Best January Theater

Broadway blockbusters and sublime operas take Houston stages in January

Houston stages celebrate the New Year with a musical bang, as big Broadway shows and sublime opera ring us into 2026. This month also takes a literary turn with plays and musicals inspired by great novels and fairytales. From beastly romances to chaotic weddings, wartime respites to highflying circus drama, Houston theaters invite us to be their guests at these greatest shows on stage.

Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical from Garden Theatre (now through January 11)
Take a seat at the cruel kids table as Garden Theatre continues to celebrate its five year anniversary by bringing back some audience-favorite shows. The jukebox musical based on the film starring Reese Witherspoon, was of course inspired by the classic French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses. In this modern, musical retelling set in an exclusive New York prep school, two step-siblings make a wager over whether one can seduce the innocent new girl, who happens to be the headmaster’s daughter. Featuring 90s hits from Boyz II Men, Christina Aguilera, REM, 'NSYNC, and Britney Spears, this sexy musical is definitely not intended for younger audiences but makes for the coolest anniversary and New Year’s theatrical party.

Disney’s Beauty & the Beast presented by Broadway at the Hobby Center (January 6-18, 2026)
Broadway at the Hobby opens 2026 with this beauty of a show that has a big Houston connection. Thirty years ago, Disney made theatrical history and put its lasting mark on Broadway with the timeless story of Belle and her beastly prince. Houston was part of that history, as the musical had an early tryout here.

While beloved songs like “Be Our Guest” and “Beauty and the Beast” remain the same, this 30th anniversary update will feature spectacular new sets and costumes. Reuniting to create this new production are members of the original Tony Award-winning artistic team, including composer Alan Menken, lyricist Tim Rice, book writer Linda Woolverton, and director and choreographer Matt West.

The Bride: Or, Does This Dress Make Me Look Married? at Stages (January 16-February 9)
Stages collaborator Denise Fennell puts on a very different kind of veil than her usual nun attire from her many turns as Sister in the Late Nite Catechism shows. Fennell was inspired by her own wedding anxieties and joys to co-write this one-woman show, which Stages debuted for a short run in 2023. Now back by popular demand, Fennell walks us down the reminiscing aisle, as the bride finds herself in a whirlwind of doubts, memories, and last-minute revelations. Her groom, preparing for his second marriage, factors into her hilarious reflections on suddenly becoming a stepmom to his two children. Fennell reveals all directly to audiences, interacting with them, and making them welcome guests for all the wedding hijinks and festivities.

Silent Night from Houston Grand Opera (January 16-February 8)
Composer Kevin Puts won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for this operatic retelling of the World War I Christmas Truce. Now HGO and New York’s Metropolitan Opera collaborate in bringing this new staging, created by award-winning director James Robinson, to Houston before the production travels to New York. A rarity of opera, the production is performed in three languages (German, French, and English) representing the nationalities of the front lines. Silent Night gives this epic story an intimate scope, zooming in on a German singer/soldier and his diva lover, a Scottish soldier and his priest; and a French Lieutenant, awaiting news of the birth of his son. Along with acclaimed conductor Kensho Watanabe, look and listen for an award-winning and international mix of cast and creatives, including returning HGO favorites and artists making their HGO debuts.

Fade To Black Reading Series at MATCH (January 22-25)
Get a sneak peek into tomorrow’s theater with this annual series of short plays. Each year, Black playwrights from around the country submit work to this prestigious program. Audiences will experience staged readings of 10 original plays presented over one dramatic weekend. This season’s selections span comedy, drama, social commentary, sci-fi, and relationship satire, offering a dynamic mix that reflects the richness of Black storytelling. Fade to Black also gives audiences the opportunity to become an intrinsic part of the creative process, as they enjoy an up close first look at developing scripts, while playwrights gain valuable feedback that helps shape their works.

The Bluest Eye at Ensemble Theatre (January 23-February 22)
Keeping with this month's literary trend, Ensemble will perform this devastating play based on the first novel by Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison. Playwright Lydia Diamond stayed close to Morrison’s powerful language when adapting this heartrending story for the stage. The play follows three young Black girls in 1941 Lorain, Ohio – two devoted siblings and their sometimes foster sister, Pecola Breedlove. Pecola wants nothing more than to be loved, and believes that having blue eyes like Shirley Temple will gain her that love and acceptance. In a society that gives them so little autonomy and agency of their own, these girls attempt to make some sense of racism, abuse, and hate, while trying to hold onto love and sisterhood.

Real Women Have Curves at Alley Theatre (January 23-February 15)
Bucking this month's trend of plays and musicals based on novels, the Alley opens the new year with this critically acclaimed 1990s play by Josefina López that later became both a film and a Broadway musical. The narrative centers around Ana, a recent high school graduate awaiting financial aid to go to college, but also follows the lives of four other Latina women all working in the same small garment factory as Ana. While the play might be 30 years old, it remains just as relevant and moving today, mixing comedy and drama as it explores the characters’ individual fears and hopes, while they remain tied together in community.

“While set in East Los Angeles, the love and humor of this play will resonate strongly here in Houston, Texas. This play is so honest, emotional, moving, and yes sometimes a bit bawdy. I just love it and am excited to share it with Houston audiences,” Alley artistic director Rob Melrose said in a statement.

Water for Elephants presented by Broadway at the Hobby Center (January 27-February 1, 2026)
The second Broadway at the Hobby show this month is inspired by the best-selling historical romance-turned-film. On Broadway, Water for Elephants was a critics’ favorite in 2024. After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the tracks will take him and finds a new home, family, and love among the remarkable crew of a traveling circus. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age. Experience all the light, color, and music of a 1930s big top circus in this emotional extravaganza.

Crime and Punishment: 2026 at A.D. Players (January 28-February 22)
Playwright and A.D. Players artistic director Jayme McGhan has penned this new vision of Dostoevky’s masterpiece novel about a law student who rationalizes murder and then must confront the moral consequences. In this contemporary reimagining, Dostoevky’s Rodion becomes Rodya, a former university student living in poverty in our social media influencer world where everyone has a platform to announce their personal truth. After Rodya kills in the name of his own twisted sense of justice, the guilt eventually becomes unbearable. Hot on his trail is a detective able to see through his constant lies. As the law closes in on him, Rodya begins to have an awakening to the reality of his broken self and must decide whether to own up to his crimes and seek the forgiveness he so desperately needs, or let his soul wither.

Hansel and Gretel from Houston Grand Opera (January 30-February 15)
HGO brings the Brothers Grimm fairytale to the stage with this Engelbert Humperdinck classic. Hansel and Gretel set off on their quest through the forest and stumble upon the Witch, who reigns from her irresistible house of cake, topped with a shining red cherry. A tasty operatic treat for all ages, this rich, delectable production comes from HGO — in partnership with with the London’s Royal Ballet and Opera and San Francisco Opera and brought to life by award-winning director/designer Antony McDonald in his HGO debut. Conductor Andreas Ottensamer also makes his company debut at the podium.

There’s lots of Houston connections with this star-studded cast, including Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano and Shepherd School of Music at Rice University alum Sasha Cooke; HGO Butler Studio alumna Mané Galoyan as Gretel; Butler Studio alumna Jamie Barton, who sang the role of Elizabeth on HGO’s 2026 Grammy-nominated Intelligence album, as the Witch; and Grammy-winning baritone and Butler Studio alumnus Reginald Smith, Jr. as Father.

Photo by Daniel Boud

Broadway at the Hobby Center presents the national tour of Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

performing-arts

Best March Art

9 new art museum and gallery exhibits opening in Houston this month

Ernesto Neto, SunForceOceanLife (installation view), 2020, crocheted textile and plastic balls, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment Fund

As spring returns so does a flowering of biannual, annual, and biennial art festivals and events this month. Art blooms indoors in Houston's favorite museums but also on the city's streets, parks, and even waterways. Lots of immersive art invites viewers to journey into the picture.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston gets contemplative, and the Menil Collection displays some rare recent gifts. If that’s not enough art for one month, FotoFest celebrates a big anniversary, and the yearly “Night Light” art party heads downtown.

