Wortham Theater Center
About
The Gus S. Wortham Theater Center was built at the height of the 1980's oil bust and funded entirely by the private sector. More than 3,500 donors contributed $66 million to build a new performing arts mecca amid a period of job losses and recession. It was a true community effort -- 2,200 individuals gave $100 or less.
What's more, the 437,500-square foot facility was completed four months ahead of schedule and $5 million under budget, a testament to Houston's trademark ability to get things done. At the time, Wortham Center was the first major opera house built in the U.S. in more than 25 years.
The building is the legacy of the late Gus S. Wortham, the founder of American General Insurance Company whose foundation contributed $20 million to the capital campaign. The Cullen Foundation and the Brown Foundation donated $7.5 million and $6 million, respectively, in a demonstration of the collective strength of Houston's philanthropic spirit.
The Wortham Center is home to Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera. Since its opening in 1987, Wortham has entertained more than 8 million people.
Bold and beautiful, the Wortham is a facility like no other. It is a masterful, creative playground for performing artists and offers an array of public spaces, both monumental and intimate. Eugene Aubry of Morris Aubry Architects designed the Wortham Center.
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