February 2008

 

 

 

February 2008 promises to be an exciting month!  Hello, Dolly! will premiere at the Hobby Center, Diana Ross will be appearing at the Hobby Center and your children won't want to miss The Doodlebops Live at Reliant Park.  Celebrate Mardi Gras in Galveston, complete with King Cake, parade floats, beads, and much more!  Houston will host a Presidential Summit, moderated by Tim Russert at George R. Brown Convention Center and the Houston Museum of Natural Science opens a new exhibit, CSI Uncovered.  Whatever your interests, there is something for everyone this month in Houston!

 Holidays

February 2nd:            Groundhog Day

February 5th:             Mardi Gras

February 6th:             Ash Wednesday

February 14th:           Valentine’s Day

February 18th:           President’s Day

 

 

Dance/Music/Theatre

 Alley Theatre   (615 Texas Avenue)

Thru February 10th:  Love, Janis - A musical about Janis Joplin, Port Arthur, Texas’ most famous daughter, Love, Janis goes behind the music of the legendary rock/blues singer. Following her life from 1966 until her death in 1970, Love, Janis features performances of many of her smash hits: “Piece of My Heart,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Mercedes Benz” and “Ball and Chain” resulting in a compelling portrait of an artist who wanted to be remembered for her music and her refusal to compromise.  The greatest white female rock singer of the 1960’s, Janis Joplin was also a great blues singer. First rising to stardom as front woman for San Francisco psychedelic band Big Brother and the Holding Company – and then as a solo artist, she created some of the most exciting performances of the era. She also did much to redefine the role of women in rock with her assertive, sexually forthright persona and raunchy, electrifying onstage presence.  Joplin was raised in Port Arthur, TX and much of her subsequent personal struggle has been attributed to her inability to fit in with the expectations of what she perceived to be a conservative community. She began singing folk and blues music in her teens, and her early style showed a marked influence of Bessie Smith and other early blues singers. When she moved to San Francisco, she fully developed her own personal style. For years, her life was tumultuous  - drugs and alcohol and volatile personal relationships – but her musicianship showed solid growth toward her mature style in blues, soul and folk-rock. Some of her last recordings – “Mercedes Benz”, “Get it While You Can” and “Me and Bobby McGee” are among her best. Sadly, she died before her last album’s release, overdosing on heroin in a Hollywood hotel in 1971.  Janis’ warm, exuberant, letters to her concerned family form the heart of the show, propelled by her extraordinary music.

Thru February 24th: The Lieutenant of Inishmore - Author of last season’s extraordinary The Pillowman, Martin McDonagh returns to the Alley with The Lieutenant of Inishmore, a gruesome comedy that was Winner of the Olivier Award for Best Comedy. The Lieutenant of Inishmore is the stunningly funny tale of a ruthless Irish Liberation Army enforcer and the one thing he loves more than anything else in the world: his little black cat, Wee Thomas. It’s a wickedly hilarious event that must be seen to be believed. See it for yourself, (but don’t reveal the ending).

for more information, see www.alleytheatre.org or call (713) 228-8421

 

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion  (The Woodlands)

Surrounded by a lush forest, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion is an outdoor amphitheater that provides the Greater Houston region with an array of performing arts and contemporary entertainment in a setting of unparalleled beauty

No events scheduled for the month of February.

for more information, see www.pavilion.woodlandscenter.org 

 

Hobby Center for the Performing Arts   (800 Bagby @ Walker)

February 1st & 2nd:  It's Almost Midnight -  “It’s Almost Midnight” is an electrifying, spirit-filled gospel play written, directed and produced by Willie Mae Sallie for benefit of the Hopewell Baptist Church. Through the laughter and tears you will wonder, “Where do I stand at midnight?”

Thru February 9th:  Jersey Boys – Called “the most exciting musical package Broadway has seen in years” by the Chicago Tribute and “Too Good to be True!” by the New York Post, the Jersey Boys, the new musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers (Frankie Valli, Bob Guadio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi), is the story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide – all before they were thirty! Jersey Boys features their hit songs Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Rag Doll, Oh What a Night and Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.   The Jersey Boys creative team comprises two-time Tony Award®-winning director Des McAnuff, book writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, composer Bob Gaudio and lyricist Bob Crewe.

February 12th:  A Conversation with Miss Diana Ross - Diana Ross is a singer and songwriter whose musical repertoire spans pop, R&B, soul, disco and jazz. She first gained prominence as lead singer with The Supremes, before establishing a successful solo career in 1970. Over the course of her career, Ms. Ross has collected a Tony Award for the music special An Evening with Diana Ross, seven American Music Awards, and a special Golden Globe Award for her leading role in the Billie Holiday biographical film Lady Sings the Blues. She has been nominated for twelve Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for Best Actress.

February 15th - 24th:  The Scarlet Pimpernel - At the bloody peak of the French Revolution, Sir Percival Blakenely gathers his friends around him and persuades them to join him in a "private war" against the inhumanities of the bloody French regime. They will call themselves The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel and work through disguise and diversion to save as many innocent English lives as they can while battling the tyranny of the French government. As they wage their war, the French soldier Chauvelin is ordered to apprehend the Pimpernel, and Percy must keep one step ahead of the guillotine while trying to protect his identity from Marguerite, his beautiful wife. The Scarlet Pimpernel is a thrilling and romantic adventure based on the famous 20th-century novel, and Frank Wildhorn provides a score that is both moving and passionate, a fitting complement to the intrigue and swashbuckling action you will see on stage.

