Best performing arts this week: May 13-19, 2024

Check out the latest performing arts productions and theater events opening in Houston from Monday, May 13 through Sunday, May 19, 2024.

Music from a galaxy far, far away and back-to-back nights of a Houston Grand Opera classic highlight performing arts events this week.

Looking for ways to keep the theater schedule in order? We’ve got you covered with this series of weekly recaps on openings at theaters and performing arts institutions across the city of Houston.

Here is our list of unmissable openings:

Best Performing Arts Openings This Week: May 13-19, 2024

• ECHOrchestra presents Pierre and the Wolf at the Saint-Jean-Vianny Catholic Church | Thursday May 16 – Prokofiev’s orchestrations bring this musical fable to life, told by Outspoken Bean. The concert also includes Carmen Suite No. 1, La Vida Breve and others. $25. 7:30 p.m.
• The kinetic dance ensemble presents Stake at the MATCH | Thursday May 16 – Kinetic Ensemble closes its season by exploring the role of “play” within the ensemble. This program explores the interplay between music and dance, culminating in a celebration of optimism and togetherness. $30. 7:30 p.m.
• On the Verge Theater presents Love, loss and what I wore at Alta Arts | Thursday May 16 | In progress – By turns hilarious and poignant, this comedy from Nora and Delia Ephron, based on the book by Ilene Beckerman, explores the importance of clothing in women’s lives. This production runs until Sunday June 9. $20 and up. Hours vary.
• Houston Grand Opera presents Madame Papillon at the Miller Outdoor Theater | Friday May 17 and Saturday May 18 | FREE – HGO adapts its superb production of Puccini’s classic opera for the Hermann Hill stage. Hear the story of Cio-Cio-San, a young Japanese woman named Butterfly who enters into an arranged marriage with U.S. Navy Lieutenant Pinkerton, and the heartbreaking tragedy that follows. 8 p.m.
• The Houston Symphony presents Star Wars music at Jones Hall | From Friday May 17 to Sunday May 19 – Conductor Steven Reineke leads the orchestra in a concert of favorites from the Star Wars universe. Audiences will be transported to a galaxy far, far away with pieces from all nine films, including selections like “Rey’s Theme,” “The Imperial March” and more, presented in chronological order. $54.88 and up. Hours vary.
• Operativo presents Gypsy at the MATCH | From Friday May 17 to Sunday May 19 – The company closes its 2023-24 season with this classic musical that tells the story of Mama Rose and her two daughters, as she tries to get them to live the dream she was never able to achieve. $25. Hours vary.
• Houston Triple Choir Spring Concert at Trinity Lutheran Church | Saturday May 18 | FREE – Come hear the award-winning choir sing selections from their 2023-24 repertoire. This is a great opportunity to see some of Houston’s best young singers. 2 p.m.
• Mercury presents Brahms Fourth at Wortham Center | Saturday May 18 – The orchestra performs with all its passion one of the greatest masterpieces of classical music. The program begins with Schumann’s Symphony No. 1. $25 and up. 8 p.m.
• Uptown Dance Company presents An African adventure at the Hobby Center | Saturday May 18 and Sunday May 19 – Students from three years to pre-professional showcase their talent in this extraordinary celebration of Africa in all its majesty. From playful Cape penguins to a tribal village, rhythmic beats and local dance styles dominate the scene. $21.50 and up. Saturday at 7 p.m.; Sunday at noon and 4 p.m.
• Take measures at the Main Street Theater | Saturday May 18 | In progress – In this British farce, a lawyer has bitten off more than he can chew, overseeing the sale of a ruined, possibly haunted house that was once a brothel. Two couples, the lawyer and a real estate agent, find themselves plunged into chaos in this play by Alan Aykbourn. This production runs until Sunday June 16. $35 and up. Hours vary.
• The room that goes wrong at the Little Baytown Theater | Sunday May 19 – Part Monty Python, part Sherlock Holmes, this Olivier Award-winning comedy is a global phenomenon sure to make you laugh. Set in the 1920s, the thriller is a play within a play in which a group of college comedians fight against all odds to get from series opener to encore. $20. 2:30 p.m.

Don’t miss tomorrow’s fun!