weekend event planner

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

TUTS presents a refreshed Rent.

Photo by Melissa Taylor

This weekend, a group of young New Yorkers worry about how they'll play rent — and a lot more, while some Austin teens stay dazed and confused. Those with a green thumb can get their plant on, while space lovers can celebrate a milestone anniversary of Spacelab.

Scaly reptiles invade NRG and a Sunday Funday concert brings the jams without the booze.

Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, May 18

Shocks and Jolts Summer Exhibit at Children’s Museum Houston

Get ready for a shock to your system with an electrifying exhibit like no other. Experience what the “Shocks & Jolts” exhibit is all about during a stunning opening ceremony where people will complete an electric circuit by making a human chain to open the gallery. Made possible by OXY, the exhibit will enable you to discover the illuminating field of electrostatics, examine the properties of electromagnetism, and build and test your own electrical circuits. 10 am.

Dartmouth College and University of Houston presents MusicMexico 2023 Symposium

For three days, the Hopkins Center for the Arts (the Hop) at Dartmouth and the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston will convene musicians, performers and scholars to explore the past and future of Mexican music and its representation in wind band literature and educational settings. The second Music Mexico Symposium is part of Dartmouth’s ongoing Mexican Repertoire Initiative to enhance access to and appreciation for Mexican artists, who are actively innovating and contributing to the evolution of wind music. 6 pm (7:30 am Friday and Saturday).

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown presents Dazed and Confused

Alright, alright, alright! Enjoy the sights, sips and sounds atop BLVD Place. Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown has partnered with Saint Arnold Brewing Company to present Texas filmmaker RIchard Linklater’s 1993, back-to-the-’70s favorite, which launched the careers of so many stars (Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Renee Zellweger). Saint Arnold will provide guests with tastings of their newest beer, Simmer Pilsner. which pairs impeccably with the nostalgic teen comedy and the skyline of Uptown Houston. 7:45 pm.

Friday, May 19

PlantCon International

The inaugural plant convention PlantCon International is a 100-vendor plant market and exhibition featuring rare and hard-to-find plants, seminars and workshops from field experts, and a unique non-profit mission to promote inclusivity and visibility for all national and international plant organizations. The event is organized by With Heart Collective, a non-profit focused on creating inclusive spaces and opportunities for small, minority-owned businesses and their customers. 6 am (8 am Saturday; 10 am Sunday).

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV

This fascinating documentary (narrated by Steven Yeun) chronicles the life and career of Nam June Paik (1932–2006), “the father of video art.” Born in Japan-occupied Korea, Paik studied as a classical musician before moving to Germany in the 1950s, where he became a member of the influential, experimental art movement Fluxus. Relocating to the United States, he became fully engaged with television and video, revolutionizing the use of technology. 7 pm (5 pm Sunday).

Space Center Houston presents Skylab 50th Anniversary Evening Celebration

Space Center Houston will mark the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking Skylab space station. Guests will have exclusive, after-hours access to Space Center Houston, with a special cocktail hour in the Skylab trainer exhibit. The reception will include passed hors d’oeuvres, beer, and wine, with liquor available to purchase, live music, and the unboxing of Skylab artifacts. 7 pm.

Houston Symphony presents Stravinsky Oedipus Rex

Sophocles meets the groundbreaking musical language of Stravinsky: the result is raw, riveting, and unforgettable. Lose yourself in the drama as this mythic tale of fate, political intrigue, and patricide unfolds, realized with stunning on-stage visuals created specially for these performances by artist Adam Larsen. Music Director Designate Juraj Valčuha and the orchestra are joined by world-famous opera superstars Sean Panikkar and Michelle DeYoung, along with the Houston Symphony Men’s Chorus. 8 pm.

Saturday, May 20

The Crawfish Open Championship at Low Tide Kitchen and Bar

Spring Branch seafood restaurant Low Tide Kitchen and Bar is hosting a unique crawfish eating contest. It’s open to all amateur eaters 18 years or older. (Entries will be accepted through May 18 by 8:00 p.m. A non-refundable entry fee of $20 must be paid to participate.) Contestants will be given a tray of crawfish that will be weighed before and after the contest. The competitor to eat the most crawfish meat by weight at the end of eight minutes wins. The winner will receive the Crawfish Open Trophy Belt and Prize Basket. Noon.

