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    Open Stages

    Adventurous Stages Theatre celebrates 40 crazy years with eclectic new season

    Tarra Gaines
    Aug 4, 2017 | 1:30 pm

    Hitting the big 4-0 might signal a year to go on a crazy adventure, or perhaps experiment with new experiences, but as Stages Repertory Theatre enters its fourth decade, the company sets out to do more of what they’ve been doing all along — bringing shows a little crazy, adventurous and new to Houston audiences.

     

    From its beginnings in a downtown basement to its place as the third largest theater company in Houston, Stages has always defied easy theatrical categorizations. Every season, we expect the odd jukebox musical and light comedy, but we also know we’ll likely see edgy Off-Broadway plays before they’re produced anywhere else in the region.

     

    When I recently spoke with Stages artistic director Kenn McLaughlin about the company’s milestone, he described their seasons as eclectic and diverse. McLaughlin has been at Stages for 17 years, first as managing and then as artistic director. Yet, looking back at the company’s history, he gives much credit to this variety-in-storytelling aesthetic to founding artistic director Ted Swindley and Rob Bundy who became AD in the mid-'90s.

     

    “Ted Swindley is blindingly passionate about storytelling. He cares about story and engagement,” McLaughlin explained. “Rob’s real interest was the edgy. His work was incredibly provocative. He focused on the alternative. I think I’ve taken that base, kept that kind of caliber of edge and then expanded back into the popular stuff because that’s just who I am.”

     

    McLaughlin makes no excuses for the varying of crowd-pleasing shows and the much more unconventional plays that alternate on a season lineup and are sometimes presented simultaneously in Stages’ two theater spaces near Allen Parkway.

     

    “Why should I assume that everyone who comes to theater has the same bandwidth?” he pondered. “People keep asking how can we fill our theaters. Well, maybe we can reflect the attitudes and tastes of the whole of the city. I’m not suggesting that we should affirm every single taste, but I’m suggesting that’s who we are as a community. If we’re going to come together as a community, then the stories have to reflect the memories, attitudes, concerns, and joys of the community.”

     

     A Tale of Two Plays

     

    Illustrating this wide-bandwidth philosophy, McLaughlin gave me two examples of plays he directed in the last few years, the always popular Always…Patsy Cline, which was created by Swindley in 1988 and McLaughlin brought back for this 40th season, and Aaron Posner’s award-winning Stupid Fucking Bird, a Houston critics’ (including this one) favorite in 2015.

     

    “I love Patsy as much as I love Stupid Fucking Bird,” explained McLaughlin. “I was very fulfilled directing both of those production. In trying to figure out what’s the depth of the humanity in there, Patsy actually has more challenges as a jukebox musical. It compels me to think more about the humanity of the story and to figure out what did it mean to be a woman circa 1961 in a difficult marriage.”

     

    “I think all stories are important because all of us are filled with a thousand stories. If we start to say: ‘I’m only going to tell this kind because this is the most important kind,’ then we’re diminishing the whole storytelling idea.”

     

     A Year-Long 40th Birthday Party

     

    Staying true to Stages’ variety roots, McLaughlin feels this 2017-2018 season honors both traditions and innovations in storytelling. Along with Patsy, he’s bringing back another hugely requested show, The Great American Trailer Park Musical for spring 2018. Meanwhile, Patsy has been joined this summer with Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie, which debuts a second cast of actor/musicians as the original cast is still in New York, the run extended for a third time.

     

    “Patsy and Woody sum up the season in some ways. Patsy is this feel-good celebration of female friendship and great music. Woody is the incredibly complex elevation of a great artist and music with bite and weight to it,” describes McLaughlin. “They demonstrate the capacity of the same form to be bent in different ways.”

     

    For the innovative side of the season, Stages offers three world premieres as well as inaugurating an annual Latina/o Festival, Sin Muros.
     
    In October, Stages serves up Balls, which McLaughlin calls the “the biggest artistic risk” he’s ever taken. The play’s creators the New York-based, avant-garde One Year Lease Theater Company contacted Stages wanting a Houston co-producer to world premiere this experimental retelling of the 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in the city were the match took place.

     

    For the 10th anniversary of Stages’ holiday Panto series, they’ll present again their first, Panto Cinderella and will pair it with the brand new holiday musical A Midnight Clear. The Stages board commissioned McLaughlin to write the show with David Nehls after the success of their I’ll Be Home for Christmas in Denver last year.

     

    “It’s a little bit of a love letter from the Stage audience from me,” explained McLaughlin of the musical influenced by his mother’s own experience as orphan and her perspective that “We should not assume that everyone feels great this time of year.”

     

     Ringing in the New Year

     

    Stages rings in the new year with a new Latina/Latino play festival which includes workshop readings of three works in development from Texas playwrights and the world premiere of Josh Inocéncio’s solo show Purple Eyes. The full production of Philip Boehm’s Alma en venta (Soul on Sale) runs in conjunction with the festival.

     

    McLaughlin has been working to create a Latina/o play festival for many years.

     

    “It rose out of this question about are we really diverse enough. Are we making intentional commitment to changing the core of what we are doing?” he said about the festival’s origins. The 40th anniversary season became the perfect launch year.

