TUTS Opens Season with PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT Tonight

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) debuts its 2013-2014 season with Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical at Hobby Center from tonight, September 29 - October 12. With more than 500 dazzling 2011 Tony Award-winning costumes, Priscilla features a hit parade of more than 20 dance-floor favorites including "It's Raining Men," "Finally" and "I Will Survive."

Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical will star Wade McCollum (Tick/Mitzi), Scott Willis(Bernadette) and BRyan West (Adam/Felicia) as the trio of friends on a road trip of a lifetime, who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship in the middle of the Australian outback and end up finding more than they could ever have dreamed. Bob, the small town mechanic, will be played by Joe Hart.

Beyond the show stopping costumes, popular hit songs, glitter and glitz, Priscilla unveils a heartwarming story that introduces a new foundation for the meaning of family. While the musical is fun-loving and adventurous, the genuine companionship and camaraderie woven throughout the fabric of the show is what audiences will connect with the most.

The Hollywood Reporter called Priscilla, "funny and fabulous! Joyous entertainment with eye-popping visuals and unexpected heart!" NY-1 News raved, "beneath all that glitz beats a great big sequined heart!" WOR Radio sang, "All the songs you've loved for years will blow you out of your seat!"

Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical won a 2011 Tony Award for Best Costume Design for Academy Award winners Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner's designs. The new hit musical received three Best Musical award nominations from the Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Award organizations. Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner were also honored with 2011 Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Costume Design.

Rounding out the cast are Emily Afton, Nik Alexzander, John Capes, Andrew Chappelle, Shane Davis,Alex DeLeo, Taurean Everett, Christy Faber, Amy Hillner, Bre Jackson, Chris Klink, David Koch,Ralph Meitzler, Alex Ringler, Babs Rubenstein, Travis Taber, Brit West, Will B. Whitesell and Chelsea Zeno.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical, the most successful Australian musical of all time, was adapted from the 1994 Academy Award winning film The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The musical is written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott. Direction: Simon Phillips; choreography: Ross Coleman; musical supervision and arrangements: Stephen 'Spud' Murphy; set design: Brian Thomson; costume design: Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner; lighting design: Nick Schlieper; sound design:Jonathan Deans & Peter Fitzgerald; make up design: Cassie Hanlon.

TUTS will offer special events to make for an unforgettable musical theatre experience:

• Free movie screening at Sundance Cinemas: Monday, September 23 at 7 p.m.
  • Join us for a free screening of the film that started it all, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, at Sundance Cinemas, located at downtown Houston's Bayou Place. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Celebrity Mystery Theater Dinner: Saturday and Sunday, October 5 and 6
  • Make it a glamorous show stopping weekend of fun with the Celebrity Mystery Theater dinner followed by a performance of Priscilla.
• Priscilla "Glitz and Glamour" VIP Event: Wednesday, October 2
  • Add some Glitz and Glamour to your evening with the Priscilla Queen of the Desert VIP Package! Don't miss out on this marvelous experience as tickets are limited!
• OUT@TUTS Post-Show Cast Party: Thursday, Oct. 3
  • A post-show, cabaret-style event at Artista Restaurant for TUTS' GLBT friends.

Additionally, TUTS is offering offer dinner-and-a-show packages in conjunction with each evening performance. Visit TUTS.com/Events for more information on these special events and packages.

Tickets (starting at only $24) are available on-line at TUTS.com, by phone at (713) 558-TUTS (8887), outside the Houston area at (888) 558-3882, or in person at the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office, located at 800 Bagby at Walker, Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Saturday - Sunday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. An audio described performance is available Sunday, October 6 at 2 p.m.; open captioning is available Sunday, October 6 at 7:30 p.m. The Hobby Center is wheelchair accessible. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more. Group tickets may be purchased by calling (713) 558-8888 or via email atgroupsales@tuts.com.

TUTS' presentation of Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical is brought to Houstonians by production sponsors Mr. David J. Romero and Mr. David Greiss.

Theatre Under The Stars' 2013-2014 season is generously sponsored by St. Luke's. For all of TUTS' shows, air transportation is provided by United Airlines, the official airline of Theatre Under The Stars. 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 and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

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 and community engagement programs. TUTS performs annually in 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. Through its membership in the Independent Presenters Network, TUTS regularly helps mount shows on Broadway which eventually show locally to Houston audiences.

In support of TUTS' mission, TUTS' Education & Community Engagement programs provide year-round instruction and stage experience. The Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) offers technique-driven classes for all ability levels and ages. Through The River Performing and Visual Arts Center (The River), TUTS provides an accessible and inclusive arts education for individuals of all abilities. 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 also annually presents the Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston's high school musical theatre programs.

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