Curtain up!

Houston Theater Week returns with BOGO deals on the best dance, music, stage shows, and more this season

Most Houstonians love a bargain, and one of the best is back: the second annual Houston Theater Week. That means from Monday, August 14 through Sunday, August 20, patrons can get buy-one-get-one-free ticket deals on theater, dance, music and other performing arts shows happening in the Bayou City this arts season.

The Houston Theater Week website is up and running, allowing fans to plan their shopping strategy and check out shows of interest. For arts lovers and newbies alike, this is an opportunity to see the sheer depth of what's on offer in Houston's arts scene. Sales begin on Friday, August 14; be sure to use the code HTXARTS for purchases.

Spearheaded by the Houston First Corporation, Houston Theater Week offers tickets to more than 200 performances throughout the 2023-2024 arts season, at organizations large and small across the city.

“Houston Theater Week not only provides the public with great bargains, it also supports everyone involved in producing these exceptional live programs from the performing artists to behind-the-scenes professionals,” said David Mincberg, chair, Houston First Corporation in a press release announcing the initiative.

With more than 200 performances, there's a lot for audiences to consider. Fans of '90s angst — and Alanis Morissette — can catch the TUTS presentation of the Tony and Grammy award-winning Jagged Little Pill, starting August 29.

Ars Lyrica's Fallen Angels brings the paranormal to the organization's baroque music performance at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Selections from Henry Purcell's The Fairy Queen, Carissimi's Judgement of Solomon and more are performed by five singers and musicians on period instruments.

The Houston Symphony offers Duke Ellington's Nutcrackerinto Houston's holiday lineup, bringing the jazz legend's take on the Tchaikovsky classic to the stage.

Gloria Estafan fans and lovers of Afro-Cuban rhythms can grab seats to TUTS' On Your FeetOn Your Feet, the energetic music that tells the story of the Miami Sound Machine and its founder, Gloria and Emilio Estafan.

4th Wall Theatre Company explores what happens when well-meaning white educators get together to craft a show that is culturally sensitive and historically accurate in The Thanksgiving Play.

Stages presents the regional premiere ofPOTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, a feminist farce that explores power and the presidency with biting and hilarious satire.

The all-male Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo come to Jones Hall, courtesy of Performing Arts Houston, showcasing their skillful pointe work and hilarious parodying of classical ballet in an evening guaranteed to delight dance enthusiasts and newbies alike.

Main Street Theater's production of26 Miles is about a mother-daughter road trip that examines love, bi-racial identity and secrets.

Photo courtesy of Performing Arts Houston

MOMIX: Alice is one of the productions from Performing Arts Houston available as part of Houston Theater Week.

Audiences will also find performances by The Alley, DaCamera, ROCO, the Ensemble Theatre, and many others.

For anyone who's heard that Houston's performing arts scene is pretty killer, but hasn't known where to start in seeing performances, Houston Theater Week is a fantastic entry point.

"Something for everyone" is an over-used phrase, but this initiative easily allows patrons to find their niche and see what so many of us in the city already know: our performing arts are vibrant, alive and absolutely accessible to everyone.

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Houston Theater Week runs Monday, August 14 through Sunday, August 20. For tickets and full schedules, visit the official event site.

Start Me Up

Immersive Houston art venue rocks out with new Rolling Stone experience

Photo courtesy of Artechouse

“Rolling Stone Presents: Amplified, The Immersive Rock Experience!” opens at Artechouse in May.

A new art exhibit puts viewers into the heart of rock and roll. Rolling Stone Presents: Amplified, The Immersive Rock Experience opens this Thursday, May 15 at Artechouse, the immersive art venue that opened last year in the Heights. With its 270-degree, floor-to-ceiling digital canvases in 18K-resolution and state-of-the-art surround sound, viewers will feel they’ve stepped into some of music’s most iconic moments.

Narrated by Kevin Bacon, Amplified includes 1,000 photographs, 200 videos, 1,300 Rolling Stone covers, and features more than 300 artists whose music changed the world. Using sight, sound, and motion, this dynamic exhibit makes music history approachable and immediate for viewers. Here's a sneak peek:

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Houstonians know our city has its own deep connections to genre-shaking music history. From The Beatles at the Sam Houston Coliseum, to Elvis at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Bob Dylan’s “Night of the Hurricane” in 1976, and being the hometown of Beyoncé, Bun B, ZZ Top, Megan Thee Stallion, and many more, Houston has cultivated and welcomed artists with choruses of boisterous cheers and applause.

"Given Houston’s deep connection to the evolution of rock and pop music over the decades, we were thrilled to partner with Rolling Stone to bring Amplified to Houstonians and continue the city’s tradition of supporting and celebrating musical acts from around the world," says Sandro Kereselidze, co-founder of Artechouse. "This exhibit aligns perfectly with our mission to connect the public with cultural and artistic storytelling through cutting-edge technology. We’re excited for guests of all ages to experience the history of rock ‘n’ roll like never before."

The show was originally produced by Illuminarium Experiences and created by Brand New World Studios in partnership with Rolling Stone. Viewers who attend the Artechouse experience can keep their immersive experience going at the venue’s Reality (XR) Bar, serving cocktails and mocktails that dovetail with the exhibit. Blending cutting-edge XR technology with craft mixology, drinks come to life through exclusive XR activations, which are accessible via Artechouse’s XR mobile app. Guests can downtown the app from the App Store or Google Play.

“Music imagery is about experiences,” said Jodi Peckman, executive producer and former creative director of Rolling Stone. “It’s about the unbridled joy of concerts and our connection to our favorite artists. Every picture tells a story and Rolling Stone Presents: AMPLIFIED has hundreds of stories to tell.”

Timed tickets are available online and at the venue, and advanced reservations are strongly encouraged. Admission starts at $39 plus fees for adults and $29 plus fees for children, ages 17 and under. Tickets are currently available through August 31.

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