Performing Arts Houston announces 23/24 Season Featuring Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the 50th anniversary of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, the debut of Step Afrika!, and the 50th anniversary of the Kronos Quartet

(Houston) – Performing Arts Houston announces its 23/24 Season of national and international touring artists and new works from artists in the Houston community. The arrival of the new season will coincide with major advances in the multi-year renovation of Jones Hall, including the installation of new auditorium seating, expanded restrooms, and more. Tickets for the 23/24 Season performances go on sale to Performing Arts Houston members on April 10, 2023. More information at performingartshouston.org.

“The 23/24 Season is about celebrating milestones and sharing moments that inspire joy,” says Performing Arts Houston President & CEO Meg Booth. “We are presenting a wide range of artistic programming with a common thread of artists who embrace life with curiosity, humor, and creativity.”

The multi-year renovation of Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts will complete significant audience experience improvements for the start of the 23/24 Season. For the first time since 1996, over 2,500 new theater seats will be installed throughout the auditorium, along with new side aisles and access points to the seating area. New theatrical lighting, sound amplification systems, and a new glass elevator will be installed. Expanded and improved primary courtyard level restrooms will be unveiled, along with significantly improved access to those facilities. Later in the fall, a larger and reimagined Green Room space will open, with finishes to the lobby completed by the end of December. The renovation of Jones Hall builds on the excitement surrounding the soon-to-open Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts, a new greenspace for the Theater District.

“Jones Hall has been a Houston cultural landmark for over 56 years,” Booth shares. “As the renovation of the theater continues, we’re extraordinarily grateful to the individuals and institutions making this project possible. Jones Hall was built to provide all Houstonians access to the performing arts and stand the test of time. Thanks to this renovation, it will be a state-of-the-art performance space for Houstonians to enjoy for decades.”

New Works by Houston’s Artists
In January 2024, Performing Arts Houston will continue a commitment to support Houston artists by presenting commissions of world premieres as part of New/Now: The Houston Artist Commissioning Project. New/Now acts to amplify the artistic voices of our city by supporting new multi-genre performance works and presenting shared programs within the Theater District that represent the diversity of our city. Since its launch in 2020, New/Now has commissioned 19 world premieres by Houston artists.

“It’s vital to the health of our community to create paths for Houston artists to be seen and celebrated,” says Booth. “It’s equally important for Houston audiences to see themselves reflected in the work that’s on stage. New/Now gives our city’s artists a path that increases representation and visibility of our richly diverse communities.”

Applications for 23/24 New/Now awards opened Monday, April 3 and close on Friday, May 12. Winners will be announced later this summer. Details at performingartshouston.org/newnow.

Announcing the 2023-2024 Season
Opening the 23/24 Season, contemporary dance company MOMIX blends visual illusions with acrobatics in choreographer Moses Pendleton’s newest work inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Attendees to MOMIX’s Saturday, September 16 performance can attend the 23/24 Season Opening Night Party benefiting Performing Arts Houston’s Education and Community Engagement programs for an additional cost of $100.

Fashion designer and media icon Isaac Mizrahi delivers an evening of cabaret and comedic musings, accompanied by a six-piece jazz band. Legendary film director, author, and artist John Waters brings his new rapid-fire vaudevillian monologue End of the World to Cullen Theater, complete with a “Group Therapy” VIP experience. Mexican-born, GRAMMY® and Latin GRAMMY Award®-winning singer-songwriter Lila Downs performs a new show for the Day of the Dead featuring folklorico dancing and a mariachi band.

Based on the popular 2005 DreamWork’s animated film, Madagascar the Musical brings the story of adventurous animals from New York City to Jones Hall. Howie Mandel, the comedy and entertainment mainstay known from NBC’s flagship program America’s Got Talent, makes his Performing Arts Houston stand-up comedy debut. Step Afrika! makes their Houston debut as well, celebrating their 30^th anniversary. The first professional dance company dedicated to stepping, founded by Houston native C. Brian Williams, will perform a new work inspired by the Stono Rebellion of 1739.

