See the latest performing arts productions and theater happenings opening across Houston in October 2026.
There’s a new theater company in town—and they offer their first performance this month!
This month, audiences can explore Emily Dickenson’s poetry in a whole new light, take in a concert that ponders the meaning and promise of America, revisit everyone’s favorite Scottish nanny, catch a Broadway favorite at the Hobby Center and plenty more besides.
Go see live performing arts, Houston!
Top Performing Arts & Theater Shows in Houston: October 2026
Cypress Stages: Gloria: A Life at Cypress Woods High School Black Box Theatre | Thursday, October 1 to Sunday, October 18 – The new theater’s inaugural production is based on the life of noted journalist, feminist and advocate for change, Gloria Steinem. $35+. Times vary. Get tickets.
Shunya Theatre: Disgraced at MATCH | Friday, October 2 to Sunday, October 11 – A Pakistani-American corporate lawyer who suppressed his Muslim identity in post-9/11 America sees his world fall apart at a dinner party. $35. Times vary. Get tickets.
Apollo Chamber Players: Tranquility at Hobby Center | Saturday, October 3 – Apollo’s 2026-27 season opens with two interwoven commissions—Resting States by Anthony Brandt and Illusion to Resolution by Chitravina Ravikiran—exploring the challenges of contemporary life and the modern mind’s search for calm amid overstimulation and distraction. $10+. 7pm. Get tickets.
Sarah Bareilles in Concert at The Hobby Center | Thursday, October 8 – The Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, actress, musician, creator of the Tony-nominated musical Waitress, brings her Good Grief Tour to Houston. $79.50+. 8pm. Get tickets.
Musiqa: New Voices 2026 at MATCH | Saturday, October 10 – Musiqa and Inprint team up to present new creations by composers KiMani Bridges, Rolando Gómez, Joanna McDonald, Jaylin Vinson, and Justin Weiss, as well as poetry commissioned especially for the occasion. Pay-What-You-Can. 7:30pm. Get tickets.
Houston Masterworks Chorus: America Will Be at St. Philip Presbyterian Church | Sunday, October 11 – Celebrate the spirit of possibility with a program that reflects on the promise, questions, and hopes of those who came to this country seeking new beginnings. $18+. 4pm. Get tickets.
DaCamera: Joyce DiDonato & Time for Three: Emily—No Prisoner Be at Wortham Center | Tuesday, October 13 – DaCamera opens its 2026-27 season with the internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano and vibrant string trio in a re-imagining of the poetry and life of Emily Dickinson that has thrilled audiences from Europe to Carnegie Hall. $56+. 7pm. Get tickets.
TUTS: Mrs. Doubtfire at The Hobby Center | Tuesday, October 13 to Sunday, October 25 – Based on the beloved 1993 film starring Robin Williams, the family-friendly musical follows a divorced actor who pretends to be an elderly Scottish woman to get a job as a nanny to see his kids. $47+. Times vary. Get tickets.
Axiom Quartet: The Old Made New at Musik Halle | Thursday, October 15 – Take in a concert of works that include Gesualdo’s madrigals, and pieces by Haydn and Beethoven, delivered by a quartet that always seeks to offer audiences new ways to experience chestnuts of the classical canon. $40. 7:30pm. Get tickets.
Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show at The Art Factory| Friday, October 16 to Saturday, October 31 – Just in time for Halloween, the raucous production returns, telling the story of a newly engaged couple who find themselves in a gothic castle one stormy night. Their lives will never be the same. $32.50. 8pm. Get tickets.
Uhuru at Alley Theatre | Friday, October 16 to Sunday, November 8 – In the sharp satire, a Tanzanian-American tourist, two missionaries and their guide make their way toward the “Roof of Africa.” in an attempt to scale Mount Kilimanjaro. They must confront questions of access, identity, and who deserves a place on the mountain. $40+. Times vary. Get tickets.
Houston Bach Society: Oktoberfest Vespers at Christ the King Lutheran Church | Saturday, October 17 – Experience the beautiful composition in the liturgical setting for which it was written, and trace a journey from tribulation to joy. Enjoy Oktoberfest bratwurst, beer, and song in the courtyard after the show. $35. 3pm. Get tickets.
Performing Arts Houston: The Joffrey Ballet: Ekman’s Midsummer Night’s Dream at Jones Hall | Friday, October 23 & Saturday, October 24 – The Joffrey marks PAH’s 60th anniversary with Ekman’s surreal Scandinavian Midsummer—with Paris, France being the only other city on the tour. The performance takes Shakespeare’s title and lets everything else run wild. Expect massive sets, nearly 50 dancers, a stage full of hay, and vocals sung live on stage by Swedish singer Anna von Hausswolff. $49+. Times vary. Get tickets.
Dirt Dogs Theatre: Dinner with Friends at MATCH | Friday, October 23 to Saturday, November 7 – Donald Margulies’ Pulitzer-winning play peels back the layers of modern marriage to reveal the fragile fault lines beneath, as a shocking divorce sends ripples through the lives of two couples who thought they knew one another—and themselves. $35. Times vary. Get tickets.
Houston Grand Opera: Susannah at Wortham Center | Friday, October 23 to Sunday, November 8 – The new staging of Carlisle Floyd’s American masterpiece follows Susannah, a young woman whose life is shattered after she’s seen bathing in a creek by church elders, leading to cruel gossip, judgment, and finally, her harrowing assault. Floyd’s genre-blending score incorporates revival hymns and Appalachian folksong. $25+. Times vary. Get tickets.
Stages: The Roommate at The Gordy | Friday, October 23 to Sunday, November 15 – Recently divorced, middle-aged and quintessentially Midwestern Sharon reluctantly rents out a room to Robyn, a worldly, spiritually hip vegan from New York in a smart, funny and deliciously edgy story of hope that keeps the audience guessing. $44+. Times vary. Get tickets.
Beyond Broadway: Tituss Burgess at The Hobby Center | Saturday, October 24 & Sunday, October 25 – The Broadway stay you’ll also know as Titus from The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and season 2 of Schmigadoon performs a concert of music ranging from classic and modern musical theater hits to songs by John Mayer, Shirley Bassey, Bette Midler, selections from Porgy & Bess, and more. $35+. Times vary. Get tickets.
Closing This Month: October 2026
There’s still time to catch shows that debuted last month before they’re gone.
Saturday, October 3, 2026
An Old Fashioned Family Murder at Theatre Southwest
Sunday, October 4, 2026
Broadway at the Hobby Center: The Sound of Music at The Hobby Center
Houston Ballet: Manon at Wortham Center
Mighty Acorn Productions: Babette’s Feast at MATCH
Players Theatre Company: Silent Sky at Owen Theatre in Conroe
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Amadeus at Rec Room Arts
Catastrophic Theatre: Rhinoceros at MATCH
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Cold War Choir Practice at Main Street Theater
Purpose at The Ensemble Theatre
Romeo & Juliet at Alley Theatre
Sunday, October 18, 2026
Stages: Come From Away at The Gordy
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