HOUSTON: Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) has announced its 2015–16 Broadway season running in Sarofim Hall at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. It includes several musicals of recent vintage, including last year’s best musical Tony winner, as well as one old chestnut.
“As we celebrate our 48th season, I feel privileged that TUTS continues to present such quality musical theatre to Houston,” said TUTS’ CEO & president John Breckenridge in a statement. “TUTS has distinguished itself both locally and nationally as a Houston institution committed to presenting incomparable musical theatre experiences.”
First is Matilda the Musical (Oct. 6–18), Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly’s hit adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved novel. Next is Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s musical version of the holiday film perennial A Christmas Story (Dec. 8–20).
The new year kicks of with a production of Jason Robert Brown and Marsha Norman’s adaptation of the romance The Bridges of Madison County (Jan. 19–31, 2016), which despite not having an especially long Broadway run had one of the most cherished musical scores of recent years (it won Tonys for both Brown’s score and his orchestrations). Next up are two British-derived crowd pleasers: a run of Disney’s Mary Poppins (March 8–20) and a revival of Lionel Bart’s classic Oliver! (April 5–17, 2016).
The season closes with last year’s best musical Tony winner, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder—with Matilda, the only one of TUTS’s offerings still currently running on Broadway. This capering musical adaptation by Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvakof the novel Israel Rank runs May 3–15, 2016.
Before the season proper starts, TUTS subscribers will be treated to a limited-run return of Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Sept. 10–13, 2015), which ran to acclaim in the summer of 2014.