February 26th – March 9th:  Hello Dolly  -  “Feel the room swayin’, for the band’s playin’, one of your old fav’rite songs from way back when” the grande dame musical of them all returns to the TUTS stage for the first time in 15 years.  The red gown and feathers, those tunes everyone knows and the dancing waiters come home in a production that brings back the days when bigger was definitely better in Houston. With composer Jerry Herman reuniting with TUTS for the show, "It’s so nice to have you back where you belong – Dolly’s glowin', Dolly’s crowin', Dolly’s goin’ strong!"

for more information, see www.thehobbycenter.org or call (713) 315-2525

 

Houston Symphony  (Jones Hall – 615 Louisiana)

February 7th:  PDQ Bach: The Vegas Years - Humorist, composer, musicologist Peter Schickele has been delighting concert-goers for decades with his lecture-concerts on the music of J.S. Bach's most fictitious son, P.D.Q.  Hear a program featuring PDQ Bach's shameless oratorio, Oedipus Tex, and Peter Schickele's infamous Songs from Shakespeare, in which some of the Bard's best-known speeches are dropped into a seething vat of 1950's pop music styles.

February 8th - 10th:  Love Songs with Ann Hampton Callaway - Bring your valentine to this romantic evening of favorite love songs such as “Tenderly,” “Blue Moon” and “Stormy Weather.”  The New York Times says, “For sheer vocal beauty, no contemporary singer matches Ms. Callaway.”

February 9th:  Sleeping Beauty Waltz and Bernstein Dances - From tutus to the can-can, this concert will set your toes to tapping and your hands to clapping.  Imagine yourself as a ballerina as you listen to Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, or as a skater, gliding across a frozen pond, while listening to the Skater's Waltz.

February 22nd – 24th:  Carmina Burana Plus Bernstein - Orff’s Carmina Burana evokes a magical and rapturous atmosphere of joy and excitement.  Orff set to the music poems from the thirteenth century.  They were written mostly by clerics and itinerant scholars in low Latin, old German and medieval French.  There are lyrics on spring and love. Drinking songs of nomadic peoples celebrate the sensual joys of food, drink, and love. There’s satire on the defects of church and state as well as complaints on the omnipotence of money and the decline of moral values.  Orff set twenty-four poems in Camina Burana and grouped them into three categories devoted to spring, the tavern and love.  The choral theme running through the whole is the powerful goddess of fate, Fortuna.

February 28th – March 2nd:  Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff - All of Tchaikovsky's symphonies are wrenched from deep inside him and as such are titanic works of love. In his writings, he speaks of many of them as if they were living things – the children he knew he otherwise would never have. The prince of these is the extroverted and wild Fourth Symphony.  Revel in the grandness of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony.  Rachmaninoff composed the Piano Concerto No. 1, his Opus 1, at the age of 18. Although he was still a student at the Moscow Conservatory, he’d already developed his characteristic style. In 1917, more than two decades later, he revised the score thoroughly. This revised version of the work contains youthful ardor and turmoil.

for more information, see www.houstonsymphony.com or call (713) 224-7575

 

Jones Hall  (615 Louisiana)

February 1st & 2nd:  Bizet’s Carmen, St Petersburg Ballet Theatre - One of the most distinguished classical ballet companies in Russia, St Petersburg Ballet Theatre makes its Houston debut with a stunning production of its full-length ballet Carmen. Set to the famous Bizet score renowned for its unforgettable melodies and Spanish rhythms, this Carmen is red-hot! The Company’s technically superb and lyrically expressive dancers transport audiences to 19th-century Seville where beautiful gypsy women seduce with a look, gamble on a caress, and play dangerous games of the heart. Superb technique. High drama. Russian soul.   

February 16th:  Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Since Paul Simon's Graceland album catapulted South Africa's Ladysmith Black Mambazo to worldwide fame, the Grammy Award-winning a cappella group has remained true to melding the tradition of Zulu harmony singing with gospel and reggae for an unforgettable musical and spiritual alchemy. Their rich, uplifting harmonies and effortlessly synchronized dancing convey universal themes of faith, hope, and peace, yielding performances of pure, uninhibited joy. This performance is one hour, 45 minutes with one intermission.

February 19th:  The Pipes, Drums, and Dancers of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and The Band of the Coldstream Guards - Be whisked away to the Highlands of Scotland when The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and The Band of the Coldstream Guards storm the Jones Hall stage with their pipes and drums. Dressed in full dress uniform complete with bearskin caps, the Guards play the music of Scotland, England, Ireland, and Wales alongside highland dancers. Formed by the union of three regiments, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards are Scotland's only Regiment of Cavalry (tanks have replaced horses, however!) and the oldest surviving Cavalry of the Line in the British Army with an unbroken history from 1678.

for more information, see www.spahouston.org  

 

Toyota Center  (1510 Polk Street)

February 1st:             Houston Aeros vs. Quad City Flames  7:35 p.m.

February 2nd:            Houston Aeros vs. Quad City Flames  7:35 p.m.

February 3rd:            Doodlebops Live!  - Deedee, Rooney, and Moe will come center stage to perform your favorite songs from their hit TV show on Playhouse Disney. Kids will be out of their seat and on their feet as they sing and dance along with the ultimate rockin’ band live in an unforgettable musical experience! Don’t miss your chance to see Doodlebops Live!   1:00 & 4:00 p.m.

