Disney Musicals in School / Courtesy of Theatre Under The Stars
Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) has announced that it will bring the Disney Musicals in Schools program to the Greater Houston area with funding from a $150,000 grant from Disney. The program will allow local public elementary schools to participate in and produce a Disney musical, with support from TUTS, at no cost.
The Disney grant will cover two years of the Houston program, which is now accepting applications. TUTS will select two schools to participate in the 2025–26 school year, with an additional five to be chosen for the 2026-27 school year. More information, including eligibility, requirements, and application, can be found at www.tuts.org/disney. The deadline to apply is October 6.
“This new partnership expands our relationship with Disney in the best way—through one of their incredible programs that increases access to musical theatre for the youngest students in our public school system,” said Dan Knechtges, TUTS Artistic Director, in a statement.
Disney Musicals in Schools / Courtesy of Theatre Under The Stars
According to a press release, selected schools will participate in a free 17-week musical theater residency and will receive complimentary “performance rights, educational support materials, and professional development as teachers collaborate with TUTS artists to learn how to direct, choreograph, and music direct a 30-minute Disney KIDS musical.” Each school will also perform a number from their production at the Hobby Center in a culminating Student Share Celebration. Schools will be responsible for their individual production budgets.
Launched in 2009 to address equitable arts access in public elementary schools, Disney Musicals in Schools partners with organizations nationwide. Its goals, according to its website, include creating sustainable musical theater programs; developing a strong community of students, parents, faculty, staff, and neighbors; and exposing students and faculty to the wide spectrum of skills that are developed when producing a piece of musical theater, such as critical thinking, problem solving, ensemble building, communication, self-confidence, and interpersonal skills.
“This program creates an opportunity for students to learn, create, and grow through the art of musical theatre,” said Hillary Hart, TUTS Executive Director, in a statement. “It aligns perfectly with our mission to cultivate the art form and provide access to the community.”
L-R: Sumaira Dharani and Sonja Kostich / courtesy of Asia Society Texas and Houston Ballet
Last month, Sumaira Dharani was named the new Director of Education and Outreach at Asia Society Texas, the Houston-based center of the nonprofit, nonpartisan educational institution that works towards cultural exchange through programs exploring the diversity of Asia.
A veteran educator and administrator, Dharani will be responsible for expanding audience engagement with the permanent exhibition Explore Asia and the online resources Asia in the Classroom, as well as “building upon the success of AST’s Super Saturday programming, and deepening AST’s support for local and regional educators and community partners,” according to a press release.
Dharani previously spent more than a decade at Jubilee Monuments Corporation and the Aga Khan Ismaili Council for the United States, where she led educational initiatives and managed large-scale youth programs. Her expertise also includes curriculum design and volunteer management.
She holds a Master of Teaching from University College London’s Institute of Education, a Master of Arts in Muslim Societies and Civilizations from the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with minors in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Toronto.
“We’re delighted to welcome Sumaira to the team,” said Bonna Kol, Asia Society Texas President, in a statement.
“Her extensive experience in education and cultural nonprofit work—paired with a genuine passion for students and a deep commitment to fostering global citizenship and intercultural understanding—will be invaluable as we build upon our educational offerings,” Kol said.
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Sonja Kostich joins Houston Ballet as its new Executive Director, effective this month, following the announcement of her appointment in May. Previously, she served as President and Executive Director of Baryshnikov Arts in New York.
With an expansive career that combines the world of ballet and finance, Kostich began her journey as a professional dancer at age 17 at American Ballet Theatre. Over the course of more than two decades, she also performed with San Francisco Ballet, Zurich Ballet, Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project, and in collaborations with opera and theater director Peter Sellars. Additionally, she co-founded and co-directed the contemporary dance company OtherShore.
Following her retirement from the stage, Kostich earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the Zicklin School of Business at CUNY Baruch College, as well as a master’s degree in arts administration. Her business experience includes roles at Goldman Sachs, Mark Morris Dance Group, New York City Center, and Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, where she was Chief Executive and Artistic Officer from 2018-2022.
