CLASSICAL MUSIC

Adams Conducts Adams

Composer John Adams may be best known for his operas (Nixon in China, Doctor Atomic), but he’s also written plenty of orchestral music. For this much-anticipated Houston Symphony program, Adams will lead the orchestra in his own jazzy City Noir, as well as Copland’s El Salón México and Korngold’s Violin Concerto, featuring violinist Gil Shaham. 

Jan 31 & Feb 1 at 8; Feb 2 at 2:30. $25–124. Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana St. 713-224-7575. houstonsymphony.org

Theater

Freud's Last Session

On September 3, 1939, following Hitler’s invasion of Poland, England and France declared war on Germany, triggering World War II. On that fateful day, a young professor walked into Sigmund Freud’s office in London—Freud had been forced to flee his native Vienna after the Anschluss—and struck up a conversation about God. That young professor was C.S. Lewis, future author of the Narnia series, and his conversation with Freud is the subject of a hit off-Broadway play by Mark St. Germain, based on a book by Harvard Medical School professor Armand M. Nicholi, Jr. Of course, the dialogue is entirely imagined—in real life Freud and Lewis never met—but the idea of a famous atheist (Freud) debating a famous Christian apologist (Lewis) has won over audiences across the country. 

Jan 31 at 8; Sat at 2:30 & 8; Sun at 2:30. Neuhaus Stage, Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Ave. 713-220-5700. alleytheatre.org

Opera

Don Giovanni

Mozart’s great comic opera features the eponymous satyr engaging in sundry amatory hijinks before finally receiving the ultimate comeuppance. This masterpiece contains some of the greatest arias in the repertoire. 

Jan 31 at 7:30; Feb 1 at 7:30; Feb 2 at 2. Lambert Hall, 1703 Heights Blvd. 713-861-5303. operaintheheights.org

Rigoletto

The title character of this classic Verdi opera is a hunch-backed jester at the decadent court of the Duke of Mantua, Rigoletto, whose greatest joy is his beautiful daughter Gilda. But when Gilda is seduced by the priapic Duke, Rigoletto vows revenge against his master, with tragic results. 

Feb 1 at 7:30. Brown Theater, Wortham Theater Center, 500 Texas Ave. 713-228-6737. houstongrandopera.org

Dance

Mark Morris Dance Group

Called “one of the greatest living choreographers” by The New Yorker, Mark Morris and his company have been presenting cutting-edge dance for over 30 years. Their Houston show features work from the company’s extensive repertoire, includingA Wooden Tree, The Argument, and Festival Dance.

Jan 31 & Feb 1 at 8. Cullen Theater, Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas Ave. 713-227-4772. spahouston.org