weekend event planner

Here are the top 14 things to do in Houston this weekend

The Houston Grand Opera presents Turandot.

Photo by Michael Cooper

This weekend sees a weekend art market pop-up, and must-see works at the symphony and opera. Comic book fans can unite, as can zydeco fans, and for Mom, there's fun with yoga a-brewin'.

Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, May 5

Art is an Outdoor Market Pop-Up
The Art Cellar of Houston has curated an amazing pop-up art market of local creators and curators and their creative wares, and is bringing them to the Greenway Plaza community. Vendors will include artists, jewelry designers, painting and print makers, bakers, and many other types of art. The market will be located in the Rotunda area of The Hub (aka the plaza food court), closest to 5 Greenway Plaza. 10 am.

Sig's Lagoon presents BEAST in the Bayou
It appears that Mid Main Houston will be throwing another epic, First Thursday block party. And the record geeks around the corner at Sig's Lagoon will also be having an intriguing art show on their premises. The record store will be presenting a solo art show by Bryan-based "addicts of visual street culture" Beast Syndicate. Swing by the store and catch a new selection of screen prints, canvas, and congé prints from the Syndicate. Tunes will be provided by DJ Hot Rocks. 6 pm.

Creative Movement Practices presents Macbeth
A fictional retelling of historical events, Shakespeare’s Macbeth weaves a tale of witchcraft, regicide, and the punishment of death with no legacy. Creative Movement Practices will merge the potency of Shakespeare’s text, the historical context under which it was written, and present-day realities to create a new retelling that looks at how politics, race, gender, and religion all affect the world in which these characters live and die in. 7:30 pm (8 pm Saturday; 2 pm Sunday).

Friday, May 6

Faith In Practice Women's Luncheon
This luncheon will celebrate the women of Guatemala, while also supporting the life-changing medical mission of Faith In Practice. This year’s honored speakers will be Catherine Cahill, E. Stirling Craig, and Andrea Tager. Guests will also have the chance to shop for Guatemalan jewelry and other handmade items. Proceeds will go toward the medical, dental, and surgical care that Faith In Practice provides in Guatemala. 10:30 pm.

Mitochondria Gallery presents "Fragments of perceptions" opening reception
This debut solo exhibition by visual artist Nedia Were features a new body of work presented in the form of figurative paintings that confront how an individual or group of people are perceived by the society, and vice versa. The works in this exhibition arose from Nedia’s investigation into the divergence between perception and reality. This is the second collaboration between Were and the gallery. Through Friday, May 27. 5:30 pm.

Houston Grand Opera presents Turandot
Considered Puccini’s finest musical masterpiece, the opera transports audiences to a fantasy land ruled by the titular princess, who doesn’t want to marry. She gives her would-be suitors two options: answer three vexing riddles correctly, or die by beheading. Soprano and HGO Studio alumna Tamara Wilson, tenor Kristian Benedikt (in his HGO debut), Studio alumna and soprano Nicole Heaston, and bass and Studio alumnus Peixin Chen lead the diverse and globe-spanning cast. 7:30 pm (2 pm Sunday).

Houston Symphony presents Fanfare for the Common Man: Copland + World Premiere
Often called the “Great American Symphony,” Aaron Copland’s monumental Symphony No. 3 takes listeners on an extraordinary journey. Houston Symphony percussionist Matthew Strauss and Svet Stoyanov will showcase the full spectrum of percussion’s expressive power with the world premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Duo Duel for Two Percussionists and Orchestra. The Saturday performance will be available to livestream. 8 pm (2:30 pm Sunday).

Saturday, May 7

Asia Society Texas presents Teen Books Alive with Malinda Lo
In partnership with Houston Public Library, Asia Society Texas welcomes the National Book award-winning, bestselling author Malinda Lo for a conversation about identity and representation in her latest book, her illustrious career, and recent challenges related to book censorship. Following the conversation, guests will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A and 50 teens will have a chance to receive a copy of her book, Last Night at the Telegraph Club. 11 am.

Free Comic Book Day 2022 at Gulf Coast Cosmos Comicbook Co.
Comic book stores all over the world will be taking part in the annual tradition known as Free Comic Book Day, including many shops right here in Houston. For those who will be bouncing from store to store, snatching up free loot, don't forget to head over to the Third Ward and see what's popping at this neighborhood spot. Along with free comic books, there will be activities, raffles and a book signing/meet & greet with Houston's own Lane Fobbs (Becky). 11 am.

2022 Houston Zydeco Fest
This is the biggest and baddest zydeco festival in Texas. A day of dancing, eating, partying and smiling is waiting for you and yours. Spend your day with the best zydeco bands in the nation. We're talking Keyun & the Zydeco Masters, LT & the Zydeco Mob, Nooney & the Zydeco Floaters, Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble and so on. The stage will be rocking all day -- and you will be on your feet non-stop! 2 pm.