According to a press release, Houston Ballet’s co-Artistic Directors, Julie Kent and Stanton Welch, have both worked with Kostich in the past: Kent and Kostich shared time during their dance careers at American Ballet Theatre, and Kostich was an original cast member of Welch’s Maninyas (1996) choreographed for San Francisco Ballet.
Kostich succeeds James Nelson, who retires after four decades with Houston Ballet, having served as company manager and general manager over the years, and Executive Director since 2012.
Houston Ballet will open its 2025-26 season on September 5 with John Cranko’s Onegin, and it is one of the participating arts organizations of the 2025 Houston Theater Week.
Houston Theater Week 2025 will offer BOBO ticket deals to nearly 400 live performances / Image courtesy of Houston First
For the fourth year in a row, Houston Theater Week will aim to support and bolster the city’s performing arts community at the start of a brand-new season with a seven-day online promotional event.
This year’s Theater Week will take place August 18 – 24, during which participating arts groups, based downtown and throughout the community, will offer Buy One, Get One Free tickets for performances in the 2025-26 season, in a collaborative effort led by Houston First Corporation. Offers will be available at www.HoustonTheaterWeek.com, using the promo code HTW25.
Theatre Under The Stars will present Monty Python’s SPAMALOT (Broadway Cast pictured), April 15-26, 2026 at The Hobby Center / Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
Launched in 2022 as a way to support local theaters, performers, and behind-the-scenes professionals following the COVID-19 pandemic, Houston Theater Week has grown from offering ticket deals to approximately 100 shows in its first year to, this year, offering BOGO tickets to nearly 400 performances of theater; opera; dance; Broadway-touring musicals; wide-ranging music genres, including classical, jazz, and mariachi; celebrity and expert lectures; film with live music; and more.
“The power and popularity of Houston Theater Week is evident in the record number of offers and deals available to consumers this year. We are pleased to once again partner with our world-class performing arts organizations to bring exclusive deals to audiences and generate revenue that helps strengthen our performing arts community,” said Michael Heckman, President and CEO of Houston First, in a statement.
In 2024, Houston Theater Week yielded a “combined revenue of nearly $1.4 million with more than 32,000 tickets sold,” according to Houston First.
The 2025 Theater Week expands to include a new digital tool called Ask V. A press release described Ask V as an “AI-powered personal assistant,” which can curate a customized list of performances, plus hotels, restaurants, and pre- and post-show activities, based on the user’s personal interests and past experiences—potentially bringing increased revenue to other local businesses.
The Hobby Center, in collaboration with Jazz Houston, will present the JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS on November 16, 2025 / Photo courtesy of Houston First
At its inception, Theater Week temporarily replaced the longtime Theater District Open House—a one-day event that combined free family activities at downtown performing arts venues and discounted season ticket offers—which was interrupted by the pandemic in 2020.
Theater District Open House resumed last spring and is set to return on Monday, March 9, 2026.
With Theater Week centered on exclusive BOGO offers in the fall, the Open House will be “fully focused on families and having an open invitation to the community into the district, in alignment with many spring breaks around the region,” said Craig Hauschildt, Executive Director of Houston Theater District.
Both Theater Week and Theater District Open House will now continue to serve Houstonians as separate, annual events, Hauschildt said.
D is for Dance: Dancing Through the Diaspora is a children’s alphabet book written by Stacey Allen and illustrated by Brynne Henry / courtesy of Stacey Allen
Dancemaker, educator, and author Stacey Allen says she carries a message in her work.
“Especially in this moment, where erasure is real and showing up everywhere, particularly in literature, we have to give our children stories that are empowering and rooted in truth,” she said.
Illustrated by Houston artist Brynne Henry, D is for Dance celebrates the movement, history, and legacy of the African Diaspora—using each letter to tell stories about groundbreaking dancers, iconic dance styles, and cultural traditions.
This marks Allen’s second collaboration with Henry. Their first book together was A Little Optimism Goes a Long Way—a story about a young girl who discovers her joy of dancing, inspired by legendary dancer Katherine Dunham—which earned the 2024 Children’s Publication Award from the National Association of Multicultural Education.
“When I was teaching full time in schools, I needed more resources on African American Dance History—so I made them,” Allen shared in a social media post. “Both of my books were born out my commitment to fill that gap.”
