Theater Takes Center Stage

Houston Theater Week is your cue to say yes to a great night out

For anyone who has ever said, “We should really go see a show sometime,” Houston Theater Week is the perfect excuse to make it happen.

Houston Theater Week presented by Huntington Bank returns August 24-30, offering buy one, get one free tickets to nearly 400 live performances from 21 participating performing arts organizations. From theater and opera to ballet, chamber music, contemporary dance, and symphony performances, the annual celebration makes experiencing Houston’s world-class performing arts scene easier — and a whole lot more affordable.

The program has become a much-anticipated Houston tradition, and for good reason. Since 2022, Theater Week has helped sell more than 118,000 tickets and generated nearly $5 million in revenue for local performing arts organizations. That milestone reflects not only Houston’s appetite for live performance, but also the impact of the partnership between Houston First Corporation and the city’s professional arts community.

For audiences, the appeal is simple: Buy one ticket, get another free, and suddenly that show that seemed like a “maybe someday” becomes an easy night out. It’s also a chance to discover something completely new, whether that means trading a familiar comedy for contemporary dance, trying opera for the first time, or seeing a local theater company that has somehow remained off the radar. And there is plenty to discover.

This year’s lineup spans familiar classics, ambitious new productions, historical stories, multicultural performances, innovative works, and plenty of uniquely Houston experiences. Several productions also offer a particularly good reason to make plans.

At Alley Theatre, the 80th season is a milestone worth celebrating, with a remarkable legacy that includes 754 productions and 53 world premieres. Audiences can also catch A Christmas Carol as part of the holiday offerings featured during Theater Week.

For a classic holiday tradition, Houston Symphony’s Handel’s Messiah delivers stirring vocals, lush orchestration, and the kind of grand, goosebump-inducing moments that make live music especially magical this time of year.

Handel’s Messiah at The Houston SymphonyPhoto courtesy of Houston First

Stages has some especially intriguing options, including Come From Away, the Tony Award-winning musical about the extraordinary kindness and community that emerged after the September 11 attacks. This marks the first Houston-produced production of the musical, with an entirely local cast and creative team.

For something considerably more out of this world, One-Man Star Wars Trilogy puts the entire original Star Wars trilogy into the hands of a single performer. It's a “you have to see it to believe it” kind of theatrical experience. Silent Sky, meanwhile, tells the true story of astronomer Henrietta Leavitt and celebrates women in science, a theme that feels particularly at home in Space City.

Families have plenty of reasons to join the fun, too. Houston Grand Opera will present a family-friendly version of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, with an American premiere production and a bilingual English/Spanish Family Day version directed by Houston-based soprano Ana María Martínez. It’s a playful introduction to opera for younger audiences and a chance for parents to prove that opera can, in fact, be fun.

Plus, don't miss the iconic Show Boat, one of the most influential works in American musical theater. It features unforgettable music and a sweeping story of love, ambition, and life along the Mississippi River, with memorable songs, romance, drama, and a richly layered story that has captivated audiences for generations.

Theatre Under The Stars brings more family shows to the stage including the beloved musical The Music Man to the stage, packed with toe-tapping tunes, charming characters, and plenty of old-fashioned theatrical fun. And of course, the legendary tale of The Little Mermaid invites audiences under the sea, where Ariel, Sebastian, Flounder, and friends take the stage in a dazzling musical adventure.

Photo courtesy of Houston First

Manon at Houston Ballet

Accessibility is also part of the Theater Week experience. The Hobby Center’s Theater for Everyone initiative includes sensory-inclusive performances designed to create a more comfortable and welcoming environment for guests with sensory sensitivities. The performances feature trained staff, sensory supports, and flexible audience expectations without changing the performance itself.

For those who like their performances with a strong local connection, Houston Ballet opens its 2026-27 season with Pecos Bill, a larger-than-life, unmistakably Texan work inspired by the legendary cowboy.

Pecos Bill at Houston BalletPhoto courtesy of Houston First

Ballet fans can also experience Houston Ballet’s Manon, a richly dramatic tale of passion, desire, and doomed romance brought to life through powerful choreography and expressive storytelling.

Performing Arts Houston will present Dear Prairie View, a world-premiere work by Houston choreographer Harrison Guy celebrating Prairie View A&M’s 150th anniversary. And ROCO’s season features a world premiere in every concert, including new work by Composer in Residence Jessica Meyer and an interactive concerto by GRAMMY-winning video game composer Austin Wintory.

Of course, Theater Week isn't just about checking a show off the bucket list. It is about supporting the artists, musicians, dancers, technicians, designers, directors, and countless other professionals who make Houston’s performing arts scene possible. It gives local arts organizations a chance to introduce themselves to new audiences while giving Houstonians a reason to explore the incredible cultural offerings in their own backyard.

The BOGO tickets can even double as a thoughtful gift for a birthday, anniversary, date night, or special occasion. With so many options, there’s no shortage of reasons to bring someone along.

Tickets go on sale August 24 using promo code HTW26. The complete lineup and participating organizations are available at HoustonTheaterWeek.com. With nearly 400 performances to choose from, the hardest part may be deciding what to see first.

arts & culture houston theater weeks night out promoted theater

Movie Review

Shaun the Sheep welcomes spooky season with PG-scary new movie

Photo courtesy of Aardman / Sky UK LTD / StudioCanal 2026

Shaun the Sheep in Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.

Since his introduction over 30 years ago, the Aardman Animations character Shaun the Sheep has been almost as popular as the studio’s flagship characters, Wallace and Gromit. There is never a shortage of trouble Shaun can get into as he leads his flock and proves to be a thorn in the side of his farmer and Bitzer, the farmer’s loyal sheepdog.

His antics lead everyone down some slightly spooky roads in the new film, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom. At first, things are only slightly awry as Shaun and the flock are growing a secret pumpkin patch to have their own jack-o-lanterns. But when the farmer accidentally destroys the pumpkin patch, Shaun tries to regrow it quickly with a Frankenstein-esque experiment.

However, disaster looms when Shaun uses an old bottle of Hair-Gro as the container for the serum he creates. Naturally, the balding farmer uses it on his head, and everyone soon discovers how truly successful it is, with pumpkins growing out of control and the farmer sprouting hair all over his body. Through a series of mishaps, the farmer becomes the titular beast, creating mayhem while Shaun and others try to stop him.

Directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, and written by Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow, the film goes down just as easy as every other Aardman project has. They get the Halloween vibes started from the opening credits, with things like the sheep doing the “Thriller” dance, and continue the fun throughout, referencing everything from Psycho to Friday the 13th in a nice, PG way.

With no script — every character is mute save for reaction noises — the movie relies on sight gags for its humor, and the Aardman team is endlessly inventive in that respect. Sometimes it’s small things like a sheep using toilet paper rolls as binoculars, and sometimes it’s something like forcing the Bigfoot-like farmer to be shaped into a rectangle as he escapes through a window. But there’s a never-ending stream of such moments, so even if one doesn’t tickle your funny bone, chances are the next one will.

The biggest benefit of the characters not talking is that there’s no need for deep character development. The filmmakers do a great job of giving the basic traits of each character, and then use those attributes to color everyone’s actions for the rest of the film. Shaun is the troublemaker, the farmer is a bumbling fool, Bitzer is preternaturally smart, and the town’s vet is empathetic, and the combination of those characters and others makes for a highly entertaining blend.

Like all Aardman creations, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is a fun lark that doesn’t make its audience think too hard. With just enough references to keep viewers engaged but not so many as to be overbearing, the film puts its well-worn characters to good use once again, delivering a Halloween season story that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

---

Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is now playing in theaters.

movies film