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Gus S. Wortham Theater Center - Houston Hotels .com

Gus S. Wortham Theater Center

The Gus S. Wortham Theater Center opened in 1987 as a home to both the Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera. Entirely funded by private donors, this 437,000 square-foot facility is located in the heart of the theater district and named after Gus S. Wortham, a local philanthropist and influential businessman. Eugene Aubrey of Morris Architects designed the building with extravagant details such as an 88-foot-tall glass entry arch, grand staircase, and a lofty six-story ceiling. Spectacular steel sculptures by Albert Paley adorn the interior, some having over 400 pieces of steel.

The center features two theaters, the Alice and George Brown Theater and the Roy and Lillie Cullen Theater. With 2,423 seats, the Brown is the larger of the two, although no seat is more than 138-feet from the stage. Its 17,000-square-foot stage is used for performances by the Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera. The Cullen Theater offers a more intimate setting with 1,100 seats, and it hosts smaller opera and ballet productions, as well as local performance groups.

ADDRESS: 500 Texas Ave.

URL: http://www.houstontx.gov/worthamcenter/index.htm