“Global Visions – FotoFest at 40” programming across Houston (March)
Marking four decades of photographic arts and education programming in Houston, this 2026 FotoFest looks back on key works and themes from the 20 previous biennials between 1986 and 2024. With participating art galleries and museums around the city offering special photography exhibitions over the next several month, FotoFest will feature more than 450 artists from the United States and 58 countries. Curated by FotoFest co-founder and former artistic director Wendy Watriss and FotoFest executive director Steven Evans, with co-curators Annick Dekiouk and Madi Murphy, “Global Visions” will explore some of the previous festival themes including geography, identity, war, ecology, and social change, while also celebrating FotoFest’s global reach and impact. Look for auctions, tours, conversations, art walks, and workshops as part of the programming.

“Buddha/Nature: Five Dialogues on a Shared World” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (now through May 10)
Ancient and contemporary art converse in this extraordinary new exhibition at the MFAH that explores key teachings of Buddhism centered on how we engage with the natural world. The exhibition is organized crossed five thematically focused galleries, including Samsara, Impermanence, Karma, Compassion, and Awakening. Each gallery features one of five ancient Buddhist sculptures from the Xuzhou Collection, a private collection of Buddhist masterpieces, along with works by international and Texas contemporary artists.

“This exhibition brings ancient Buddhist sculptures into dynamic dialogue with contemporary art,” explains Hao Sheng, consulting curator to the MFAH and organizing curator of the exhibition. “These sacred objects take on new resonance when paired with modern works that explore fundamental questions about existence and harmony. As we witness shifts in our natural environment, we are invited to reflect on the impact of our collective choices in order to achieve a deeper understanding of our place within a changing world.”

“Blooming Wonders: A Celebration of Spring” at Artechouse (now through May 31)
The Houston venue that acts as a greenhouse for art, science, and technology to grow together, Artechouse, brings back this hit exhibition from last year.To explore themes of growth, renewal, and sustainability, “Bloom wonders” showcases several dynamic installations, including “PIXELBLOOM: Timeless Butterflies,” a 270 degrees projection space that puts visitors in the middle of a butterfly cloud. Audiences journey with a flock of butterflies into an immense garden of flowers. In another immersive space, “BloomFall: Through the Infinite” guests enter an mirrored infinity room full of shifting floral dimensions. The installation, “Akousmaflore et Lux” creates a very different type of garden where plants transform into musical instruments. “Clay Pillar” invites visitors to sculpt new forms using clay and a little help from an AI program.

“Ernesto Neto: SunForceOceanLife” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (now-September 7)
Immersive art gets elevated as the MFAH brings back this commissioned installation that had museum goers walking on air. Looking something like a giant starfish or spiral galaxy from underneath, Ernesto Neto’s singular work floats above almost the entirety of Cullinan Hall in the Caroline Wiess Law Building. One of the largest crochet works to date by Neto, the sculpture consists of yellow, orange, and green materials hand-woven into a myriad of patterns and sewn together in a spiral formation. Visitors can enter this rising labyrinth and wander through different sections filled with soft, plastic balls underfoot that move with each step. Once they reach the center of work, they might pause to view the piece from within the art and reflect on their own journey through “SunForceOceanLife.”

“Ernesto Neto created this site-specific piece as a tribute to the life-giving forces of the sun and the ocean. Inspired by crochet, which he learned from his grandmother, the piece transforms this traditional Brazilian craft into a massive, enveloping structure that engages the body and the mind,” remark Mari Carmen Ramírez, Wortham Curator of Latin American Art on the return of the monumental installation.