Southside Sporting Club Welcomes Keith Frank & The Soileau Zydeco Band

Southside Sportside Club will welcome Louisiana’s Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band for one performance only. Led by the legendary vocalist and accordion player Keith Frank, their music is a modern celebration of Louisiana culture that’s earned them a loyal following and acclaim. The band features some of the most talented guitarists, drummers, bassists, and fiddlers in the genre and they put on a show like no other, with electrifying performances and crowd-pleasing hits that never fail to get their audiences up and dancing. 5 pm.

Blaffer Art Museum presents Robert Hodge x Tim Kerr: "No Kings But Us" opening reception

Hodge-Kerr is a collaboration between Houston-based artist and impresario Robert Hodge and Austin-based musician and artist Tim Kerr. Individually, their work is steeped in the rich history between music and pop culture, and they share a deep interest in racial equality and human rights. With mutual admiration and converging interests, from color palette to messaging to medium, they have come together to entwine a creative vision. Through Sunday, June 4. 6 pm.

Theatre Under The Stars presents Rent

Winner of the Tony for Best Musical and Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this sensational musical has captured the hearts of millions of theater fans around the world. A re-imagining of Puccini's La Bohème, Rent follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters — love. Through Sunday, May 28. 2 & 8 pm (2 and 7:30 pm Sunday).

Sunday, May 21

Reptilian Nation Expo: Reptile and Amphibian Show

This weekend, over at NRG Center, Reptilian Nation Expo will feature 100+ breeders and vendors with over 300 tables of reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, isopods, and other bugs. Visitors can buy supplies, enclosures, insect/rodent feeders, and more. There will also be crocodilian and exotic, venomous snake presentations. So, if you’re the type of brave soul who isn’t freaked out by these little mofos, this expo is right up your alley. 10 am.

The Party Sober Partnership presents Recover Out Loud Soberfest 2023

SoberFest HTX 2023 is a unique event that celebrates the joys of sobriety while showcasing the power of music. It is an inclusive space where everyone can come together to have fun, dance, and enjoy great music without the influence of alcohol or drugs. By sober people for sober people, this festival is an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and to embrace a sober lifestyle. The festival will feature a variety of food trucks, vendor booths, and mocktails to keep everyone entertained throughout the day. Noon.

Impractical Jokers: The Drive Drive Drive Drive Drive Tour

Brian “Q” Quinn, James “Murr” Murray, and Sal Vulcano of the beloved prank show Impractical Jokers will bring The Drive Drive Drive Drive Drive Tour to Sugar Land. The hidden-camera comedy show follows Q, Murr and Sal as they compete to embarrass each other amongst the general public, with a series of hilarious and outrageous dares. This event will feature never-before-seen videos and storytelling stand-up. 5 pm.

and the tony goes to...

Standout Houston-born Broadway star shines as Best Actor nominee in upcoming Tony Awards

Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

Left to right Alex Newell, Caroline Innerbichler, Kevin Cahoon, and Andrew Durand in SHUCKED

Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

(Left to right) Alex Newell, Caroline Innerbichler, Kevin Cahoon, and Andrew Durand in Shucked.

Houstonians tuning into the 76th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday, June 11 honoring Broadway's best and brightest have an inspiring special reason to cheer.

Kevin Cahoon, a graduate of the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, is in the running for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for his performance in Shucked. He plays Peanut in the show, which Variety called "surprise delight of the Broadway season."

"It is a lifelong dream come true," Cahoon tells CultureMap. "I am gobsmacked. And every time someone brings it up, it's like hearing it for the first time. I keep pinching myself."

