Performania: A Spotlight on Texas Stages

Nancy Wozny·
AustinDallas/Ft WorthHoustonMusicPerformaniaSan AntonioTheater
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AUSTIN

Not Every Mountain at Texas Performing Arts/Fusebox

Texas Performing Arts and Fusebox present the Rude Mechs in the return of one of their most intriguing works, Not Every Mountain, April 17-19 at the B. Iden Payne Theatre. Described as “a mellow meditation on change, permanence and our place in the natural world. It tells the story of the life cycle of mountains and the processes by which they are born and eventually laid to rest, an invocation of tectonic force and geologic time.”

Marie Antoinette: Vampire Queen of Versailles at Ballet Austin

Ballet Austin presents the world premiere of Stephen Mills Marie Antoinette: Vampire Queen of Versailles, with a score by Graham Reynolds played live by the Austin Symphony Orchestra, March 27-29 at The Long Center. Expect “high drama with supernatural intrigue, elegant choreography and a visually opulent design.”

HOUSTON

The Texas Latino/a/x Contemporary Dance Festival

The Pilot Dance Project presents the 6th Annual Texas Latino/a/x Contemporary Dance Festival March 27-29 at the MATCH, with a lineup that includes M. Gabriela Estrada, Andrea Vasquez-Aguirre Kaufman, Cynthia Garcia, and Andrew Robert Smith, along with Ana Paula Ornelas (Hermosillo, Mexico), Gabriel Mata and Armani Rey Colón (Washington, D.C.) and Jaruam Xavier (São Paulo, Brazil).

Handel’s Messiah at Houston Grand Opera 

Houston Grand Opera presents Robert Wilson’s surreal production of Handel’s Messiah, arranged by Mozart, April 17-May 3 at the Wortham Center. This will be the first US production and also a first for HGO. With a cast that includes soprano Ying Fang, countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, tenor Benjamin Bliss, and bass-baritone Nicholas Newton, joined by the dancer Alexis Fousekis and Maestro Patrick Summers conducting, it will be a historic HGO event.

Relic and Trio Mediaeval atHouston Early Music

Houston Early Music presents the New York City-based ensemble Relic for their Houston debut in a program called The Odyssey, which traces epic journeys through music of the Middle Ages, weaving together tales of travel, transformation, and return, on March 8; and Grammy-nominated Trio Mediaeval from Oslo, Norway performs on April 17 at Houston Saengerhalle.

DALLAS

Ragtime at Dallas Theater Center

Dallas Theater Center presents the Tony Award-winning epic musical Ragtime, with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, book by Terrence McNally, based on the acclaimed novel by E.L. Doctorow and directed and choreographed by Joel Ferrell in partnership with SMU Meadows School of the Arts and the Sexton Institute for Musical Theater, March 27 – April 19, 2026 at the Dee & Charles Wyly Theatre.

Rent at Circle Theatre

Circle Theatre presents Jonathan Larson’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical Rent to Fort Worth April 23-May 16. Directed by Garret Storm with musical direction by Vicky Nooe, “Set in the late 1980s, the show captures the urgency of a generation living without guarantees and fighting to hold onto their dreams.”

BODYTRAFFIC at TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND

TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND presents BODYTRAFFIC, Los Angeles’s most dynamic contemporary dance company, March 20-21 at Moody Performance Hall. The company brings a lively repertory of new and recent works and was described by the Los Angeles Times as “One of the most talked-about young companies, not just in L.A. but nationwide.”

SAN ANTONIO

The Barbara of Seville at Opera SA

Opera SA presents Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, April 30-May 2 at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. This new production from Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is a “fresh take on the beloved comic opera that combines clever staging, bold visuals, and Rossini’s sparkling score to create a performance that’s both laugh-out-loud funny and musically thrilling.”

Twelfth Night at San Pedro Playhouse

San Pedro Playhouse presents Twelfth Night as part of their third season of Shakespeare in the Park, directed by Tony Ciaravino, March 24-March 29, 2026.  The production is a collaboration with Overland Partners, a San Antonio based architecture firm who are also serving as scenic designers. “This production returns us to San Pedro Springs Park, one of the oldest parks in the country,” says Rick Sanchez, Vice President of Artistic Programming for San Pedro Playhouse and Classic Theatre. “This year’s Twelfth Night is set in the glamour of the 1920s Old Hollywood film era, giving the story a playful, visually rich twist.”

—NANCY WOZNY

Nancy Wozny

Nancy Wozny is editor in chief at Arts and Culture Texas, a contributing editor at Dance Magazine and a frequent contributor to Pointe Magazine and Dance Teacher.