February 6th:           WWE Presents Smackdown & ECW! - Toyota Center is proud to welcome back the WWE, as they return to Houston for Smackdown and ECW! These two shows will be taped back-to-back under the same roof on the same night! Don’t miss all of your favorite superstars like Edge, Batista, Undertaker, CM Punk, and many more.  6:30 p.m.

February 7th:             Houston Rockets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers  7:00 p.m.

February 8th:           The Harlem Globetrotters - Toyota Center is proud to welcome the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters as they bring their 2008 ‘Magic As Ever’ North American Tour to Houston for two shows! Sponsored by Campbell’s Soup, the Globetrotters will once again take on the Washington Generals with their unique style of basketball that guarantees a good time for the whole family! Don’t miss your chance to see these world-famous athletes!   7:00 p.m.

February 9th:            The Harlem Globetrotters - The Harlem Globetrotters - Toyota Center is proud to welcome the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters as they bring their 2008 ‘Magic As Ever’ North American Tour to Houston for two shows! Sponsored by Campbell’s Soup, the Globetrotters will once again take on the Washington Generals with their unique style of basketball that guarantees a good time for the whole family! Don’t miss your chance to see these world-famous athletes!   1:30 p.m.

February 9th:             Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks   7:30 p.m.

February 11th:           Houston Rockets vs. Portland Trailblazers   7:30 p.m.

February 13th:           Houston Rockets vs. Sacramento Kings   7:30 p.m.

February 14th:         Jonas Brothers - Toyota Center is proud to welcome Jonas Brothers back to Houston. Their “Look Me in the Eyes” tour comes on the heels of a wildly successful year for Jonas Brothers, which included their first platinum album and their special guest appearance on the sold out Hannah Montana “Best of Both Worlds” tour. Don’t miss your chance to see Jonas Brothers on Valentine’s Day!   7:00 p.m.

February 15th:           Houston Aeros vs. Iowa Stars   7:35 p.m.

February 16th:          George Lopez - Toyota Center is proud to welcome George Lopez back to Houston. As a stand-up comedian, Lopez is one of the premiere comedic talents in the entertainment industry today. He has performed in front of sell-out crowds coast to coast.  8:00 p.m.

February 17th:           Houston Aeros vs. Iowa Stars   4:05 p.m.

February 21st:           Houston Rockets vs. Miami Heat   7:00 p.m.

February 22nd & 23rd: The Revolve Tour - Toyota Center is proud to welcome The Revolve Tour to Houston for an inspiring 2-day conference for teen girls. This brand-new event from Women of Faith promises to be a weekend of awesome music, drama, and speakers who’ll spill the beans on stuff teen girls really want to know…Things like The Truth About Guys, Keeping it Real: Inside & Out, Secrets to Real Beauty, and The Inside Scoop on Relationships.  7:00 - 9:30 p.m. on Friday and 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Saturday

February 24th:          Houston Rockets vs. Chicago Bulls   7:00 p.m.

February 26th:          Houston Rockets vs. Washington Wizards   7:30 p.m.

February 28th:          Matchbox Twenty - Toyota Center is proud to welcome Matchbox Twenty with special guests Alanis Morissette and Mutemath to Houston. Following the release of Matchbox Twenty’s new album, “Exile on Mainstreet,” the “Exile In America” tour marks the band’s first tour as a four-piece band and their first cross-country tour in over four years. Don’t miss your chance to see Matchbox Twenty, Alanis Morissette, and MUTEMATH live.  7:00 p.m.

February 29th:          Houston Rockets vs. Memphis Grizzlies   7:30 p.m.

 for more information, visit www.houstontoyotacenter.com or call (866) 4HOUTIX

 

Warehouse Live   (813 St. Emanuel Street)

February 2nd:            Yonder Mountain String Band   8:00 p.m.

February 6th:             Ludo with The Effects, The 71's, Without a Face and Jason Brown   7:00 p.m.

February 7th:             The Bravery with Your Vegas, Electric Touch and The Switches   7:00 p.m.

February 8th:             Bun B

February 14th:           Bob Schneider   8:00 p.m.

February 15th:           Queensryche with Don Dokken   8:00 p.m.

February 20th:           Synikal with Virus and Dreaming of June   7:00 p.m.

February 21st:           G. Love & Special Sauce, with Tristan Prettyman   8:00 p.m.

February 23rd:           Cobra Starship with Metro Station, We The Kings and The Cab   6:00 p.m.

February 26th:           NOFX with No Use For A Name, The Flatliners and Latch Key Kids  

February 29th:           Citizen Cope  7:30 p.m.

for more information, see www.warehouselive.com 

 

Wortham CenterHouston Ballet (Texas & Smith)

February 21st – 29th:  Gershwin Glam - Glamorous gals with legs that never stop, giddy sailors on leave, gangsters, reporters, tourists galore. It’s Stanton Welch’s fun-filled, tongue-in-cheek tribute to the mythical New York of the 1940s, choreographed to the ever-popular melodies of George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F. Presented with the brilliantly crafted choreography of Christopher Bruce’s Swansong and the stunningly romantic beauty of George Balanchine’s Serenade, this is a premiere not to be missed.

for more information, see www.houstonballet.org or call (713) 227-ARTS

 

Wortham CenterHouston Grand Opera (Texas & Smith)

Thru February 2nd:  Mozart: The Abduction from the Seraglio - This charming production of Mozart's  comic opera is a ride you won't want to miss! Two beautiful young women are taken hostage on the Orient Express and must endure both the advances of their captors and an elaborate rescue by their fiancés that goes off the rails. 

