This Sunday, much of Houston will celebrate their moms and the maternal figures in their lives. Haven't found a restaurant or present yet? Not to worry: Eric Sandler has your last-minute reservations, and we've rounded up great gifts for Mom.
Meanwhile, the world's most iconic detective sleuths at the Alley — for a second extension — and our beloved Miller Outdoor Theatre tuns 100 years old with a grand celebration. The Cure brings a show just like heaven to town, and the Sugar Land Space Cowboys leave the field and hit the pubs (read on).
Enjoy, and Happy Mother's Day to moms and maternal figures everywhere. Here are your best bets for the weekend.
Thursday, May 11
Alley Theatre presents Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily
In this comic twist on a classic sleuthing caper, actress Lillie Langtry (a.k.a the Jersey Lily) presents Holmes with what seems like an open and shut case. But with his superior powers of deductive reasoning, Sherlock wastes no time in exposing a much more sinister conspiracy. Meanwhile, Oscar Wilde is in the throes of writing his acclaimed Importance of Being Earnest and Holmes might inspire some of the play. 7:30 pm (8 pm Friday; 2:30 and 8 pm Saturday; 2:30 and 7:30 pm Sunday).
Sherlock Holmes takes on The Case of the Jersey Lilly at The Alley.Photo by Lynn Lane
DiverseWorks presents Aesthetic Inheritances
Aesthetic Inheritances is a project by performance artist Stacey Allen, created in collaboration with cultural preservationist/photographer Danielle Mason and filmmaker Keda Sharber, that explores the preservation of black culture and community. The project is created, in part, on the site of the Barrett family home at Barrett Station, a Freedom Town established in 1875 in Northeast Harris County. 7 pm.
Asia Society Texas Center presents Eunbi Kim: it feels like a dream
Pianist Eunbi Kim’s sonic memoir features a soundworld of classical music threaded with an indie-pop awareness — expanded by the hypnotic, projected visuals of new media artist Xuan. This immersive multimedia performance explores issues of family and identity, offering listeners the soundspace to meditate on the dreams they carry and pass on. This includes works by Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), Angélica Negrón, Pauchi Sasaki, and Sophia Jani for piano, pre-recorded voices, and electronics written for and performed by Kim. 7:30 pm.
Friday, May 12
Miller Outdoor Theatre presents 100th Birthday Celebration
Miller Outdoor Theatre celebrates its official 100th Birthday with a colossal birthday cake. Guests can indulge in slices of cake by El Bolillo Bakery served during the intermission at the concession stand, as well as a chance to snap photos of themselves, families, and friends “popping” out of the larger-than -life 7-foot “art” cake nestled in the greenery of the Miller Plaza. The event will be capped off with the Houston Ballet’s sparkling production of Jewels, George Balanchine’s three-act ballet. 6 pm.
Reeves Art + Design presents "Friend of a Friend" opening reception
This exhibition showcases over 20 different artists from around the country and features a diverse range of art forms and mediums, including painting, sculpture, mixed media and digital art. This celebrates the connections we make through art and the power of collaboration in the creative process. Participating artists include Natalia Arbelaez, Austyn Taylor, Ryan Travis Christian, Judith Supine, James Jean, Mark Dean Veca, Taylor Lee, Ron DeFelice, Taylor McKimens, and Dan Mandelbaum. Through Saturday, June 3. 6 pm.
If you’ve ever been an angsty teen, you have most likely been a fan of The Cure. You’ve probably danced in your room to “Lovesong” or “Boys Don’t Cry” or “Just Like Heaven” (a song which will always be associated with this dopey Reese Witherspoon rom-com). Well, if you have a kid who’s going through an anti-social emo phase, perhaps you two can bond by heading over to the Toyota Center and seeing Robert Smith and the boys play all those classic tunes live. 7 pm.
JetQuest, a luxury travel company founded by Jonathon Lewis in 2019, will present its first-ever fashion showcase. The event will mark the launch of the Jetquest clothing brand as its own entity and its partnership with the KNK Youth Foundation. The Foundation, a Houston-based, non-profit organization, gives back locally in Houston while also making volunteer trips worldwide to work with the youth of families that are not able to provide basic living essentials such as food, clothing, and educational supplies. 7 pm.
Saturday, May 13
The 2023 edition of BIPOC Book Fest is a celebration centering underrepresented voices through a showcase of literary works and panels featuring Black, Indigenous, people of color, and other creatives. Curated with diversity in mind, the festival combines the nostalgia of the book fairs we knew and loved as children with unique programming, panel discussions, readings, poetry performances, and more. 10 am.
Sugar Land Space Cowboys Pub Crawl
Eureka Heights Brew Co. and Sugar Land Space Cowboys are joining forces for an outta-this-world pub crawl. The crawl is free to participate in and will feature six stops in some of the best bars and eateries. Stops on the crawl include live DJs, games, giveaways, photo ops with Space Cowboys’ own Orion at Rouxpur, and a variety of Eureka Heights beers, including the new release 713 Pilsner. Visit four out of the six stops in any order to receive a free Pub Crawl souvenir at the final stop located at The Flying Saucer. 2 pm.
DKULTRA presents “Hoist the Glowing Banners” opening reception
DKULTRA is pleased to announce the solo exhibition of Isela Aguirre. As the germination of plants requires sunlight, so do the foliating cyanotype splotches blossoming upon colorful bands of fabric. Observe this metamorphosis of photomontage, each exuberant mottle weds a photo process with painterly strategies. The bright stitches of Aguirre’s artworks display vibrant delineation across shreds of hue; the cyan upon red ripens into violet, sewn to imbued hems of ochre, olive, and orange. Through Thursday, August 10. 5 pm.
Resist: A Conversation of the History of Asian and Black Solidarity
The AAPI art exhibit Majority Rule will host a conversation with Filipino artist and community organizer Matt Manalo and chef Jonny Rhodes. The discussion will explore the history of Asian and Black solidarity, examining successes and struggles. The conversation will also discuss the factors that have brought these communities together and the barriers that have sometimes kept them apart. Rhodes will also provide bites for guests attending the conversation. 6 pm.
Sunday, May 14
Mother’s Day at Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House
Treat the mom in your life to a Mother’s Day toast on the coast, complete with a featured menu and wine specials including half-priced bottles of Telmont champagne and Hess wines, plus chef Joe Cervantez’s weekend brunch menu selections, including hot chicken doughnuts, lobster benedict, barbecue shrimp & grits, and cold seafood platters. Don’t forget to snap a selfie in front of an ornate rose wall. 11 am.
"None Whatsoever" features masterworks of Zen Buddhist Japanese paintings from the renowned Gitter-Yelen Collection, spanning more than four centuries. Selections from the MFAH collection of modern and contemporary art complement the presentation. The exhibition explores the origins of Zen Buddhism in Japanese painting through ink paintings and calligraphies by painter-monks, such as 18th-century Buddhist master Hakuin Ekaku, who expressed Zen Buddhist teachings through their art. 12:30 pm.
32 Sounds is an immersive feature documentary and profound sensory experience from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Sam Green, featuring original music by JD Samson.
The film explores the elemental phenomenon of sound by weaving together 32 specific sound explorations into a cinematic meditation on the power of sound to bend time, cross borders, and profoundly shape our perception of the world around us. 3 pm.
