Lunar Legends

Tom Hanks touches down for lunar movie premiere at Space Center Houston

The Artemis Exhibit at Space Center Houston shimmered with star power as nearly 500 insiders gathered for an out-of-this-world affair celebrating the premiere of The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks. The immersive cinematic experience, narrated and co-written by Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks, offers guests a front-row seat to the triumphs of past lunar missions and a look ahead to NASA’s Artemis era.

Space Center Houston Tom Hanks film premiere

Courtesy of Space Center Houston

Tom Hanks, Lori Bloomfield, Michael Bloomfield, and William Harris.

The VIP reception brought a celestial twist to the traditional cocktail hour.

Guests noshed on shrimp and oysters, along with potato croquettes paired with peach gastrique, a playful hello to the first vegetable grown in space and the first fruit consumed on the Moon. Espresso martinis featuring Hanks’ coffee brand, Hanx, were shaken and served.

Inside the newly renovated Space Center Theater, a 270-degree projection mapping spectacle brought The Moonwalkers to life. The film weaves rare astronaut interviews with behind-the-scenes glimpses into the upcoming Artemis missions.

Following the screening, a panel discussion brought the experience back to Earth. William T. Harris, Space Center Houston president and CEO, moderated a conversation with Tom Hanks, Apollo 16 moonwalker Charlie Duke, and Artemis II astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman. Together, they explored the film’s themes and what lies ahead as humanity returns to the Moon.

Orbiting the scene were Richard Slaney, CEO of Lightroom and 59 Studio, film co-writer Christopher Riley, and composer Anne Nikitin. Other notables included Dr. Megan McArthur, Joanne Herring, Lori and Mike Bloomfield, Dotty Duke, and astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli with Sam Moghbeli.

movies celebrities tom hanks space center houston

Bach and Basie

Baroque meets Big Band at Houston orchestra's moonlight gala

Photo by Jacob Power

Jen Grigsby, Kimberly Rawlins, Anna Winter, Vanessa Weeke, and Sherry Weiner.

Houston’s classical music lovers swapped their concert hall seats for a musicale of glitz and swing as Mercury Chamber Orchestrahosted its 2025 gala, “Moonlight Serenade,” on February 28 at the chic Thompson Houston. The affair, chaired by Ally Shell and Martijn Van Koolwijk, hit all the right notes — raising more than $350,000 to support Mercury’s artistic and educational programs.

Photo by Jacob Power

Jen Grigsby, Kimberly Rawlins, Anna Winter, Vanessa Weeke, and Sherry Weiner.

Blending the elegance of Baroque music with the rhythms of big band, the evening transported guests to the golden age of swing. Mercury musicians teamed up with the Houston Jazz Orchestra to fuse styles, proving that Bach and Basie can, in fact, be besties. The gala theme was inspired by Glenn Miller’s namesake American swing ballad, a recording of which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1991.

The live auction, helmed by the energetic Johnny Bravo, kept adrenaline levels high. Coveted items included the chance to step onto the conductor’s podium as Mercury’s Conductor for a Day, a golf retreat at Bluejack National, and a seven-night escape in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. The most unexpected auction item? A 1,100-pound live heifer, which had guests both gasping and laughing in equal measure.

The funds raised will directly support Mercury’s concerts, community programs, and educational outreach efforts.

Spottedwere Brian Ritter, June and Steve Barth, Brittany Wetterer, Stacey Lindseth, Kendra Smith, Donae Chramosta, Sarah Leftwich, Kim Padgett, Jen Grigsby, Kimberly Rawlins, Anna Winter, Vanessa Weeke, Sherry Weiner, Jimin Kim, Brennan Owen, Gabby Owen, Kenny Owen, Martin Mathus, Tara and Francisco Merchan, Lloyd Kirchner, Amy Waldorf, Chree Boydstun, Lisa Bordelon, Sarah Prudhomme, and Marissa and Shane Gilroy.