Thru February 9th:  Mozart: The Magic Flute - Sarastro, a priest of Isis and Osiris, takes Pamina to his temple in order to release her from the influence of her mother, the Queen of the Night. The Queen sends Prince Tamino to rescue her daughter - which he does, but not before he falls in love with Pamina and becomes the disciple of Sarastro. Eric Cutler, Rebekah Camm, Patrick Carfizzi, Albina Shagimuratova and Ray Aceto star; Steven Sloane conducts.

February 29th – March 15th:  Jake Heggie: Last Acts - There is the family we wish for - and the family we end up with. Last Acts follows the life of an actress and mother named Madeline and her two grown children as they struggle to know and love one another. Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera, this new chamber opera by composer Jake Heggie (Dead Man Walking; The End of the Affair) and lyricist Gene Scheer is based on a play by Terrence McNally and has been created especially for mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade ("Von Stade can do no wrong" - New York Newsday). She will be joined by two artists making their HGO debuts, soprano Kristin Clayton ("a beautiful voice, expressively used" - San Francisco Classical Voice) and baritone Keith Phares ("an utter pleasure" - The New York Times).

for more information, see www.houstongrandopera.org or call (713) 228-6737

 

DaCamera of Houston   (Wortham Theatre CenterTexas @ Smith unless otherwise noted)

February 1st:  Keller Quartet - “In the midst of a golden age of string quartet writing, [Kurtág’s String Quartet, Op. 28] stands out as a contemporary masterwork. The Keller conveyed its mercurial shifts and final poignancy with feeling.” - San Francisco Chronicle György Kurtág and The Keller Quartet: György Kurtág, born in 1926, is recognized world-wide as Hungary’s leading composer and one of the world’s most important living artists. The Keller String Quartet, Hungary’s leading string quartet, has worked closely with Kurtág, whose music is remarkable for its intimacy, imagination and expressiveness.  With this program and the preceding concert, Da Camera audiences are introduced to Kurtág’s music through one of his most widely performed works—the powerful Kafka Fragments for soprano and violin—followed by a magical concert by the Keller Quartet interweaving his exquisite writing for string quartet with works by three of his greatest influences: Bach, Mozart and Schubert.

February 9th:  Ravi Coltrane Quartet - The second son of John and Alice Coltrane, tenor and soprano saxophonist Ravi Coltrane is at the forefront of the restless few who are carving out new paths in jazz. Down Beat calls him “a modernist who has absorbed a wealth of jazz.” Ravi Coltrane's most recent CD is 2005's In Flux.

March 29th:  McCoy Tyner Trio - Pianist McCoy Tyner has released nearly 80 albums under his name, earned four Grammys and was awarded Jazz Master from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2002. Da Camera Jazz is proud to welcome back this living legend. Tyner won his most recent Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group for 2005's Illuminations.

for more information, see www.dacamera.com    

 

Miller Outdoor Theatre (Hermann Park)

Located on nearly eight acres in the heart of Hermann Park, Miller Outdoor Theatre is the only free open-air theatre of its kind in the United States. It is a home away from home for some of Houston's most dynamic arts organizations such as HITS Unicorn Theater, Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Ebony Opera Guild, Festival Chicano, Houston Symphony, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) and a host of other multi-cultural groups and theater companies. Every performance in our March to November season is free.

No performances scheduled for February.

for more information, see www.milleroutdoortheatre.org  

 

A.D. Players  (2710 West Alabama)

February 8th - March 16thThe Importance of being Earnest - A classic comedy that is a “fun-for-all!” What’s in a name? More than you might think! In his country home, he goes by Jack, but when he travels to town, he assumes the name of Ernest. His dual identity serves his intentions well...until he falls in love with Gwendolyn, who vows she will only love a man whose name is Ernest! What’s so important about being Ernest? It’s all in the name in this classic comedy!

Thru March 8th:  Peter & The Wolf - There really is a big bad wolf and Peter and his animal friends must find a way to capture him without being eaten!  Adopted from the well-known score by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, this musical adventure sets hearts racing as Peter does his best to outwit the wolf and in the process learns the value of creative problem solving.

for more information, see www.adplayers.org   

 

Main Street Theatre   (2540 Times Blvd.)

Thru February 22nd:   The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 - It’s 1963 and the Watsons, an African-American family in Flint, Michigan, travel to Birmingham, Alabama to take their juvenile delinquent son, Byron, to live under, they hope, the civilizing influence of his Grandmother. Their struggle to mend their family lands them in one of the darkest moments in America’s racial history -- the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 received the Newbery Honor and the Coretta Scott King Awards.

February 15th - 17thR& P Class Presents Robin Hood - In this fun and innovative adaptation of a classic adventure, Robin and his merry men (and women) must battle the buffoonish Sheriff of Nottingham, rescue Maid Marian from a forced marriage to Prince John, and compete for a golden prize.

February 23rd - March 22nd Translations - Set in 1833 in a rural community in County Donegal, Ireland, a detachment of the Royal Engineers are working on the first British maps of the area rendering the Gaelic place names into English. This simple bureaucratic action has far-reaching personal and cultural effects on the small group of the hedge-school. A love that transcends language and logic finds its way into this beautifully stirring tale.

for more information, see www.mainstreettheater.com or call (713) 524-6706

 

Opera in the Heights   (1703 Heights Blvd)

February 1st – 2nd:  Adriana Lecouvreur - Preparing for a performance, the company bustles around Michonnet, the stage manager. The Prince de Bouillon, admirer of the actress Duclos, is with his companion, the Abbé. Adriana enters reciting. The Prince hears that Duclos is writing a letter and arranges for its interception. Left alone with Adriana, Michonnet wants to express his love for her, but Adriana explains she has a lover - a soldier in the service of the Count of Saxony. Maurizio is in reality the count himself. He enters and declares his love for Adriana, 'La dolcissima effigie'. They will meet after the performance. Adriana gives him some violets to put in his buttonhole. The Prince and the Abbé return. They have obtained the letter from Duclos - asking for a meeting with Maurizio later that evening near the Prince's villa. The Prince decides to arrange a party for the company at the villa in order to expose the couple. He sends the letter on to Maurizio who then cancels his appointment with Adriana. She receives his letter on stage. Adriana agrees to join the Prince's party.

 for more information, call (713) 861-5303 or see www.operaintheheights.org    

 

Playhouse 1960   (6814 Grant Road)

Thru Feb 16th:  Arsenic and Old Lace - The play, a clever combination of the farcical and the macabre, centers on two elderly sisters who are famous in their Brooklyn neighborhood for their numerous acts of charity. Unfortunately, however, their charity includes poisoning lonely old men who come to their home looking for lodging. The two women are assisted in their crimes by their mentally challenged nephew who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt and who frequently blasts a bugle and yells ‘‘charge’’ as he bounds up the stairs. Matters get complicated when a second nephew, a theater critic, discovers the murders and a third nephew appears after having just escaped from a mental institution. In his adroit mixture of comedy and mayhem, Kesselring satirizes the charitable impulse as he pokes fun at the conventions of the theater. 

Thru Feb. 17th:  The Shoemaker and the Elves - Poor Lockhart Cobblestone is a kind shoemaker with a gentle heart yet little money. Despite his problems, the generous man helps an old beggar woman by giving her his last pair of shoes. Now Lockhart has only enough leather to make just a single pair. The penniless man sets the material out to work on the next morning. Upon his exit, out spring five eccentric and endearing elves. Mortz, Schwartz, Hazel, Gracie and Studebaker create the most incredible and magical shoes the town of Clankbottom has ever seen. This charming version is filled with silly roles, such as ballerina Loretta Le Pointe and Olympiad Zoom Corrigan, who both need specialized footwear. A number of delightful tunes include "We Love To Dance," "Smack, Smack, Smack," and the toe-tapping "Shoes." 

for more information, see www.playhouse1960.com or call (281) 587-8243

 

Radio Music Theatre   (2623 Colquitt)

Thru May 10th: Young & Fertle - It's Class reunion time at Central High for Bridgette and Justicena.  Join them and the rest of the gang from Dumpster as they stroll down memory lane.  Doc Moore and all the Fertles will be there, so make your reservations now.

for more information, see www.radiomusictheatre.com or call (713) 522-7722

 

Stages Repertory Theatre   (3201 Allen Parkway)

February 1st - 17th:  The Unseen - Imprisoned by a totalitarian regime and mercilessly tortured for unknown crimes, Wallace and Valdez live without hope of escape or release. When an enigmatic new prisoner arrives and begins communicating in code, both men develop new relationships to each other, their captors, and themselves. A darkly humorous examination of faith in an uncertain world.

Thru March 20th:  Late Night Catechism 2 - The nun-stop laughs continue in Late Nite Catechism 2! Blessed with all the wit, wisdom and wackiness that made the original an international hit, this follow-up to Late Nite Catechism warns us that we’d all better start making changes or we’re going to spend eternity with the heat on high! Explaining Heaven and Hell as a Catholic version of “Chutes and Ladders”, our irrepressible Sister offers an overview of salvation—and damnation—for the modern millennium, where sins like reality television, cloning, and bobble-head dolls of the holy family have shaken the old morality. Armed with a dizzying array of banners, filmstrips, mimeographed handouts, historical facts and hysterical insights, Sister sets out to conquer sin and conduct her class into convulsions of laughter!  

for more information, see www.stagestheatre.com or call (713) 527-0123

 

Verizon Wireless Theatre  (520 Texas Avenue)

Verizon Wireless Theatre is the source in downtown Houston for the best in live entertainment. From rock to country, comedy to musicals, they offer everything you want in an entertainment venue.  Verizon Wireless Theater puts on over one hundred events every year.

February 3rdAngels and Airwaves with Meg & Dia, The Color Fred & Ace Enders

February 20thJill Scott: The Real Thing Tour with Raheem Devaughn 

for more information, see www.livenation.com or call (713) 230-1600

 

Wortham Center  (Texas & Smith)

February 24th:  The African Children’s Choir - Prepare to be moved beyond belief when The African Children's Choir brings the sheer, spine-tingling beauty of Africa's choral tradition to the Wortham Center's Brown Theater. The African Children's Choir has been working with the most vulnerable children in Africa for 23 years raising awareness of the plight of the orphaned and abandoned, but also showing the beauty, dignity and potential of the African child. They perform throughout the world bringing hope and joy to everyone they meet while shining the spotlight on the plight of children in Africa. The African Children's Choir, with a focus on education, is currently caring for several thousand underprivileged children throughout Africa. These are children who could have lost all hope, but have overcome their circumstances and now are making a positive impact on society by being a voice for millions of children suffering in Africa. 

for more information, see www.spahouston.org  

Museums

Blaffer Gallery   (University of Houston campus, entrance 16 off Cullen Boulevard)

Thru March 29th: Chantal Akerman: Moving Through Time and Space –This exhibition includes five major works: D'Est (From the East), 1993; Sud (South), 1999; De l'autre côté (From the Other Side), 2002; Là-Bas (Down There), 2006; and features a new project filmed in Siberia commissioned especially for the exhibition. Akerman is widely regarded as one of the most important woman directors in film history, but her work in the crossover genre of film and visual art has never been fully explored. Beginning with D'Est in 1993, Akerman developed an artistic practice melding documentary filmmaking techniques with video installation. Imbued with social and political undertones, her multi-channel works contain the artist's characteristically slow moving action, mesmerizing attention to detail, and visual grace. This exhibition, her first solo survey in a U.S. museum, reveals Akerman's explorative and creative energies, as well as her singular understanding of some of today's most challenging concepts and themes: the transformative impact of cultural diaspora, memory, and history.

for more information, see www.hfac.uh.edu/blaffer or call (713) 743-9530

 

Children’s Museum of Houston  (1500 Benz)

The Children’s Museum of Houston offers a wonderful array of ongoing exhibits, created to inspire children’s imaginations and help them to learn through curiosity and hands-on activities and experimentation.

Thru March 2nd:  Everyone Counts! - Kids can count on fun and adventure as they explore the fascinating, fun-filled world of math in the hands-on, bilingual exhibit, Everyone Counts! This exhibit is a collection of brain teasers, games from around the world and activities that show how everyone counts in many ways every day. Everyone Counts! is filled to the brim with math games and activities from the floor to the ceiling. Families will learn the mystery behind the Magic Square, a challenging puzzle, and Kalah, an ancient game of strategy. They'll have a blast with tantalizing tessellations and tangrams, a giant geoboard and dominoes. Those interested in architecture will enjoy the Blueprint House, where kids will be able to brush up on their geometry skills, spatial sense and problem-solving. Next, they can move over to Building Shapes and design buildings or construct replicas of ancient Mayan pyramids. Everyone Counts! provides an engaging environment for kids to explore math. Any way you add it up, this exhibit equals fun!

Thru March 2nd:  Tales from the Land of Gullah – You may have heard the story of the “Tortoise and the Hare” or even sang “Kumbayah”, but have you the slightest idea of where these came from?  These answers and more will be revealed when you explore this new and exciting exhibit, which celebrates the rich heritage of African American people through the Gullah culture.  But who are the Gullah people?  The Gullah people are the descendants of West Africans who were enslaved in the Sea Islands, which are along the coast of South Carolina and George.  Because they remained relatively isolated from mainland America, the Gullah people were able to create a unique culture that blended their West African heritage with European-American and slave traditions.  In Tales of the Land of Gullah, which takes place in a setting reminiscent to that of a 1940s setting, visitors get to enjoy the fruitfulness of this enduring culture.  Whether it’s making simple sweet grass dolls or intricate weave baskets or listening to moralistic puppet show, this exhibition will allow you to appreciate the perseverance and vitality of the Gullah culture and will help you understand how they’ve managed to remain culturally unscathed even to this day.  Children will experience the rhythms of Gullah life through sounds, crafts and musical traditions.

Building Zone - With wrenches, pulleys and hovering vehicles, kids will surely find an outlet for their creative needs in this expanded exhibit. They’ll learn how to construct buildings that withstand the forces of nature or what makes trucks go, plus much more! Featuring hands-on activities that will encourage exploration into physics and engineering, you can test out new materials as you design a scaled down skyscraper or try your hand at building a kid-sized house.

Farm to Market - Kids will be shopping 'till "the grown-ups" drop all while learning all about nutrition, money-management and more in Farm to Market. Kids can start out by clocking-in, donning an apron and then proceed to the cash registers or even the real-life scanners to serve as a cashier or stock person. As food is scanned, not only will the kids learn how much they are spending, but also what part of the food pyramid the food comes from.  Or, should they prefer to shop, kids will want to start at the ATM to get their shopping money, pick up a grocery list and GO! They can shop through the bakery, produce, meat and dry goods departments to fill a recipe and even use coupons-- just like Mom and Dad might do.  Adjacent to the market, kids can mosey on down to the farm where they can milk a robotic cow or see live chicks. If they're lucky, they'll even get to see some hatching! Kids can also explore the worm farm, take a virtual reality journey on the back of a bee, and get decked out in aprons, hats or bonnets to take care of the barn, gathering 'eggs' from the chicken coop and more.  Farm to Market is sponsored by Randalls Food Markets

How Does It Work? - Did you ever wonder why you can't see in the dark? Or how your wireless telephone worked? Or even what really happens when you turn the ignition in your car? This multi-level exhibition challenges you to ask and discover the answers to your own science questions with tons of hands-on, investigative experiences.  You will explore light and color and can even become part of the exhibit with Light Warehouse, see what makes a car go with the '66 Mustang in Auto Alley, watch your messages be sent via fiber-optics and check out the history of communication in Phone Zone or challenge yourself to discover something new in the Science Station. You can even lift yourself 5 feet into the air to see how pulleys can make life a lot easier with the Kid Lift.  Then, step into a whimsical factory from the future in The Matter Factory, a new area in the How Does It Work? exhibit. Kids will develop the understanding that everything is made up of material or matter. They will learn that molecules and atoms are the building blocks of matter as they investigate materials and solve factory problems. 

