Houston, TX (May 21, 2007) - Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) launched a new initiative today to share a joy for musical theatre with new audiences through "Web 2.0" online communities, including MySpace and MyCityRocks HOUSTON. Working in conjunction with their ticketing provider Paciolan, TUTS has established a new MySpace presence at http://www.myspace.com/TheatreUnderTheStars, and a marketing program with MyCityRocks HOUSTON that expands awareness of Houston's musical theatre to new audiences and demographics.
"Theatre Under The Stars is proud to be progressive in the use of evolving technology and social networking opportunities to help spread our passion for musical theatre," explained David Greiss, Director, Sales and Marketing at TUTS. "Our outreach efforts through MySpace and MyCityRocks allow us to use music, video, and rich imagery to show young-thinking audiences how exciting our productions are, and to bring them new opportunities to enjoy theatre in Houston. With our launch of Monty Python's Spamalot this week, and upcoming productions like Beehive, The 60's Musical and Dreamgirls, TUTS' productions appeal to audiences in virtually all demographics and age groups. These communication efforts provide new ways for us to richly interact with audiences and expand their awareness of our productions and educational opportunities."
"Paciolan is pleased to sponsor TUTS' outreach through MySpace and MyCityRocks," stated Shaw Taylor, Marketing Director at Paciolan. "As the collective power of radio, television and print continues to wane in favor of the Internet, we see extensive opportunities to help our clients reach new audiences by communicating with their patrons through this new media. MySpace will enable TUTS to expand ticketing opportunities through social networking, and we are thrilled to see Theatre Under The Stars take such a progressive approach to leverage the technology."
"Working with Theatre Under The Stars has been an exceptional opportunity to create cultural awareness for Houston's premier musical theatre company and the 25,000 people in the MyCityRocks HOUSTON network," explained MyCityRocks Executive Director Dr. Cliff Kurtzman. "Houston is a tremendously rich city in terms of nightlife and entertainment, and working with TUTS and Paciolan has helped us fulfill our mission of expanding awareness for local arts, music and theatre to diverse audiences."
About TUTS
Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS, http://www.tuts.com) was founded in 1968 by Frank M. Young. 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, TUTS has produced more than 275 musicals including many local, national and world premieres and is currently represented on Broadway with Beauty and the Beast. TUTS is also noted for mounting many International tours, including Debbie Reynolds in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Juliet Prowse in Mame, Robert Goulet in Man of La Mancha and the Tony Award-winning revival of Carousel. 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. Now housed in the new 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.
About MyCityRocks
MyCityRocks (http://www.MyCityRocks.com/os.html) is a grassroots social networking venture that engages people worldwide in: 1) Having fun--enjoying their passions for things like music, art, food, sports, romance, and travel; 2) Giving back--helping to make their part of the world a better place; and 3) Representing--sharing their passion and spirit for life with those around them. The Houston network of MyCityRocks connects with 25,000 individuals bringing them opportunities to become culturally and philanthropically involved in their local community. MyCityRocks is a privately held corporation with headquarters in Houston, Texas.
About Paciolan
Founded in 1980, Paciolan is a leading ticketing enabler, providing ticketing, fundraising and marketing technology solutions for top venues across North America. Paciolan provides a wholly integrated infrastructure that puts venues in direct control of their customer relationships, brands and revenue potential. Primary markets include college athletics, professional sports, performing arts, arenas and museums. Collectively, Paciolan clients sell over 100 million tickets annually representing approximately 25% of all live event tickets sold in the US. Paciolan is a privately held corporation based in Irvine, California.
