THEATRE + COMEDY

Estranged lovers and clashing cultures create the passion and thrills of Theatre Under The Stars' Miss Saigon, at the Hobby Center for Performing Arts from February 9 - 21, 2010. This epic pop-opera transports you halfway around the world to a steamy place of dreams and desperation. "The Heat is On in Saigon!"

Full of love, loss and lust, this is a musical our patrons have requested again and again. Director Bruce Lumpkin, who helmed the sold-out 2001 TUTS debut of Miss Saigon, returns to mount this new production at the Hobby Center. Following up the blockbuster hit of last season's Les Miserables, TUTS brings you this stunning dramatic spectacle from the same amazing composers, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg.

In the chaos of the Vietnam War, an American GI falls in love with a young orphaned bargirl. He saves her from a swindling pimp and treacherous cousin only to lose her and their unborn child in the confusion of the American evacuation. Suffering hardship and abandonment after the war, the young girl, Kim, manages to fight her way to Bangkok and find her American love, only to learn that he has married someone else. Despite heartbreak, Kim finds hope for their love-child's future.

A modernized version of war-time romance Madame Butterfly, Miss Saigon is newly relevant, making the characters' choices and sacrifices intense, controversial, and emotionally powerful. With soaring songs like "The Last Night of the World" and "I Still Believe," and roaring production numbers that show a different kind of "American Dream," Miss Saigon transports the audience through a gripping journey of unparalleled emotion.

In celebration of Miss Saigon, Theatre Under The Stars offers a number of special events and opportunities. For more information visit TUTS.com/events.

. Lunar New Year's Party with TUTS & Yellow Magazine: Thurs, Feb. 4, 2010

o Experience cultural performances, lite bites, and cocktails by Martell Cognac at Momentum BMW Southwest with TUTS' young professionals group, UP@TUTS, and Yellow Magazine in celebration of the Lunar New Year!

. Valentine's Day VIP Event: Sun, Feb. 14, 2010

o Guests enjoy an exquisite three-course Asian-inspired dinner in the exclusive Founders Club. Traditional Dragon Dancers will perform at dessert, and you'll view the show from premium seats.

. Dinner & Theatre Package: Wed, Feb. 10 and 17, 2010

o 5:30 p.m. Dinner at "17" at the Alden Hotel followed by the 8:00 p.m. performance.

o These packages are available online only.

. First Thursday Cabaret: Thurs, Feb. 11, 2009

o A post-show event with OUT@TUTS (our GLBT friends) at Artista Restaurant.

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, February 21, 2010 at 2 p.m.; open captioning Sunday, February 21, 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.

TUTS' presentation of Miss Saigon is made possible by the generosity of The Humphreys Foundation and the Fluor Corporation.

For all of Theatre Under The Stars' 2009-2010 shows, air transportation is provided by Continental Airlines, the official airline of Theatre Under The Stars. St. Luke's Episcopal Health System is the Official Healthcare Partner 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.

Founded in 1968, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is Houston's acclaimed non-profit musical theatre company and is currently under the direction of President and CEO John C. Breckenridge. TUTS was the first theatrical organization in Houston to perform free to the public 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 building opened.

Since its founding by Frank M. Young, 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. TUTS has also produced international tours including Debbie Reynolds in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Juliet Prowse in Mame, Robert Goulet in Man of La Mancha, as well as critically acclaimed local re-inventions of classics such as Cabaret and Les Miserables.

As a way to continue the tradition of musical theatre, TUTS' Humphreys School of Musical Theatre provides instruction and stage experience for more than 1,700 students annually through both The Academy and The Studio, which allow students to flourish in a year-round schedule of classes. Housed in the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston's high school musical theatre programs.

NOTE:  Although Broadway shows are not traditionally rated, TUTS has determined that Miss Saigon would be rated the movie equivalent of a PG-13 rating.

Photos below courtesy of Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre.