Broadway in houston

Broadway in Houston's new season showcases Hamilton's anticipated return and a golden ticket

If you wasted your shot to see the Broadway phenomenon, Hamilton, when the show became the hottest Houston ticket in 2018, you’ll soon get another chance to join the revolution. The Mischer Neurosciences Broadway at the Hobby Center just announced the lineup of shows for its 2019-2020 season, and America’s favorite treasury secretary will be back the summer of 2020.

Hamilton arrives at the end of a season filled with Tony-winning new musicals as well as beloved revivals, so let’s take an early look at the season of spectacular shows that once again remind us of the power of live musicals.

Cats (October 22-27, 2019)
The season begins with a new look to that audience favorite that helped revitalize the musical industry in the ’80s. There’s something quite remarkable that the fourth-longest running show in Broadway history features a pride of singing cats and is based on a collection of T.S. Eliot poems. Relive all your “Memories” while marveling at this revival’s new sound design, direction, and choreography.

Dear Evan Hansen (November 12-24, 2019)
The buzz on this the six-Tony Awards winner began last year with the early announcement that this high school set show would be in the lineup. In a story that puts the emotional horrors and lessons of teen life under the spotlight, awkward hero Evan changes his life after tragedy. The only problem is that tragedy belongs to someone else.

Hello, Dolly! (January 7-12, 2020)
Ring in the new year with this Tony-winning revival of the classic show, and see if love once again wins as ultimate matchmaker Dolly Levi tries to make her own match. Broadway royalty Betty Buckley has starred as Dolly in the first legs of this U.S tour. No word yet if the Texas native will make it back to her home state, but here’s hoping we can sing “Hello, Betty” in January.

The Band’s Visit (January 28-February 2, 2020)
The award winners just keep coming to Houston as the hit musical about a band of Egyptian musicians stuck at a cafe in a sleepy Israeli desert town spends several nights in Bayou City. The show has charmed Broadway audiences since 2017, while collecting 10 Tonys and a Grammy for best musical album.

Jersey Boys (February 7-9, 2020)
This Four Seasons fan favorite returns as a season option. Go behind the music for the story of the early days and rise of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons in a show that also features all the group's hits, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Oh What A Night,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” and “Working My Way Back To You.”

Come From Away (March 3-8, 2020)
A time of immense fear and uncertainty leads to acts of kindness and generosity in this critically acclaimed musical that still soars on Broadway. Based on the true story of what happened to some of the planes forced to land in Canada’s eastern-most province on 9/11. The stranded passengers find hospitality and songs from small town Newfoundlanders.

Fiddler on the Roof (March 24-29, 2020)
Another acclaimed revival of a Broadway classic heads to Hobby, with its wealth of immortal songs like “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Sunrise, Sunset.” Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher brings a new vision to this story of family and faith. Look for Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter’s new dance and movement contributions, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins.

Ronald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (June 2-7, 2020)
Look for your golden ticket next summer, because the most wonderful, yet scary, candy maker in literature, Willy Wonka, now conquers the stage in this most-recent incarnation of the Oompa-Loompas epic story. Sure, Charlie Bucket has his name on the marquee and Wonka has his name on all the chocolate, but we know who really runs the show.

Hamilton (June 30-August 9, 2020)
With so many sold-out performances during its Houston stop last year, it’s no wonder the musical juggernaut heads back to town next summer. The hip-hop historical retelling of Alexander Hamilton’s story redefined what a musical can be.

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For tickets and showtimes, visit the The Mischer Neurosciences Broadway at the Hobby Center site.

Golden ticket winners get more than they imagined in Ronald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

$Ronald Dahl\u2019s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory$

Photo by Joan Marcus

Golden ticket winners get more than they imagined in Ronald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

theater

on the bright side

'First-of-its kind' Houston park reveals 6 murals by local artists

Houston artist Ade Odunfa stands in front of his mural "Salt Marsh" at the Hill at Sims.

Photo by Scott Julian, courtesy of Houston Parks Board

"Birth From the Sea" by Ade Odunfa

One of Houston's most innovative green spaces, the Hill at Sims, is edging toward completion as artists put the finishing touches on a series of six beautiful murals. They should be ready when the park has its grand opening on Saturday, May 23.

The project is being led by Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis and the Houston Parks Board. Located in Sunnyside along Sims Bayou, it combines a flooding retention pond with walkways and other infrastructure to create a unique multi-use community space. Adding a series of environmentally-themed murals highlights the project's dedication to empowering nature around Sunnyside.

“When we bring art, resilience, and opportunity together in one place, we create something that can serve and inspire future generations for decades to come," said Ellis in an emailed statement. "The Hill at Sims is a community-oriented, first-of-its-kind green space in the neighborhood I grew up in. These murals honor Sunnyside, celebrate the natural world, and help turn public space into something people feel proud to protect.”

The murals include “Impression of Nature” by Emily Ding, “Step Into the Wild” by Carlos Alberto, “Birth from the Sea," a reproduction of a John Biggers’ mural by Ade Odunfa, "The Heron and the Fish” by Ana Marietta, “Rêverie” by Amy Sol inspired by Claude Debussy’s 1890 solo piano piece, and “Salt Marsh”, another Biggers reproduction by Bimbo Adenugba.

Houston is a major mural and street art city, with an increasing number of spaces using murals to showcase local talent as well as bring a sense of identity to locations like the Hill at Sims. The green space offers both a massive natural setting in a neighborhood that has traditionally been underserved in park acreage with an elevated point to view the whole city, a rare treat in a place as flat as Houston. Thanks to the Bayou Greenways Project, a 150-mile series of trails that connects parks across Houston, people can walk or bike to the Hills at Sims if they choose to.

"Our goal is for every person who visits this park to feel that Hill at Sims truly represents the Sunnyside community. Public art is a powerful and joyful way to evoke feelings of connection and stewardship in public settings,” said Justin Schultz, President and CEO, Houston Parks Board, in an emailed statement. “Houston Parks Board is proud to support Commissioner Ellis to bring Sunnyside residents a transformative, multi-benefit greenspace that captures the spirit of Houston: turning our climate challenges into vibrant community assets.”

The total cost of Hill at Sims is $28.3 million. Funding comes from Precinct One ($18.8 million), The Brown Foundation ($7.5 million), with an additional $2 million from public federal and state funds secured by State Representative Alma Allen and Congressman Al Green. When complete, it will feature a 1.6 mile basin loop trail, water access pier, a parking lot, a 2,000-square-foot open air pavilion with restrooms, flexible lawn space for active programming, and picnic pavilions.

parks visual-art hills at sims anderson