FALSETTOS and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Join Houston Broadway Theatre 2026 Season

Houston Broadway Theatre will present two productions for 2026 with Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Wortham Center playing June 16–July 5 and Falsettos at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts playing July 28–August 16 each with a limited three-week engagement. 

Based on the 1831 novel by Victor Hugo and songs from the Disney animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame showcases the Academy Award winning-musical score with new music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz with book by Peter Parnell. Premiering in Berlin in 1999 as Der Glöckner von Notre Dame, with an earlier book by James Lapine, the musical was Disney Theatrical Productions first musical to premiere outside the United States, running for three years and becoming one of Berlin's longest-running musicals. The English language version opened at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego in 2014 with a revised book by Peter Parnell.

Set against the backdrop of 1970s and 1980s New York, Falsettos explores the complexities of love, family, and identity with humor and heart. Originally written as two parts of a one-act musical trilogy, the groundbreaking musical by William Finn and James Lapine premiered on Broadway in 1992, and was nominated for seven Tony Awards®, winning Best Book and Best Original Score. The 2016 Broadway revival was nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical. Centering around family, gender roles, Jewish identity and gay life, Falsettos is filled with humor and the positive portrayal of non-traditional family structures.

Casting and creatives to be announced at a later date.

Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Music by Alan Menken 

Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz 

Book by Peter Parnell 

Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney film

Originally developed by Disney Theatrical Productions

June 16–July 5, 2026

Tues – Fri at 7:30 p.m. | Sat at 2:00pm & 8:00pm | Sun at 1:00pm & 7:00pm

The Wortham Center | Cullen Theatre | 501 Texas Ave. | Houston TX 77002

GOD HELP THE OUTCASTS.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a sweeping and powerful musical from Disney's legendary composer Alan Menken (Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast) and lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell). It's fifteenth-century Paris, and Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame, has spent his entire life hidden away in the cathedral's towers. Held captive by his cruel guardian, the archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, Quasimodo dreams of life "Out There" among the people below. When he finally escapes to join the Feast of Fools, he's shown kindness by only one person: Esmeralda, a beautiful and free-spirited Romani woman. But Quasimodo isn't the only one captivated by her– the dashing Captain Phoebus and the sinister Frollo are equally enthralled. As all three men vie for her heart, Frollo launches a deadly campaign against the Romani people, and it's up to Quasimodo to find the courage to save them all.

Based on Victor Hugo's gothic masterpiece and featuring the film's Academy Award-nominated score plus new songs, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a breathtaking tale of love, acceptance, redemption, and hope even in the darkest of times.

Falsettos

Book by William Finn and James Lapine

Music and Lyrics by William Finn

July 28–August 16, 2026

Tues – Fri at 7:30 p.m. | Sat at 2:00pm & 8:00pm | Sun at 1:00pm & 7:00pm

The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts | Zilkha Hall | 800 Bagby St. | Houston TX 77002

LOVE CAN TELL A MILLION STORIES.

Falsettos is a hilarious and heartbreaking musical from Tony Award winner William Finn (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) and acclaimed director James Lapine (Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George). It's New York in the early 1980s, and Marvin's life is complicated—he's recently left his wife Trina for his boyfriend Whizzer, but he still wants to stay close to his son Jason. What could go wrong? Everything. And it's spectacular. As Trina moves on and marries Marvin's own psychiatrist, and Whizzer struggles with commitment, this unconventional modern family tries to figure out how to make it all work. From neurotic parents to awkward bar mitzvah planning, their tight-knit circle of friends and family navigate the chaos with humor and heart. But when an unexpected crisis emerges, they must come together and discover what being a family really means.