Houston Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations

Review: FROZEN at Theatre Under The Stars
by Brett Cullum - December 13, 2024

FROZEN is a fun family production that is perfect for the holiday season in many ways. The show brings the beloved Disney film to life for the stage and offers unique twists to make it all more theatrical and accessible for the Hobby Center. It’s a technically gorgeous production with a strong cast...

Review: THE LITTLE PRINCE at Opera In The Heights!
by Armando Urdiales - December 09, 2024

What did our critic think of THE LITTLE PRINCE at Opera In The Heights!?...

Review: SISTER'S CHRISTMAS CATECHISM at Stages Houston
by Jonathan Netek - December 04, 2024

Sister is back again at Stages Houston, instructing one last catechism class before the church Christmas party commences. Originated by Maripat Donovan, who originally played Sister, and a writing partner or two over the years, this uproarious one-woman show is now brilliantly helmed by Denise Fenne...

Review: VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE at 4th Wall Theatre Company
by Brett Cullum - November 29, 2024

I feel like this company, at this point in time, is simply happy to be here doing this show, and I can say the feeling is infectious. It’s not your typical holiday offering, but you can never be wrong with the wit of Christopher Durang and the magic of invoking the spirit of Maggie Smith. I’m thankf...

Review: WINTER SOLSTICE at Rec Room Arts
by Brett Cullum - November 25, 2024

The author wrote this dark piece about a liberal couple whose mother invites a conservative stranger into their house on Christmas Eve to show how easily fascism marches in politely and with charm. It’s a tense and moody winter tale and warns of the ineffectiveness of the left when faced with the ri...

Review: SHUCKED THE MUSICAL at Hobby Center For The Performing Arts
by Armando Urdiales - November 25, 2024

Shucked is a laugh-out-loud, toe-tapping triumph that plants itself firmly in your heart. This wildly original musical weaves together gut-busting humor, heartfelt storytelling, and unforgettable songs to create a truly one-of-a-kind theater experience. From the opening number to the final curtain, ...

Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Alley Theatre
by Jonathan Netek - November 19, 2024

Now in its third year under the skillful guidance of new (Remounting) Director Amber D. Gray, this Dickens classic has been freshly adapted by Alley Theatre’s Artistic Director Rob Melrose. A CHRISTMAS CAROL tells the story we all know so well: a miserly old man is visited by four ghosts who reveal ...

Review: LOVE BOMB at CATASTROPHIC THEATRE
by Brett Cullum - November 17, 2024

LOVE BOMB is a masterpiece of the absurd, but at the same time, it’s a viable Melanie jukebox musical that could command any stage in town. Yet I doubt that any company other than the Catastrophic Theatre will ever dare to do so because it asks much of its audience....

Review: PLAYHOUSE CREATURES at Lionwoman Productions
by Brett Cullum - November 12, 2024

During an interview I did with Michelle Britton a few weeks ago, she mentioned she “didn’t want to become the Alley” and that her Lionwoman Productions is “about helping people understand each other better.” Certainly, PLAYHOUSE CREATURES is right up there in rivaling the quality of the Alley!...

Review: THE DICHOTOMY OF HATTIE MCDANIEL at VINCENT VICTORIA PRESENTS
by Brett Cullum - November 01, 2024

The film first existed as a play, and Vincent Victoria wisely kept his lead actress from that production, Wykesha King, playing Hattie McDaniel. Wykesha creates a three-dimensional character who can act and sing; we believe she is a glamorous actress in the golden age of Hollywood. And we feel the s...

Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Theatre Under the Stars
by Brett Cullum - October 26, 2024

The cast here is immaculate, and LITTLE SHOP is a character actor’s dream come true. Everyone gets to play bigger and broader, and we get to see them have a ball, bringing these kooky archetypes to life. They are all pitch-perfect and create a wonderfully realized revival of this show for Houston ju...

Review: THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING at MAIN STREET THEATER
by Brett Cullum - October 23, 2024

THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING is a unique experience theatrically, and it’s certainly something to let seep into you and discuss later. I find myself just walking around the house, and a line or two will pop up in my head, and I have only seen this play once. It is that powerful, that invasive, and t...

