Much to the disappointment of a lot of people, Theatre Under the Stars has had to cancel this weekend's scheduled performances of Hands on a Hardbody presented by TUTS Underground.
As reported in the Houston Chronicle this morning, the show's authors took issues with some of the changes they said TUTS had made in the show including the order of the songs and who got to sing them as well as the end of Act I. Following this, the company with performance rights for Hands on a Hardbody sent a cease-and-desist letter to TUTS Friday.
Today, TUTS issued a statement saying: "TUTS has found itself in a last minute contractual dispute that prevents the continued performances of HANDS ON A HARDBODY. We regret this unexpected occurrence and we thank you for your support of TUTS and our Underground series."
TUTS personnel scrambled Friday night to alert all its patrons and only about 30 hadn't been reached and showed up for the performance, according to TUTS. Most of the reviews of the show, including our own by D.L. Groover have been complimentary. Groover called it "offbeat but surprisingly affecting."
TUTS Underground is expected to announce its next season sometime next month.
