annually. The Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) offers technique-driven classes for all ability levels and ages, ranging from four to adult. Through The River Performing and Visual Arts Center (The River), TUTS provides an accessible and inclusive arts education for individuals of all abilities that will enhance their development into confident, balanced individuals. TUTS Education & Community Engagement provides extended on-site programming as well as off-site programming for children in schools, hospitals and other community-based sites. TUTS' community partnerships include collaborations with the Houston Independent School District and Region IV school districts, the YMCA of Greater Houston, M.D. Anderson Children's Cancer Center, Texas Children's Hospital and Shriner's Hospital - Houston, among several other Houston-area organizations. TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston's high school musical theatre programs.

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