     

    In 2018, look for Ann, with Sally Edmundson as the late, great governor. Also in the innovative mix are two regional debuts: the powerful We are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia and Jesse Eisenberg’s play (yes that one) The Revisionist.

     

    The season ends with another world premiere, the science fiction drama, Replica, by Mickey Fisher, a playwright probably best known for creating television shows like Extant and Mars.

     

    As for what lies beyond 40, McLaughlin jokes there are always hopes and plans in the works, if nothing else then for new carpeting in the lobby.

     

    “I’m curious to see what’s ahead. Theater is transformative and it must always transform. I’m intrigued by how things always transform. Bring it, that’s my response to change.”

    Susan Koozin and Kelley Peters in Stages' 2017 revival of Always. . .Patsy Cline directed by Kenn McLaughlin.

    Stages Theatre-Always...Patsy Cline,Susan Koozin and Kelley Peters
      
    Photo by Os Galindo
    Susan Koozin and Kelley Peters in Stages' 2017 revival of Always. . .Patsy Cline directed by Kenn McLaughlin.
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    Best July & August Theater

    Broadway hits and Shakespeare festival headline Houston's 12 best summer shows

    Tarra Gaines
    Jul 1, 2025 | 9:30 am
    Broadway at the Hobby Center presents Parade
    Photo by Joan Marcus
    Broadway at the Hobby Center presents Parade

    Lions and tigers and zebras and murder. Oh, my! From big blockbuster shows to annual chilly thrillers, summertime is some of the best time for theater in Houston. Shakespeare, jukebox musicals, mysteries, and madcap comedies always headline our summer must-sees. This year is no different, but we’re also got intriguing musical dramas, Tony Award winning Broadway shows, bittersweet love stories, and even a local world premiere. There’s no place like Houston for summer theater.

    The Wizard of Oz at A.D. Players (July 9-August 10)
    Something wicked this way comes from A.D. Players this summer. Yes, long before the musical told from certain witches’ perspectives, L. Frank Baum’s original journey to Oz began with a Kansas girl’s ride on a tornado. She found a magical and musical land filled lively lions, tin men, and scarecrows. Follow the yellow brick road to classic songs like “Over the Rainbow” and “We’re Off to See the Wizard,” but after a great adventure, learn that enduring message that there’s no place like home. Our favorite Galleria area Players say this newly imagined production will have incredible production values to delight the whole family.

    Crabs in a Bucket at MATCH (July 10-19)
    This satire comes by Houston-raised, nationally acclaimed playwright Bernardo Cubría gets its first regional production with a stellar local cast. Amargo and Pootz are two bitter crabs living in a shucking bucket. They spend their days judging the other crabs that got out, the ones who couldn't take it, and the losers who still live among them. When a new crab arrives filled with hope and change, they are faced with who they once were and their incessant dream of getting the shuck out. Any similarities between this crabby circumstance and human relationships are purely intentional.

    The Mirror Crack’d at Alley Theatre (July 11-August 17)
    Move over Hercule Poirot and you too Sherlock, because it takes a woman to untangle all the mysterious threads of jealousy, lies, and ambition in those seemingly charming English towns. One of Agatha Christie’s greatest detectives, Miss Marple, uses a cheerful and kind-auntie demeanor to disguise a keen intellect and nose for solving crime. For this Miss Marple case, the filming of a star-studded movie in a quaint village leads to a chilling murder, and everyone becomes a suspect. The Alley’s annual Summer Chills mystery production is usually one of their most popular shows, but this one will also make a bit of theatrical history as this production of the Christie classic, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff, marks the first time iconic sleuth Miss Marple has appeared on the U.S. stage.

    The 39 Steps at Main Street Theater (July 12-August 10)
    The classic Alfred Hitchcock spy thriller becomes exhilarating comic mayhem onstage when performed by just four actors. The original 39 Steps film is the story of an ordinary man accused of a murder he did not commit after he accidentally becomes involved with a mysterious and deadly woman. He must then go on the run over the English and Scottish countryside trying to allude both the police and an international spy ring attempting to steal British military secrets. In this hilarious parody adaptation by Patrick Barlow, the four actors leap in and out of over 150 characters, sometimes playing multiple roles in the span of seconds while also performing dynamic chase scenes, including an onstage plane crash. Look for some of our local favs to get quite the theatrical workout in this breakneck comedy.

    Parade presented by Broadway at the Hobby Center (July 15-20)
    For the penultimate show of Broadway at Hobby’s 24-25 season, they’re bringing in the 2023 Tony Award winner for Best Revival of a Musical. Set at the turn of the 20th century, the dramatic and still very timely story chronicles what happens when murder, politics, and prejudice meet during a sensationalized murder trial. Based on a true story, Parade depicts newlywed Jewish couple, Leo and Lucille Frank, struggling to make a home and find community in Georgia. When Leo is accused of an unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice, and devotion. Riveting and complex, Parade reminds us that to love, we must truly see one another.

