howling for houston

New indoor water park & resort introduces itself to Houston with wolfish Art Car

There's a new kid on the block of Houston's Art Car Parade, and it's ready to roll the streets, cementing a connection between a new resort and its adopted city. Great Wolf Lodge, set to open in Webster this October, is jumping into Houston with enthusiasm.

Great Wolf worked with Houston design and fabrication firm Rootlab to create the car, a wolfish number that embodies the spirit of the resort and waterpark.

"As a Houston- based company, we’ve always been huge fans of the Houston Art Car Parade but we have never had the opportunity to design and develop an entry before," said Logan Sebastian Beck, Rootlab partner and director of business development. "It’s been a really fun partnership. Great Wolf Lodge challenged us to come up with a design that is fun, unexpected, and authentic to the spirit of the Art Car Parade, while still reflecting the family experience offered at their resorts."

The result is a design inspired by one of Great Wolf Lodge’s most iconic characters, Wiley Wolf. Rootlab incorporated him into the design by transforming the entire cab of the truck into a larger-than-life version of Wiley’s head.

"We started concepting the design for the Great Wolf Lodge Art Car back in January and went through a series of mock-up and review stages before aligning on the final concept," said Beck. "The actual build process began in mid-March. The total build time was three to four weeks."

The resort is excited about the opportunity, realizing it's a chance to be part of the fabric of Houston.

"It’s important to us that we feel connected with the communities we serve, so we thought the Art Car Parade, one of the city’s most iconic traditions, would be a great opportunity to engage with the greater Houston community," said Jason Lasecki, Great Wolf Resorts vice president of corporate communications. "We’re excited to bring a little of the Great Wolf Lodge experience to those attending the parade, and we hope families will feel the joy when they see our entry."

Great Woods Lodge is among the country's most popular family destinations, with outposts in 20 states. They are known for their giant, indoor water parks, making them a go-to for family vacations all year long. The Webster location will be Great Wolf's 22nd in the country, and have 532 rooms, as well as a 95,000-square-foot water park and the 58,000 square-foot Great Wolf Adventure Park.

For Rootlab, it was a chance to take part in a project that tapped into their own roots in the city.

"As a Houstonian, the Houston Art Car Parade is the perfect event for Great Wolf to introduce themselves to local families and get the entire community excited about the grand opening," said Beck.

The 2024 Art Car Parade takes to the streets of downtown Houston this Saturday, April 13.

Great Wolf Lodge gets into the Houston spirit with this entry into the 2024 Art Car Parade

Courtesy of Rootlab

Great Wolf Lodge gets into the Houston spirit with this entry into the 2024 Art Car Parade

welcome to houston

Musical theater veteran joins prominent Houston company

Courtesy of Stages

Stages has named Valerie Rachelle as its new associate artist director.

A Houston theater company is adding an accomplished artist to its ranks. Stages announced that Valerie Rachelle will be the company’s new associate artistic director beginning in January 2026.

For more than a decade, Rachelle has been artistic director of the Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland, Oregon, where she oversaw artistic vision and operations. That theater specializes in musical theater performances offered in a cabaret setting.

Rachelle comes to Houston with a career spanning nearly 30 years as a director and choreographer. She has extensive experience in developing new musicals and plays for regional theaters and opera companies across the United States, including the Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Sierra Repertory Theatre. She was appointed to her position at Stages following a nationwide search.

“I’m beyond thankful for this opportunity to join this incredible company, and I’m excited to be a part of a creative entity that has a strong mission and vision as Stages,” Rachelle said in a statement.

In her role with Stages, she will support artistic director Derek Charles Livingston with season planning and casting; liaise with artists, press, and staff; and coordinate day-to-day operations for the artistic department. She will also assist with crafting educational materials, direct and choreograph productions, and serve as the primary liaison with theatrical unions.

“We are thrilled to welcome Valerie to Stages in this role,” said Livingston. “I have seen her work as a director and director choreographer — she's excellent. Those skills combined with her experience as a theatre artistic director and manager only further fortify Stages' commitment to artistic excellence and community engagement.”

Born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, Rachelle began her career as a dancer and apprentice ballerina with the Eugene Ballet Company before earning her BFA in acting from California Institute of the Arts. She received her MFA in Directing from the University of California, Irvine. She has held teaching and directing positions at numerous institutions, including the University of Southern California, Southern Oregon University, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and others. She has also served as a mentor through Statera Arts, an organization dedicated to gender equity in the arts.

Rachelle teaches musical theater, auditioning, and singing at Southern Oregon University when she isn’t on the road as a freelance director and choreographer. She’s also a classically trained singer and toured the world with her parents and their illusionist show as a child.

“Joining the team that has a long-standing reputation of excellence in theater is an honor,” Rachelle added.

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