bravo!

Broadway at the Hobby Center showcases can't-miss hits in spectacular new season

Award-winning Moulin Rouge! The Musical comes to town.

Some Broadway megahits are hitting the Bayou City next year, including the Aaron Sorkin-written To Kill A Mockingbird, the 10-time Tony Award-winner Moulin Rouge! The Musical, the global sensation Six, and more.

The Memorial Hermann Broadway at the Hobby Center series includes six shows and a bonus add-on: the wildly popular Wicked.

The season opens this year with Six, November 8 through 20. The high-energy musical based on the six wives of Henry VIII. Told with raucous, techno-rock-infused beats, it's a wild celebration of female empowerment, giving voice to the legendary monarch's queens.

Audiences around the globe have cheered the story, with critics chiming in. "Six totally rules," cried the New York Times. "Supercharged," echoed the Washington Post.

Opening the new year is Pretty Woman: The Musical, January 3 through 8, 2023. Based on the 1990s movie romantic comedy of the same name, the musical explores what happens when successful businessman Edward meets Hollywood hooker Vivian. The musical features a book by Garry Marshall, director of the iconic movie, and screenwriter J.F. Lawton, with music by Grammy Award-winning Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance.

Following on the beloved romantic comedy's heels is the stuff of Broadway legend: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's world phenomenon, Jesus Christ Superstar. The show opened on Broadway in 1971 before premiering in London in 1972. The story of Christ's passion, based loosely on the gospels, was gloriously resurrected by director Timothy Sheader with new choreography by Drew McOnie in a production that took home Britain's 2017 Olivier Award for best musical revival.

Ten-time Tony winner Moulin Rouge! The Musical comes to town February 22 through March 12, 2023, a production that the New York Times called "euphoric." Inspired by the dazzling Baz Luhrmann film, the musical features a book by Tony Award winner John Logan; music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements by Tony Award winner Justin Levine; and choreography by Tony Award winner Sonya Tayeh. Acclaimed for is eye-popping sets and costumes, and its sheer ebullience, this crowd-pleaser brings to life the joy of living and the thrill of love.

April 25 through 30, 2023 brings To Kill A Mockingbird, based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The story of small-town lawyer Atticus Finch, designated to defend Tom Robinson, a Black man accused of raping a white woman, this new adaption is brought to life by Academy and Emmy Award-winning Aaron Sorkin. Directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher, the force behind new productions of My Fair Lady and Fiddler on the Roof, it's a show Rolling Stone called “an emotionally shattering landmark production of an American classic."

Jukebox smash hit Ain't Too Proud to Beg — The Life and Times of the Temptations comes to the stage August 8 through 13, 2023. Featuring some of Motown's most memorable music, including "My Girl" and "Get Ready," the show explores the hitmaking group's journey from Detroit to superstardom. Set against a backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, the explosion of R&B, and a changing America, this audience favorite is guaranteed to have crowds leaving the theater singing and dancing.

Subscribers to the series have the option to add on Wicked, the megahit reimaging of life in the Land of Oz before Dorothy showed up. USA Today called it "a complete triumph."

All shows run at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby St. Ticket prices for season packages start at $245. Single tickets for individual will be on sale closer to the shows' opening dates. For tickets, a full schedule, and more information, visit the official site.

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Get inspired

Noted Houston street artist paints vibrant new mural at downtown venue

Photo courtesy of Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

GONZO247 poses in front of his new mural, "Houston is Inspired" inside Hobby Center

Visitors to the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts can now see an incredible new mural by one of Houston's most iconic street artists.Mario Enrique Figueroa, Jr., known as Gonzo247, debuted his piece, "Houston is Inspired" on Friday, December 12.

“This piece is all about capturing the energy that makes Houston, Houston," said the artist in a statement. "It’s that raw, vibrant hustle — the music, the culture, the stories we’ve been telling for generations. I wanted to create something that pulls people in, gets them hyped for what they’re about to experience. Every color, every shape, every detail is telling a story, a vibe. This ain’t just a mural or a piece of art — it’s a journey. It's about the grind, the growth, and the inspiration we pass on to each other, on and off the stage.”

The piece is called "Houston is Inspired," after the program at Hobby meant to showcase local performers by offering them week-long residencies on a prestigious stage. This season includes CJ Emmons's one-man comedy musical show I'm Freaking Talented; a rhythmic interactive storytelling experience called Our Road Home by Jakari Sherman; and Lavanya Rajagopalan's combination of music, dance and verse, Kāvya: Poetry in Motion. Information about all three shows, including ticket prices and availability, can be found at TheHobbyCenter.org.

The last show (debuting May 1) was a particular inspiration to Gonzo247. Viewers may notice a pair of hands in a traditional Indian dance pose, a direct reference to Rajagopalan's show.

The Houston is Inspired program was launched launched in the 2023-2024 season. In addition to the residency in Zilkha Hall, artists are given a $20,000 stipend for production and marketing costs. It is now a permanent fixture of the Hobby season. Applicants for future seasons can submit here.

Known for his original "Houston is Inspired" mural in downtown's Market Square, Gonzo247 has been an active force in Houston art for 30 years, including producing the video series Aerosol Warfare about the street art scene in the 1990s and 2000s as well as founding the Graffiti and Street Art Museum. He also served as the artist liaison for Meow Wolf's Houston installation. If anyone's visual vision is perfect to welcome audience members to shows highlighting homegrown talent, it's him.

“Art’s all about telling stories, but it ain’t just what you see — it’s what you feel," he said. "This piece speaks to the heart of everything we’re about: culture, rhythm, struggle, and triumph. When you walk into the space, you gotta feel the anticipation, the energy building up. That’s what I wanted to capture — the vibe of the whole city, the passion in the work, and that next-level hunger to rise up and create something fresh. It’s like the beat drops, and everything just connects.”

visual-art downtown mural gonzo247