Top Performing Arts & Live Theater This Week: May 20 to 26, 2024

See the latest performing arts productions and theater happenings opening across Houston from Monday, May 20 to Sunday, May 26, 2024.

Catch a Broadway show from TUTS, a season finale from Apollo Chamber Players, and the opening of multiple productions in the closing days of May.

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: May 20 to 26, 2024

• 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.
• Dancin’ in the Streets…Motown and More Revue at Miller Outdoor Theatre | Thursday, May 23 to Saturday, May 25 | FREE – The popular review returns to the Miller stage, bringing with it the high-energy hits from Motown. Groove out as local artists perform the greatest R&B, soul and funk hits from the 1960s to the 1990s. 8:15pm.
• 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.
• Ars Lyrica presents Amadigi di Gaula at Hobby Center | Friday, May 24 & Saturday, May 25 – This brand-new production of Handel’s opera represents the most ambitious undertaking of the early music ensemble’s 2023-2024 season. First premiering in 1715, this “magic” opera is the story of Amadigi and Oriana, lovers who face a series of trials. $39 and up. 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.
• Houston Symphony presents Adam’s El Niño: The Nativity Story Reimagined at Jones Hall | Saturday, May 25 & Sunday, May 26 –  Composer John Adams’s eclectic style is paired with modern Spanish-language poetry from Mexico, Chile, and Nicaragua, to tell an alternative version of the Nativity story—one seen through Mary’s point of view. Guitars and maracas augment the orchestra. $34 and up. Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 2:30pm.

Don’t Miss Out on Tomorrow’s Fun!