Top Performing Arts & Live Theater This Week: November 27 to December 3, 2023

See the latest performing arts productions and theater happenings opening across Houston from Monday, November 27 to Sunday, December 3, 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.

Discover the upcoming holiday shows that are hitting stages in town with our guide to the top 25 holiday performances in 2023.

Here’s our list of must-see openings:

Top Performing Arts Openings This Week: November 27 to December 3, 2023

• Paul Hope Cabaret presents We Need a Little Christmas at Ovations Night Club | Monday, November 27 | Ongoing – Spend a Monday night with the sounds of the season, as the artists of this cabaret troupe offer their first-ever holiday concert. Expect a blend of familiar carols and rarely heard gems. This production runs through Monday, December 11. $25 and up. 7:30pm.
• TUTS presents The Ugly X-mas Sweater Musical at Hobby Center | Tuesday, November 28 | Ongoing – This all-new, original musical, written by TUTS artistic director Dan Knechtges and Megan Larche Dominick explores the antics at a company that’s been bought out by an international conglomerate. In this mash-up between The Office and Project Runway, the employees must devise the ugliest Christmas sweater ever to save their jobs. This production runs through Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24. $40 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot at Unity Theatre | Thursday, November 30 | Ongoing – This comedy tells the story of the fictional Broadway star William Gillette, renowned for playing the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes. In December 1936, he invites his fellow cast members to a castle in Connecticut for a weekend of holiday revelry. Then one of them winds up dead. Who done it? This production runs through Sunday, December 17. $30. Showtimes vary.
• WindSync presents Germination at MATCH | Friday, December 1 – WindSync and composers Viet Cuong and Nicky Sohn share insights into the creative process between writers and performers in an evening of Houston premieres. Be among the first to hear Sohn’s Yardbird Suite and Cuong’s Flora. $35. 7:30pm.

• Houston Bronze Ensemble presents Jingle All the Way at MATCH | Friday, December 1 – Get ready for an evening of holiday cheer, as the ensemble partners with the Houston Pride Chorus for a concert of familiar favorites and new melodies. $15. 7:30pm.
• A Christmas Carol at the Grand 1894 Opera House | Friday, December 1 & Saturday, December 2 – This new adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic tells the beloved story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miser who finds he must re-evaluate his life after being visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. $30 and up. Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 3pm.
• Opera in the Heights presents Hansel & Gretel at Lambert Hall | Friday, December 1 | Ongoing – This beloved opera, with its lush and beautiful score, comes to life on stage in a production that pulls the audience into its fairytale setting and a new English translation. This production runs through Saturday, December 9. $29 and up. Showtimes vary.
• 4th Wall Theatre Company presents Sense & Sensibility at Spring Street Studios | Friday, December 1 | Ongoing – This new adaptation of the Jane Austen classic has been praised as “an enchanting romp of a play” by the New York Times. An examination of gossip, reputation and a woman’s place in the world, its sparkling comedy underlies serious themes. This production runs through Saturday, December 23. $28 and up. Showtimes vary.

• Music Box Theater presents A Beatles Holiday Cabaret at Queensbury Theatre | Friday, December 1 | Ongoing – Hear holiday favorites and traditional carols, coupled with your favorite Beatles tunes in original arrangements. This concert has become an annual fan favorite. This production runs through Saturday, December 23. $38 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Stages presents Panto Alicia in Wonderland at the Gordy | Friday, December 1 | Ongoing – The panto Christmas performance tradition continues, as Stages collaborates with TEATRX for this take on the classic Alice in Wonderland story. Alicia is about to make her quinceañera, but she’s feeling torn between the traditions of her family and the life she wants for herself. Then, she falls down the rabbit hole and discovers all that makes her unique. This production runs through Sunday, December 31. $30 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Mercury presents An Early American Christmas at Wortham Center | Saturday, December 2 – Journey to the past with this musical performance that includes traditional songs and dances from New France and Appalachia. $25 and up. 8pm.
• Cirque Dreams Holidaze at Smart Financial Centre | Saturday, December 2 – This whimsical, family-friendly holiday spectacular combines the thrill of Broadway with the artistry of circus performance for an unforgettable evening. Aerial acts, sleight-of-hand jugglers, acrobats and more take to the stage for a dazzling display of holiday delight. $33 and up. 4pm and 8pm.
• International Voices of Houston presents Silver Bells at MATCH | Saturday, December 2 & Sunday, December 3 – Celebrating its 25th season, the multicultural choir presents this holiday performance of festive songs in several languages, including Arabic, English, Estonian, German, Hebrew, Setswana, Spanish, Ukrainian and more. Guest soprano Jolie Rocke joins the chorus for the event. $25. Saturday at 7pm; Sunday at 3pm and 7pm.

Don’t Miss Out on Tomorrow’s Fun!