Ladies and Gentleman the moment you’ve waiting for, the pride of Broadway, Hamilton is back in Houston. And while we can’t wait to relive all the revolutionary excitement, we won’t throw away our shot to see so many other great shows across the city this month. We’ve got American classics, world premieres, dark dramas, fairytales and basketball. Plus, the Houston Theater District throws the ultimate family-friendly spring break party.
The Imp at Winter Street Studios (now through March 8)
We love the Houston theater community’s constant enthusiasm to put on a show whenever and wherever the mood hits them. So when local playwright and Houston City Council unofficial notetaker, Emily Hynds, completed her latest play, some theater-making friends pitched in the bring it to life and give it a stage. In this dark comedy about two artist friends yapping after an immersive theatre experience, hard questions are asked. Silly questions are also asked. Snacks are consumed, and no conclusions are reached Part theatrical commentary on contemporary theater and the artistic life, part amateur therapy session, the play explores modern marriage, friendships, peer relationships, and afterparty etiquette.
The Ripple, the Wave that Carried Me Home at Stages (now through March 23)
Stages dives into spring programming with this emotional story of a woman’s look back to her past to understand the present. Set both during the 60s civil right era and decades later, Janice, a young Black girl in Kansas, watches her parents fight for the simple yet profound right to swim in a public pool. As she grows older, Janice seeks meaning away from her parents’ political activism, and an unspoken distance grows within the family. As an adult an unexpected call inspires Janice to confront the past she left behind. Look for some stage magic not just in the performances from some of our favorite and critically acclaimed Houston actors but also in set design as running water on stage reinforces the play’s themes of movement, memory, and resistance.
Hamilton from Broadway at the Hobby Center (March 4-23)
The revolutionary musical that changed Broadway returns to Houston for a three week run. There’s no substitute for being in the room when all the drama and music happens. Chronicling the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton, the show set the American Revolution and the first decades of this country’s birth to a hip hop beat. Along the way, it won almost every theater and music award invented and became a cultural phenomenon.Yet after all the analysis of the true political and cultural meaning of the show is done, the woven story of real lives — both remembered and consigned to footnotes by history books — still remains. Even those who know all the songs and have seen Hamilton before live on Broadway or in Houston shouldn't feel surprised to tear up once more as those last notes fade on “Finale.”
Theater District Open House (March 10)
Back for the first time since the pandemic, the Theater District opens its doors and welcomes audiences of all ages for a day filled with free fun, learning, and interactive activities that celebrate creativity, community, and the power of the arts. Though the annual event used to take place at the end of summer, the move to the first day of spring break for students across the city will make for a cool and entertaining Monday treat for families. From a Hamilton workshop at the Hobby Center to a stage combat demo at the Alley Theatre to a Sleeping Beauty mini show at the Wortham and an interactive mural in Lynn Wyatt Square, there’s a performing arts adventure in every venue. Best of all, many of the companies will also offer subscription and ticket specials and discounts.
The Sleeping Beauty from Houston Ballet (March 13-23)
Houston Ballet brings back HB artistic director emeritus Ben Stevenson’s beloved retelling of the classic fairytale. With its 1967 premiere in London, the ballet brought Stevenson international attention. He later revamped the epic work in 1990 to grace the grand stage of the Wortham Theater Center. Stevenson’s rendition unfolds the timeless tale of the beautiful princess, Aurora, cursed by the malevolent fairy, Carabosse. In a gripping narrative of good versus evil, the Lilac Fairy bestows upon Aurora the gift of sleeping for a hundred years, to awaken only with true love’s kiss. Set and costume designer Desmond Heeley adorns the stage with opulent sets and beguiling costumes fit for a fairytale.
Death of a Salesman at Rec Room (March 15-April 5)
Houston’s small but mighty theater space and company takes on one of the greatest plays of the American theater, Arthur Miller’s masterpiece that raised one low man into the pantheon of literature’s most complex tragic heroes. Traveling salesman, Willy Loman has spent his life buying into an American dream that turns into a delusion, while his wife and sons pay the price. Long time Alley Theatre resident actor, David Rainey, takes a walk down to Rec Room to step into the role of a lifetime as Willy. Rainey joins what looks to be a stellar, large cast, so we can’t wait to see these performances on the always intimate Rec Room stage.
Doubt from Garden Theatre (March 21-30)
Always a company ready to tackle a diversity of musicals and plays, Garden harvests this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning drama for the spring. Set in the 1960s when both the U.S and Catholic Church were feeling the upheaval of great political and social change, Doubt is the story of when a progressive young priest’s conduct comes under question by Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the school principal whose beliefs are deeply rooted in tradition. As the actions and motivations of each are scrutinized and suspicion mounts, the two are drawn into a battle of wills that threatens irrevocable consequences for all involved. After garnering audience raves for her performance as Governor Ann Richards in Garden’s production of Ann, local actress Nora Hahn returns to play Sister Aloysius Beauvier.
Flex at Ensemble Theatre (March 21-April 13)
If you’re feeling a bit of madness this March, this fast-breaking play about a women’s high school basketball team might be a theatrical slam dunk. With basketball as the backdrop, we are pulled into the lives of the members of the Lady Train basketball team. While several of teens have dreams of going pro in the WNBA, they must first navigate through the difficulties of being young, Black, and female in rural Arkansas, as well as the general growing pains of high school life. The production features an all-female cast of newcomers and established talent to bring a winning, dynamic lineup to the Ensemble stage.
Memoriam at Main Street Theater (March 23-April 18)
While speculative and science fiction have long been a favorite genre of novels and films, it’s not as often presented on stage, so we’re intrigued by this world premiere from international writer and producer Noga Flaishon. In the near future, Memoriam Inc. buys and sells memories, digitizing them for mass-viewership. Customers can rent other people’s memories–from romance to childbirth to joyful reunions–and experience them fully. Now Rachel, a buyer for Memoriam, is going after the most important and most personal memory acquisition she has ever sought: the memories of the last holocaust survivor on earth, her own grandmother. The play asks fundamental humans question about what memories mean, who owns them, and what we owe to future generations.
Frozen Section from Catastrophic Theatre (March 28-April 19)
Award-winning playwright and interdisciplinary theater artist Lisa D’Amour has a long history with Houston and Catastrophic, so perhaps it’s no surprise the company is premiering her latest work. Described as being set in a liminal, existential space of a grocery store, the story follows a disorganized collection of bewildered shoppers and workers who find comfort in the carefully organized aisles. These collected souls seem so removed from one another and so far from the messy origin of things. In the back alley, a cashier converses with a coyote; in Dairy, civilization dances with the wild. We’ll definitely line up at the check out stand to see this one featuring some of our favorite Catastrophic regulars.
