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 August 2024.
The month of August gets off to a hot start with the 50th Shakespeare Festival returning to Hermann Park, plus The Color Purple comes to MATCH, a Broadway classic arrives at Hobby Center, and Catastrophic’s summer production starring Tamarie Cooper comes to a close.
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: August 2024
Opening This Month
- 50th Houston Shakespeare Festival at Miller Outdoor Theatre | Thursday, August 1 to Saturday, August 10 | FREE – See two of Shakespeare’s most-known plays on alternating nights at the Hermann Park theater, celebrating the 50th edition of the festival. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a romantic romp through a mystical forest, as lovers encounter the mischief of fairies. Romeo and Juliet is the tale of the star-crossed lovers, from rival households, who encounter tragedy as they try to stay together. Pre-curtain discussions prior to each performance help provide insight and context. Showtimes vary.
- The Garden Theatre & Sankofa Collective presents The Color Purple at MATCH | Friday, August 2 to Sunday, August 4 – With a lively score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music and blues, this Tony Award–winning musical based on the beloved novel by Alice Walker is the story of Celie, a young Black woman in rural Georgia, struggling against the odds to find her way in the world. $30 and up. Showtimes vary.
- August Wilson in the Park at Emancipation Park | Sunday, August 4 | FREE – This inaugural event celebrating the legendary 20th century playwright begins with an afternoon of live musical performances by local artists, delectable food trucks, and vendor stalls, and culminates in a performance of Wilson’s Seven Guitars. 4pm to 8pm.
- Stages presents Miss Rhythm: The Legend of Ruth Brown at the Gordy | Friday, August 9 | Ongoing – Ruth Brown was an R&B trailblazer, who set the stage for artists to follow, like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Tina Turner and more. This is her story, told with powerful singing and no-nonsense humor. This production runs through Sunday, October 13. $29 and up. Showtimes vary.
- Dirt Dogs Unleashed presents Frenzy at MATCH | Friday, August 16 to Saturday, August 24 – This world premiere play is the story of Rebecca, who has all the groundwork laid for the multi-million dollar acquisition of her sister’s tech firm. But things go awry when a crowd gathers and a cellphone video goes viral. Is it possible for one person to protect themselves from an internet mob? $30. Showtimes vary.
- Broadway Across America presents Funny Girl at Hobby Center | Tuesday, August 20 to Sunday, August 25 – With one of the most iconic scores of all time by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, plus an updated book from Harvey Fierstein based on the original classic by Isobel Lennart, this musical tells the story of the legendary Fanny Brice, who rose from the Lower East Side of New York to stardom. Featuring songs like “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “People,” it’s a show beloved the world over for decades. $35 and up. Showtimes vary.
- NobleMotion Dance presents Stalactites at MATCH | Thursday, August 22 to Saturday, August 24 – The company’s 16th season begins with this near-immersive experience set in a futuristic primal society. The performance draws inspiration from Plato’s allegory of the cave as a response to current advances in AI technology. The theater is transformed into an industrial cave with climbable architectural structures, and the light grid is lowered into the performance space as the dancers perform above the fixtures. A new hour-long music score haunts and renders beautiful a hollow world full of possibility. $35. Showtimes vary.
- A.D. Players presents Esther at the George Theater | Friday, August 30 | Ongoing – Multiple dance forms and production elements combine for a bold, visceral, new rendition of the story of the biblical queen. It’s a tale of strength, faith and strategy, as Esther navigates palace life with an all-powerful king. Be among the first to see this production, making a pre-Broadway tryout here in Houston. This production runs through Sunday, September 22. $36 and up. Showtimes vary.
Closing This Month
- Catastrophic Theatre presents Tamarie’s Texas Toast! at MATCH | Through Saturday, August 3 – It’s not summer without the annual chaos from the mind of Tamarie Cooper. This year’s show finds Cooper and her merry maniacs delivering a production as big as the Lone Star State. Expect references to high school football, gas station beavers, flag parades, giant roaches, tons of guns, the glory of Whataburger, and more. Pay-what-you-can. Showtimes vary.
- Broadway Across America presents The Lion King at Hobby Center | Through Sunday, August 4 – See this beloved Disney classic like you’ve never seen it before. The characters of Pride Rock are brought to life with an incredible mash-up of puppetry and live action, and the musical retains all the songs you love, from “Circle of Life” to “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” $35 and up. Showtimes vary.
- On the Verge Theatre presents A Life in the Theatre at Alta Arts | Through Sunday, August 4 – This 90-minute, gender-bending, quick changing, laugh-out-loud reimagining of the Gothic classic is billed as a comedy of errors. You may never look at Dracula the same way again. Tickets and showtimes TBD.
- Festival of Originals at Theatre Southwest | Through Saturday, August 10 – Experience five original short shows from five different directors with five different casts in one great night of theater. $22. 8pm.
- Head Over Heels at Island Etc. | Through Saturday, August 17 – Powered by the music of the Go-Gos, this exuberant musical follows a royal family on an outrageous journey to save their beloved kingdom from extinction. Musical selections include “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “Vacation” and more. $35 and up. Showtimes vary.
- Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None at Alley Theatre | Through Sunday, August 25 – On a secluded island, 10 strangers are trapped in a deadly game of survival. As the body count continues to rise, who will be spared—and can you figure out who the killer is? $31 and up. Showtimes vary.
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