Total Blackout Tour

Chris Rock returns to live comedy with concert stop at new $84 million Sugar Land arena

Chris Rock at Rihanna Fenty Puma fashion show

Chris Rock is embarking on his first tour in nine years.

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Fenty Puma

It's shaping up to be fun 2017 in Sugar Land as comedian Chris Rock joins a stellar all-star lineup at the new Smart Financial Centre, which opens in January.

The award-winning comedian, actor, director, writer and producer announced his highly anticipated return to live comedy with The Total Blackout Tour 2017, including stops in two Texas cities. Rock will appear at the Smart Financial Center on May 13 and the Bass Concert Hall in Austin on May 14.

"First time in nine years, OK?” he said in an announcement recorded at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles. “Haven’t done it in a while. Been a little busy, you know, writing Pootie Tang 3 and everything.”

Tickets go on sale to the general public at noon on Friday, December 9, at www.livenation.com. Pre-sale of tickets to Citi card members, Live Nation website and mobile app account holders, and Ticketmaster account holders will take place December 7 and 8.

The tour kicks off on Valentine's Day in Durham, North Carolina, and will visit 26 U.S. cities, with more to be added at a later date.

With a career spanning more than three decades, Rock drew a lot of attention as the host of last year's Academy Awards, where he delivered a memorable monologue after no actors of color had been nominated in leading roles. He recently directed the HBO comedy special Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo and made a guest cameo on a recent episode of Saturday Night Live.

The Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land opens on January 14 with a grand opening celebration featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Other top names booked for the new $84 million arena are Don Henley (January 15), Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds (January 25), Reba McEntire (January 27), Kristin Chenoweth (January 28), Sting (February 23), Billy Crystal (February 25), Tony Bennett (March 14), and Steve Martin and Martin Short (April 7).

The venue, which can set up to 6,000, is a joint project of the city of Sugar Land and Ace Theatrical Group, headed by longtime Houston entertainment impresario Allen Becker.

concerts

"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