That gap has been documented by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), which has been surveying diversity in children’s literature annually since 1994. Of the 3,619 books for children and teens received by the CCBC that were published in 2024, 13% were by Black/African authors/illustrators and 16% were about Black/African characters, settings, or topics. Those percentages have been steadily increasing since 2019, when only 5.5% children’s book were by Black/African creators and 11.8% contained Black/African content.
Allen’s message of empowerment, inclusion, and cultural identity reflects efforts toward more diverse stories for children in recent years. Overall diversity in children’s literature is at an all-time high, according to the CCBC, which reported that in 2024, for the first time, more than half (51%) of the books they surveyed contained significant BIPOC characters, settings, or topics.
Houston Arts Journal reached out to Stacey Allen for the following interview:
Stacey Allen / courtesy of the artist
Houston Arts Journal: Tell us a little about yourself as an artist and as a Houstonian.
Stacey Allen: I’m always thinking about how I want to define myself. Sometimes I use the term “multidisciplinary artist,” and other times I say “dance artist and educator,” because that’s where my practice mostly lives. But I really like to think of myself as a storyteller who works through multiple mediums, with a focus on telling the stories of Black women and girls.
My passion for education is what really fueled my desire to write these books. As a former public school teacher, I was often searching for resources to teach my students about African American dance history. That was the genesis of these two book projects: A Little Optimism Goes a Long Way, and now, D is for Dance: Dancing Through the Diaspora.
I grew up in the Houston area—Missouri City, to be exact. “Mo City,” as we affectionately call it. For me, growing up in the late ’90s and early 2000s, this was my Black Mecca. I was surrounded by working- and middle-class Black families. We went to church not far from home, and before I started public school, I went to a private Christian school that emphasized African American history. I later attended two public schools named after Black leaders—Edgar Glover Elementary and Thurgood Marshall High School, both in Fort Bend ISD.
That environment really nurtured my love for culture. Of course, my parents and family poured into me too, but I never saw my cultural upbringing as something deficient. I grew up in a version of Houston that was diverse, vibrant, and deeply multicultural. So when people talk about Houston becoming known as a Black city, that resonates with me, because Missouri City already felt like that.
HAJ: How did you discover your love of dance?
SA: As a young girl, I grew up dancing in church. You’ll see in the book that “W is for Worship Dance,” because my church experience was central. We did praise dance at church, and I also took classes at a local dance studio not far from where I grew up. Then in high school, I joined the dance team.
That was really the beginning of my love for dance. And as I got older and met other people, I realized that story wasn’t unique—so many of us grew up dancing in church, maybe taking a few classes at a neighborhood studio, and then joining a school dance team. At my high school, which was predominantly African American, we performed majorette-style routines. That’s why “M is for Majorette” shows up in the book—it’s a direct reflection of how I came up in Houston.
An excerpt from D is for Dance: Dancing Through the Diaspora, written by Stacey Allen and illustrated by Brynne Henry / courtesy of the artists
HAJ: Why did you want to write this book, and what was the initial spark that inspired it?
SA: I’ve been able to experience so much through dance—it’s shown me how the world is so big and so small at the same time. Through dance, I’ve traveled, met people from all over, and been part of something bigger than myself. I wanted young readers to have that experience too.
I want them to see that movement connects us all. It connects us to each other, to our ancestors, and to our future.
HAJ: The book’s title is D is for Dance, but inside, the letter D stands for Dunham. Can you tell us a little about Katherine Dunham and her influence on you as an artist?
SA: Katherine Dunham—oh my goodness. This isn’t a spoiler alert, but if you haven’t read my first book, A Little Optimism Goes a Long Way, I highly recommend it. That book centers a young girl who looks up to Katherine Dunham.
To me, she’s the epitome of dance and activism. She was an anthropologist who studied dance from all over the world—especially Afro-Caribbean traditions—and brought those styles to the stage. I’ve read that Alvin Ailey saw Katherine Dunham’s company and was inspired to pursue dance. So when you think about the level of impact she had on movement and cultural studies, it’s just beyond legendary.
And for a Black woman to be doing that kind of work in her time? That’s something people need to know. So even though she’s a central figure in my first book, I wanted to be sure she had a place in this one too.
