See the latest performing arts productions and theater happenings opening across Houston from Monday, June 16 to Sunday, June 22, 2025.
This week’s openings remind me what a treasure Miller Outdoor Theatre is for Houston. For more than 100 years, generations of Houstonians have grown up seeing myriad shows at the Hermann Park venue. Seeing a show at Miller is a way to experience a variety of performing arts in a laid-back space.
This week, Miller has offerings from Express Children’s Theatre, a concert of Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole hits, and the return of a classical ensemble playing classic and contemporary songs.
Miller’s not alone in multiple performances. The Houston Symphony performs live scores for the 50th anniversary of Jaws, plus The Goonies and Disney / Pixar’s Up in Downtown Houston and The Woodlands.
I’m also excited for DeQuina Moore’s show at the Founders Club, as well as HGO’s A Voice Within at Emancipation Park.
You can also catch a new works festival, a concert celebration by the Houston Pride Band and new art songs celebrating nature this week, all at MATCH.
One last shout-out: this week is your last chance to catch Paul Hope Cabaret’s season closer, Spacecapades, at Ovations. Paul and his singers help keep The Great American Songbook alive, and I love them for it.
Go see performing arts, Houston!
Top Theater & Arts Performances This Week: June 16 to 22, 2025
Showtime! New Openings & This Week Only Shows
The 39 Steps Read-Through at Main Street Theater | Tuesday | FREE with RSVP – Be a fly on the wall for the very first rehearsal, hearing the cast read this play, based on the John Buchan novel and Alfred Hitchcock film aloud together. Enjoy a glass of wine and connect with the production from its very beginning – then see the arc of the process when you come back to see the full show. 6:45pm.
Houston Grand Opera: A Voice Within at Emancipation Park | Tuesday – Experience a new song cycle showcasing the stories of 12 Black Houstonians, created by HGO Composer-in-Residence Joel Thompson with librettist and Houston poet laureate emeritus Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton. $25. 7pm.
Skylar Campbell Dance Collective: First Light at MATCH | Tuesday – Presented in collaboration with Voices of Arts Central, the evening of dance showcases work by leading and emerging choreographers, including the Houston premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain and a world premiere by Prix de Lausanne Young Creation Award winner Hank Lichtmacher. $30. 7pm.
Houston Symphony: The Goonies: Film with Live Concert at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | Tuesday | FREE – Sit out under the stars and enjoy this screening of the classic 1985 movie (PG) about a group of friends searching for treasure. The Symphony plays the movie score live. 8:05pm.
Express Children’s Theatre & Dance of Asian America: Legends of the Chinese Zodiac at Miller Outdoor Theatre | Tuesday & Wednesday | FREE – The 2-part performance, performed over 2 mornings, explores the legend of the Jade Emperor, who created a 12-month zodiac to keep track of time and created a race for all the animals in the kingdom to compete for a spot on the calendar. 11am both days.
Celebrating Black History! at Miller Outdoor Theatre | Thursday | FREE – On Juneteenth itself, Express Children’s Theatre continues its weekday morning performance with a celebration of Black History from Ancient Africa to Modern Day Houston. 11am.
Houston Symphony: 50th Anniversary: Jaws at Jones Hall | Friday – You’re gonna need a bigger boat. Catch this movie screening of Steven Spielberg’s classic 1975 summer blockbuster (PG) as the Symphony plays the iconic John Williams score live. $66+. 7:30pm.
Aperio, Music of the Americas: Classical Summer Vibes at Miller Outdoor Theatre | Friday | FREE – The classical ensemble returns to the Hermann Park stage with a program featuring a blend of popular and classical orchestral favorites, including selections by Burt Bachrach, Arturo Marquez and more. 8:30pm.
Founders Club Series: DeQuina Moore at The Hobby Center | Friday & Saturday – The HSPVA alumna and Broadway performer brings her stage experiences to an intimate concert inside Hobby’s Founders Club. She’ll sing selections from Broadway, gospel and R&B, sharing the story of her career along the way. $58+. Times vary.
Institute of Contemporary Dance: Limitless at the MATCH | Friday & Saturday – Experience an evening of new works from guest choreographers, performed by members of the company’s HC2 dancers. $15. Times vary.
Make Music Day Festival at the Julia Ideson Library | Saturday | FREE – This celebration of sound, culture and community features live performances by local artists and ensembles, along with cultural dance showcases, food trucks and vendors, and other fun for all ages. Noon to 9pm.
