Curtain down

Houston Ballet cancels 2019-2020 season amid coronavirus concerns

Principals Karina González and Connor Walsh in Jorma Elo’s ONEendONE.

The curtain is down for Houston Ballet's 2019-2020 season.

Photo by Amitava Sarkar, courtesy of Houston Ballet

The onset of the COVID-19 in Houston has hit performing arts groups particularly hard. Many are having to suspend performances until later dates, move to an online forum, or, in worst cases, cancel seasons altogether.

The city’s latest cancelation casualty is Houston Ballet, which announced on Monday, April 6, that it will end the remainder of its 2019-2020 due to coronavirus/COVID-19 concerns. The performances affected by the sudden cancellation include Forged in Houston (May 21-31), Romeo & Juliet (June 4-14), and From Houston to the World, which was to be rescheduled later in the season.

“It’s with a heavy heart that we have canceled the rest of the season,” said Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch, in a statement. “We have survived against the odds before, and we will again. We are dedicated to returning stronger than ever and bringing the art of ballet back to the city of Houston and our community. We are with you and cannot wait to see you on the other side of all of this.”

Community performances at Miller Outdoor Theater and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, as well as the much-anticipated tour to Spain this summer have also been canceled, per a statement.

While the full financial impact of the cancelation is still being calculated, the ballet estimates revenue losses between $2.9 and 4.9 million this season. A recent ruling by the ballet’s board of trustees means that its full-time staff and dancers will be paid for the remainder of the season.

In effort to assist the ballet, however, season ticket subscribers and single ticket holders are urged to donate their tickets back to the organization.

“The simple act of not requesting a refund from us at this time would allow us to keep as much as $1.3 million of already earned revenue,” said Houston Ballet director of marketing and public relations Angela Lee, in a statement. “Our subscribers and ticket holders will play a crucial role in how this turns out, and we are forever grateful to our patrons who make this choice.”

Though the ballet won’t appear on an actual stage this year, it has launched HB at Home, a series of short videos aimed to keep fans connected, on its IGTV and Facebook pages. Followers can catch offstage looks into the lives of dancers, as well as free ballet classes tailored to those who are homebound.

dance

Mags Move In

Shuttered Houston magazine stand finds new home at Austin coffee shop

Tomo Mags bus outside of brick-and-mortar Austin store

Photo courtesy of the Downtown Austin Alliance

Tomo Mags is driving into a new era.

Austin's roaming newsstand Tomo Mags — which sells books out of a signature blue bus — is moving up in the world. Its new brick-and-mortar bookstore and partner coffee shop, Cielito Lindo, are celebrating their grand opening Thursday, January 22, at 411 Brazos Street, #101. A ribbon-cutting ceremony from 10-11 am with the Downtown Austin Alliance and the Austin Chamber of Commerce will mark the occasion.

Tomo Mags started in 2015 in Houston, on a decommissioned school bus. Founder Vico Puentes hit the ground running — or driving — visiting shopping centers, galleries, universities, cafés, and more. It toted artsy independent magazines about fashion, photography, design, erotica, and even some comparatively normie selections like The Economist and New York Magazine.

The journey so far has included an earlier stationary space that later closed (and another one that reopened), a pause for several years, and a "bittersweet" move to Austin in 2025.

Tomo Mags Austin interior The collection has a lot more room to expand in this new space.Photo courtesy of the Downtown Austin Alliance

The new shop offers more of the same: a wide selection of magazines and art books alongside studio tools like pens and notebooks, merch, and fashionable accessories. It's been in a soft-opening phase since mid-December. Cielito Lindo, which opened in a coffee pot-shaped trailer in Manor in spring 2025, also kicked off its soft opening in the space a few days. Both the Tomo bus and Cielito's trailer will continue operating.

Even though both businesses are relatively new to Austin, Puentes has deep personal connections with the city.

“Before opening TOMO mags, I worked in downtown Austin for the last six years, and I’ve seen such an incredible evolution in what it feels like for the people who work and live here, as well as the visitors passing through,” said Puentes in a press release.

Tomo Mags Austin interior Cafe tables are great for flipping through new finds with Cielito Lindo's signature horchata latte.Photo courtesy of the Downtown Austin Alliance

Driving around town to make sales may sound like a fast-paced existence, but Puentes hopes visitors to Tomo can slow down when they visit, enjoying the physical experience and maybe even creating a personal art archive over time. Part of that includes getting to know the artists filling the shelves.

"With TOMO mags, our goal is to create a place people can come back to regularly to slow down, find inspiration, and leave with something special, or a gift that actually feels thoughtful," he said. "We’re already meeting people from all over the world, and we’re proud to host them and share recommendations that help them experience Austin beyond just downtown, while also spotlighting the creative community and local businesses that make this city so special.”

magazines design openings bookstore