Houston's top 10 entertainment stories of 2024 spotlight Ren Faire and Rodeo

Amid scandals covered by multiple documentaries, the nation's largest Renaissance festival opens for its golden season.

Ren Faire, the HBO docuseries about the Texas Renaissance Festival, led this year's most read entertainment articles.

Photo courtesy of the Texas Renaissance Festival

Editor's note: Houston had a lyrical year in 2024, with RodeoHouston concert reviews dominating CultureMap Houston’s most-clicked entertainment articles. Readers soaked up the details of performances by Bun B, Nickelback, 50 Cent, and other famous artists, including record-breaking crowds. The Texas Renaissance Festival landed in the national spotlight through HBO’s docuseries, with Houstonians closely following how their local ren faire was portrayed.

Here are the 10 most popular entertainment stories of the year:

1. Texas Renaissance Festival distances itself from viral HBO docuseries. Ren Faire, HBO’s three-part docuseries, brought the story of festival founder “King” George Coulam to the small screen where viewers watched as he ruminated on retirement and attempted to woo younger women. The local organization issued a somewhat confusing statement distancing itself from its staff’s eccentric portrayal.

2. Bun B, Drake, and hip hop all-stars cowboy up at historic RodeoHouston performance. Houston cultural ambassador and entrepreneur Bun B reclaimed his title as the most-attended male rap performer in RodeoHouston history with 75,005 paying attendees. Drake, Nelly, Rick Ross, Eve, and DMC of Run-DMC were among the international stars that took the stage with Bun B for a 33-song, 90-minute set that had Houstonians dancing in the stands.

3. Legendary WWII warplane unearthed from 268 feet of ice lands at Houston museum. Houstonians glimpsed history when the Glacier Girl, a World War II plane uncovered from 268 feet of ice in Greenland, made a stopover at the Lone Star Flight Museum. The plane was the only one from its squadron recovered in 1992, nearly 50 years after its crash.

4. Nickelback burns Houston to the ground with sold out RodeoHouston debut. The much-maligned Canadian rock band Nickelback made its debut at RodeoHouston to a sold-out crowd of 75,036, second only to Los Tigres Del Norte. Though often mocked, their energetic performance proved why Nickelback has sold more than 50 million albums.

5. 50 Cent and special guests take Houston to Da Club in packed Rodeo debut. Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson took the stage for his inaugural Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo performance on March 1, providing fans with an uncensored, lively production. The audience sang along with the Houston resident who has become an HSLR regular, selling his own wine at record prices.

6. Affluent Houston suburbs top list of biggest holiday spenders in U.S.U.S. Everyone wanted to befriend residents of The Woodlands after WalletHub’s survey ranked the Houston-area city at No. 13 in its annual report on U.S. cities with the biggest holiday budgets in 2024. Shoppers in The Woodlands are expected to spend $3,395 on Christmas gifts. Sugar Land earned the No. 14 spot, while Houston proper landed at No. 241.

7. Dramatic new docuseries on the Texas Renaissance Festival could be the next Tiger King. Ren Faire, the HBO docuseries, premiered to a packed house at South by Southwest (SXSW). Journalist Brianna Caleri likened it to Netflix’s Tiger King, as both explore charismatic leaders in niche, dedicated organizations.

8. Massive new entertainment complex lights up Houston suburb. The announcement of Lumos, a 45,000-square-foot entertainment hub opening in 2025, made waves with readers in September. The family-friendly venue in New Caney will feature cutting-edge technology, such as virtual reality experiences and 40-foot LED screens, along with familiar favorites of bowling, karaoke, and laser tag.

9. College Football Championship weekend kicks off in Houston with free concerts, events, and more. Houston hosted the College Football Playoff National Championship game at NRG Stadium on January 8. Thanks to family-friendly free events, including performances by Megan Moroney and 2 Chainz, locals could enjoy the festivities even without a ticket to the big game.

10. Yellowstone star Lainey Wilson enthralls at sold-out RodeoHouston debut. Lainey Wilson, the ‘Hillbilly Hippie’ queen of modern country-rock, made headlines for her sold-out matinee at HLSR. The musician and actress made a dramatic exit by riding a horse around the stage before galloping out of NRG stadium.

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Movie Review

An all-star cast delivers clever laughs in new comedy The Invite

Photo courtesy of A24

Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton in The Invite.

Once upon a time, well before scandal embroiled him, Woody Allen made great comedies aimed at adults. That type of film — which is different from the raunchy, R-rated comedies of the 21st century — has fallen out of favor in Hollywood, but as the new film The Invite proves, when done well it can be as funny as anything else out there.

Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are an unhappily married couple living in San Francisco. As we meet them, Joe has arrived home to Angela preparing for a visit from their upstairs neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz), who have moved in relatively recently. Their impending arrival starts a new round of arguing between Joe and Angela, something they can barely contain once the other couple comes to their door.

What proceeds is a getting-to-know-you process that is mostly awkward as Joe and Angela continue sniping at each other while Hawk and Piña put in their two cents in a much calmer manner. A sticking point between the two couples — the loud sex Hawk and Piña have on an almost nightly basis — turns the film on its head with an unexpected invitation.

Directed by Wilde and written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the film is a fast-paced chamber piece that takes place almost entirely in Joe and Angela’s apartment. Wilde, the writers, and the actors speed the story along not with action but through almost non-stop dialogue that often has the characters overlapping each other’s lines. The rapidity of the speech fuels the humor of the situation and establishes the differing personalities of each person.

Sex is very much top of mind for each of the characters for most of the film, but the filmmakers approach the topic in such a way that it never feels salacious. Each of the characters is a rational adult who can talk about sex in a mature manner while also acknowledging their unique feelings on the matter. And it’s the discoveries each of them makes along the way that brings about the most comedy.

But, like any comedy for adults, the film also has a dramatic tilt to it, and Wilde edges the story back-and-forth between the two tones extremely well. Joe and Angela fighting is played for laughs at times, but the sadness of their relationship comes through loud and clear. Hawk and Piña are much more intimate with each other, but the funniness of their openness is juxtaposed with a depth that arises through their conversations.

In the 2020s, Rogen has managed to make the transition from goofy stoner to stoner with real acting chops. In a stacked cast, he is the one who sells every moment the best. That’s not to say that Wilde, Norton, and Cruz don’t measure up, though; each of them inhabits their respective roles magnificently. The four actors play off each other as if they had been working together for years.

While The Invite will likely play better to those who have experience with long term relationships, its insights — and occasional bawdiness — make it a comedy that can be appreciated universally. With four actors at the top of their games and a razor-sharp script made even better by some well-done improv, it proves that you don’t need to go low to get great laughs.

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The Invite is now playing in theaters.

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Top 10 Entertainment Stories

Houston's top 10 entertainment stories of 2024 spotlight Ren Faire and Rodeo

Movie Review

An all-star cast delivers clever laughs in new comedy The Invite