According to our friends at Space City Weather, the rain that has been soaking Houston for the past week appears to be done.
Let’s hope that situation continues this weekend – we’ve got happenings including a day of NASA events at the Ion, a film fest spotlighting the AAPI community, a grand opening block party for the Main Street Promenade, and a night of legendary R&B divas (two of them even appeared in this 40-year-old HBO special).
Thursday, May 28
The Ion and NASA present NASA Day at the Ion
The Ion and NASA are hosting NASA Day at the Ion, a full day spotlighting Artemis II, deep space exploration, and international space innovation. Attendees can begin the day with NASA Stories at the Ion, a new, family‑friendly series inviting the community to hear first‑hand from NASA experts, and return in the evening for NASA Tech Talks, a continuation of NASA’s long‑running series at the Ion. 8:30 am and 6 pm.
River Oaks Theatre presents The Future of Film is Female: Dreams in Nightmares
Three black queer femmes in their mid 30s take a road trip across the Midwestern United States in search of their friend, who has seemingly disappeared off the grid. With their sophomore feature (which was the opening night film at last year’s Houston Cinema Arts Festival), Shatara Michelle Ford (Test Pattern) puts their singular stamp on the American road movie. Part of The Future of Film is Female’s Three Films, Five Cities project. Co-presented by Houston Cinema Arts Society. 7 pm.
The Queens: 4 Legends. 1 Stage
Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, and Stephanie Mills all have decades of hits between them, from “Tell Me Something Good” to “Lady Marmalade” to “Midnight Train to Georgia” to “Home.” This weekend, Houstonians will have a chance to see them on the same show. They’ll be in Houston as part of the tour, The Queens: 4 Legends. 1 Stage., which brings the four trailblazing icons together for a celebration of legacy, sisterhood, and timeless music. 8 pm.
Friday, May 29
OCA-Greater Houston presents Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival
Founded in 2004 by OCA-Greater Houston, the Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival, or HAAPIFEST, highlights and celebrates the diversity of AAPI culture, food, and family, to support AAPI artists and filmmakers, and to share the untold AAPI experience for the Greater Houston metropolitan area through edutainment. Today, HAAPIFEST is an immersive, multi-day celebration of film, music, and art, showcased by a dedicated committee of volunteers. Through Sunday, June 7. 6 pm (11 am Saturday and Sunday).
Art Fusion Night Houston
Art Fusion Night (AFN), the international art collective and creative platform known for merging art, fashion, music, storytelling, culture, and elevated social experiences, officially makes its Houston debut for an exclusive two-night creative experience. Curated for a new generation of creatives, innovators, tastemakers, entrepreneurs, and culture enthusiasts, AFN has established itself as more than an event. It is a movement rooted in artistic collaboration and premium creative experiences designed to inspire meaningful social connection. 6 pm.
Houston Symphony presents "Lights! Camera! Music! 100 Years of Epic Film Scores"
The Houston Symphony will roll out the red carpet for the most famous movie-soundtrack moments in Hollywood history, from classic themes like King Kong and The Godfather to modern favorites like Pirates of the Caribbean and Gladiator. The Symphony and Chorus will journey through Hollywood history in chronological order and relive the power of movie magic. 7:30 pm (7:30 pm Friday; 2 pm Sunday).
Alley Theatre presents Misery
Famous romance author Paul Sheldon is rescued from a car crash by Annie Wilkes, his "number one fan.” As Annie nurses Paul to health, her obsession takes control. What begins as a rescue quickly turns into a dangerous entrapment as Paul writes for his life. Stephen King's chilling thriller (later brought to the big screen in 1990 by the late director Rob Reiner) comes to life on stage when a fan will stop at nothing for the sequel of her dreams. Through Sunday, June 21. 8 pm (8 pm Saturday; 2 & 7 pm Sunday).
Saturday, May 30
Good Times on Main: Grand Opening Block Party for the Main Street Promenade
Downtown Houston+ will celebrate a new era for one of the city’s most historic streets with the grand opening block party for the Main Street Promenade. The free community celebration will feature live entertainment, street performers, curated pop-up markets, local food & beverage offerings, and locally-owned businesses. Good Times on Main runs along Main from Rusk to Allen’s Landing, with free activities throughout the Promenade and nearby destinations including Market Square Park. 11 am.
IHWSH Mental Health Awareness Crawfish Boil
Since 2018, Houston-based nonprofit I’ll Have What She’s Having (IHWSH) has sought to improve health in hospitality and connect food and beverage workers (all genders) to preventive medical care and mental health care, free of charge. Newly appointed events director Layne Cruz will be serving up $35, five-pound platters of delicious mudbugs at Bad Astronaut Brewing Co. this weekend, with the proceeds supporting IHWSH mental health programs. 2 pm.
Improv Houston presents Tim Meadows
Before Kenan Thompson came along, Tim Meadows was the longest-running cast member of color on Saturday Night Live, appearing for 10 seasons from 1991 to 2000. He even headlined his own SNL movie, The Ladies Man, featuring his recurring character, lothario talk-show host Leon “The Ladies’ Man” Phelps. When he’s not doing movies or television shows, he’s also touring the country doing stand-up, which he’ll be doing this weekend at Improv Houston. 7 & 9:30 pm Saturday (7:30 pm Sunday).
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Days and Nights in the Forest
Ashim, Sanjoy, Hari, and Shekhar flee Calcutta for Palamu, one of India’s rural “tribal lands,” where they bribe their way into staying at a guesthouse. Full of Satyajit Ray’s most indelible characterizations and lavish images, the film touches on masculine vulnerabilities and Indian class divisions with the graceful complexity of a master at his peak. This stunning new digital restoration will also have a recorded intro from none other than our own Wes Anderson. 7 pm (5 pm Sunday).
Sunday, May 31
Houston Ballet presents An Evening with the Stars
Houston Ballet brings together three distinct choreographic voices, blending innovation, artistry, and musicality. Alice Topp makes her company debut with a new creation, Sisu, while Stanton Welch’s Tapestry draws inspiration from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 and the intricate artistry of weaving. Completing the program, Jerome Robbins’ Dances at a Gathering offers a poetic, non-narrative exploration of human connection, set to the expressive piano music of Frédéric Chopin. Through Sunday, June 7. 2 pm.
Stages presents Spamilton
Created by Gerard Alessandrini, the comic mastermind behind the long-running hit Forbidden Broadway, and performed by a versatile cast of six, Spamilton: An American Parody is a side-splitting musical parody. It's a crash course on everyone’s favorite Broadway blockbusters, including celebrity satires, pop culture zings, all accompanied with hip-hop on the piano. Stages will pair the homage with 21 Chump Street, a short, musical gem from Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. Through Sunday, June 21. 2 pm.
Meow Wolf Houston presents Monster Rally
Ted Feighan has never been interested in staying in one lane for too long — even if that means forging a new lane of his own. When the producer/multi-instrumentalist/visual artist known as Monster Rally began work on Echoes of the Emerald Sands, his recently-released, 10th full-length record, he gave himself a straightforward set of criteria: Make something unlike anything he’d made before. He’ll be performing at Meow Wolf this weekend, along with electronic producer/multi-instrumentalist RUMTUM. 7 pm.
