It’s the last weekend of June and we’re going out to have a good time. This week, we’ve got Pride Month celebrations, the music of a pretty good rock band, and an early bit of patriotism. Keep reading for these and more of our picks for the best bets of the week.
Celebrate Pride Month over at Discovery Green on Friday, June 28, from 7 to 10 p.m. during their annual, family-friendly Rainbow on the Green. Co-host of Houston Life, Derrick Shore, will emcee the evening, which will feature a full lineup of entertainment from folks like Tina Turner and Chaka Khan impersonator Roxanne Collins, The Space Kiddettes, music producer/DJ Hiram, and headliner Z’maji Glamouratti & the Lone Star Discoteq. Glamouratti recently told OutSmart that he’s “excited to headline this year as I’ve been able to put in some fun, crowd-pleasing moments. All in attendance can expect music, dancing, and an abundant supply of whimsical drag queens, as well as my band performing reimagined disco and house classics.” The festivities are free and open to the public.
Abortion is illegal in Brazil, and São Paulo is the setting of Power Alley, the feature film debut of Brazilian director Lillah Halla. In Power Alley, which you can catch at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston on Friday, June 28, at 7 p.m., a teenage volleyball player seeks an illegal abortion, but faces “an increasingly sinister fundamentalist group” set out to thwart her attempt. About the film, Halla has said, “I hope that people see that joy is an important form of resistance and existence and that we should not lose this independence in the midst of such an important time in our world.” The film will be screened a second time on Sunday, June 30, at 5 p.m. Tickets to either screening can be purchased here for $7 to $9.
Right around the release of The Rolling Stones’ 24th studio album last year, lead singer Mick Jagger said “the only thing I want the Stones to be remembered for is being a good rock band.” On Friday, June 28, at 7:30 p.m. you can hear tunes from that “good rock band” when the Houston Symphony presents The Music of The Rolling Stones at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Conductor Brent Havens will lead the orchestra, a rock band and lead singer Mick Adams, in classic Stones’ songs like “Paint It Black,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” The concert will be performed a second time on Saturday, June 29, at 2:30 p.m. and tickets for either show can be purchased here for $41 to $125.
Back when people were more likely to travel cross-country by train, there were the Pullman porters, “primarily African-American men who collected luggage, served drinks, made beds, polished shoes, tended to the sick, comforted crying babies and even entertained guests.” Though “prestigious,” the job was “grueling.” On Friday, June 28, at 7:30 p.m. The Ensemble Theatre will open Cheryl L. West’s Pullman Porter Blues, a 1937-set tale about three generations of porters set to a blues soundtrack. West has previously said “the history of the Pullman porters is a great American story,” adding that the show’s themes, such as “love, sacrifice and redemption are what makes any dramatic ride universal and current.” Performances will continue through July 28 at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; and 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are available here for $34 to $59.
Celebrate five years with Houston Contemporary Dance Company as they close their fifth season with their fifth show, Silver Celebration, at Miller Outdoor Theatre on Friday, June 28, at 8:30 p.m. The evening will include a guest performance by Houston Contemporary 2 and works by Norbert De La Cruz III, Christian Denice, Cat Cogliandro and Cesar Salinas, as well as a premiere from Brandon Coleman and a reprise of Keerati Jinakunwiphat’s “Viola,” which originally premiered back in 2021, featuring live music by Apollo Chamber Players. The show is free and you can reserve tickets here starting today, June 27, at 10 a.m. No tickets required to sit on the Hill. The show will also be livestreamed on the Miller Outdoor Theatre website, YouTube channel, or Facebook page.
Pride Houston 365 will stage the 46th Annual Official Houston LGBT+ Pride Celebration: Festival & Parade on Saturday, June 29, and the day is jampacked with entertainment, vendors and, of course, pride. The festival, hosted by Muffy Vanderbilt, will occur from noon to 6 p.m. and include performances from acts like David Archuleta, Kayla G, Brooke Eden and headliner K. Michelle. A parade pre-show will follow from 6 to 7:15 p.m. before the parade begins at 7:20 p.m. You can find the parade route here. It’s free to enjoy the parade, but advance tickets to the festival are available here for $5 (and will be available for $10 at the gate). For those under 21 and over 55, festival admission is free. And for those who want to attend in style, you can always pick up a VIP ticket.
There’s a little symphonic poem you may be familiar with, in which “an intrepid American traveler revels in the dizzying soundscape of Paris, is overcome by memories of home, struggles to recover, and finally triumphs over his homesickness, enthusiastically returning to the sights.” It’s George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris,” and you can hear it when the Texas Medical Center Orchestra swings by Miller Outdoor Theatre on Saturday, June 29, at 8:30 p.m. for Hollywood Rhapsody. The community orchestra will also tackle works like Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (more commonly known as the “New World Symphony”) during the free concert. You can reserve tickets for the show here starting Friday, June 28, at 10 a.m. or you can plan to sit on the Hill (no ticket required).
Get an early start on your Fourth of July festivities this Wednesday, July 3, at 8 p.m. when the Houston Symphony visits Cynthia Wood Mitchell Pavilion for their Star-Spangled Salute. Conductor Jason Seber will lead the orchestra this year during their annual holiday concert, which will include tenor Rafael Moras and patriotic tunes like “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “God Bless the U.S.A.” and “America the Beautiful.” The show is free and no tickets are required to see it. And if the drive over to The Woodlands is a bit far for you, don’t worry: The show will visit Miller Outdoor Theatre the next night, but that’s something for next week’s list.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
