August is usually a quiet time for Houston theater openings. Yes, we always have a few audience favorite comedies and thrillers taking a longer summer run, but otherwise this month is usually the best time for a stage nap. Not this year.
Houston theater has so many offerings this month that our must-see calendar is already full. From the 50th anniversary of the Houston Shakespeare Festival, to three world premieres, musical bios in cabaret and Broadway smashing form to our favorite Sister’s return and a new Cirque Du Soleil with a country twang, August sizzles with fantastic performance offerings.
Houston Shakespeare Festival at Miller Outdoor Theater (Through August 10)
To celebrate its 50th season, the University of Houston’s School of Theater and Dance presents two of Shakespeare’s most beloved works, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo & Juliet. Love is in the air at Hermann Park as the Miller stage is set with two very different sides to romance with these productions. Dream gives us love at its most wild and crazy as runaway couples, a fairy king and queen seemingly headed for divorce, and a team of amateur actors all get lost in a magical forest. Alternating nights bring those most tragic star-crossed lovers swept up by the hatred of their feuding families, Romeo and Juliet, who believe their love is strong enough to overcome the violence around them.
Melville & Hawthorne from Thunderclap Productions (Through August 10)
While Thunderclap usually only produces one or two shows annually, this local company has a history of gifting us some productions we remember all year long. For this world premiere, Houston playwright Adi Teodoru takes real American history – specifically the fact two giants of American literature, Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne, corresponded and lived near each other during the time Melville wrote Moby Dick – and uses those facts to go beyond what history records to explore their personal relationship. Teodoru says at its core the play is a story about how love might have influenced some of the greatest works of American literature.
Songblazers plays in Sugar Land through August 11.
Photo by Jeremy Poland
Cirque Du Soleil: Songblazers at Smart Financial Center (Through August 11)
The aerial daredevils and clowns of Cirque go country with this new show that recently made a preview debut in Nashville. Paying homage to both legendary and contemporary trailblazers of country music, Songblazers chronicles the journey of two artists as they strive for recognition in the country music scene. Offering audiences an unforgettable experience filled with heart and determination, Cirque du Soleil collaborated with Universal Music Group Nashville to weave iconic country songs into the gravity defying performances audiences expect from a Cirque production. We can’t wait to see if bull riding gets a Cirque twist, and we even hear rumors that the cast will offer a celebratory toast with red solo cups.
Office Hours from Cone Man Running Productions (Through August 18)
It might be summer, but Cone Man is certainly working hard at comedy with a frantic story about in the lives of a chaotic group of characters in six different offices. From a domineering mother and hen-pecked father to a neurotic figure skater, sex-starved therapist, down-and-out film director, one-armed man, and an overweight athlete, their individual hilarious tales intertwine to create a web of connections that none of them realize. And here’s the casting twist, all the actors have day jobs in Houston’s legal community, including judges, attorneys, law students, and law clerks. See these legal eagle embrace their inner thespians.
Stages presents Miss Rhythm: The Legend of Ruth Brown.
Photo courtesy of Stages
Miss Rhythm: The Legend of Ruth Brown at Stages (August 9-October 13)
Stages begins its new season with this cool, bluesy show that is set to run until the fall. Written and staring veteran Broadway actress Sheryl McCallum, Miss Rhythm pays homage to a true legendary singer-songwriter and actress, known as the Queen of R&B. After the height of singing career in the 50s and 60s, Brown later found second stardom as a television, film, and Broadway actress, winning a Best Actress Tony in the late 80s. In the form of a cabaret show, McCallum as Brown will sing many of Brown’s most celebrated songs, while telling dramatic stories of her life, bringing audiences closer to this legendary woman.
Frenzy from Dirt Dogs Theatre (August 16-24)
As part of the company’s Unleashed, an off-season series centered on the development of new works, Dirt Dogs will present this world premiere play about the sometimes frightening power of social media. Written by noted Texas playwright and film artist John Hawthorne Smit, the story stars Rebecca, who has everything prepared for the multimillion-dollar acquisition of her sister’s tech firm. But when a mysterious crowd begins to gather outside the building and a cellphone video quickly goes viral, the deal, and Rebecca’s very life, are suddenly in jeopardy.
Funny Girl presented by Broadway at the Hobby Center (August 20-25)
To end their 23-24 season, Broadway at Hobby brings in a touring revival that’s been on everyone’s musical radar for the past year, and we won’t rain on this parade. Featuring one of the most beloved, and sing-along-able scores of all time by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill and an updated book from Harvey Fierstein, Funny Girl was one of the first Broadway shows about Broadway. The show is loosely based on the real life vaudeville to Broadway and screen stardom of the indomitable actress and comedian Fanny Brice. For decades, she’s reminded us that people who need theater people are the luckiest people in the world.
Sister's Summer School Catechism: God Never Takes a Vacation! at Stages (August 20-25)
Powerhouse actress Denise Fennell-Pasqualone is back again in a role that made her a Houston theater favorite. For every season there is a Sister show with a lessoning purpose under theater heaven. In fact, Stages is going to present four shows in the always hilarious and rollicking Late Nite Catechism series, all starring the tough but fair Sister. In this first show, Sister makes sure we don’t suffer from any summer learning loss of all the catechism lessons she’s taught us before. She’s even pondering questions like “Did Jesus have to go to summer school?" and “What is an appropriate summer vacation for a practicing Catholic?” But if you don’t already have tickets for this Stages add-on, you might be out of luck, or Sister’s favor, as this looks to be a limited run.
Esther: The Heart of a Queen at A.D. Players (August 28-September 22)
Look for some star-studded dancing in this world premiere musical that might just take a leap towards Broadway after its Houston debut. The show recounts the story of the Book of Esther with the company calling this stage adaptation a “modern” yet authentic vision of this dramatic narrative. Sharna Burgess, known for her work on Dancing With the Stars, will play the title role, as the Jewish woman who becomes Queen of Persia, defies tyranny, and saves her people from death. Told entirely through multiple dance forms, live vocalists, live orchestration, and stunning visuals, the story of Esther will be made new once more for contemporary audiences and will illustrate what the tale can still tell us about courage and survival.
Songblazers plays in Sugar Land through August 11.
Photo by Jeremy Poland
Stages presents Miss Rhythm: The Legend of Ruth Brown.
Photo courtesy of Stages
