Catch some of the city’s most exciting upcoming performances, happening all month long, with our roundup of live theater and performing arts productions in May 2024.
This month brings a huge slate of performing arts to stages across Houston.
Catch the annual Cinco de Mayo performance at Miller; new dance productions from Uptown Dance Company, Houston Ballet and Dance Source Houston; plus the final shows for Alley’s Jane Eyre, The Sound of Music, and a Bob Dylan Broadway show.
From classical music and regional play premieres to musicals and dance, there’s something for every taste and budget.
Top Performing Arts & Theater Shows in Houston: May 2024
Opening This Month
- Cinco de Mayo at Miller: ¡Viva Mexico¡ Viva America! at Miller Outdoor Theatre | Friday, May 3 | FREE – This colorful explosion of dance and culture brings one of the most-celebrated ballet folklorico companies in the country to the Miller stage. Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles collaborated with Disney to launch Coco at D23 and the film’s premiere at the El Capitan Theatre. 8:15pm.
- Stages presents Othello: The Remix at the Gordy | Friday May 3 | Ongoing – This hip-hop adaptation finds an onstage DJ spinning Shakespeare’s legendary masterpiece of jealousy, revenge and passion. The show was a New York Times critics pick, and is sure to showcase the story in a whole new light. This production runs through Sunday, June 9. $25 and up. Showtimes vary.
- Paul Hope Cabaret presents Irving Berlin & Cole Porter’s Grand Finale at Ovations | Monday, May 6 to Monday, May 20 – This evening of song explores the composers’ later work, with selections from Broadway shows and films such as Can Can, Les Girls and Call Me Madam. $20 and up. 7:30pm.
- On Midnight, Friday the 13th at Ensemble Theatre | Friday, May 10 | Ongoing – As family and friends gather for the reading of Angus Black’s will, an intriguing and hilarious journey unfolds. Hilarious, that is, unless you are the next person to join Angus in the afterlife. This production runs through Sunday, June 2. $37 and up. Showtimes vary.
- ECHOrchestra presents Peter & the Wolf at St. John Vianny Catholic Church | Thursday, May 16 – Prokofiev’s orchestrations bring to life this musical fable, told with narration by Outspoken Bean. The concert also includes Carmen Suite No. 1, La Vida Breve and others. $25. 7:30pm.
- On the Verge Theatre presents Love, Loss & What I Wore at the Alta Arts | Thursday, May 16 | Ongoing – By turn hilarious and poignant, this comedy by Nora and Delia Ephron, based on the book by Ilene Beckerman explores the importance of clothing in women’s lives. This production runs through Sunday, June 9. $20 and up. Showtimes vary.
- Operativo presents Gypsy at MATCH | 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 steer them into living the dream she never could. $25. Showtimes vary.
- Mercury presents Brahms Fourth at Wortham Center | Saturday, May 18 – The orchestra performs one of classical music’s greatest masterpieces, with all its stirring passion. The program begins with Schumann’s Symphony No. 1. $25 and up. 8pm.
- Uptown Dance Company presents An African Adventure at Hobby Center | Saturday, May 18 & Sunday, May 19 – Students from the age of three to pre-professional showcase their talent in this extraordinary celebration of Africa in all its majesty. From playful penguins in Cape Town all the way to a tribal village, rhythmic beats and local dance styles rule the stage. $21.50 and up. Saturday at 7pm; Sunday at noon and 4pm.
- Taking Steps at Main Street Theater | Saturday, May 18 | Ongoing – In this British farce, a solicitor has bitten off more than he can chew, overseeing the sale of a crumbling, possibly haunted house that used to be a brothel. Two couples, the solicitor and a realtor get caught up in chaos in this Alan Aykbourn play. This production runs through Sunday, June 16. $35 and up. Showtimes vary.
- TUTS presents Disney’s Newsies at Hobby Center | Tuesday, May 21 | Ongoing – The wildly popular musical tells the story of a band of newspaper boys and their allies, who stand up to some of New York City’s most powerful publishers. This new production of the crowd-pleasing show should be a family favorite. This production runs through Sunday, June 2. $40 and up. Showtimes vary.