Continuing a nearly 600-year-long singing tradition, the Vienna Boys Choir returns to Houston, marking 100 years of international touring. One of America’s pre-eminent humor writers and a Houston favorite, David Sedaris returns for his 12^th presentation by Performing Arts Houston since 2002. The event features a book signing for all attendees.

New/Now: The Houston Artist Commissioning Project returns for its third year of world premieres by Houston artists. For the first time, tickets will be offered on a pay what you choose sliding scale, from $0 to $100, with ticket revenue directly supporting the creation of new works by local artists.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo returns to Jones Hall with the greatest works of their decades-long career, part of the company’s 50^th Anniversary Tour. The internationally renowned all-male ballet troupe, founded in New York City in 1974, has been presented by Performing Arts Houston since 1978.

Classical crossover artists Time for Three blend conservatory training with pop vocals and original compositions in their Houston debut. The trio’s latest album, recorded with The Philadelphia Orchestra, won the 2023 GRAMMY Award® for Best Classical Instrumental Solo. Manual Cinema’s Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster brings the books of Mo Willems to life with props, puppets, and live music, creating a film about friendship and acceptance in real time. Manual Cinema’s engagement will include both public performances and education matinees offered to area schools. 

One of the most celebrated modern dance institutions in the world, and the most-presented artist in Performing Arts Houston history, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns, featuring Texas native Alvin Ailey’s magnum opus Revelations on every program. Bruce Liu, first prize winner of the 18^th International Chopin Piano Competition makes his Houston recital debut with works by Ramaeu, Ravel, Chopin, and Liszt. The Princess Bride star Cary Elwes will host a screening of the beloved classic film, followed by a moderated Q&A where Elwes will discuss his experiences working on the film.

In a tour celebrating their 50-year career, GRAMMY Award®-winning group Kronos Quartet performs A Thousand Thoughts, a live documentary that unfolds the quartet’s groundbreaking, continent-spanning, multi-decade career. Directed and narrated live by Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Sam Green (The Weather Underground), in collaboration with Emmy Award®-winning writer and editor Joe Bini (Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, Grizzly Man), the performance features music and messages from Kronos’ longtime collaborators, including Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Terry Riley, Tanya Tagaq, and Steve Reich.

Closing the season, internationally acclaimed Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain brings their signature British humor and catalogue of rock, pop, jazz, and classical ukulele arrangements to Cullen Theater. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own ukulele and play along during a special portion of the performance.

As previously announced, Bluey’s Big Play will debut at the Brown Theater in July 2023. Bluey’s Big Play is a brand-new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® Award-winning animated children’s series, with an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, new music by Bluey composer Joff Bush, and life-sized puppets.

Additional programming will be announced throughout the season at performingartshouston.org.

Education & Community Engagement Programming
The 23/24 Season features extended programs for Houston area students and community members, including an Education Residency with Step Afrika!, student matinee performances of Manual Cinema’s Leonardo!, and engagements with New/Now commissioning project winners. These special events add to Performing Arts Houston’s regular ongoing Education & Community Engagement programming, including open rehearsals, master classes, Westwood Trust Creative Chats with mainstage artists, and H-E-B Performance Preludes, a series featuring local student and community performing arts groups in showcases that connect them to a wider audience. 

Full extended programming will be announced in advance of the 23/24 Season, at performingartshouston.org/education.

23/24 Season in Detail

Bluey’s Big Play
July 29-30, 2023
Saturday 11 am & 2 pm
Sunday 1 pm & 4 pm
Brown Theater, Wortham Center
The first live theatrical adaptation of the Disney+ children’s animated series Bluey. Audiences can enjoy an all-new adventure with the Australian blue heeler puppy Bluey, her sister Bingo, Mum Chilli, and Dad Bandit.

MOMIX: Alice
September 16-17, 2023 
Saturday 7:30 pm
Sunday 2 pm 
Cullen Theater, Wortham Center           
Connecticut-based contemporary dance company MOMIX combines dance, acrobatics, and illusions in Moses Pendleton’s newest work inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. On Saturday, September 16, audiences can attend Performing Arts Houston’s 2023-2023 Opening Night Party for an additional cost of $100, benefiting Performing Arts Houston’s Education and Community Engagement programs.

