From Bob Dylan to Mozart to Rodgers and Hammerstein, Houston theater gets musical this April with sublime operas, touring and homegrown musicals putting a song in our spring. New takes on the classics with the spotlight on complex women characters also make a fabulous entrance this month. But for the ultimate diva performance we’ve got three Chers on stage at the Hobby Center.
Here are our April must-sees.
Cleansed from Catastrophic Theatre (April 5-27)
Houston’s home for avant-garde theater goes to extremes with this regional premier of British playwright Sarah Kane’s intense work. Kane caused much cultural controversy in the UK in the 90s, garnering great critical praise and bouts of condemnation before her untimely suicide. Co-directed by core artist T Lavois Thiebaud and founding artistic director Jason Nodler, Cleansed tells the story of a group of inmates in an institution under the authority of a sadistic Tinker. They try to save their bodies and spirits through human connection and love. Along with a cast of Catastrophic core actors used to tackling risky and edgy drama, the production will showcase design work from some of our favorite local innovative designers and theatrical creators, including choreography by Adam Castan͂eda, set design by Afsaneh Aayani and music, sound, special effects and video design by James Templeton.
The Taming of the Shrew from Classical Theatre Company (April 11-20)
One of Shakespeare’s more prickly comedies usually needs some interpretative twists for the show to land with 21st century audiences. In the story, younger sister Bianca wants to marry, but her father insists the older, fiery Katherina marry first. But no man wants the challenge until roguish Petruchio enters the story. Classical founder John Johnston, who will direct, thinks the play calls for a setting change, in this case, as a mid-century sitcom.
“Using the script to explore the values that we once held in our popular culture, and do still to this day, in some respects, our goal is to examine and critique the treatment of women rather than glorify it, and the play-within-the-play will help us to do that,” explains Johnston.
Jane Eyre at Alley Theatre (April 12-May 5)
Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel gets a big stage adaption by Elizabeth Williamson in this Alley production filled with members of their resident acting company and some our favorite Houston actors. Brontë’ wrote the book on creating a head-strong, spirited female hero’s journey that would be the prototype for so many coming of age stories, but orphan Jane’s tale remains unique. This production looks to keep both the drama and complexity of the novel as most of the cast will play a multitude of roles in the different points in Jane’s journey. It’s not just her romance with the mysterious Mr. Rochester. The play looks to portray many of Jane’s distinct trials on her way to maturity and love.
The Cher Show present by Theatre Under the Stars (April 16-28)
While there’s not a major theater award for the most amount of costume changes, if it did exist — perhaps represented as a golden zipper — it would likely go to this bio jukebox musical. After all, with three actresses playing the three stages of Cher (Babe, Lady, and Star) and Bob Mackie as both a character in Cher’s show and the real costume designer who won a Tony for the production, we expect lots of sequins, beading, and feathers. The show follows Cher’s rise to superstardom and yes the famous men in her life like Sonny Bono and Gregg Allman. Look for songs from all the Cher eras from “I Got You Babe” to “Believe” to “Turn Back Time.”
Driving Miss Daisy at A.D. Players (April 17-May 12)
Before the Oscar winning film, the 1948-set story of a wealthy, septuagenarian Jewish widow and her Black chauffeur was a Pulitzer Prize winning play. When Miss Daisy crashes her car into her neighbor’s yard, her son hires 60-year-old Hoke Colburn to drive her. Though Daisy at first refuses to give up her driving independence, in a series of absorbing interactions spanning 25 years, Miss Daisy slowly relents and the two become friends and pillars of support for one another. Over the decades they remain united against the racism and anti-Semitism that permeates their everyday lives in the deep south.
Reefer Madness from Garden Theatre (April 19-27)
Hide those CBD gummies when you head down to the MATCH for this musical satire insincerely based on an 1930s completely serious film. The original cinematic warning to parents depicted that slippery slope of one inhalation of the “demon weed” to eventual madness and death. The campy musical is framed as a high school drama club show, led by the gravely stern Lecturer, who illustrate the perils of the “leafy green assassin” by telling the story of Jimmy, an All-American boy whose life fell apart because of the evil reefer. Chris Patton, who directed several musicals at the greatly missed Obsidian Theatre helms the production, so we’re hoping he drives the madness over a comic cliff to hilarity.
Don Giovanni from Houston Grand Opera (April 19-May 3)
The story sung in Mozart’s glorious opera remains the same with Don Giovanni, the womanizing Spanish nobleman, murdering the father of one of his victims in a duel. Despite his crimes, Don Giovanni continues to believe his actions have no consequences — until he is dragged to hell. But this is a Don Giovanni with psychological complexity enhanced with innovative theater high tech. Director Kasper Holten’s vision for the production pairs an intentionally minimalist set from designer Es Devlin with stunning projection design from Luke Halls for a mental hell of Giovanni’s own making. International opera superstar bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni takes on the title role. Rounding out the acclaimed cast is bass-baritone Ryan McKinny as Leporello, tenor Kang Wang in his company debut as Don Ottavio, and mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke as Donna Elvira.
The Father from 4th Wall Theatre (April 26-May 11)
Andre is an elderly man who is struggling with memory loss and confusion as he ages. Through shifting perceptions of reality, he grapples with the loss of his sense of self and the people around him. Winner of the Molière Award for Best Play, this poignant and timely story questions the nature of identity, memory, and the human experience, as it explores the profound impact that dementia can have on individuals and their loved ones. Noted local actor Kevin Cooney stars as the father, and long-time Alley Theatre resident actor Elizabeth Bunch takes a break from the onstage spotlight to direct.
The Sound of Music from Houston Grand Opera (April 26-May 12)
HGO bids “So Long, Farewell” to their stellar 2023-24 season with a favorite thing of a production for the whole family. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s timeless tells the musical story of the Von Trapp children, their stern father, and the novice governess, who will never be a nun, Maria. The story and music we all know so well will be taken to operatic heights, as the Wortham comes alive with the sound of the world-class HGO Orchestra and Chorus. This new staging from acclaimed director Francesca Zambello’s is co-produced by HGO and the Glimmerglass Festival where it debuted. Houston must have done “Something Good” this last year, for this production stars world-famous mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as Maria and baritone Alexander Birch Elliott as the Captain.
Girl From the North Country presented by Broadway at the Hobby Center (April 30-May 5)
This critically acclaimed Broadway show is not your average jukebox musical. Reowned Irish playwright, Conor McPherson, weaves the songs of Bob Dylan into this story of lives changed on one faithful night as strangers meet. Though Dylan originally wrote many of these songs in the 60s and 70s, they set an authentic mood for this depression era saga. In Duluth, Minnesota (Dylan’s birthplace), we meet a group of wayward travelers whose lives intersect as they take shelter in a guesthouse one stormy night. The Tony-nominated show reimagines 20 Dylan’s songs as they’ve never been heard before, including “Forever Young,” “All Along The Watchtower,” “Hurricane,” “Slow Train Coming,” and “Like A Rolling Stone.”
The Cher Show plays at Theatre Under the Stars, April 16-28.
