Pentagram has designed a new identity and website for Theatre Under The Stars, Houston’s acclaimed non-profit musical theater company known as “TUTS” to the locals. The completely overhauled website is a part of TUTS’ campaign to update and freshen the company’s brand.
Theatre Under The Stars, which offers a world-class musical theater experience ranging from full-scale Broadway productions to educational initiatives, literally got its start under the stars. Founded in 1968, TUTS began staging its mix of touring musicals and self-produced shows at the Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park. What began as free summer shows, a beloved staple for the Houston public to this day, TUTS’ role in all facets of theater arts has flourished beyond its origins in the open air. To date, TUTS has produced more than 300 musicals including many local, national and world premiers and has made the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts its home.
Although the Hobby Center, which is located in Houston’s downtown Theater District, is fully enclosed, the contemporary theater space provided the major inspiration for TUTS’ new identity. On a tour of the facility the Pentagram designers were shown a large, star-shaped chandelier in the lobby of the Hobby Center and that iconic fixture triggered the idea for the new logo.
The designers, working closely with TUTS’ marketing and design team, created a modern, visually dynamic website that is easy for patrons to use. The revamped site focuses on showing, not telling, users about everything TUTS has to offer, whether that’s Broadway musicals, fundraising initiatives or educational programs. The look of the new site is brighter, warmer and less frenetic than its previous incarnation and allows the images to tell the colorful story of the stage.
Another important aspect of the redesigned website is user-friendliness. The clean, easy to navigate tabs allow users to quickly find what they are looking for, while also being able to freely explore other areas of TUTS online. A unique search tool instituted by Pentagram allows for further advanced searches that deliver more accurate results. Users are now able to effortlessly navigate the website across all platforms, including tablets and smartphones. The new design encourages users who come to the website looking for one thing to discover something new and wonderful about TUTS and its many offerings.