    Iolanthe from the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston (July 19-27)
    We always look forward this annual summer performance treat, as Houston’s own esteemed Gilbert and Sullivan Society presents another opera gem from the Gilbert and Sullivan treasure trove of musicals. Marrying fantasy and satire, Iolanthe is set in a magical version of England filled with both snobby aristocrats and equally smug faeries. The fairy and human world clash when Strephon, the half-fairy, half-human son of the title character falls in love with the lovely human Phyllis, a ward of the Lord Chancellor. Chaos ensues amid a lively and beautiful score as the fairies interfere in British politics, elevating Strephon to Parliament and upending tradition. The comic opera skews the British legal system, the House of Lords, and Victorian sensibilities all with clever lyrics. Keeping with the fairytale setting, the production design will showcase dreamy lighting, larger-than-life flora set pieces, and costumes inspired by whimsical bugs.

    The Last Five Years at Queensbury Theatre (July 23-27)
    When this bitter sweet musical made its debut in the early 2000s, it garnered lots of critics and audience acclaim with its fresh way to tell its love story, simultaneously from both the ending and beginning. Cathy, an aspiring actress, sings their story from the end of their marriage looking back, while Jamie, a rising novelist, begins with their first meeting full of sparks and attraction. The musical tellings of their love and loss cross just once, with a wedding song they sing together in the middle of the show. Then, fate pulls them apart. Queensbury plans on updating the already innovative show for our cell phone-obsessed digital age. The show will blend live performance with social media and technology to reflect how we connect, communicate, and fall apart today. Get ready for a fresh take on this iconic musical, where texts, tweets, and time collide.

    Honky Tonk Laundry at Stages (July 25-August 17)
    The history of this show at Stages has all of the highs and lows of a real honky tonk song. The feel-good musical created by Roger Bean, who also brought the world The Marvelous Wonderettes, was supposed to be one of the first shows through the wash cycle when Stages’ Gordy campus opened back in 2020, but the pandemic put it on hold after only a week of shows. Stages did release a streaming version of the show, but now it’s back in its full live and in-person glory. The title says it all as a woman tries to turn an inherited washeteria into a honky tonk club. Two unlikely friends spin suds, stories, and songs by Reba, Dolly, Carrie, and more. This musical load contains over 20 country hits, including “Before He Cheats,” “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” and “Wide Open Spaces.” At the center of all the sudsy songs is a story of friendship, grit, and finding your voice, one spin at a time.

    Houston Shakespeare Festival at Miller Outdoor Theatre (July 31-August 8)
    It wouldn’t be summer without free Shakespeare productions at Miller thanks in no small part to the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance. This year brings a bard-tacular pairing with one of the great history plays, Henry V, and the effervescent comedy, As You Like It. Henry V lets us explore the qualities of leadership in all its challenges, complexities, and compromises as the young English king attempts to claim the French throne via battlefields and princess wooing. As You Like It marries some of Shakespeare’s best comic tropes including women disguised as men and urbanities losing their way, and sometimes sanity, in forests. Mix in some brotherly hate, mistaken identity, mixed up lovers, and a happy ending, and what’s not to like. The annual festival also offers some of the greatest roles for young regional actors getting their professional start and local favorites who have graced many a Houston stage.

    Life of Pi presented by Broadway at the Hobby Center (August 19-24)
    The Broadway at the Hobby Center 24-25 season ends not with a musical, but with this epic play. Based on the internationally award-winning novel and visually stunning film, this show won three Tony Awards and the Olivier Award for Best Play. After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi survives on a lifeboat with four companions: a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger. On this makeshift, floating menagerie, boy and animals must survive together. Told with jaw-dropping visuals, world class puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, this beguiling show creates a breathtaking journey filled with wonder, awe and joy.

    While Childhood Slept from Garden Theatre (August 15-17)
    This emotional musical has some deep Houston history, as it had its world premiere here in 1999. It later received an off-Broadway reading, and its finale number, “We Will Not Forget,” was featured in the documentary Paperclips. In 2005, a revised version with new songs was performed once again in Houston. Based on a true story of the boys of Home Number One in the Nazi concentration camp, Terezin, the musical chronicles how the children create a secret republic within the camp, publishing their own magazine of art, poetry, and short stories. A visit from The Red Cross presents the opportunity to disguise their magazine as a secret message and a means of escape. The show will be produced in partnership with Holocaust Museum Houston.

    The Chosen Ones from Thunderclap Productions (August 28-September 6)
    While we have many new takes on classic stories on stages across the city this summer, if you’re looking for something new with some timely resonance, don’t miss this world premiere musical, by local and award winning playwright Aaron Alon. The show chronicles the stories of a group of LGBTQ+ teens sent to a conversion therapy summer camp, led by an “ex-gay” minister. With humor, sorrow, and hope the Chosen Ones explores themes of living authentically, found families, and defying conventions. Look for a large cast of fresh and up and coming local performers in this funny and moving musical, which is also a part of Thunderclap’s John Steven Kellett Memorial Series of works relating to LGBTQ+ equity.

    Broadway at the Hobby Center presents Parade
      

    Photo by Joan Marcus

    Broadway at the Hobby Center presents Parade.

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