An Evening with Isaac Mizrahi  
September 23, 2023 
Saturday 7:30 pm 
Zilkha Hall, The Hobby Center 
Actor, host, writer, designer, and producer Isaac Mizrahi and his band of jazz musicians perform an evening of cabaret, featuring songs by likes of Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Billie Eilish, Cole Porter, and more. Throughout the evening, Mizrahi shares comedic musings about pop culture and stories from his 30-year career in entertainment.

John Waters: End of the World           
Friday, October 13, 2023
7:30 pm
Cullen Theater, Wortham Center
Recommended for ages 17+
John Waters’ new one-man spoken word comedy act comes to Houston on Friday the 13^th this October. A limited number of VIP ticket holders will attend a post-show “Group Therapy” session with Waters, a legendary director whose 17 films include Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Cry-Baby, and Hairspray.

Lila Downs: Día de Los Muertos 
October 19, 2023 
Thursday 7:30 pm 
Jones Hall 
GRAMMY® and Latin GRAMMY Award®-winning singer Lila Downs brings a special evening of music to Jones Hall celebrating Día de los Muertos, Mexico’s Day of the Dead, featuring folklorico dancing, a mariachi band, and stunning visuals.

Madagascar The Musical 
October 20-21, 2023 
Friday 7:30 pm
Saturday 2 pm & 7:30 pm
Jones Hall 
The Houston debut of a new musical based on the DreamWorks animated motion picture franchise Madagascar features impressive costumes, high-energy dance numbers, and comedy for all ages.

An Evening with Howie Mandel  
October 22, 2023 
Sunday 7 pm 
Jones Hall  
Named one of the “Top 100 Comics of All Time” by Comedy Central, Howie Mandel makes his Performing Arts Houston stand-up debut. A globally recognized entertainment trailblazer, Mandel is a judge on NBC’s America’s Got Talent and has made 22 guest appearances on The Tonight Show throughout his 30-year career.

Step Afrika!: Drumfolk 
October 27-28, 2023 
Friday 7:30 pm 
Saturday 7:30 pm 
Cullen Theater, Wortham Center 
Step Afrika! is the first professional dance company dedicated to the tradition of stepping, founded in 1994 by Houston native C. Brian Williams. Williams’ connections to Houston run deep—his mother founded The Imani School nearly three decades ago and his brothers founded Lucille’s restaurant in 2012, continuing a culinary tradition started by the Williams’ great grandmother nearly a century ago.

Williams’ dance company makes their long-awaited Houston debut with a new work inspired by the Stono Rebellion of 1739. In addition to performances at the Wortham Center, the company will participate in an extensive Education Residency for Houston area students and community members.

Vienna Boys Choir 
100^th Touring Anniversary
November 1, 2023 
Wednesday 7:30 pm 
Cullen Theater, Wortham Center 
The Vienna Boys Choir celebrates their 100^th international tour. Since 1924, 2750 choristers have sung over 1000 tours in 100 different countries. Each year, the Choir performs up to 300 concerts worldwide, attended by almost half a million audience members. Performing Arts Houston has presented the Vienna Boys Choir since 1979.

David Sedaris 
November 3, 2023 
Friday 7:30 pm 
Jones Hall 
David Sedaris is one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers, the author of Holidays on Ice, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, and Calypso. After the talk, Sedaris will sign books for all in attendance.

New/Now: The Houston Artist Commissioning Project 
January 19-20, 2024 
Friday 7:30 pm 
Saturday 7:30 pm 
Cullen Theater, Wortham Center
New/Now is a comprehensive program which supports and showcases Houston artists from a wide range of artistic and cultural backgrounds. Tickets will be available on a sliding scale, from $0 to $100, with the ticket fees directly supporting the creation of new works by local artists. Applications for 23/24 Season awards opened on April 3 and close on May 12. Winners will be announced later this summer. Details and applications at performingartshouston.org/newnow.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo 
50^th Anniversary Tour 
January 23, 2024 
Tuesday 7:30 pm 
Jones Hall 
Founded in New York City in the wake of the Stonewall Riots, the all-male ballet company Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, or “the Trocks,” returns with comedic parodies of classical ballets, all performed en pointe. First presented by Performing Arts Houston in 1978, the Trocks now celebrate 50 years of international acclaim.

