Houston Interviews - Page 2

Elissa Cuellar steps into the emerald spotlight as the Wicked Witch of the West in A.D. Players’ production of The Wizard of Oz, a role steeped in cinematic legacy and theatrical flair. In this interview, she reflects on her childhood obsession with the story, the creative inspirations behind her nu...

For Meaghan, stepping into the title role of Iolanthe with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston is more than just a chance to don wings and enchant an audience—it’s a full-circle moment years in the making. After a pandemic-canceled debut in the same role, this production offers both personal...

So I started as a dancer. At age eleven, my sister was taking classes, and she came home and was showing me moves and stuff from her solo because she was a competitive dancer, and I started picking all that stuff up....

So the challenge with this show is, it is not just one location. It's like Miss Marple's cottage. It's a movie studio. It's a dressing room and a soundstage in the filming studio. And then there's this enormous manor called Gossington Hall....

It's a true story. It's a dramatization about a man who moves to Marietta, Georgia, and is falsely convicted of murder. It's his journey of trying to prove his innocence, while simultaneously we see and follow this love story between him and his wife, Lucille....

This show is a Houston summer tradition, and it is the Catastrophic Theatre's version of A Christmas Carol at the Alley or The Nutcracker at the Houston Ballet. Except every year, this one's a new script and a new ball of crazy to enjoy....

In let.her.rip, Melissa Pritchett tackles one of her boldest roles yet—a fierce, unapologetic woman in a powerful new play by Maggie Lou Rader. She shares what drew her to the script, how Liza came to life in rehearsal, and why this story matters in today’s theatre landscape. ...

I've known about Maggie and this play for four years. In fact, when I was at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Director of Play Development, I chose this play for one of our development processes. So I was part of this play's development. There have been subsequent workshops, and I didn't know this...

I thought there must be a way to create really beautiful, high-level productions that people understand and walk away with meaning....

Boiling Point Players are joining forces to recreate this reimagining of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar—set not in ancient Rome, but behind the bars of Rome Correctional Facility, a women’s maximum-security prison where power is currency and betrayal is a daily threat....

Broadway may have first met her with a long blonde wig in the hit revival of Into the Woods, but Houston audiences are falling in love with her all over again—this time with hoop earrings, bold dreams, and sky-high heels. ...

In the Heights follows three days in the life of a community in Washington Heights. We get to see several different stories and vignettes that are happening throughout the show. It's this community that's having to deal with instant change....

So I think, first and foremost, Bug, believe it or not, is a love story. Without loneliness and without loss and without vulnerability, we don't get to the place that we need to be, where this crater of ache exists inside Agnes, which opens her up to Peter. Which really is the beginning of the infes...

A lot of people ask, “Why do you think it won the Pulitzer?” Post pandemic, and with all of the social media stuff that we have going on. There's something so simple that she was able to capture again, how we need each other, and it goes so against what society tells us....

Vincent Victoria is a playwright, director, filmmaker, actor, and fashion icon who has been producing work in the Houston Community for at least the last ten years, probably more. He has written scripts for his theatrical and film company that strive to bring historical figures of the black communit...

4TH Wall Theatre Company is opening their staging of HAMLET, which is best on the off-Broadway company Bedlam’s recent production. It’s a stripped-down version where four actors play over thirty different roles. But one man in the center only plays the titular HAMLET....

D. Jerome is originally from North Carolina and is described as a formidable triple threat; many of his past shows indicate that. Broadway World writer Brett Cullum got to catch up with him, right before he hits the stage as the Tin Man!...

I'll tell you why I decided to do it; then I'll tell you about the toughness, but I read this about 1999, and just loved it. It made the hairs on my arms stand up, especially visualizing the very last scene with the entire cast swaying back and forth, and giving the illusion of them not swaying. You...

Do you ever feel bad making fun of some of these folks? Because I mean, let's face it, Broadway actors. They take themselves a little bit seriously. I am terrified of interviewing Patti Lupone!...

In Theatre Under the Stars' production of Waitress, Tori Gresham steps into the role of Dawn—a character beloved for her quirky charm, heartfelt honesty, and unexpected strength. Bringing her fresh perspective to a part with a passionate fan following, Gresham approaches Dawn with reverence and orig...

I was born in Tokyo, Japan, and lived there till I was around ten. My mother met my father in the States. But then, when they got married, they moved back to Japan, had babies raised us, and then my mother remarried. I guess when I was ten, we moved to DC because of his job. I've been here ever sinc...

