Alrighty, folks! Welcome to the Wortham Theater Center, where the magic happens! This performing arts center is located right here in downtown Houston, Texas, and it's quite the gem. Designed by the talented Eugene Aubry of Morris Architects, this place was built with private funds totaling over a whopping $66 Million. Talk about some serious dough, am I right?
Now, check this out: the City of Houston owns the building, but the Houston First Corporation operates it. Basically, it's a fancy collaboration between the city and this awesome corporation. The Wortham Theater Center officially opened its doors on May 9, 1987, and boy, was it a night to remember! The very first performance was Tango Argentino, and it took place in the Brown Theatre. I guess they really wanted to kick things off with a sultry dance, huh?
But wait, there's more! In the Cullen Theater, they presented The Knee Plays, a unique piece written by Robert Wilson and the lead singer of Talking Heads, David Byrne. Now that's what I call a collaboration! This Society for the Performing Arts really knows how to bring the arts to life.
Now, fast forward to 2017 and Hurricane Harvey decided to make an unexpected guest appearance. Talk about a party crasher! It caused some damage to the center, and it had to close its doors for a while. But fear not, my friends, because this place made a comeback in September 2018, looking better than ever!
Now, let me tell you about a super generous guy named Gus Wortham. He was a local philanthropist and the founder of American General Insurance Company-big deal, right? Well, his estate coughed up a significant portion of the funding needed to build this place. The Wortham Foundation even chipped in a cool $20 million, which is why the theater center is named after ol' Gus. Talk about leaving a lasting legacy!
What's really impressive is that during the banking and oil recession of the late 1980s, more than 3,500 donors stepped up to the plate and committed funds for this marvelous facility. Over 2,200 individuals even donated $100 or less to the cause. It was a major community effort, folks!
Let's talk about the theaters here, shall we? The Brown Theater is the big one with a whopping 2,405 seats. It's named after generous donors Alice and George Brown. This theater is mainly used for opera and large ballet productions put on by two resident companies: the Houston Ballet and the Houston Grand Opera. Can you imagine a ballet performance with over 2,000 seats filled with awe-struck spectators? Now that's a sight to behold!
On the other hand, we have the Cullen Theater, sporting 1,100 seats. This bad boy is named after donors Lillie and Roy Cullen. It's here where you'll find smaller productions and other events. You know, sometimes big things come in small packages, and this theater proves just that!
Oh, did I mention that the Houston Ballet started its residency here on September 2, 1987? Janie Parker and Li Cunxin were the stars of the show, bringing the timeless tale of Romeo and Juliet to life. Talk about making a grand entrance!
Now, here's a fun fact for you. The glass entry archway at the theater center was originally meant to be part of a glass atrium. However, they realized that Houston's hot summers and the risk of hurricanes didn't quite vibe with the whole atrium concept. So, they left the archway as it was and just enclosed it with glass. Hey, you gotta roll with the punches, right?
Speaking of cool stuff, have you seen the Helen Hayes Chandelier in the Green Room? It's a real showstopper, let me tell ya! This beauty was originally installed in 1911 at New York City's Fulton Theater. When that theater got demolished, a lovely couple from Houston, Billy and Janie Lisa Price, swooped in and donated it to the Wortham Center. It's like a piece of history hanging right here in our beloved theater.
Now, let's not forget about the grand staircase, or should I say the bank of escalators? Yep, you heard that right. This place decided to mix things up and give us a staircase with escalators instead.
