TUTS Underground in legal battle over performance

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- "I write to you today on behalf of our 7000 member playwrights, composers, and lyricists around the world to express our collective outrage over your theater's continuing practice of rewriting shows without the approval of their authors." (READ FULL CEASE AND DESIST LETTER)

That's the beginning to a letter from the Dramatists Guild of America to Houston's Theatre Under the Stars.

TUTS Underground, a smaller, more contemporary arm of TUTS, is involved in a legal battle over its latest show, "Hands on a Hardbody."

The lyricist/composer, Amanda Green, came to the show on June 13 and immediately noticed something was off.

"It began differently than our show did," she explained, "and then I noticed right away that some characters were singing the lines of other characters."

Samuel French, Inc., which licenses the show, immediately filed a cease and desist order, keeping TUTS from performing the show.

TUTS had signed an agreement, promising not to change any music, lyrics, or other details of the show.

The shows final four performances have been canceled. Actors will still be paid.

"All the patrons money has been refunded. So, we offered them a full refund, or they could take a complimentary ticket to one of TUTS Underground's productions in the next season," said Christian Brown with TUTS.

TUTS Underground would not comment on any changes to the show, due to ongoing legal issues.