HAJ: I love that Houston makes an appearance in the book under “H is for Hip Hop” and “Z is for Zydeco.” What other letters were particularly fun or deeply personal for you to pair with stories?
SA: Honestly, I had fun with every letter. I know that sounds like hyperbole, but it took a long time to figure out which ones to include. For example, for the letter “S,” I went back and forth—should it be Second Line? Samba? Salsa? So many Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latinx dance forms could have made the list. There were several letters I had multiple ideas for, and then a few that were honestly harder to fill. But where I landed, I feel really good about.
And yes—look, I know hip hop started in New York, but I also know “the South got something to say” (quote from Andre 3000) and has contributed so much to the culture. There was no way I was going to make a book about the African diaspora and not include the SouthSide. That was just never going to happen.
Same with Zydeco—what is more Texas-Louisiana than that? “Z is for Zydeco” had to be in there.
I also really wanted the book to reflect my roots in what I call the Afro Gulf Coast—places across the South where there are large concentrations of Black people because of the legacy of chattel slavery, and where cultural innovation continues today. We’ve made so much out of very little, and that creativity deserves to be centered.
HAJ: Place, family, and motherhood seem important in your work as a choreographer. I see these themes in your piece The Fairy Tale Project and in this book. How do they guide and motivate you as an artist?
SA: Place is how we understand the world and ourselves in it. I can’t talk about who I am without talking about where I come from.
I’m a descendant of a freedom colony “Eleven Hundred” in East Texas. My mom’s side of the family came from there, and my grandparents later moved to Oak Cliff. My dad’s side left rural Mississippi, went up to Niagara Falls, and eventually settled in Buffalo—in the Fruit Belt, an African American neighborhood. My parents raised us in Missouri City, a rising Black suburb at the time.
So when I talk about placemaking, I’m talking about all of that. That’s also why I will always reference the groundbreaking work Texas Freedom Colonies Project and The Outsider Preservation Initiative led by Dr. Andrea Roberts. Her work shows there were over 500 places in Texas founded by Black people post-emancipation. That history of land ownership, community building, and cultural preservation is powerful—and it’s relevant now, especially as more people consider moving back to the South or starting to homestead.
Motherhood has made me even more focused on legacy. I was an educator before I was a mother, but becoming a parent deepened that passion. I’m not one of those artists who says, “You just take what you take from the work.” No—I have a message. Especially in this moment, where erasure is real and showing up everywhere, particularly in literature, we have to give our children stories that are empowering and rooted in truth.
Houston illustrator, mixed-media artist, and educator Brynne Henry / courtesy of the artist
HAJ: This is your second collaboration with artist Brynne Henry. What draws you to her art, and can you share a little about your process together?
SA: Brynne and I were connected by our families—so that’s how I first became familiar with her work. And honestly, her work is just beautiful. I hope readers take time with both books—D is for Dance: Dancing Through the Diaspora and A Little Optimism Goes a Long Way—and really absorb the care and detail in her illustrations.
Our process this time was even more involved. I finished the first draft of D is for Dance while I was in Senegal, so I had a lot of source material. The tree on the cover, for example, comes directly from a photo I took during that trip and holds symbolic meaning. I sent Brynne tons of visual references—because we’re both educators, and we wanted readers to see not just dance history, but also visual culture and material culture from Africa and the African diaspora throughout the book.
HAJ: What are your hopes for this book?
SA: I hope people see themselves in this book. I want readers—especially children—to remember that everybody can dance. Dance is for everyone. It’s a gift we should all be able to experience.
I also hope people understand how movement has carried us—not just in the physical sense, but in the cultural and spiritual sense. Movement connects generations. It’s tied to identity, resistance, joy, and healing. And I hope people see that movement can be the beginning of other movements—social, political, creative.
Finally, I hope this book becomes an educational resource. A tool that opens up new ideas, introduces new histories, and brings young readers into new worlds.
L-R: The Hobby Center (home to Theatre Under The Stars) and the Alley Theatre / courtesy of the companies’ websites
Two of Houston’s leading producers of live theater have announced open calls for actors to audition for their 2025-26 seasons.
