Let's BOGO

Houston Theater Week's BOGO ticket deal is back with 250+ shows

Now in its third year, Houston Theater Week just keeps getting bigger and better. Houston First Corporation is once again spearheading the city’s largest collaboration between 22 professional performing arts groups, offering buy-one, get-one-free ticket deals to more than 230 performances of exciting and diverse live shows — but only if you buy during August 12-18.

Photo courtesy of Houston First Corporation

Houston Theater Week runs August 12-18.

“We started Houston Theater Week as a way to support our theaters, performing artists, and behind-the-scenes professionals post-pandemic," says Michael Heckman, president and CEO of Houston First Corporation. "Now this week-long promotion has grown into an annual collective effort, which to date has generated more than $1.5 million in ticket sales revenue for our world-class performing arts organizations and the hundreds of professionals who work in the creative industry."

For one week only, first-timers and longstanding patrons of live performing arts can easily shop in one place for a range of shows and performances throughout the 2024-25 season. From Mozart to Motown to Mariachi, dance to opera to theater, there is something for everyone.

Included in the special are the Alley's beloved holiday tradition A Christmas Carol and a new production of Disney's Frozen presented by TUTS. Houston Grand Opera brings its colorful Cinderella back to the Wortham Theater Center stage, while Jazz Houston celebrates icon Sarah Vaughan's centennial with Sarah Vaughan at 100!

ROCO is celebrating its 20th season with three commissioned world premieres, and was recently recognized as the No. 2 orchestra in the world for performing works from women and composers of color. The Houston Symphony's Hansel and Gretel & Don Quixote is a concert of classical music inspired by fairy tales, legend, and adventure. The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts is bringing back its Live at the Founders Club series, along with All Things Equal: The Life and Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Theater Week also provides an opportunity to take advantage of smaller productions and shows that deliver big talent, like Tazeen Zahida with Tee Zee Productions. Zahida has produced and directed several original plays inspired by her life in the Middle East and America. This year's production, Papa Où T'es? (Father Where Are You?), a coming-of-age story set in Houston, features four high school friends as they grapple with identity crises, cultural and religious clashes, and personal aspirations — without a father's influence.

To see a complete list of participating arts organizations and performances, head here.

“Houston’s annual Theater Week is making a difference for both patrons and our arts organizations," says Theater District Houston's Hillary Hart. "Not only does the revenue generated through ticket sales keep artists and other creative professionals working, it strengthens our already vibrant theater scene and exposes new audiences to a range of cultural performances by some of the best talent in the world at a discount."

To view all the offers and purchase tickets, visit: www.HoustonTheaterWeek.com. When you're ready to check out, make sure to use the special offer promo code for Houston Theater Week: HOUARTS.

theater music concerts dance shopping video promoted

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