the alley's treat

Cherished local theater gifts Houston with digital performance of a holiday classic

Alley Theatre Christmas Carol: David Rainey

The Alley is presenting a virtual run of a Dickens holiday classic.

Photo by Lynn Lane

The pandemic has caused the cancellation of a beloved Houston holiday tradition — but there’s a twist of good news to this tale. The Alley Theatre announced on October 26 that it has canceled the in-person run of A Christmas Carol, originally slated to run from November 20-December 27.

But the Alley is no Ebeneezer Scrooge, so as a holiday gift, the theater company is presenting a digital production of Charles Dickens’ classic, which will be viewable online from December 4 to December 27. Patrons simply need to pre-register on the Alley Theatre’s website starting October 28.

The digital production of A Christmas Carol will feature the Alley’s Resident Acting Company and additional Houston-area actors. Each actor will be filmed in their respective homes for the play. Closed captioning in Spanish and Vietnamese will be available for viewers, according to a press release.

Meanwhile, the Alley is offering up more holiday fun in November. The company will host its annual Deck the Trees event at the George R. Brown Convention Center provided courtesy of Houston First Corporation, as an alternate viewing location this season. The ornate and decorated trees will be on display in the central windows of the George R. Brown Convention Center, allowing for outside, social distancing viewing. Trees will be on display from November 20 through January 3, 2021, per the theater. One standout will be local designer Taylor DeMartino’s Frozen-inspired creation.

The Alley will also host a private lighting ceremony at George R. Brown Convention Center on November 20. The Alley notes that Mayor Sylvester Turner will flip the official switch to light the Christmas trees and mark the start of the holiday season.

“All of us at the Alley are longing to gather with you again in the theatre, especially during the holidays when togetherness and the family tradition of hearing Dickens’ story of A Christmas Carol is such an important part of how we celebrate,” said artistic director Rob Melrose, in a statement.

theater holidays

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