Theatre Under The Stars, Houston’s non-profit home of musical theater based at The Hobby Center, is seeking strong singers, dancers, and principals for four of its self-produced musicals of the upcoming season: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Million Dollar Quartet, and Beautiful: The Carole King Story.
“This season our casts, along with our audiences, are getting a lineup of productions that invite them to explore varying worlds—some fiction and some based on real events—and to be part of stories that shape all of us,” said Dan Knechtges, Artistic Director of Theatre Under The Stars, in a statement.
In-person auditions will take place at TUTS on Thursday, March 27; Friday, March 28; and Saturday, March 29. Virtual audition opportunities are available by submitting a self-tape to TUTS. Virtual auditions must be submitted no later than March 30.
Audition requirements—including character descriptions, song preparation, dance information, what to bring to auditions, as well appointment and virtual audition submission instructions—are available at TUTS.org/Auditions.
“TUTS is committed to diversity and encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, ages, and abilities to audition. As a leader in Houston’s vibrant arts community, we welcome both local and national talent to be part of our high-caliber productions. Must be 18 years old by the first day of rehearsal,” said the company in a statement.
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Alley Theatre, one of the largest U.S. professional nonprofit theatres outside of New York City, has announced that it is “seeking a diverse cast of Houston talent of all genders, ethnicities, body types, and abilities” for next season.
Auditions will be held by appointment only on Sunday, March 16 and Monday, March 17 at The Alley. Starting February 27, appointments can be made by emailing contact information (name, phone number, and indicate whether you are a member of the Actors’ Equity Association) to auditions@alleytheatre.org.
The Alley will be casting for roles in its 2025-26 season productions, including: Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d, The Da Vinci Code (adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, based on the Novel by Dan Brown), The Body Snatcher by Katie Forgette, Real Women Have Curves by Josefina López, English by Sanaz Toossi, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, August Wilson’s Fences, and Dear Alien by Liz Duffy Adams.
The company states that actors should prepare two contrasting monologues that are not to exceed three minutes in length total. All actors auditioning must be at least 18 years old, must live within a 50-mile radius of downtown Houston, and must be available for weekday and weekend rehearsals.
Urban Souls Dance Company / courtesy of the company’s Facebook page
Inspired by Prairie View A&M’s Classic Dance Ensemble, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and New York’s Alvin Ailey School—where he studied for two years—dancer, choreographer, and activist Harrison Guy eventually came back to Houston to start his own company dedicated to Black stories and experiences.
“I was a founding member of two dance companies in Houston—Dorrell Martin’s Dance Fusion and Kenneth Epting’s Exclamation Dance Company. Yet I still felt called to create something of my own,” Guy wrote recently on Facebook.
“Urban Souls was founded as a safe space for Black dancers and a platform dedicated to telling Black stories—especially those rooted in the local Houston community,” he shared. “It’s a place where our narratives are celebrated, and where dancers have the freedom to explore and express their unique identities.”
With Guy as Artistic Director and Walter J. Hull, II as Executive Director, Urban Souls has been working for two decades to bridge the gap between life and dance theater—with a mission to foster connection and build community through dance, education, and advocacy while working towards racial equity, healing, and justice.
The company’s 20th anniversary celebration culminates with The Black Agenda, a program featuring two world premieres on February 27 and 28 at The Hobby Center—with the opening night performance designated as Black Organization Night to honor historic, community, and Black Greek-letter organizations.
Urban Souls Dance Company presents its 20th anniversary show, The Black Agenda, February 27-28, 8pm, at The Hobby Center / Courtesy of Urban Souls
Guy will debut Eulogy for America’s Promise (2025), his new dance work that pays tribute to the pioneering Houston-born and Fifth Ward-raised Congresswoman Barbara Jordan.
According to a press release, the piece “will blend classical, modern, and African American dance styles to represent the complexity of Jordan’s legacy. The work will use movement to reflect key moments in Jordan’s life, including her iconic speech at the 1976 Democratic National Convention, her leadership during the Watergate hearings, and her tireless advocacy for civil rights.”
A preview of Harrison Guy’s Eulogy for America’s Promise / courtesy of Urban Souls
The program’s second premiere and title piece, The Black Agenda, by Walter J. Hull, II, “reflects the ongoing journey of the Black community—one marked by resilience, unity, and a continual drive for progress,” said Guy.
