With the announcement of its 2022 season, Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) is inviting audiences to a summer of time travel in its return to the Malkin Bowl stage. Travel back in time to witness the birth of the world’s first musical and rocket to the future for a rock-and-roll revolution as Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) presents Something Rotten! and We Will Rock You on alternate evenings from July 2 to August 27. Two-show subscription packs are on sale through May 18, with early bird single tickets on sale May 24, for the beloved Vancouver summer tradition.
“After a two-year hiatus as a result of the pandemic, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome back our cherished TUTS community to Malkin Bowl, carrying on the annual tradition of spectacular theatre in our magical outdoor setting,” says TUTS Board President Patrick Roberge. “This summer is about bringing people back together to enjoy the collective experience of live theatre, featuring two blockbuster musicals: A fresh, irreverent love letter to Broadway with Something Rotten! and a high-octane homage to rock-and-roll featuring the hits from legendary rock group Queen in We Will Rock You. Both shows will leave audiences pulsing with energy, singing and dancing into the night.”
photo: Shawn Bukhari
Something Rotten! is set in the streets of Elizabethan England, and brimming with humor, clever lyrics, and colourful song-and-dance numbers that poke fun at everything audiences adore about Broadway. Catch cleaver references to famed musicals like West Side Story, South Pacific, and Les Misérables. Determined to write a hit show, playwright siblings Nick and Nigel Bottom enlist a mysterious soothsayer, who foresees they can beat Shakespeare’s success by creating a brand new form of theatre… the musical! Making her TUTS debut, Rachel Peake directs the whimsical satire. A three-time Jessie Richardson Award winner, Peake has directed works for numerous theatre and opera companies, including Vancouver Opera, Citadel Theatre, Gateway Theatre and Persephone Theatre.
We Will Rock You takes us 300 years into the future, where the world is ruled by sinister leader Killer Queen, two misfits, Galileo and Scaramouche, rise up in their fight for freedom. The musical takes its cue from the spectacle of Queen’s live performances that earned the band its renowned position in rock history. Having thrilled more than 16 million audience members worldwide, We Will Rock You features over 20 hits from the band’s iconic songbook including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are the Champions,” and “Another One Bites the Dust.” Also making her TUTS debut is We Will Rock You director Saccha Dennis, an actor and director, most recently seen on stage in the hit musical Come From Away. Dennis has toured across Canada and the U.S., including the first U.S. national tour of We Will Rock You.
TUTS runs July 2nd to August 27th, 2022 with Something Rotten!! and We Will Rock You alternating nights. Two-show subscription pack allows audiences to secure their seats to both productions for one great price. On sale now through May 18, subscriptions are $90 for adults and $60 for youth ages 5-12, and include premium tickets to both productions, souvenir programs, and exchange insurance for both nights.
Subscriptions are available online at tuts.ca or by calling 1-800-514-3849 until May 18. Early bird single tickets, from $20, will go on sale May 24.