Time For Three 
February 9, 2024 
Friday 7:30 pm 
Cullen Theater, Wortham Center
Classically trained instrumentalists and vocalists Charles Yang (violin), Nick Kendall (violin), and Ranaan Meyer (double bass), combine popular genres to create music and a sound all their own. Their latest album Letters for the Future, recorded with The Philadelphia Orchestra, won the 2023 GRAMMY® Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo.

Manual Cinema: Leonardo! 
A Wonderful Show About A Terrible Monster 
Inspired by the books of Mo Willems 
February 23-24, 2024 
Friday 7 pm 
Saturday 10 am & 1 pm 
Zilkha Hall, The Hobby Center 
Manual Cinema creates a film in real time using hundreds of illustrated paper puppets, two-dimensional props, live actors, furry monster puppets, and songs, bringing the books of Mo Willems’ children’s book Leonardo the Terrible Monster to life.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater  
March 7-9, 2024 
Thursday 7:30 pm 
Friday 7:30 pm 
Saturday 2 pm & 7:30 pm 
Jones Hall 
In its 57-year history, Performing Arts Houston has presented Alvin Ailey’s dance company more than any other artist. Designated “a vital American cultural ambassador to the world” by U.S. Congressional resolution, the company celebrates the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience. Each performance by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater culminates in Ailey’s magnum opus, Revelations. 

Bruce Liu, Piano 
Houston Recital Debut 
First Prize Winner, 18th International Chopin Piano Competition (2021) 
April 2, 2024 
Tuesday 7:30 pm 
Cullen Theater, Wortham Center

The first prize winner of the 18^th International Chopin Competition (2021), Bruce Liu’s recent engagements include appearances at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Vienna Konzerthaus, Tokyo Opera City, and Carnegie Hall. His Houston debut recital features works by Rameau, Ravel, Liszt, and Chopin. 

The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes
April 12, 2024
Friday 7:30 pm
Jones Hall
Join The Princess Bride star Cary Elwes (Westley) for a screening of the movie, followed by a moderated discussion of his experiences working on the film. A limited number of VIP Experience ticket holders will enjoy a meet & greet with Cary Elwes, plus a signed copy of Elwes’ best-selling book As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride.

A Thousand Thoughts
A Live Documentary with the Kronos Quartet  
Written and Directed by Sam Green and Joe Bini 
April 13, 2024 
Saturday, 7:30 pm 
Jones Hall  
For the Kronos Quartet’s 50^th anniversary tour, Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Sam Green (The Weather Underground), in collaboration with Emmy Award®-winning writer and editor Joe Bini (Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, Grizzly Man), create a “live documentary” with the ensemble on stage, exploring the group’s groundbreaking, multi-decade career.  

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
April 30, 2024 
Tuesday 7:30 pm 
Cullen Theater, Wortham Center
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain returns to Houston with a comedic menagerie of music genres. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own ukuleles for a special play-along during the evening.

Ticket Details & Memberships
All performances go on sale to members on April 10, 2023. Single tickets go on sale to the public beginning later this summer and on a rolling basis throughout the year. Memberships start at $25, with all members enjoying a range of benefits like priority access, discounts, donor benefits, and more. The cost of membership is tax deductible, minus any fair market value, supporting Performing Arts Houston’s 23/24 Season community engagement programs.

About Performing Arts Houston
For over 56 years, Performing Arts Houston (formerly known as Society for the Performing Arts) has connected audiences with exceptional artists through diverse performances and learning experiences. We welcome all to ignite and cultivate passion for the performing arts and explore the vast landscape of artistic expression to discover new understanding about ourselves, create community, inspire dialogue, and enrich our world. More at performingartshouston.org.   

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