look at the stars...

Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, The Princess Bride's hunky hero, Isaac Mizrahi, and more headline Performing Arts Houston's new season

With headliners like the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, John Waters, David Sedaris, plus new works by Houston artists, Performing Arts Houston's 2023-2024 season is set to offer a deep bench of styles and troupes from around the globe.

Two companies appearing on the schedule, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and Kronos Quartet, are celebrating their 50th anniversaries; another, Step Afrika, is making its debut on the Performing Arts Houston stage.

“The '23-'24 season is about celebrating milestones and sharing moments that inspire joy,” said Performing Arts Houston president and CEO Meg Booth in a release announcing the lineup. “We are presenting a wide range of artistic programming with a common thread of artists who embrace life with curiosity, humor, and creativity.”

Opening the season on September 16 is MOMIX, bringing with it choreography blended with visual illusions and acrobatics. The troupe puts its spin on the classic story of Alice in Wonderland. For an extra $100, audience members can attend a special opening night party that benefits Performing Arts Houston's education and community engagement programs. The performance takes place at the Cullen Theater in the Wortham Theater Center.

The following week, on September 23, An Evening with Isaac Mizrahi, is part cabaret, part exploration of the life of the iconic fashion designer and media icon. He'll be on the Zilkha Hall stage of the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts with a jazz ensemble, offering his comedic musings on his experiences.

On October 13, legendary director, author, and artist John Waters brings his End of the World vaudevillian monologue to Houston, appearing at the Cullen Theater. That's followed on October 19 by Latin Grammy Award-winner Lila Downs and her new show, Dia de Los Muertos, featuring folklorico dancing and a mariachi band.

Families will get a kick out of Madagascar: The Musical, in town October 20 through 21. Based on the DreamWorks movie, it's the story of some adventurous animals on an epic journey. Hot on their heels on October 22 is Howie Mandel, the irrepressible comic and America's Got Talent judge, who is making his Performing Arts Houston debut. Both Madagascar and Mandel perform at Jones Hall.

Rounding out October is another debut act, Step Afrika!. The dance group specializing in stepping celebrates its 30th anniversary and was founded by Houstonian C. Brian Williams. Their performance, Drumfolk, is inspired by the Stono Rebellion of 1739.

One of the most celebrated choral groups in the world opens the month of November. The Vienna Boys Choir appears in concert at the Cullen Theater on November 1, marking their centennial of touring the globe, sharing their signature sound.

Performing Arts Houston audience favorite and writer David Sedaris is back at Jones Hall for the 12th time on November 3, in an event that includes his keen observations, laughs, and a book signing.

On into 2024, fans can expect programming dedicated to new local works. On January 19 and 20, New/Now: The Houston Artist Commissioning Project marks its third year of world premieres by Houstonians. The performance, at the Cullen Theater, will be pay-what-you-can on a sliding scale from free to $100.

The all-male ballet troupe, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo come to Jones Hall on January 23 as part of their 50th Anniversary Tour. They've been a mainstay on the Performing Arts Houston stage since 1978. Time for Three arrive on February 9. The classical crossover artists make their Houston debut, sharing with audiences their innovative blending of conservatory training and pop vocals.

On February 23, Manual Cinema’sLeonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster brings the beloved books of Mo Willems to life with props, puppets, and live music, creating a film about friendship and acceptance in real time.

March 7 through 9 brings the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater back to Houston. One of the most renowned dance companies in the world, known for high energy and innovative choreography, the troupe performs at Jones Hall and will perform a series of works, including its signature Revelations.

Pianist Bruce Liu performs a concert of works by Ramaeu, Ravel, Chopin, and Liszt at the Cullen Theater on April 2. The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes arrives at Jones Hall on April 12. The actor will host a screening of the film, followed by a Q&A.

Grammy Award-winning group Kronos Quartet performs A Thousand Thoughts on April 13 at Jones Hall. The evening is a live documentary chronicling the quartet’s groundbreaking, continent-spanning, multi-decade career. The performance features music and messages from Kronos’ longtime collaborators, including Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Terry Riley, Tanya Tagaq, and Steve Reich.

The internationally acclaimed Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain closes the season on April 30 at the Cullen Theater. Expect their signature British humor and catalogue of rock, pop, jazz, and classical ukulele arrangements. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own ukulele and play along during a special portion of the performance.

Performance tickets are already on sale to members,, and single tickets go on sale to the public beginning later this summer and on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Memberships start at $25, and members enjoying a range of benefits like priority access, discounts, donor benefits, and more. Find more information here.

Photo by Dario Calmese

Alvin Ailey Dance Theater leaps into town.

A Roman Holiday (Season)

All roads lead to Houston museum's blockbuster exhibit of Imperial Rome

Photo courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston presents "Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times" ("Statue of Trajan" Minturno, Italy, 2nd century, marble, National Archaeological Museum, Naples)

Houston's holiday season will have a distinctly Roman feeling this year, as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is bringing the glory of the Gladiator era to Texas. On November 2, 2025 through January 25, 2026 the MFAH presents the monumental new exhibition “Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times.”

Featuring 160 objects of antiquity, including marble sculptures, frescoes, mosaics, delicate glass vessels, and exquisite bronze artifacts, the exhibition will transport visitors back in time to the Roman Empire during a flowering of art and architecture. The MFAH partnered with the Saint Louis Art Museum to organize the exhibition, which will showcase many pieces that have never been on view in the U.S.

While Emperor Trajan might not be the most famous — or in some cases, most infamous — of the Roman emperors, he ruled between 98 and 117 C.E. during the empire’s height and was the second of the so-called “Five Good Emperors” of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty. He was also the first emperor born outside of present-day Italy, in what is now Andalusia, Spain. During his reign, he granted citizenship and rights to some peoples from conquered lands. The exhibition will explore how this time period expanded what it meant to be a Roman and how art reflected Rome’s power and promoted the empire’s values and ideals.

$\u200bThe Museum of Fine Arts Houston presents "Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times"$

Photo courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston presents "Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times" ("Statue of Trajan" Minturno, Italy, 2nd century, marble, National Archaeological Museum, Naples)

From statues of prominent men and women of the era, including Trajan, to vivid frescoes and furnishing from the villas of Pompeii, the objects in the exhibition will tell fascinating cultural and political stories of life in imperial Rome. To add context to the artworks and objects of antiquity, the MFAH will recreate a section of Trajan’s Column, which was a towering pillar with a spiraling narrative frieze, one of the few monumental sculptures to have survived the fall of Rome.

“Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times” brings such a wealth of objects to Houston thanks to unprecedented loans from the renowned antiquities collections of Italian museums including Museo Nazionale Romano, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, the Parco Archeologico di Ostia, and the Musei Vaticani. It would would likely take months of travel across Italy to see this much art.

“This is truly a rare opportunity for U.S. audiences to experience spectacular objects from this glorious era of the Roman Empire,” said Gary Tinterow, director and Margaret Alkek Williams chair of the MFAH, in a statement. “We are enormously grateful to our colleagues in Rome, Naples, and Vatican City for lending these treasures to us and broadening the appreciation of Italy’s cultural heritage.”