THEATRE UNDER THE STARS
www.tuts.com
TUTS’ PREMIERE OF
INTO THE WOODS
OFFERS A FAIRY TALE WITH A TWIST
December 4 - 16, 2001
Arena Theatre
Houston, TX - Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and other fairy tale favorites come together in TUTS’ premiere production
of INTO THE WOODS playing December 4 - 16, 2001 at the Arena Theatre (7326 Southwest Freeway). Written by
Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, INTO THE WOODS intertwines familiar fairy tales with an original story creating a
show that gives a new definition to “Happily Ever After”. After opening on Broadway in 1987, this critically - acclaimed
musical won three Tony Awards, five Drama Desk Awards, and one Drama Critics Circle Award.
At the beginning of INTO THE WOODS, the Narrator opens the fairy tale book and begins to tell a story unlike any other
story. This story is about a baker and his wife, a barren couple who have been cursed by the witch next door. Desperate to
become parents, the couple will do anything to have the witch remove the curse. The witch, who was once a young, beautiful
woman, needs only four ingredients for a potion that will restore her former self. If the couple can produce these items, then
she will remove the curse. What the couple soon finds out in Act Two is that their actions in procuring the ingredients have
consequences.
INTO THE WOODS is the second collaboration of Sondheim and Lapine, the Putlitzer Prize - winning authors of Sunday in
the Park with George. Some of Sondheim’s best works include A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum, A
Little Night Music, and Company, all of which received Tony Awards. In addition to his work with Sondheim, Lapine’s stage
credits include Falsettos, for which he won a Tony Award, while his film directing credits include Impromptu and Life with
Mikey.
Glenn Casale will direct TUTS’s premiere production of INTO THE WOODS. No stranger to the works of Sondheim,
Casale has directed regional productions of INTO THE WOODS, as well as of Company, Anyone Can Whistle, and Sunday
in the Park with George. Casale most recently directed TUTS’ production of 1776.
Single tickets for INTO THE WOODS ($18 - $57) are available on-line at www.tuts.com using TUTS’ E-ticket
system; by phone at 800-678-5440; or in person at either the TUTS box office, 2600 Southwest Freeway (Mon -
Sat., 10am - 5:30pm) or the Arena box office on days of performance. Performances are 8pm, Tuesday - Friday
2pm and 8pm Saturday and 2pm and 7:30pm Sunday.
Sponsors of TUTS’ production of INTO THE WOODS include ExxonMobil, Williams, TCP Holdings and Sterling Bank.
Air transportation is provided by Continental Airlines, the official airline of Theatre Under The Stars. Media sponsors are
KPRC - TV / Channel 2 and the Houston Chronicle.
Theatre Under The Stars is Houston’s acclaimed musical theatre production company founded in 1968 by Frank M. Young.
TUTS was the first theatrical organization in Houston to perform free to the public at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann
Park, and has since performed there each summer, giving Houston forty - one lavish musicals such as South Pacific, Fiddler
on the Roof, and The Who’s TOMMY. Since its founding, TUTS has produced more than 200 major musicals including
many local, national and world premieres and is currently represented on Broadway with Beauty and the Beast. As a way to
continue the tradition of musical theatre, TUTS’ Humphrey’s School of Musical Theatre provides instruction and stage
experience for more than 1,000 students annually. In 2002, TUTS will open a new chapter in its history as the company takes
residence at the new state - of - the - art, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.
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FACT SHEET
DATES.....................DECEMBER 4 - 16, 2001
VENUE.....................ARENA THEATRE (7326 Southwest Freeway, Houston, Texas)
SHOWTIMES.........Tuesday - Friday 8pm; Saturday 2pm and 8pm; Sunday 2pm and 7:30pm
PRICES...................Single tickets are $57 - $18.
PURCHASE TICKETS:
Tickets can be purchased by calling 800-678-5440. Tickets are also available at TUTS Tix, 2600 Southwest Freeway (no
service charge), at the Arena Box Office or at any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets can also be bought and printed on - line using
TUTS’ E-ticket system at www.tuts.com.
SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Theatre Under The Stars premiere production of INTO THE WOODS offers a fairy tale with a twist. Written by Stephen
Sondheim and James Lapine, INTO THE WOODS intertwines familiar fairy tales with an original story about a baker and his
wife. In the first act, the characters set out to achieve their “Happily Ever After” through familiar routes - Cinderella captures
the Prince’s heart at the ball; Jack encounters Giants after climbing a beanstalk; Little Red Riding Hood escapes from a wolf;
and Rapunzel lets down her hair and escapes with a prince.
The Baker and his Wife move through their stories while pursuing their own goal - ingredients for a magic potion that will
remove the curse put on them by the witch next door. Those ingredients are: A Slipper As Pure as Gold, which the Baker’s
wife gets from Cinderella, A Cow as White as Milk, which the Baker buys from Jack in exchange for the fateful magic beans,
A Cape as Red as Blood, which the Baker gets from Little Red Riding Hood in exchange for freeing her and Granny from the
Wolf, and Hair as Yellow as Corn, which they get from Rapunzel. The ingredients are gathered, and the spell works, stripping
the Witch of her power, but restoring her beauty. At the end of Act 1, all characters seem poinsed to live “Happily Ever
After.’ ACT II however explores what “Happily Ever After” really means!
CAPTION / AUDIO:
Audio Described performance is Sunday Decembe 16, 2001 at 2pm. Open Captioned performance is Sunday
December 16, 2001 at 7:30pm.