I have had a couple of run-ins. I've been married three times. I have three kids that I know of. I was doing things and I never thought I would be a Tupperware lady. I was doing things that normally weren't panning out from where I was from. My mama said, “I'm not pretty enough to work at this strip...

I like to write all the time and generally write two plays a year, just because I take very seriously the notion of this being my profession. I would say playwright is spelled WRIGHT [write]. It's like a Cartwright or a wheelwright. It's somebody who rolls up their sleeves and does their work....

It is a show presented by Shunya Theatre that will be at the MATCH complex from April 10th through the 13th. The play's premise is that a meet-cute at a temple results in a romance between Naveen Gavaskar and Keshav — a Hindi-speaking, Bollywood-loving man who happens to be white. As the love story ...

The Frozen Section is set in a grocery store at the edge of the world. It is about a community of people living in a world with far fewer people and a much harder, harder way of living....

Main Street Theater is launching a very special production at its Rice Village location. It’s a world premiere, MEMORIAM, from March 29th through April 19th, and written by Noga Flaishon, a self-described 'neurodivergent Israeli writer/producer based in London.' The story concerns a company called M...

Few musicals have left an impact as profound as Hamilton, and for Auston Charles Henderson, being part of the show is nothing short of a dream come true. A Houston native, Henderson has taken the stage in the Hamilton Angelica Tour, bringing his passion and talent to nationwide audiences....

In just a few short years, Sarah Sachi has become a familiar face on Houston stages, bringing depth, versatility, and passion to every role. From the whimsical world of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella to the poignant storytelling of the ripple, the wave that carried me home, their performances ...

Dylan Godwin is one of the resident company members of the Alley Theater who just opened THE GLASS MENAGERIE and is playing Tom. This part is one of his dream roles, so Broadway World writer Brett Cullum jumped at the chance to ask him how it feels to have a dream come true and find out what it is l...

In The Heart Sellers, playwright Lloyd Suh crafts a poignant and deeply human story of friendship, identity, and belonging. Set on Thanksgiving in the 1970s, the play follows Luna and Jane—two immigrant women, one from the Philippines and the other from Hong Kong—who form an unexpected bond as they ...

One of Houston’s most fascinating productions opens this week. Mildred’s Umbrella is presenting THE WANDERERS at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center on South Braeswood....

Candice D’Meza is a being that never stops evolving; she is constantly being reborn. She is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, actor, activist, filmmaker, and mother. It's so hard to pin down Candice D’Meza because when you think you got her, she shifts again....

Joshua Morrisey electrifies the stage as the irresistibly vibrant Damian Hubbard in the touring production of Mean Girls. His journey from belting out tunes in a high school gospel choir to landing a role in Footloose is a testament to his unyielding passion for performance. ...

Ariel Shani is part of the cast of MEAN GIRLS coming to the Houston Hobby Center from January 28th through February 9th. The show is a tour that Theatre Under the Stars is bringing in as part of their season. Ariel was raised in Israel and also Canada but ended up going to the Tisch School of the Ar...

The luminous Broadway star, Adrienne Warren, comes to the Hobby Center on February 1st. You may know Adrienne from her Tony Award-winning turn as Tina Turner in the West End and on Broadway productions of TINA: THE MUSICAL or her role opposite Audra Mcdonald in SHUFFLE ALONG. She will have a “one ni...

Houston audiences should eagerly anticipate Seven Assassins Walk Into a Bar, coming soon to Main Street Theater, as a fresh and captivating addition to the city's vibrant theater scene. With its dark humor, morally complex characters, and razor-sharp storytelling, this production promises to deliver...

For over 20 years, Camp Logan has been a powerful cornerstone in Roc Living's journey as an actor, taking him from the roles of Franciscus and Bugaloosa to his current portrayal of Gweely Brown. Now, audiences at The Ensemble Theatre will have the chance to experience this gripping story, set agains...

It's a May-December relationship. But, unlike most May-December relationships that we see. The woman is older, and I wanted to explore that. HAROLD AND MAUDE is one of my favorite movies....

Ben Chavez is a singer, actor, and dancer who currently lives here in Houston. He recently was in the THEATRE UNDER THE STARS production of NEWSIE. He's done a national Broadway tour with Disney’s ALADDIN. He's done New York performances on Broadway....

With his dynamic presence and undeniable talent, Nicolas Garza has carved a unique path in the world of theater. From his early inspirations, choreographing poolside dances at family gatherings, to taking center stage in productions like In the Heights and now The Ugly Xmas Sweater Musical, Nicolas ...