Bravo!

Houston Theater Week's BOGO deals raise $1.4 million for the arts

If cash was a curtain call, the revenue generated for area arts organizations following the 2024 Houston Theater Week initiative would definitely be a standing ovation. The buy-one-get-one-free ticket promotional event held earlier this month reaped nearly $1.4 million in total sales, which will benefit dozens of Houston arts organizations.

That’s an increase of 46.5 percent over 2023's event.

Arts lovers purchased more than 30,000 tickets across more than 260 music, dance, and theater performances for the 2024-2025 season. Some arts groups opened their seasons in August; many more raise the curtain on their seasons in September and October. Offers from this year’s participating performing arts organizations included world premieres, critically acclaimed plays, intimate concerts, innovative new concepts, holiday classics, and internationally renowned performers.

The 26 organizations taking part in Houston Theater Week represented organizations large and small, including 4th Wall Theatre Co., the Alley Theatre, Ars Lyrica, Chamber Music Houston, Dirt Dogs Theatre Co., Houston Ballet, Houston Contemporary Dance, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony, Jazz Houston, Main Street Theater, Mercury Chamber Orchestra, Rec Room Arts, ROCO, Tee Zee Productions, The Ensemble Theatre, the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, and TUTS.

"Houston Theater Week is an incredible opportunity for us to introduce new patrons to our theater and highlight the amazing work happening in the performing arts across the city," Jennifer Dean, artistic director at 4th Wall Theatre Co. tells CultureMap. "With all organizations promoting simultaneously, it raises awareness and allows audiences to discover venues they may not have tried before. It's a low-risk, accessible way for people to experience the arts."

Sentiments like Dean's are echoed by the Houston First Corporation, which partnered with the city's arts organizations to promote and market the initiative to audiences.

The cast of Houston Grand Opera's Cinderella on stage

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Houstonians snapped up buy-one-get-one free tickets to the Houston Grand Opera.

“This year’s response from the greater Houston community to Theater Week was simply outstanding," said Michael Heckman, president and CEO of Houston First Corporation. "Our goal with this program has always been to support professionals in the performing arts, and help build a broader audience base by giving consumers an opportunity to experience quality live shows at a discount."

This year's numbers from Houston Theater Week showcase an excitement for, and importance of, the arts in Houston. The Houston Arts Alliance estimates the industry pumps 1.3 billion dollars into the city’s local economy and supports thousands of job opportunities in the Houston area. The arts enhances the quality of life and strengthenes the region as a cultural destination.

houston theater week performing arts

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