Theatre Under The Stars Launches JUST IMAGINE Campaign with Announcement of $4,000,000 Gift

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) launched the public phase of the JUST IMAGINE Where Dreams Take Center Stage campaign on Wednesday, October 19th with a kickoff event announcing the lead gift of $4,000,000 from Margaret Alkek Williams to name the Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Arts and Education.

The $15 million JUST IMAGINE campaign will allow TUTS to construct a new three-story building adjacent to the current Arts and Education Center at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. The 20,000 square foot addition will feature a 140-seat black box studio, provide more classrooms for voice, dance and acting, and triple the amount of rehearsal space currently available. An Artistic Excellence Fund will be established to incubate new theatrical works and provide funds for innovative and top-quality productions.

Throughout its history, TUTS has presented outstanding musical theatre for the Houston community, not only through its main stage productions at the Hobby Center, but with its free performances each summer at Miller Outdoor Theatre. In addition, participation in the TUTS educational and community engagement programs, such as the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre, The River Center for Visual and Performing Arts, and Musicals for Young Audiences, has increased dramatically, prompting the company to embark upon its first capital campaign for the much-needed expansion. TUTS is the leading provider of musical theatre performance and educational opportunities for people in the Houston community, and this campaign will ensure that TUTS continues to flourish in the ever-changing world of musical theatre, attracting new audiences and providing more theatre for more people.

To date, more than $10.5 million in gifts and pledges have been secured, including major gifts from The Brown Foundation, Inc., The Wortham Foundation, Dan L Duncan Foundation, Amy and Rob Pierce, The Cullen Foundation, The Elkins Foundation, The Fondren Foundation, The Hamill Foundation, Alan and Tricia Ratliff, Randy and Sandy Stilley, HEB, and ConocoPhillips.

In recognition of her generosity, Margaret Alkek Williams, will be the honoree of the TUTS 2017 "One Night Only" Gala, on March 25, 2017 at the Hobby Center for Performing Arts. Gala chairs are Becky and Bart McAndrews and Paul-David Van Atta, and David Peck, owner of Miles David, and Hector Villarreal, owner of LUCHO, will chair the "Grand Finale" after-party.

Attending the kick-off event, held at the beautiful River Oaks home of Steve and Leticia Trauber, were Margaret Alkek Williams and Jim Daniels, TUTS Board Chair Amy Pierce and her husband Rob, Becky and Bart McAndrews, Paul-David Van Atta, Wiley and Cynthia George, Maryann and David McKeithan, Molly and Jim Crownover, Sofia Adrogue', Gina and John Williamson, Steve Burkett and Margaret Lombardo, Dr. Cal and Connie Dalton, Tatiana Galitzine and Guillermo Sierra, Jeff and Elise Cross, Nancy Brownlee, Doug Dawson, Kendall Hollrah, and TUTS Artistic Advisor, Sheldon Epps.

For more information, please visit www.tuts.com. Theatre Under The Stars is a 501c3 Non Profit Organization.

To post a comment, you must register and login.