A Houston star is born

Cahoon said he knew from a very early age he wanted to perform. At age six, he began working as a rodeo clown. HIs father was a calf roper who met his mother at a school rodeo club. Over his next decade, Cahoon would go on to perform in rodeos across Texas and Oklahoma, including at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

By age 10, he was enrolled in TUTS' Humphreys School of Musical Theatre and was performing on the mainstage. That's where he met Vanessa Garner, who became his HSPVA classmate and the founder of the Nashville Theatre School.

"She's my date to the Tonys," Cahoon notes.

For Cahoon, attending HPSVA gave him more than just an opportunity to hone his skills as an actor and a launching pad for a career that, thus far, has spanned three decades.

"HSPVA really was a safe haven for smart, talented, brilliant oddballs to feel supported," he sats. "I was a gay kid. I wasn't out, but the writing was on the wall. And it wasn't an easy daily existence in middle school. But I got to HSPVA and it was this school full of unicorns in the best possible way!"

He graduated from HSPVA in 1989 and went on to earn his BFA from NYU's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts.

"Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country, and growing up here caused my heart, my mind, my eyes to be open to people of other backgrounds," says Cahoon. "When I hit New York City, I'd already been exposed to people from so many different backgrounds, and a lot of that was true at HSPVA, too."

Once he arrived in New York, he stayed.

From PVA to Broadway

Following graduation from NYU, he made his Broadway debut in The Who's Tommy, stepping into the ensemble as a replacement after the show opened. He originated the role of Ed, one of the hyenas in the original Broadway cast of Disney's The Lion King.

He was in the original casts of The Rocky Horror Show as Phantom and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as the Childcatcher, and originated the role of George in The Wedding Singer, the musical based on the Adam Sandler film of the same name.

Television audiences will know him as Ed Clark in Fox's Monarch and Hugo from seasons two and three of A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix, as well as that streaming service's season three of Glow, where he played Bobby Barnes.

Shucked and awe

Shucked, with a score by Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally and book by Robert Horn, is nominated for nine Tony Awards. The musical tells the story of Maizy and Beau, two residents of the fictional Midwestern community of Cobb County who are forced to call off their wedding when the corn crop gets blighted.

As corn is the lifeblood of this community, Maisy heads off to the big city looking for help and a way to save the crop. The show's corniness has been compared to the classic "Hee-Haw" comedy TV show, and its earnestness has been delighting audiences and critics. Cahoon's Peanut is something of the show's everyman, serving as county clerk, resident philosopher, and more. He's the guy with lines like, “I think if you have time to jump in front of a bullet for someone, they have time to move.”

The New York Post called his performance "brilliant."

"It's been peaks and valleys, peaks and valleys," reflects Cahoon on his journey with Peanut in the show, which as taken 12 years from development to the Great White Way. He's been part of it for a decade, through workshops and readthroughs. A pre-Broadway run in D.C. was shuttered due to the pandemic.

So, having the show finally arrive on Broadway is a triumph.

"Audiences tell us, ''I'm from Nebraska,' 'I'm from Ohio,'" says Cahoon. "And they've never felt like they've seen themselves in a positive light in a lot of media."

For Cahoon, playing Peanut is a joy.

"I love that does everything in the town," he says. "And he tries to keep everyone's spirits afloat. He looks at the world, which can be unfair and sometimes unjust and he still has this positive, sunshiny view of it. This is one of the great gifts of my career."

Kinder in the house

At the Tony Awards on Sunday, Cahoon won't be the only HSPVA representing H-Town. While his is the only performance by an alumni that's nominated for an individual award, Sterling Overshown, HSPVA Class of 2012, wrote the music for Ain't No Mo, nominated for six Tony, including Best Play.

Meanwhile, Fernell Hogan, Class of 2015, is in the musical Kimberly Akimbo, which received eight nominations, including Best Musical. Jarvis B. Manning, Jr., Class of 2005, is in Some Like It Hot, nominated for 13 Tonys, including Best Musical. Brandon Lee, Class of 2001 plays trumpet in that show's orchestra.

A standing-o representation, indeed.

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Watch for Kevin Cahoon on The 76th Annual Tony Awards, broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+ at 7 pm Sunday, June 11.