Hey, Figaro!

Houston Grand Opera, The Barber of Seville, and The Bugs Bunny of It All

If it looks to you like a bizarre, madcap Looney Tunes cartoon, well, congratulations. You’ve figured out that’s exactly what they are going for.

04/29/2026 By Meredith Nudo

Toi Toi Toi

How Houston Grand Opera Turned Porgy and Bess Into a Global Hit

Almost 50 years ago, HGO changed the opera-going public’s minds about the messy musical’s original intentions and helped update its troubled racial history.

11/04/2025 By Meredith Nudo

Do It

Your Guide to Can’t-Miss Houston Arts & Culture: October 2025 Edition

It’s gonna be a good month: Rothko Chapel is inviting over a beloved radical puppet theater, the Wild West comes alive through immersive theater, and the legendary Greek Fest returns.

10/02/2025 By Meredith Nudo

Bayougraphy

Meet the Puppeteer Behind Houston’s Most Imaginative Sets

Afsaneh Aayani invites audiences to believe in magic with imaginative puppets and set designs for Alley Theatre, Houston Grand Opera, Meow Wolf, and other noteworthy arts organizations in Houston.

07/15/2025 By Meredith Nudo

Sip and sing

Hopera Performance Group Uses Beer to Prove Opera Is for Everyone

This squad is merging hops with opera at local breweries, introducing a new audience to the art.

11/13/2024 By Sofia Gonzalez

Show Bites

The Best Places to Grab a Bite in Houston’s Theater District

Downtown Houston has so many dining options, but these are the best spots to visit before your show.

08/12/2024 By Daniel Renfrow

World Premiere

Houston Grand Opera’s Intelligence Shows the Power of New Works

Introducing the once-stuffy art form to new audiences has been a priority for the city’s opera house.

10/17/2023 By Holly Beretto

Bayougraphy

Richard Bado Will Convince You Opera Is for Everyone

The chorus director reflects on his 35 years at Houston Grand Opera.

07/05/2023 By Elisabeth Carroll Parks

On Stage

A Guide to Houston's Top Theater District Spots

From Broadway, to opera, to chamber music, renowned entertainment lives in the heart of Downtown Houston.

01/26/2022 By Amarie Gipson

Winter Wonderland

Opera Based on Children's Book Makes Its World Premiere

The Snowy Day has become the first show by a Black composer and librettist team for Houston Grand Opera.

12/13/2021 By Holly Beretto

A Night for Celebration

The Houston Grand Opera Returned to the Stage for Its 67th Season

HGO celebrated it's opening night for Bizet's Carmen.

10/27/2021 By Sofia Gonzalez Edited by Shelby Stewart

Rock out

5 Things to Do in Houston This Weekend, October 22-24

Watch in amazement the power of 12,000-pound monster trucks or enjoy the beautiful words of Ariana Reines at the Menil Collection.

10/21/2021 By Shelby Stewart

“Fach” you up

5 Things to Do in Houston This Weekend, April 17–18

Start your Earth Day celebrations early, binge South Asian indie films, and enjoy a live performance of your favorite movie scores.

04/16/2021 By Brittany Cristiano

Snow Gaze

HGO Brings Wintery Joy to Houston in The Making of the Snowy Day

The new documentary showcases the heart and soul of Ezra Jack Keats’s classic story as well as the challenge of bringing it to the operatic stage.

12/09/2020 By Rebekah Kibodeaux

(Bird) Call of the Wild

HGO Isn't "Fowltering" with Its Mockumentary Staging of Vinkensport

The modern comedic opera brings the competitive world of "finch-sitting" to life. We're not even kidding.

10/21/2020 By Olivia Flores Alvarez

Opera Nights In

HGO Replaces Its Cancelled Performances with a Full Slate of Digital Content

The new programming includes concert events, actual operas, a special documentary project, and a lot of familiar faces.

08/11/2020 By Emma Schkloven

Just a click away

Discover the World of Houston Arts with These Digital Programs

The Bayou City's arts institutions have headed online to keep you culturally astute during the pandemic.

05/11/2020 By Ian Everett

Art never stops

How to Get Your Art Fix Without Leaving Your Home

It's a big, wide virtual world out there.

03/17/2020 By Emma Schkloven

Love and Tragedy

Aida Returns to HGO Stage in Modernized Take on Verdi Classic

Tenor Russell Thomas talks the challenges of playing Radames, the opera's warrior romantic lead.

01/30/2020 By Olivia Flores Alvarez

Howdy, comrade

New Opera Tells Story Of Russian Politician Boris Yeltsin's 1989 Trip to Randalls

The future president wasn't impressed by the Statue of Liberty or NASA, but the Houston-based grocery store chain left him in awe.

01/30/2020 By Chris Gray