Box 13 Art Space presents Empty BOX: Boombox
BOX 13’s annual exhibition and fundraiser comes back as the Empty BOX: Boombox. They are celebrating their 14th year by bringing back the '80s with good beats, scrunchies, and dance moves. The fundraiser exists in two parts: a silent auction, which is a way to add work from outstanding local, national, and international artists to your collection; and the Poor Man’s Raffle, which offers the chance to win work by current Box 13 Resident Artists. 7 pm.

Sunday, May 8

Mother's Day Yoga & Brews at Ingenious Brewing Company
Instead of you and your momma heading out to another awkward brunch this Mother's Day, why don't you two get your yoga on at this get-together. Grab your yoga mats and come join Ingenious Brewing Company for some yoga and brews. $15 per adult includes a one-hour yoga class hosted by Jennifer Wheeland and a free beer of your choice after. Tx Crutch BBQ will also be around at noon to serve up some delicious, post-workout mudbugs. 10:30 am.

Alley Theatre presents Born with Teeth
An aging authoritarian ruler, a violent police state, a restless polarized people seething with paranoia: it’s a dangerous time for poets. Two of them — the great Kit Marlowe and the up-and-comer Will Shakespeare — meet in the back room of a pub to collaborate on a history play cycle, navigate the perils of art under a totalitarian regime, and flirt like young men with everything to lose. Through Saturday, June 25. 2:30 pm.

Houston Latin American Philharmonic presents Mother's Day Serenade
The Houston Latin American Philharmonic presents its annual Mother’s Day Serenade. The guest artist for this special concert is the international star José Luis Rodriguez, known artistically as “El Puma.” The program will include "Amante Eterna," "Culpable Soy Yo," "Hay Muchas Cosas," "Te Propongo," "Himno a la Alegria," "Agarrense de las Manos," "Pavo Real," and more. The orchestra is led by American-Venezuelan maestro Glenn Garrido. 6:30 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

An all-star cast delivers clever laughs in new comedy The Invite

Photo courtesy of A24

Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton in The Invite.

Once upon a time, well before scandal embroiled him, Woody Allen made great comedies aimed at adults. That type of film — which is different from the raunchy, R-rated comedies of the 21st century — has fallen out of favor in Hollywood, but as the new film The Invite proves, when done well it can be as funny as anything else out there.

Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are an unhappily married couple living in San Francisco. As we meet them, Joe has arrived home to Angela preparing for a visit from their upstairs neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz), who have moved in relatively recently. Their impending arrival starts a new round of arguing between Joe and Angela, something they can barely contain once the other couple comes to their door.

What proceeds is a getting-to-know-you process that is mostly awkward as Joe and Angela continue sniping at each other while Hawk and Piña put in their two cents in a much calmer manner. A sticking point between the two couples — the loud sex Hawk and Piña have on an almost nightly basis — turns the film on its head with an unexpected invitation.

Directed by Wilde and written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the film is a fast-paced chamber piece that takes place almost entirely in Joe and Angela’s apartment. Wilde, the writers, and the actors speed the story along not with action but through almost non-stop dialogue that often has the characters overlapping each other’s lines. The rapidity of the speech fuels the humor of the situation and establishes the differing personalities of each person.

Sex is very much top of mind for each of the characters for most of the film, but the filmmakers approach the topic in such a way that it never feels salacious. Each of the characters is a rational adult who can talk about sex in a mature manner while also acknowledging their unique feelings on the matter. And it’s the discoveries each of them makes along the way that brings about the most comedy.

But, like any comedy for adults, the film also has a dramatic tilt to it, and Wilde edges the story back-and-forth between the two tones extremely well. Joe and Angela fighting is played for laughs at times, but the sadness of their relationship comes through loud and clear. Hawk and Piña are much more intimate with each other, but the funniness of their openness is juxtaposed with a depth that arises through their conversations.

In the 2020s, Rogen has managed to make the transition from goofy stoner to stoner with real acting chops. In a stacked cast, he is the one who sells every moment the best. That’s not to say that Wilde, Norton, and Cruz don’t measure up, though; each of them inhabits their respective roles magnificently. The four actors play off each other as if they had been working together for years.

While The Invite will likely play better to those who have experience with long term relationships, its insights — and occasional bawdiness — make it a comedy that can be appreciated universally. With four actors at the top of their games and a razor-sharp script made even better by some well-done improv, it proves that you don’t need to go low to get great laughs.

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The Invite is now playing in theaters.

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