Theatre Under the Stars will begin its 2026-27 season with an evergreen classic comedy – The Music Man and finish with the dark comedy Oh Mary! – an ending that may be a bit more challenging to regular subscribers than the start.
TUTS Artistic Director Dan Knechtges hopes, however, that audiences will come to recognize that all of this makes good theater, pointing out that Oh Mary! Is the longest running show on Broadway right now.
In between, Houston audiences will have a chance to take in Mrs. Doubtfire, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, The Who’s Tommy and Kinky Boots. As he talks about them, it’s pretty clear that the music several of them are known for had a lot to do with him selecting them.
For instance, even if people haven’t seen The Music Man, that doesn’t stop most everyone from recognizing the song “Seventy-six Trombones.” As for the show itself. Knechtges says: Music Man is one of these evergreen titles that Theatre Under the Stars is famous for. It’s been in the canon of Theatre Under the Stars since the very early days and wanting to honor that tradition.”
“For me personally, I think Music Man is a perfect show. It is such a beautifully written, hilarious, funny, touching, romantic musical. And it’s about a community at odds with one another that comes together through music. “
“And that music,” he says. “Every song’s a banger as the kids say.”
Mrs. Doubtfire follows the trend of studios looking through their intellectual property to find the shows that could become good theater offerings, he says. “Mrs. Doubtfire hits all of the right areas for us. It hits both adults and kids and both can come and see the show that is hilariously funny about family.”
This is the second time in recent years that TUTS has mounted its own production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. “The last time we did it we got shut down because of omicron [a mutation during COVID]. We lost half of that run. One of the demographics of the audience that we’re targeting was not born yet when that premiered.
“It’s the kind of show we love to do at the holidays where we can incorporate the community, we cast the widest net possible in terms of the audience. We also operate two schools and it’s a great opportunity to have our students be involved at Christmastime.”
He adds that he considers the score from The Little Mermaid only second to Mary Poppins among Disney musicals.
Knechtges says he has wanted to do The Who’s Tommy since he came to Houston. “An iconic artist Pete Townshend of The Who writing this score that is just incredible. It really is an energetic rock fantasia. I love that we’re able to bring this. It’s playing to a different part of our subscriber base.
“It’s really going to be a great show. Tommy is just a great evening. It’s electrifying That music is just so cathartic in a way.”
When Knechtges discusses Kinky Boots he begins by saying how great he thinks the title is. Added to that is the message of that show. “It’s just what we need. It’s like comfort in a different way. Telling you to just be and live your life. Stop getting into the weeds with everybody on everything. All set to the Cyndi Lauper score. It’s so accessible. I also love that it’s about family of a different kind.”
They were elated to get the rights to produce Oh Mary! He’s seen it off-Broadway once and on Broadway twice. “It is so funny. It is an absurdist comedy that is just so outlandish that you have to laugh.
“Right now it’s the longest running current play on Broadway. [It has] a really unbelievable story of Mary Todd Lincoln wanting to become a cabaret singer and Abe Lincoln thwarting her every step of the way. The insanity that happens because of it. It is something that I am hoping challenges our audiences. It isn’t a tried-and-true Broadway musical. It is a play that has music in the forefront, but it is definitely a play with music.
He believes that if subscribers stay the course with TUTS this coming season, “they are going to love it as much as what made it a sold-out hit in New York. I would say the best part about a TUTS show is that we are programming shows that appeal to a wide range of people.”
Subscriptions for the 2026/27 Season are on sale now. Current TUTS subscribers have priority access to renew their seats for the Theatre Under The Stars 2026/27 season. Season ticket holders enjoy a variety of perks including 20 percent off the regular ticket prices, first access to seats, complimentary ticket exchanges across productions, and savings on additional seats for friends and family. Tickets for individual shows will go on sale in July. Visit TUTS.org/subscribe or call 713-558-8887 to learn more.
TUTS’ 2026-27 Season
Meredith Willson’s The Music Man
September 15 – 27
Book, Music and Lyrics by Meredith Willson
Based on the story by Meredith Wilson and Frank Lacey
Six-time Tony Award®-winning musical comedy.
Mrs. Doubtfire
October 20 – November 1
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell
Music and Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick
Based on the film, Mrs. Doubtfire tells the story of an out-of-work actor who will do anything for his three children.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
December 8 – 24
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater
Book by Doug Wright
Based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and the Disney film.
The Who’s Tommy
February 2 – 14, 2027
Book by Des McAnuff and Pete Townshend
Music and Lyrics by Pete Townshend
Additional Music and Lyrics by John Entwistle and Keith Moon
“In 1969, The Who created a rock opera that changed the course of music history. And now, it’s back in a dazzling all-new production that feels more relevant than ever.”
Kinky Boots
March 30 – April 11, 2027
Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Based on the Miramax motion picture of the same name, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth
The winner of Tony®, Grammy®, and London’s Olivier Award.
Oh, Mary!
April 27 – May 9, 2027
A new play by Cole Escola
Oh, Mary! is a dark comedy about a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Unrequited yearning, alcoholism, and suppressed desires abound in this 80-minute one-act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln, through the lens of an idiot (playwright Cole Escola).
Declared “one of the best comedies in years” by The New York Times, Oh, Mary! received two Tony Awards® including Best Direction of a Play (Sam Pinkleton), Drama League Awards for Outstanding Play and Outstanding Direction of a Play, as well as a special citation from the New York Drama Critics’ Circle. It was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.