Plan Your Weekend: January 19 to 22, 2023

Things to Do
All Weekend Long

• Broadway Across America presents Jesus Christ Superstar at Hobby Center | Daily – The Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice megahit comes to Houston in its 50th anniversary production. Telling the story of the last weeks of Jesus’ life, this musical created a smash when it debuted in 1971, and forever cemented the rock musical as a force to be reckoned with. $40 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Comedian Russell Peters at Houston Improv | Daily – Seen in his Netflix specials, Notorious and Almost Famous, as well as the 2020 Amazon special, Deported, Russell Peters brings brand new material to the Houston Improv stage for four straight nights. Tickets are sold by the table; $110 for 2, and up. Times vary.
• Paranormal Cirque at Katy Mills | Daily – This macabre circus features acrobats, illusionists, mysterious creatures and more. $20; $10 for ages 13 to 17. No admittance for ages under 13. Times vary.
• 4th Wall Theatre Company presents The Sound Inside at Spring Street Studios | Daily | Opening Weekend – Adam Rapp’s play tells the story of a writing professor, used to being alone, and what happens when she crosses paths with a promising student. Their relationship proves unexpected and will force difficult choices. This production runs through Saturday, February 11. $32 and up. Showtimes vary.
• 2023 Buffalo Cash Bash Cornhole Tournament at Moody Gardens Hotel | Friday & Saturday – With over $12,000 on the line, this cornhole tournament will also feature unique attractions for everyone in the family and vendors at Galveston’s Moody Gardens Hotel. Registration begins at $60. Times vary.
• Musiqa & Houston Ballet II present New Year, New Motion at MATCH | Friday & Saturday – The cultural collaboration between two of Housotn’s great arts organizations combines new choreography and new compositions for a program that showcases how art is ever evolving and making way for new creations. Pay-what-you-can; suggested price of $35. 7:30pm.
• The Riot Comedy Club presents Jamie Lissow at Rudyard’s Pub | Friday & Saturday – The actor and comedian, who starred for two seasons on Netflix’s The Real Bob and just wrapped filming on Daddy Daughter Trip alongside John Cleese and Rob Schneider, comes to town for stand-up sets. $20 and up. Times vary.

Otaku LNY Food Festival
at Karbach Brewing
^{Saturday & Sunday}

More than 50 vendors will set up for two days at the Spring Branch brewery, offering up all manner of goods and gourmet foods, along with lion dances, anime cosplay and artists, a limited car show, and more.

No Cover | Noon to 10pm (Sunday 7pm)

• Houston Symphony presents Riots & Scandals Festival at Jones Hall | Friday to Sunday – The conclusion of this two-week festival offers concerts featuring beloved masterpieces, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Tchaikovsky’s piano concerto feature. $30 and up. Showtimes vary.
• The Garden Theatre presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream at MATCH | Friday to Sunday | Opening Weekend – Shakespeare’s love quadrangle explores four misguided lovers who journey into the forest, only to have their fates in the hands of the fairies who dwell there. This production runs through Sunday, January 29. $20 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Cambodian Rock Band at Alley Theatre | Friday to Sunday | Opening Weekend – In this play that blends storytelling with music, we follow a Khmer Rouge survivor who travels back to Cambodia for the first time in decades, as his daughter is about to prosecute an infamous war criminal. Pulsing with music from Dengue Fever and Cambodian oldies, it takes audiences on a journey to a dark time in history to explore the triumph of the human spirit. Please note: this play contains violence, language, and descriptions and depictions of genocide. This production runs through Sunday, February 12. $26 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Stages presents Roe at the Gordy | Friday to Sunday | Opening Weekend – When Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in the United States in 1973, the country’s landscape changed dramatically, pitting those on both sides in a multi-generational battle. This play by Lisa Loomer explores the decision’s repercussions, focusing on two Texas women; Sarah Weddington, who argued the case before the Supreme Court; and Norma McCorvey, a/k/a “Jane Roe”. This productions runs through Sunday, March 5. $30 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Trading Card Game Con at George R. Brown Convention Center | Saturday & Sunday – Trading Card Game Con (TCG-CON) is a convention bringing together fans and collectors of trading cards, with more than 100 vendors selling sports cards, Pokémon, Magic the Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, card accessories, and more. Single day tickets start at $25. Saturday 8am to 8pm; Sunday 8am to 6pm.
• The Winter Bridal Extravaganza at George R. Brown Convention Center | Saturday & Sunday – Brides and grooms can explore all manner of wedding needs at this expo. Expect vendors, caterers, decor, floral, wedding dresses, and everything else to create the perfect wedding. $1.99 single-day admission; $49 VIP. Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sunday 11am to 5pm.
• Otaku Lunar New Year Food Festival at Karbach Brewing Co. | Saturday & Sunday | FREE – More than 50 vendors will set up for two days at the Spring Branch brewery, offering up all manner of goods and gourmet foods, along with lion dances, anime cosplay and artists, a limited car show, and more. Saturday noon to 10pm; Sunday noon to 7pm.