Intertwined with the voices and music of contemporary artists like Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar, the piece aims to use the lyrics and beats of the soundtrack to amplify the emotions and energy of the dancers’ movements.
“This work speaks to the collective power of Black people, grounded in the understanding that we are strongest when we unite, when we confront the challenges of today, and when we forge a future built on both vision and action,” Guy said of Hull’s piece. “Through movement, we assert the necessity of this journey, reminding ourselves that hope is only meaningful when it is paired with intentional, deliberate steps toward a better tomorrow.”
Completing the program will be Hull’s Sugar Shack (2024), inspired by the paintings of Ernie Barnes; Shadow Work (2023), an exploration of our hidden identities, by Urban Souls’ dancer and choreographer Aniya Wingate; and D.N.A. (2024), a tribute to Reverend Jack Yates and Houston’s first documented Juneteenth celebration, performed by guest artist YUNGCHRIS of SonKiss’d Dance Concepts.
Beyond his company’s 20th anniversary celebration, Guy has even bigger, long-term plans that are about to come into fruition.
“About 10 years ago, after the success of Urban Souls, I began to dream a bigger vision for Houston. I wanted to create a space that wasn’t just about dance, but about Blackness—where creativity could be celebrated as an integral part of our journey and the way we build community,” said Guy on Facebook. “This led to the creation of the Black Arts Movement Houston (BAM).”
With support from a 2019 Idea Fund grant and a 2025 Cultural Treasure Accelerator grant from the Houston BIPOC Arts Network and Fund (BANF), Guy was able to develop his concept into a new umbrella organization that will serve as “a cultural catalyst and a sanctuary for Black artists in Houston,” according to the BANF website.
“We envision a future where BAM serves as the parent organization for Urban Souls and other key arts organizations and groups,” said Guy. “It will also serve as a catalyst for the development of a dynamic, state-of-the-art Black cultural center. This space will drive a comprehensive Black arts directory, highlighting all aspects of Black arts and culture in the city.”
In an email to Houston Arts Journal, Guy stated that BAM’s key initiatives for 2025 include:
Conducting a Black Artists Survey and Census to collect valuable data and insights.
Organizing Convenings for Black Artists to foster connection, collaboration, and growth.
Finalizing the Advisory Group, selecting dedicated members to guide the movement.
Completing a Strategic Plan to lay the foundation for future initiatives and impact.
Hosting a Foundations Brunch to engage potential funders and build lasting support for the mission.
Black Arts Movement Houston, spearheaded by Guy and Urban Souls, is preparing for an official launch this April 2025.
While Thew joined Houston Ballet in the 2022-2023 season as the company’s first official Associate Conductor, he was first introduced to Artistic Director Stanton Welch in 2016 during the company’s Australian tour of Welch’s Romeo and Juliet. Thew, accompanied by Orchestra Victoria, joined Ermanno Florio as a guest conductor, marking the start of his working relationship with Houston Ballet.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Simon previously, and I know that his expertise and passion for music will undoubtedly elevate our artistic journey and deepen the connection between the dancers and the orchestra,” said Welch in a statement.
“Julie [Kent, co-Artistic Director] and I look forward to having the Houston Ballet Orchestra under his baton as we enter the next era,” Welch said.
Before working with Houston Ballet, Thew was a regular conductor with The Australian Ballet between 2013 and 2016. He also served as The Australian Ballet’s assistant conductor from 2017 to mid-2022. In addition, he has guest conducted the English National Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Earning a Master of Music Performance, with a major in conducting, from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Thew worked with The Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra (now Opera Australia Orchestra) shortly after graduation—an experience that was “instrumental in his falling in love with dance as an art form, and its relationship with music,” according to a press release. His early musical journey began as a tuba player.
“I appreciate being in [Houston] where the arts are such a valued fabric of life and where there is also so much connection internationally. I am excited and honored to be continuing to work with this amazing company and orchestra in this new position,” said Thew in a statement.
“Working with young or early career musicians is also especially important to me,” he said. “Alongside working with established instrumentalists, composers, and conductors, I hope to continue fostering in the next generation of artists that reflect the cross-culturalism of this multinational city.”
