She won't grow up

I spent this afternoon in the presence of greatness. Her name is Cathy Rigby. I headed downtown to The Hobby Center all ready to not be impressed by the touring edition of Peter Pan that is wrapping up the 04-05 TUTS season. I figured this was another case of a famous name being used to sell a show. I expected that she'd be good, but I had no idea she would give one of the best performances I've ever seen on stage.

Rigby literally owns every inch of the stage. She jumps, bounces, twirls, and, of course, flies everywhere. More importantly, she can act and sing. I honestly forgot I was watching a middle-aged woman pretending to be a boy. Having Howard McGillin leading the strong supporting cast certainly helps too. The tour is winding down, but if it's headed your way, don't miss it. A list of dates is available here.

This season has been the best for TUTS I can remember. The weakest show was Singin' in the Rain, and even it was a good production. The King and I tour along with TUTS own Anything Goes were solid renditions of classics, and HAIR was a jolt to open the season back in September. The highlight, though, was definitely A Chorus Line. I doubt there has been a stronger musical produced in Houston in years. Of course, they were starting with great material, but it was executed flawlessly from top to bottom.

TUTS is facing significant financial hurdles. If you're in Houston, but some tickets and get yourself to The Hobby Center to see a TUTS show.

Zack