True North 2026 along Heights Boulevard (now through December)
Once again, art grows on the Height Boulevard esplanade with this annual outdoor sculpture exhibition sponsored and partnered by the nonprofit Houston Heights Association. The outdoor show features the latest work of some stellar Texas and Houston artists, including Hans Molzberger, Suzette Mouchaty, James D. Phillips, Roger Colombik, Mark Nelson, Robbie Barber, Jim Robertson, Keith Crane/Damon Thomas. Since the artists don’t always install their sculptures on the same days, True North is always an artful excuse to make time for a walk along the boulevard to see what new work has popped up. This beloved tradition is once again thanks to an all-volunteer team, along with the Houston Heights Association in cooperation with the City of Houston Parks and Recreation and Public Works Departments and the Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

"Rebel Girl" and “The Vanguard” at Houston Center for Photography (March 12-April 12)
Just a few days after International Women’s Day, HCP continues their historic commitment to championing women’s photographic careers as they present two exhibition exploring the complexities of female identity. “Rebel Girl” exhibits the work of Luisa Dörr, Selina Román, and Jo Ann Chaus, artists whose work challenges convention while questioning stereotypes and illuminating the evolving roles and perceptions of women today. For “The Vanguard,” HCP executive director, Anne Leighton Massoni, went through their archives and selected the work of 20 trailblazing women who exhibited at HCP within its first 20 years. Taken together their work illustrate the diversity of women’s artistic visions and creativity.

“The Gift of Drawing: Cy Twombly” at the Menil Collection (March 27-August 9)
Perhaps as a nod to the Menil Collection being the home of the only permanent retrospective exhibition of 20th century pioneering artist, Cy Twombly’s, work, last year the Cy Twombly Foundation made an extraordinary gift of 121 of Twombly’s drawings to the institute. Now art lovers around the world will get to see some of that landmark gift, as the Menil Drawing Institute presents this exhibition featuring 30 of those works. Covering three decades of the artist’s activity, from the 1950s to the 1980s, the show will feature work created by Twombly’s use of a broad range of materials, from graphite to oil paint; techniques such as drawing and collage; and themes that are fundamental to his entire practice, such as classical antiquity, eroticism, and nature. Some highlight of the exhibition will be a series of lush and unrestrained landscapes from 1986 that verge on pure abstraction; two untitled works from 1970 that are related to the artist’s “blackboard paintings” on view in Cy Twombly Gallery; and Narcissus, 1975, a collage of paper, with oil, charcoal, and wax crayon on paper. None of these works have been exhibited in the U.S. before.

“Night Light” at Allen’s Landing at Buffalo Bayou Park (March 28)
The annual free festival of video art along Buffalo Bayou moves west this year from its usual setting along the industrial and residential landscapes of the Buffalo Bayou East trails to Allen’s Landing in downtown Houston. The concrete bridges and underbellies of the major city freeways that emerge from watery bayou depths become the canvases for three site-specific installations from some of Houston most innovative video and multidisciplinary artists. Co-presented by the Aurora Picture Show and Buffalo Bayou Partnership “Night Light” puts the spotlight on new works from artist, designer, and engineer, Corey De’Juan Sherrard Jr.; video, installation, and performance artist and Rice professor, Kenneth Tam; and award winning collaborative duo Hillerbrand+Magsamen. And it wouldn’t be an outdoor Houston event of any kind without food, so expect a lively night artisan market hosted by East End District and BLCK Market at East River featuring local vendors and food trucks plus tunes from DJ Gracie Chavez.

Bayou City Art Festival Downtown at Sam Houston Park (March 28-29)
Downtown Houston continues to sprout art everywhere, as the last weekend in March also heralds the biannual Bayou City Art Fest in Sam Houston Park. Showcasing art from 250 creators from around the country, the festival always brings a wide selection of paintings, prints, jewelry, sculptures, and functional art at all price levels. Fest goers also have the opportunity to meet the art makers and hear the stories behind the art. This year’s featured artists is Lijah Hanley, a digital photographer from Vancouver, WA who first found his place behind a camera lens when he was 13. Along with a day of art, a ticket includes live music all day long on two stages, roaming performers, exciting kids areas with interactive crafts, and culinary arts demonstrations.

$Ernesto Neto, SunForceOceanLife (installation view), 2020, crocheted textile and\nplastic balls, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the\nCaroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment Fund$