- Houston Ballet presents Mayerling at Wortham Center | Thursday, May 23 | Ongoing – With choreography by Sir Kenneth MacMillan and a score by Franz Liszt, this ballet is the story of Crown Prince Rudolf, the sole heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 1880s. It follows scandal and political intrigue through an unhappy marriage, sensuous dalliances and morbid obsessions, leading to tragic consequences. This production runs through Sunday, June 2. $25 and up. Showtimes vary.
- Apollo Chamber Players present Muted at Rice University | Friday, May 24 – The acclaimed contemporary chamber group closes out their 16th season with Muted, crafted in response to our modern era’s continued efforts to ban, censor and marginalize. The night includes a world premiere of Forgotten Dutch Melodies by Dutch Jewish composer Dick Kattenburg, and a guest appearance by Turkish-born pianist Tugçe Özcivan. $35; $10 for students with ID. Pre-concert Q&A at 7pm; concert to follow at 7:30pm.
- Dirt Dogs Theatre presents Appropriate at MATCH | Friday, May 24 | Ongoing – When members of the Lafayette clan gather at the Arkansas home of their recently deceased patriarch, they make a horrifying discovery. What secrets lie beneath their father’s junk and hoarded mementos? This production runs through Saturday, June 8. $30. Showtimes vary.
- Stages presents The Case for the Existence of God at the Gordy | Friday, May 24 | Ongoing – From the writer of the Oscar-winning The Whale comes this story of Ryan and Keith, who form an unlikely friendship after meeting at their daughters’ daycare. Together, they navigate fatherhood, loneliness, and the confounding terms of a mortgage loan. This production runs through Sunday, June 30. $25 and up. Showtimes vary.
- Dance Source Houston presents Barnstorm Dance Fest at MATCH | Tuesday, May 28 to Saturday, June 1 – Celebrating the breadth, depth, and diversity of dance in Greater Houston and beyond, this festival is an exciting sampling of dance genres. Expect a weekend of performances, workshops and more. $25. Showtimes vary.
Closing This Month
- Jane Eyre at Alley Theatre | Through Sunday, May 5 – Elizabeth Williamson’s stage adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel follows Jane as she navigates the obstacles of coming of age in 19th-century England. As much a love story as a growing-up chronicle, it’s a Gothic classic filled with secrets and passion. $29 and up. Showtimes vary.
- Broadway Across America presents The Girl from the North Country at Hobby Center | Through Sunday, May 5 – In Duluth, Minnesota, in 1934, we meet a group of travelers whose lives intersect at a boarding house. Written and directed by acclaimed playwright Conor McPherson, the play reimagines 20 of Bob Dylan’s songs, including “Forever Young,” “Slow Train Coming” and “Like a Rolling Stone.” $35 and up. Showtimes vary.
- 4th Wall Theatre Company presents The Father at Spring Street Studios | Through Saturday, May 11 – The theater company ends its season with this play by Florian Zeller that questions the nature of identity, memory and the human experience. It’s the story of André, trying to navigate aging as confusion sets in and his reality is constantly shifting around him. $30 and up. Showtimes vary.
- A.D. Players presents Driving Miss Daisy at the George Theater | Through Sunday, May 12 – The story of Daisy Werthan and her chauffeur, Hoke is an examination of our interconnectedness as people. Daisy is reluctant to have Hoke drive her car because he is Black. But over the course of their 25-year relationship, they discover pathways to respect. $35 and up. Showtimes vary.
- Houston Grand Opera presents The Sound of Music at Wortham Center | Through Sunday, May 12 – Acclaimed soprano Isabel Leonard stars as Maria in this beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, making its debut on the HGO stage. Sent to be a governess to the seven children of the remote Captain von Trapp, Maria finds she must decide between the life she imagined for herself as a nun or follow her heart. Set against the last days before the German invasion of Austria, it features songs like “My Favorite Things,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” and other familiar melodies. $25 and up. Showtimes vary.
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