The Year in Culture

Expect theater's Flu Season wonder to last: Houston full of new art venues

I carried around the script of Flu Season for a while. That's how good the playwas.
Photo by Anthony Rathbun
Among Thugs had some breakout performances.
Photo by Natalie Hebert
Bluefinger played to sold-out crowds.
Photo by Anthony Rathbun

In 2010, there was a lot to like in Houston's theater scene, which showed growth at all levels. Among my favorites:

Mildred's Umbrella's production of Will Eno's The Flu Seasonwins "The Arthropologist's best of the year" award. I just made that award up. This very second. That's how much I loved this play.

Directed by Matt Huff, with a cast including Bobby Haworth, Sean Patrick Judge, Caleb George, Wayne Barnhill, Lyndsay Sweeney and Jessica Janes,The Flu Seasonsucceeded on all fronts. There was even a time when I carried the script around with me. Twisted, I know.

Even Edward Albee was in the audience. He appeared to be smiling. Eno mania continues with Oh, The Humanity and other exclamations at Stages Repertory Theatre on Jan. 26-Feb.20.

What a hilarious gem Theater LaB Houston had in Douglas Carter Beane's The Little Dog Laughed. The cast — stellar all — included Mary Hooper, Nate Suurmeyer, Bryan Kaplun and Rebekah Stevens.

In the glorious chestnuts department, South Pacific, (Lincoln Center production) presented by TUTS, looked as shiny as ever.

Catastrophic Theatre continued its steam roll momentum with Wallace Shawn's Our Late Night and The Designated Mourner, followed by the sold-out run of Bluefinger: The Fall and Rise of Herman Brood.

Three performances stood out on Houston's theater stages: Matt Kelly's portrayal of Herman Brood in Catastrophic Theatre's Bluefinger, Kim Tobin's crazed and nuanced take of Rachel in Brave Dog Theatre's fine production of Recklessand Santry Rush's misbehaving man in Horse Head Theater Co.'s production of Among The Thugs.

In that other Texas town, Austin, Kristen Kosmas' This from Cloudland, presented by the Fuse Box Festival and Physical Plant Theater, had me screaming, "I love this show," and that was right after I put my row mate into a coma about how unimportant it is whether or now I like anything. Stripped of the usual conventions of the stage, Kosmas lets words be their own kind of theater.

Another promising new trend I noticed: A lot of new performing and visual arts spaces opened or will open soon. They include:

Obsidian Art Space is a new cozy space for music and theater.
Spring Street Studios opens any day now.
14 Pews offers yet another micro cinema.
The Margaret Alkek Williams Dance Lab Houston Ballet's Center for Dance, slated for a spring opening, will be ideal for local dance theater and music troupes needing a space bigger than Barnevelder but smaller than Zilkha at the Hobby Center.

Editor's note: This is the 19th in a series of articles CultureMap will be running this transition week (the end of '10 and the beginning of '11) on The Year in Culture. The stories in this series will focus on a key point or two, something that struck our reporting team about the year rather than rote Top 10 lists or bests of.

"Here come the grannies!"

Walk through the Magic Door to experience the world of Bluey in Houston

bluey and bingo's bedroom at camp in houston

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

Bluey is coming to the Galleria this February “for real life” through an immersive event that invites visitors to enter the world of the famous Australian Heeler family. This one-of-a-kind experience brings the Heeler home and backyard to life with intricate details that will delight fans of all ages.

Tickets are on sale now for Bluey x CAMP, the inaugural interactive experience of the combination toy store, party venue, and immersive theater space. This is The Family Experience Company’s first CAMP location in Houston, with the business securing a 7,500-square-foot permanent retail space in the Galleria.

Through “The Magic Door,” a pivoting wall, visitors step into seasonally rotating interactive spaces beginning with a 5,000-square-foot lifesize replica of Bluey’s house.

Visitors can play games made popular by the show, such as grannies and keepy uppy, and bust a move when “dance mode” is activated. The kitchen’s fridge is covered in drawings by the Heeler puppies, while the living room TV plays Bluey.

Families can explore both a pillow fort and a cardboard castle — two-story structures complete with slides — before venturing into a playroom stocked with toys and costumes from the show. In the backyard, a recreation of the Heeler’s large tree is surrounded by charming gnomes. A photo opportunity with Bluey and Bingo tops off the visit.

Beyond the world of Bluey, CAMP offers even more for visitors in its Canteen space, with a splatter room, The Schmutz Bar (a slime creation station), a party room, and a playable truck. Customers can also shop for toys, clothing, and accessories.

Houston joins a list of CAMP’s locations in Dallas, Atlanta, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Installations change seasonally, with other current features including Paw Patrol, The Little Mermaid, and Encanto.

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

bluey galleria-houston camp bluey x camp