Houston Ballet will announce a search for a new Associate Conductor at a later date.
Lynn Wyatt Square / Courtesy of Houston First Corportation on X
The $26.5 million Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts, a reimagined green space and focal point of Houston’s downtown Theater District, officially opens to the public on Friday, September 22, 2023.
During opening weekend, the park will host free lawn games and live entertainment, including an interactive experience called “Bees” created by the Australia-based Polyglot Theatre.
Bordered by Jones Hall, Alley Theatre, and Bayou Place—and adjacent to the Wortham Theater Center and only a few blocks away from the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts—Lynn Wyatt Square will aim to enhance the experience of patrons and pedestrians in downtown Houston, as well as contribute to the cultural landscape. The new square features a performance lawn for free concerts and programs, a cascading fountain, gardens, trees, lighting and sound elements, a space for a future restaurant, and mini murals on traffic boxes created by Anat Ronen and Jessica Guerra (Guerra Girl).
Lynn Wyatt Square / Courtesy of Houston First Corporation on X
“This is a game changer for downtown Houston. I am so excited to see this square come to life as a public space that connects the arts and, more importantly, connects people to the arts,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner in a statement.
While owned by the city, Lynn Wyatt Square is managed by Houston First Corporation, which will maintain and operate the park, as well as oversee its year-round programming in collaboration with local arts partners and stakeholders, according to a press release.
Named after philanthropist Lynn Wyatt, who announced a donation of $10 million toward the project in 2019, the Square is a major renovation and renaming of the former Jones Plaza, which was constructed in 1966.
Lynn Wyatt Square under construction / Courtesy of Houston First Corporation
“I love Houston, I love the arts and I absolutely love this beautiful Square. I am thrilled to support the team bringing people and the arts together in the heart of downtown,” said Wyatt in a statement. “I look forward to all the good this Square will do now and in the future for the people of this dynamic city and our world-class performing arts community.”
In addition to Wyatt’s donation, the Downtown Redevelopment Authority committed $10 million; Houston First Corporation committed $5 million; and additional funding was contributed by The Elkins Foundation, The Cullen Foundation, The Fondren Foundation, The Wortham Foundation, The Herzstein Foundation, Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, Vivian L. Smith Foundation, and M.D. Anderson Foundation. The project’s funding is approximately 45% private and 55% public, according to Houston First.
Lynn Wyatt Square / Courtesy of Houston First Corporation
As Lynn Wyatt Square opens, the city’s 2023-2024 downtown performing arts season is underway—this weekend alone, Alley Theater offers its season-opening production, American Mariachi; Houston Ballet is in production with Tutu at the Wortham Center; Houston Symphony presents Broadway Blockbuster with Norm Lewis at Jones Hall; and at the Hobby Center, Ars Lyrica Houston performs the concert Fallen Angels and Performing Arts Houston presents an Evening with Isaac Mizrahi.
“Lynn Wyatt Square is such an important addition to the landscape of Houston. This project, many years in the making, shows what is possible when private philanthropy, municipal partners, and the arts join together in a shared vision,” said Hillary Hart, Chair of Theater District Houston and Executive Director of Theatre Under The Stars, in an email to Houston Arts Journal.
“Located in the heart of the Theater District it creates the perfect place for people who love the arts to connect, and those new to Houston’s thriving arts scene will be able to discover the work of the incredibly talented artists who are an integral part of this community,” said Hart.
The Texas Commission on the Arts and the Texas Cultural Trust have announced that the application cycle is now open for the 2024 class of Young Masters, described as “a joint initiative that provides exemplary Texas student artists in grades 8-11 with the financial help they need to pursue advanced study in the areas of visual arts, literary arts, music, theater, dance, musical theater, folk arts, and media arts.”
Awardees will receive grants of $5,000 per year (for up to two years, with submission of a report and update required) to fund their studies in their respective artistic fields.
Applicants must be 8th through 11th grade students who are legal U.S. residents living in Texas and participating in a school-based program, a summer institute, or a specialized course of study or receiving private lessons from a qualified professional instructor, as stated in a press release.
A panel of arts experts from across the state will review applications based on artistic excellence, level of commitment, and quality of their proposed plan of study.