Kid TV - The Adler-Sarofim KID-TV Studio Lights! Camera! Action! Think your child might be the next Matt Lauer or Barbara Walters? Let them show their stuff on camera in this exhibit, which teaches kids and parents what television is like behind the scenes.  KID-TV includes a dramatic backdrop of downtown Houston, video cameras, props and costumes, a teleprompter, a story board activity, a sound booth with a computer sound generator, director's board and cut-out figures of multi-cultural men and women who explain the different jobs in video production.  KID-TV is sponsored by Sarofim Trust Co. 

Think Tank - In this hands-on, minds-on exhibit, kids will get to explore different thought processes and learn how effective problem-solving can boost self-confidence.  After meeting the Think Tank Guides (Carlos, Felicia, Rosie and Isaac), you can jump right into solving the riddles...or you might want to put on custom-made thinking caps and lounge in the thinking chairs to get those brainstorming juices flowing. Either way, inventive, "outside the box" thinking is sure to occur!

Tot Spot - Tot Spot is the place to bring your newborn, toddler and two-year-old.  It’s where play is learning and learning is play for children from birth to thirty-six months.  The eye-catching bubble machine is a first stop, but not the last as tots crawl, cruise or walk throughout the exhibit which has four distinct areas.  These areas promote exploration, discovery, experimentation and wonder.

for more information, see www.cmhouston.org or call (713) 522-1138

 

Contemporary Arts Museum   (5216 Montrose)

Thru March 9th: Perspectives 159: Superconscious, Automatisms Now -  Organized by Senior Curator Paola Morsiani, Perspectives 159: Superconscious, Automatisms Now focuses on contemporary artists who use free association or “stream of consciousness,” a designation originally coined to describe a creative writing method deployed by innovative early-20th century novelists like Virginia Woolf and James Joyce. The group exhibition includes key works by Rachel Harrison, Sean Landers, Oliver Payne & Nick Ralph, and Danica Phelps. While stream of consciousness in literature strives to depict human experience at a spiritual level, Perspectives 159: Superconscious, Automatisms Now will demonstrate a method of the past two decades that allows for artwork to connect autobiographical and conceptual contents and yet remain open to interpretation.

Thru April 20th:  Design Life Now: National Design Triennial - Design Life Now: National Design Triennial will present the experimental projects, emerging ideas, major buildings, new products and media that were at the center of contemporary culture from 2003 to 2006. Inaugurated in 2000, the Triennial seeks out and presents the most innovative American designs from the prior three years in a variety of fields, including product design, architecture, furniture, film, graphics, new technologies, animation, science, medicine and fashion. Design Life Now: National Design Triennial will focus on four principal ideas that characterized elements of the design world during the last three years: emulating life; community; hand-crafted and do-it-yourself design; and transformation. On view throughout the exhibition will be the work of 87 designers and firms, ranging from established design leaders such as Apple, architect Santiago Calatrava, and Nike, Inc., to emerging designers like Joshua Davis, Jason Miller, and David Wiseman. The National Design Triennial is organized by the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution, and curated by Barbara Bloemink, Ellen Lupton and Matilda McQuaid, along with guest curator Brooke Hodge of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

for more information, see www.camh.org or call (713) 284-8250

 

The Heritage Society   (1100 Bagby)

Thru February 3rd:  Sounds of the Past: Phonographs, Radios, and Records - Before the iPod, with its state of the art technology and sophisticated sound, the phonograph was the one of a kind innovation of its day. Though seemingly unimpressive, this instrument was the first device ever to record sound and play it back. Thanks to Thomas Edison, we can now enjoy the latest hits on our portable MP3 players. To see and hear more, come to The Heritage Society’s newest exhibition, Sounds of the Past: Phonographs, Radios, and Records. This exhibit will be showing all the facets of sound through the museum’s wonderful and extensive collection of phonographs, radios, cylinders, and disc records. Chronicling the transition of recorded sound from the phonograph to the radio, the exhibit will also present famous and historic radio broadcasts. Not only will visitors be able to see how these musical machines work, but they’ll hear them too! For some visitors, it will be a reminiscent trip into their past, but for many, young and old; it will be an educational exploration of the history of sound.

February 12th - May 25th:  "It is in service that you will grow the greatest" Jesse Jones: City Builder and Public Servant - No figure in Houston’s history has had as much of an impact on the city’s success today than Jesse Holman Jones. Therefore, The Heritage Society proudly presents its newest exhibit, “It is in service that you will grow the greatest” Jesse Jones: City Builder and Public Servant. Not always remembered, Jones was an influential figure behind the scenes on the local, state, and national front. Dubbed Mr. Houston, Jones was a banker, businessman, politician, and philanthropist for the Houston community. As Secretary of Commerce for F.D.R., Jones was instrumental in bringing the nation out of the Depression while also insuring that not one Houston bank would go under. The exhibit will document his key role in U.S. history as well as feature extensive collections once owned by him.

