Top Performing Arts & Live Theater This Week: December 25 to 31, 2023

A ballet performer leaps as costumed performers look on during a Christmas scene
Sugar Land hosts an acrobatic telling of the Nutcracker just after Christmas | Courtesy of Nutcracker Magical Christmas Ballet

See the latest performing arts productions and theater happenings opening across Houston from Christmas, Monday, December 25 to New Year’s Eve, Sunday, December 31, 2023.

Looking for ways to keep the theater calendar straight? We have you covered with this weekly roundup series tracking openings at theaters and performing arts institutions across the city of Houston.

Here’s our list of must-see openings:

Top Performing Arts Openings This Week: December 25 to 31, 2023

  • Mannheim Steamroller Christmas at Smart Financial Centre | Thursday, December 28 – The global sensation returns to the Houston area with dazzling special effects, compelling music and holiday cheer. $39 and up. 8pm.
  • The Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet at Smart Financial Centre | Friday, December 29 – Enjoy the classic ballet like you’ve never seen it before, with spectacular acrobatics, larger-than-life puppets and stunning hand-crafted sets. Perfect for all ages, it will transport audiences to a far-away fairytale. $39 and up. 7pm.
  • Spaces Dance Concert at MATCH | Saturday, December 30 – This innovative concert features premieres by Christian Denice, Olivia Morrow, and HTX Connect Founder, Terrill Mitchell, and includes performances by dancers between the ages of 12 and 17. It’s an opportunity to see some of Houston’s emerging talent on stage. $25. 2pm and 7pm.
  • ECHOrchestra presents Dance the Night Away at Queensbury Theatre | Saturday, December 30 – Get ready to ring in the new year with this Spanish-infused performance by the Energy Corridor Houston Orchestra and Undebel Flamenco. Tickets include food and wine, the performance and an end-of-evening Champagne toast. $95. 6pm.

Final Performances This Week

Some of the city’s most popular holiday shows draw final curtains throughout the week.

Wednesday, December 27 is the last chance to see Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

You can catch the closing show A Christmas Carol at Alley Theatre on Saturday, December 30; and New Year’s Eve, Sunday, December 31 brings the last performances of Always…Patsy Cline and Panto Alicia in Wonderland at Stages.


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Holly Beretto
Holly Beretto writes about food and wine, the arts and interesting people for a variety of local and regional publications. In addition to 365 Things to Do in Houston, her work has appeared in the Arizona State University Alumni Magazine, Arts + Culture Texas, Bayou City Magazine, Downtown, Galveston Monthly and Houston Woman. She is also a regular contributor to Eater.com's Houston site. She earned her B.A. in mass communication with a minor in professional writing from Franklin Pierce College (now Franklin Pierce University) and her M.A. in communication studies with an emphasis in journalism from St. Louis University. She has worked in television news production, public relations and marketing in Rhode Island, Maine, New York and Texas. A native Rhode Islander, she has lived in Texas since 1997. She is the author of Christ as the Cornerstone: Fifty Years of Worship at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, published by Bright Sky Press.