Lunar New Year, Dry January & More Destinations

• Lunar New Year Celebrations in Greater Houston – Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit at cultural festivals, restaurants, breweries, parks and more, across Greater Houston.
• Best Places for Mocktails in Houston – Start the year with sober celebrations at our 11 picks of Houston bars and restaurants serving up alcohol-free cocktails for January 2023.
• Top 27 Breweries in Greater Houston – Explore what’s on tap at 27 of the city’s best breweries and taprooms, from the inner loop to Galveston, Conroe and beyond.
• Limited Time Museum Exhibits & Art Installations Around Greater Houston | Daily | Many FREE – Explore the many striking, stunning, and diverse exhibits exploring history, science, art, culture, and creativity around the Greater Houston metro area.

• Female Founders & Funders at Sesh Coworking | FREE – The Midtown coworking space hosts this networking discussion that allows women to share their experiences in entrepreneurship. Free with registration. 9am to 10am.
• Beginner Calligraphy at Kendra Scott – The Heights Mercantile jeweler location offers this hands-on session, where participants can learn modern calligraphy using a pointed dip pen. $70. 5:30pm to 7pm. 
• AIGA presents Cocktails with Creatives at Axelrad Beer Garden | No Cover – Connect with Houston’s creative community at this monthly cocktail hour at Axelrad, where AIGA’s designers, developers, photographers, makers and other creatives gather to mingle. All are welcome. 6pm to 8pm.
• Performance: Cuando mis palabras se volvieron miel at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston | FREE – This performance, Cuando mis palabras se volvieron miel (When my words turned honey), features a live activation of instruments and readings in both English and Spanish that extend the concept of listening in the context of precariousness and systemic violence. 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
• Meiji Modern & New Japanese Art Acquisitions at Museum of Fine Arts Houston | FREE – This lecture explores the importance of the Meiji Empire in a global context, and highlights new pieces arriving at the Japanese Arts wing of the museum. 6:30pm to 7:30pm.

Cosmic Rays Film Festival
at Aurora Picture Show
^{Thursday, January 19}

Aurora in Lower Kirby hosts an evening of short films selected for the Cosmic Rays Film Festival, which considers the ways our visual world is structured through history, technology and the senses.

$10 | 7:30pm

• Kenan Presents Live Performance Showcase at Rudyard’s Pub – As part of a nationwide competition in 45+ cities, this local comic showcase seeks to find up and coming comedy talent to offer them bigger stages and, for the prized few, the chance to head to New York to meet Saturday Night Live cast member Kenan Thompson and attend a taping. $15 and up. 7pm.
• Stomp the Yard Movie Screening at Discovery Green | FREE – Grab blankets and chairs, friends and family and head to the Downtown park for a screening of the 2007 dance movie. 7pm to 9pm.
• Cosmic Rays Film Festival: Look & Learn at Aurora Picture Show – Aurora in Lower Kirby hosts an evening of short films selected for the Cosmic Rays Film Festival, which makes use of found footage, archival documents, scientific imaging, new media, drones and celluloid to consider the ways our visual world is structured through history, technology and the senses. $10. 7:30pm to 9pm.
• Dave Alvin and Jimmy Dale Gilmore in Concert at Heights Theater – The roots music legends appears live on stage in the Heights. West Texas Exiles open the show. $28 and up. 8pm.
• Eden in Concert at House of Blues – The Irish electronic R&B musician is taking over the House of Blues stage with tunes from his debut independent release, In Case You Missed It. $30 and up. 8pm.
• War Hippies in Concert at Dosey Doe: the Big Barn – Head to the Woodlands for this concert featuring the country music duo. $18 and up. 8:30pm.
• Lunar New Year at Heart – The Washington Avenue nightclub hosts a Lunar New Year celebration with DJs Phon and Loopy, lion dance performances and more. $10. 10pm to 2am.

• More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things to do are happening all weekend long. Scroll up and see our list, or browse Houston Experiences to save on museum passes, tours, and more.