DaCamera: Stop! Look! Listen! at the Menil Collection | Saturday | FREE – In conjunction with Make Music Day and the Menil’s installation of works by Rene Magritte this concert brings together DaCamera Young Artists and musicians from the Texas Music Festival Orchestra for a musical celebration of fantasy and surrealism suitable for all audiences. 3pm.
Ambassadors International Ballet Folklorico: Unidos en Danza at Wortham Center | Saturday | FREE with RSVP – The annual showcase marks the organization’s 46th year, with dance expressions from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela, and Texas. 4pm.
Baby Boy at The Grand 1894 Opera House | Saturday – In celebration of Juneteenth, this play is the story of Daniel, a Black teen who’s just lost his best friend to gun violence. Hoping to save him from a similar fate, his mother sends him to live with relatives in the suburbs, but Daniel finds out being a Black man has limitations no matter the ZIP code. $30+. 7pm.
Thunderclap Productions: New Works Festival at MATCH | Saturday – This is a chance to see works by Houston-area playwrights, lyricists, and composers who will showcase excerpts from their new plays and musicals. Pay-What-You-Can; $25 suggested. 7:30pm.
Boston Brass: Nostalgia at The Hobby Center | Saturday – Experience this concert featuring colorful classical arrangements, burning jazz standards, and the best of original repertoire in a performance designed to delight brass lovers and newbies alike. $15+. 8pm.
Houston Pride Band: Pride Celebrates! at MATCH | Saturday – Kick off Houston Pride with this concert featuring songs from across the decades that celebrate and embrace joy, resilience and community. $15. 8pm.
The King Cole Legacy Experience at Miller Outdoor Theatre | Saturday | FREE – Sit under the moonlight against the backdrop of the Texas Medical Center and beautiful Hermann Park as you enjoy this concert that celebrates the life, accomplishments and classic recordings of the legendary artists Nat King Cole and his daughter, Natalie Cole. 8:30pm.
Houston Symphony: Disney / Pixar’s Up in Concert at Jones Hall | Saturday & Sunday – The heartwarming adventure follows Carl, a cantankerous 78-year-old balloon salesman, and Russell, an adventurous 8-year-old stowaway, as they embark on a laugh-out-loud and touching journey to a hidden world full of thrills and surprises. The Symphony plays the movie score live to accompany the film. $56.88+. Times vary.
Maggie Hinchliffe & Rose Kearin: No More Walks in the Woods – Songs About Trees at MATCH | Sunday – The pianist and soprano perform a concert of new art songs and classical works by Texas-based poets and composers that are inspired by trees. $10. 1pm.
MHLV Dance: Creation at The Hobby Center | Sunday – This performance explores the creation of the world through dance and aerial arts. MHLV Dance is for women and girls only in respect to the Orthodox Jewish Community. $20.40+. 5:30pm.
They’ve Got Legs! Ongoing Shows
Music Box Theater: Number-One Hits at Queensbury Theatre | Friday & Saturday | Closes Saturday, June 28 – Relive chart-topping hits from 1958 ‘til now in a cabaret-style show celebrating multiple decades and music styles that have become the soundtrack to our lives. $40+. Times vary.
Painting Churches at Theatre Suburbia | Friday & Saturday | Closes Saturday, July 5 – Daughter Mags comes home to Boston’s Beacon Hill to help her parents, Gardner and Fanny Church, prepare to move out and into their summer home on Cape Cod. On the verge of artistic celebrity, she also hopes to paint a portrait of her parents. This family drama explores themes of love and aging and what we need from each other. $20. 8pm nightly.
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill at Stageworks | Friday to Sunday | Closes Sunday, June 29 – Based on the life of the legendary singer Billie Holiday, this play with music transports you to a cabaret setting where Billie shares stories about her life interspersed with song. Seating options include tables for 2 or 4 people, which include a bottle of wine or cava. $50. Times vary.
35th Annual Texas Music Festival at University of Houston | Saturday & Sunday | Closes, Saturday, June 28 – The annual showcase returns, with concerts, workshops and competitions, as some of the finest young musicians in classical music, play beloved and new works. Season passes and individual tickets available. $30+. Times vary.
Final Curtain! Shows Closing This Week
Paul Hope Cabaret’s Spacecapades at Ovations blasts into orbit on Monday.
On Sunday, Stages’ fantastic Let. Her. Rip. strikes the final match in the face of Jack the Ripper and Houston Ballet’s season swan song Sparrow leaves the nest at Wortham Center.
That’s also the day that Stageworks’ Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play cuts the mic, and Honky Tonk Angels has hollers last call in Brenham.
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