Theatre Under The Stars Announces Hairspray!

Houston, TX &hellip;Get ready for big hair and big heart from this beautiful, bubbly Broadway hit! Theatre Under The Stars will open their 43nd Sensational Season of musical theatre with the TUTS&rsquo; debut of Hairspray, October, 5 - 17, at the Hobby Center for Performing Arts in Downtown Houston. This new classic will have your family singing and dancing to hits like &ldquo;Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now,&rdquo; &ldquo;You Can't Stop the Beat&rdquo; and &ldquo;Good Morning, Baltimore.&rdquo;<br /> <br /> Hairspray, which opened on Broadway in 2002 and ran until 2009, takes place in 1962 Baltimore, where the dreams of a teenage girl play themselves out in equal parts social commentary and lively dance numbers. Made all the more popular by the recent film starring John Travolta and Zac Efron, this is a show your family will love. The 50s are out, and Baltimore is ready for change! Trendsetting teenager Tracy Turnblad has big hair, a big heart and an even bigger dream &ndash; to dance on &ldquo;The Corny Collins Show.&rdquo; When her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arrives, she grooves her way from outsider to instant teen celebrity. Can she dethrone the program&rsquo;s reigning princess, integrate the show&rsquo;s dance floor and win the love of the dream-boat Link Larkin, without denting her &rsquo;do? Find out if a toe-tapping beat and a whole lot of aerosol attitude is enough to make a dream come true. <br /> <br /> Hairspray is based on the original New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters, who served as a creative consultant in the development of the Broadway show. It features a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, an original score by 5 time Academy Award-nominated and Tony award winner, Marc Shaiman (who also won a Grammy for his work on Hairspray), and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.<br /> <br /> The musical&rsquo;s original Broadway production, with Glee&rsquo;s Matthew Morrison as Link Larson, won ten Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score. The London production was nominated for a record-setting eleven Laurence Olivier Awards, winning for Best New Musical and in three other categories.<br /> <br /> TUTS continues to provide new and exciting theatre experiences, including affordable opportunities for the whole family. With each show, come a number associated events and opportunities. Hairspray will feature: <br /> <br /> Kids Night at TUTS: Wed. Oct. 6<br /> TUTS spreads the love of musical theatre to the next generation with Kids Night at TUTS! Any adult who purchases a full price ticket can bring a child under 18 for FREE! Come early and your child will enjoy Hairspray themed activities and win prizes in the Grand Lobby.<br /> <br /> VIP Experience: Sun. Oct. 10<br /> <br /> Celebrate Tracy&rsquo;s appetite for life with a VIP ticket to the show and this Hairspray themed, gourmet dinner while listening to some of your favorite hits from the 60s.<br /> <br /> Creative Conversations &amp; Hairspray on the Big Screen: Wed. Sept. 15<br /> <br /> Join TUTS at 7 PM for a behind-the-scenes creative look at the historical significance and development of Hairspray as a musical and stay for the 8 PM screening of John Waters&rsquo; original 1988 cult classic Hairspray at the historic River Oaks Theatre. <br /> <br /> JR&rsquo;s Bar &amp; Grill 60&rsquo;s Celebration Night: Thurs, Sept 23<br /> <br /> Gather your friends and get in the 60s spirit with this OUT@TUTS (for our GLBT friends) night of decade inspired karaoke and team makeover competitions with a 60s flair.<br /> <br /> Theatre &amp; Dinner Package: Wed. Oct. 6 and 13<br /> <br /> Brennan&rsquo;s of Houston completes your night of theatre and fine dining!<br /> <br /> OUT@TUTS Post-show Cabaret: Thursday, October 7, 2010<br /> <br /> Join us post-show at Artista for drinks, appetizers and cabaret-style entertainment<br /> Tickets (starting at $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, (800 Bagby at Walker, Mon-Fri 10a.m.- 6p.m., Sat-Sun 11a.m.- 4p.m.) An audio described performance is available Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 2 p.m.; open captioning Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 7:30p.m. The Hobby Center is wheelchair accessible. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more and may be purchased by calling (713) 558-8888 or via email at groupsales@tuts.com.<br /> <br /> TUTS&rsquo; presentation of Hairspray is made possible by the generosity of Locke Lord Bissell &amp; Liddell and Sterling Bank.<br /> <br /> Theatre Under The Stars 2010-11 Sensational Season is generously sponsored by St. Luke&rsquo;s Episcopal Health System. For all of Theatre Under The Stars&rsquo; 2010-2011 shows, air transportation is provided by Continental 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.<br /> <br /> <br />

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