Review: RACE is confronted by DIRT DOGS THEATRE CO
by Brett Cullum - October 21, 2024

It takes on the clash of white men, black men, and black women and fearlessly looks at all sides when confronted with a crime. Who will do the right thing? It’s a question that seems to hang over the country right now, so RACE could not come at a better time....

Review: DRACULA at CLASSICAL THEATRE COMPANY
by Brett Cullum - October 15, 2024

Houston’s CLASSICAL THEATRE COMPANY has decided to take it back to the original written word and return Dracula to the status of a demon rather than a lover. And yet, somehow, they have cast Spencer Plachy, who is the most swoon-worthy actor Houston has, a man who has embodied Mr. Darcy for years. A...

Review: ASSASSINS Offers Another National Anthem at THE GARDEN THEATRE
by Brett Cullum - October 13, 2024

When all is said and done, you have to applaud the bravery of this show. In an October where everyone else is offering safe fare such as British comedies, yet another take on Dracula, and an additional adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, this small company is daring you to face what might be wrong with A...

Review: NOISES OFF Creates Chaotic Comedy at THE ALLEY THEATRE
by Brett Cullum - October 12, 2024

What did our critic think of NOISES OFF at The Alley Theatre?...

Review: SPIRITS TO ENFORCE from Catastrophic Theatre
by Brett Cullum - September 22, 2024

Are the superheroes really simply the spirits that Prospero conjured on the island? Could Fathom City have been taken over by Dr. Cannibal (an anagram for Caliban) because he fled and tossed his books into the sea? Is this a sequel, a salute, or a sardonic spoof of Shakespeare’s work?...

Review: LUCIA DE LAMMERMOOR at Opera In The Heights
by Armando Urdiales - September 21, 2024

What did our critic think of LUCIA DE LAMMERMOOR at Opera In The Heights?...

Review: THE HISPANIC/LATINO/LATINA/LATINX/LATINE VOTE at STAGES
by Armando Urdiales - September 20, 2024

Stages comes out swinging this fall season with a fantastic production of the world premiere of Bernardo Cubria's The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote. This play is the surprise of this fall performing arts season and quickly becomes one of the best Stages has done recently. ...

Review: CRY IT OUT at MILDRED'S UMBRELLA
by Brett Cullum - September 14, 2024

Sometimes, a play does what no other artistic medium can do. It can feel intimate, immediate, and alive. CRY IT OUT from MILDRED’S UMBRELLA is one of those living productions that feels like you are watching three real women deal with being a mother and looking at how that is going to affect every a...

Review: ESTHER is for the faithful at A.D. PLAYERS
by Brett Cullum - September 11, 2024

ESTHER thrilled the audience at the George, who gave it a rousing standing ovation. I suspect A.D. PLAYERS knows its audience, and they have given them a show that dazzles people who have come in the right context. It was not shown if the struggle of scripture versus spectacle was an issue for them ...

Review: SPRING AWAKENING at Rec Room Arts
by Armando Urdiales - September 10, 2024

What did our critic think of SPRING AWAKENING at Rec Room Arts?...

Review: ALL THINGS EQUAL: THE LIFE & TRIALS OF RUTH BADER GINSBURG at HOBBY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
by Brett Cullum - September 06, 2024

No matter what side of the aisle you fall on, this is a fascinating tribute to a legal lady who taught us all what it means to be both feminine and ferocious. To quote a previous BROADWAY WORLD critic, it is “a must-see.” And in these days, right before the election of 2024, it is imperative to cons...

Review: MISS RHYTHM: THE LEGEND OF RUTH BROWN at STAGES HOUSTON
by Brett Cullum - August 22, 2024

It’s an amazingly intimate and unforgettable experience that covers topics such as racism, women’s issues, and artists’ rights. And did I mention it’s a whole lot of funky fun that will have you clapping and cheering along the way?...

Review: FUNNY GIRL at BROADWAY AT THE HOBBY CENTER
by Brett Cullum - August 21, 2024

What did our critic think of FUNNY GIRL at BROADWAY AT THE HOBBY CENTER?...