“The Young Masters grant program was created as a way to recognize and support young people pursuing the dream of becoming prominent Texan artists of the next generation,” said Gary Gibbs, Texas Commission on the Arts Executive Director, in a statement.
“We look forward to receiving applications from candidates who are already demonstrating outstanding artistic ability, talent, and dedication to developing their knowledge in their chosen discipline,” he said.
According to a press release, Texas Commission on the Arts and Texas Cultural Trust have given 401 grants to 184 Young Masters, awarding more than $1.2 million to date.
In 2022, 15 Young Masters were awarded grants, including four students from the Greater Houston area (Natalie Hampton, Houston – Literary Arts; Gabi Wager Saldivar, Houston – Musical Theater; Bryant Li, Katy – Music; Aarushi Lakhi, Pearland – Dance). The 2024 grantees will represent the 12th class of Young Masters, whose roster dates back to 2002.
“We are thrilled to help these Young Masters take their education to the next level and bolster their creative training. This program opens doors to opportunities never imagined for these young artists and cultivates the Texas legends of tomorrow,” said Heidi Marquez Smith, Texas Cultural Trust Chief Executive Officer, in a statement.
Applications and more information are available here. There is no application fee.
Artists with disabilities can find information on alternative ways to apply here.
Deadline to apply is November 1, 2023. Grantees will be notified by April 1, 2024 and will be honored at a celebration in spring 2024 in Austin.
Scene from “Mughal-e-Azam” / Courtesy of mughaleazamplay.com
Considered the first original, large-scale Broadway-style music written and produced in India, Mughal-e-Azam is in the midst of its first North American tour, making a stop in Houston for performances July 14 – 16 at the Wortham Center’s Brown Theater.
Based on the epic, blockbuster 1960 Bollywood movie of the same name, Maughal-e-Azam: The Musical premiered in 2016 in Mumbai and has been described in a press release as “a love letter to South Asian history and legend,” as well a “a love story as familiar to Indians and their Eastern neighbors as Romeo and Juliet is to the West.”
In the era of the Mughals, Emperor Akbar’s desire of a son is fulfilled when his wife, Jodhabai, gives birth to Salim, who grows up to be a spoiled brat filled with disrespect and self-indulgence. Consequently, he’s sent off to war in Akbar’s army and returns as a reformed person with perseverance and discipline fourteen years later. Salim, now a young man, falls in love with Anarkali, a lowly courtesan. Bahar, a dancer who covets the love of the Prince, is filled with jealousy upon discovering the secret affair and exposes it to Akbar. The emperor, full of royal pride, vehemently disapproves of the relationship and imprisons Anarkali, which leads Salim to declare an open rebellion against him. The war between father and son changes the lives of everyone in the empire threatening the foundations of the Mughal rule in India.
synopsis of “Mughal-e-Azam,” press release
Produced by Shapoorji Pallonji (who produced the original film) and directed by Feroz Abbas Khan, the musical stage adaptation was nominated for 14 Broadway World India Awards in 2017 and won seven for Best Play, Best Director, Best Costume Design, Best Choreography, Best Original Set Design, Best Original Lighting Design, and Best Ensemble Cast.
Scene from “Mughal-e-Azam” / Courtesy of mughaleazamplay.com
The production includes 350 cast and crew members, more than 550 costumes designed by Bollywood designer Manish Malhotra, and reimagined choreography from the 1960 film.
“Seven years back, when we green-lighted this project, we had not imagined that it would run for 19 seasons and travel to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Muscat, Doha, and now North America. There is a lot of technical and logistic expertise that goes into a massive show like this, but what really makes it universally loved is its emotional core and the love story of Salim and Anarkali,” said Deepesh Salgia, head of Creative and Strategic Vision for the musical, in an article by Hindustan Times.
Presented by Bollywood Entertainment, in partnership with Houston’s Indo-American Association, Mughal-e-Azam’s North American tour kicked off with a flash mob in New York City’s Time Square, and then began its official 13-city tour on May 26 in Atlanta. The production will travel to Dallas, following its Houston performances.
The show’s dialogue and lyrics are spoken and sung in Urdu and Hindi, with English subtitles.
Houston Arts Journal 