February 21st:  Jesse Jones – Hill/Finger Lecture Series - Steven Fenberg will present a lecture on one of the most important figures in Houston’s history, Jesse H. Jones. Mr. Fenberg is the Community Affairs Officer of Houston Endowment, Executive Producer and co-writer of the PBS documentary, Brother Can You Spare a Billion: The Story of Jesse H. Jones. Dubbed “Mr. Houston”, Jesse Jones was known for his business acumen in real estate, banking, and building, his aptitude for civil service and his commitment to philanthropy.  Mr. Jones was an influential figure behind the scenes on the local, state, and national fronts.  He served as Secretary of Commerce under F.D.R. and was instrumental in bringing the nation out of the Depression and bolstering the local Houston economy so that it would become a hub of international commerce for the South. 

for more information, visit www.heritagesociety.org

 

Holocaust Museum Houston   (5401 Caroline)

Permanent Exhibit:  The Permanent Exhibit is personalized with the testimony of Houston-area survivors who lived through a genocidal war that inflicted mass death on unprecedented numbers of innocent civilians. The exhibit begins by carrying visitors back to pre-war Europe and revealing the flourishing Jewish life and culture there. Authentic film footage, artifacts, photographs, and documents expose Nazi propaganda and the ever-tightening restrictions on Jews in the steady move toward the "Final Solution." Visitors learn of the horrific conditions within the Nazi-imposed ghettos, the special mobile killing units that murdered thousands, and the industrialization of death at complexes like Treblinka, Chelmno, and Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Thru February 3rd:  Dr. Robert O. Fisch: Illustrated Works from ‘Light from the Yellow Star’ and ‘The Metamorphosis to Freedom’ - Holocaust Museum Houston presents a collection of illustrated works from two books by Holocaust survivor and distinguished visual artist Dr. Robert O. Fisch. On display will be works from “Light from the Yellow Star: A Lesson of Love from the Holocaust” in which Fisch describes his experience in a Nazi concentration camp. Also on view will be works from “The Metamorphosis to Freedom,” which Fisch wrote as a testimonial to the value he treasures above all others: freedom.

Thru February 3rd:  Medical Ethics and the Holocaust - Holocaust Museum Houston presents "Medical Ethics and the Holocaust" - a lecture series and exhibit that will explore how the medical practices of the Third Reich influence modern-day society. "Medical Ethics and the Holocaust" will attempt to reveal the origins behind the Nazi philosophy of "a perfect race" and investigate its implications for contemporary times and future generations. Some of the world’s most influential scientists, physicians, academia and authors, including three Nobel Laureates, will be discussing the various facets of this subject throughout the Museum's five-month program.

Thru February 10th: Through the Eye of the Needle: Fabric Art of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz - This exhibition features the work of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz, a survivor from Poland who, at age 50, began creating works of fabric art to tell her story. Trained as a dressmaker but untrained in art, she created a collection of 36 fabric pictures of strong, vivid colors and striking details with a sense of folk-like realism. Meticulously stitched words beneath the pictures provide a narrative. 

Open Mon. – Fri. 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.

for more information, see www.hmh.org or call (713) 942-8000

 

 Houston Museum of Natural Science  (One Hermann Circle Drive)

Thru February 10th:  Fragile Nature:  The Photography of Joel Sartore - Fragile Nature takes the viewer on assignment with the world’s greatest magazine, National Geographic.  For the past 16 years with National Geographic, Joel Sartore's work has focused primarily on endangered species and preservation of their habitat.  This exhibition takes viewers on a journey into the natural world across much of North and South America to witness majestic animals from jaguars and macaws, to gray wolves and grizzly bears.  The exhibit details why species become endangered, their chances of recovery, and most importantly, what we can do to help.

Thru  February 17th:  Verdura: The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler - Timeless, elegant and distinctly original, Verdura jewelry has been coveted by royalty, Hollywood and high society for nearly 70 years. In the premiere exhibition, Verdura jewels dating from the 1930s with original design sketches will be on public display. More than any other designer of the twentieth century, Duke Fulco di Verdura (1898–1978) elevated jewelry to the status of an art form. Born a Sicilian Duke, his creations were inspired by classical patterns and natural forms, brightened with intense colors and infused with a sophisticated wit that Verdura displayed throughout his intensely creative life.

Thru April 20th:  Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia - Discover the rich history and culture of Ethiopia, the cradle of mankind. From the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and the massive, ancient obelisks at Axum to the beautiful highlands of Gondar and the arid desert in which the famous fossil Lucy was discovered, Lucy’s Legacy tells the amazing story of Ethiopia over the past 5 million years. In addition to the fossil of Lucy, over 100 artifacts such as ancient manuscripts and royal artifacts from a dynasty Ethiopians believe stretches back to the son of the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba will be on display.  This is an international exhibition organized by The Houston Museum of Natural Science in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Exhibition Coordinating Committee.

Thru April 30th:  CSI: The Experience - You've seen the hit television crime drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on CBS.  Now, there’s a forensic science exhibition related to the TV show that lets you be the expert.  On February 1, the Houston Museum of Natural Science will proudly unveil CSI: The Experience, an immersive, interactive forensic science exhibition that invites people to use real science to solve hypothetical crimes in an exciting multimedia environment.  Imagine entering a crime scene and being responsible for noticing and collecting every trace of evidence. The pressure is on—you know the analysis of the evidence must be scientifically sound to crack the case.  The exhibition invites you to enter “crime” scenes to identify and record evidence. You are then taken inside “laboratories” for scientific testing and into “autopsy” rooms for pathology analysis. Finally it returns you to the “office” to build your case based on the scientific evidence. 

Thru April 20th:  Morena Moderna: Virgin de Guadalupe - Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most venerated symbo