rooftop cinema's winter wonderland

Houston's first rooftop theater unveils holiday schedule and new perk

Rooftop Cinema Club hero shot full aerial shot BLVD Place outdoor movie

Fans can expect a slew of holiday movies plus an exciting new feature.

Photo courtesy of Rooftop Cinema Club

Since its highly anticipated opening, locals have been fervently packing the Rooftop Cinema Club. The demand has been so high that November dates are nearly sold out for the month ahead.

Now, the outdoor theater is treating Houstonians to holiday-themed screenings, cold-weather cocktails, and even a chance to catch sold-out shows at the BLVD Place locale (1700 Post Oak Blvd.).

Tickets for December viewings are now on sale, with the program offering holiday favorites and double screenings Thursdays through Sundays.

The popular Rooftop Kids Club will add a special Kids Club meal complete with hot chocolate, small Good Dog hot dog, and coloring sheet. Adults can enjoy an expanded menu of hot cocktails such as hot toddies and muddled wine, plus warm soups in addition to current menu items.

Perhaps most exciting for moviegoers is a new wait list. Fans can arrive at the venue the night of sold-out show and add their name to the wait list. There are no guarantees of admittance, according to a statement. The club’s open seating and games area, as well as the full bar and food from Good Dog Houston, are still open to visitors with no ticket required.

Here is the December schedule of shows. The venue will close temporarily for the winter season and reopen a few months into the New Year, per a statement. Fans are advised to purchase tickets early as shows promise to sell out. Of course, part of the fun could be curling up a hot toddie and waiting to get in on a sold-out evening screening of Love Actually.

December 1 – Home Alone
December 1 – Home Alone 2: Lost In New York
December 2 – A Muppet Christmas Carol
December 2 – Love Actually
December 4 – Edward Scissorhands
December 5 – Lethal Weapon
December 6 – Jingle All the Way
December 6 – It's A Wonderful Life
December 7 – Meet Me in St. Louis
December 7 – Love Actually
December 8 – The Polar Express
December 8 – Elf
December 9 – Arthur Christmas
December 9 – The Holiday
December 10 – Batman Returns
December 11 – While You Were Sleeping
December 12 – When Harry Met Sally
December 13 – A Christmas Story
December 13 – National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
December 14 – Elf
December 14 – Home Alone
December 15 – The Santa Clause
December 15 – Gremlins
December 16 – Ernest Saves Christmas
December 16 – Love Actually
December 17 – The Holiday
December 18 – The Preacher's Wife
December 19 – White Christmas
December 20 – A Muppet Christmas Carol
December 20 – It's A Wonderful Life
December 21 – Elf
December 21 – Die Hard
December 22 – The Nightmare Before Christmas
December 22 – Home Alone

movies

One More for the Road

ZZ Top honors late drummer Frank Beard with Austin tribute concert

ZZ Top/Facebook

ZZ Top will celebrate their late drummer, Frank Beard (middle, after a show in Canada), at one of his favorite venues.

Texas rock trio ZZ Top will play a tribute to their late drummer, Frank Beard, at their scheduled Austin tour stops at ACL Live at the Moody Theater on August 22 and 23. Beard died Monday, August 17, at 77.

The band announced Beard's death in a social media statement.

Lead vocalist and songwriter Billy Gibbons wrote, "Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas. His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top."

ZZ Top canceled performances in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs following Beard's death. The Austin shows will be the band's first onstage again, offering a fitting time to celebrate the Texas great. A statement on the band's website calls the Austin City Limits stage "one of Frank’s favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him."

Beard was born near Tyler in Frankston, Texas, in 1949. He was raised in Irving, outside Dallas, and the band formed in Houston in 1969. The Austin Chronicle reported in 2013 that Beard was then splitting time between a house on Lake Travis, in Austin, and Houston. He died on his ranch in the Houston suburb of Richmond.

ZZ Top was known for its large performances and elaborate setup, none more so than the Worldwide Texas Tour, which included a Texas-shaped stage and a collection of live Texas animals.

In 1974, the band left its mark on Austin — for better or worse — at "ZZ Top’s First Annual Texas Sized Rompin’ Stompin’ Barndance & Bar B.Q." at the University of Texas. It was the first, but also the last, since around 80,000 of the band's "friends" trashed the venue, earned the disapproval of the famous Coach Royal, and were ostensibly responsible for the venue not hosting another rock show until 1995. ZZ Top's two encores had 20 years to ring out after the legendary, if infamous show.

ZZ Top will make their upcoming Austin appearances as part of The Big One! Tour on Saturday, August 22, at 8 pm and Sunday, August 23, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are still available for both shows at acllive.com.

live music music history celebrities obituary acl live concerts