Wortham Center
Wortham Center
501 Texas
Houston, TX 77002
PHONE: 713.237.1439
www.worthamcenter.org
Wortham Center is home to Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera. Since its opening in 1987, funded entirely by the private sector during the height of the 1980s oil bust, Wortham has entertained audiences totaling more than five million people.
It has also served as the backdrop for hundreds of social galas, civic meetings, corporate and group events, and even weddings, further underscoring its role as a community center as well as a performing arts venue. The Wortham Center features two theaters, grand lobbies, and extensive space for performers and support personnel.
Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera Schedules
BALLET - Made In America (May 24 to Jun. 3, 2012)
Balanchine. Morris. Fonte. All three have created ballets for companies around the world. This program, however, was made entirely in America. Mark Morris's breezy Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes was commissioned by Mikhail Baryshnikov for American Ballet Theatre. George Balanchine created Theme and Variations, his grand tribute to the Imperial Russian Ballet, for the same company. Nicolo Fonte, a Brooklyn native who danced with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal and the Compañia Nacional de Danza in Madrid, will premiere a new work, choreographed specifically for Houston Ballet. MAY 24, 26 and JUN 1, 2 at 7:30 p.m. and MAY 27 and JUN 3 at 2:00 p.m.
BALLET - Romeo and Juliet (Jun. 7 to 17, 2012)
Set in 16th century Verona, Romeo and Juliet chronicles Shakespeare's tale of two beautiful teenagers from families on opposing sides of a bitter feud. With its sweepingly regal ballroom scenes, vivacious swordplay and poignant pas de deux, Ben Stevenson's production is a feast for the eyes. With impassioned dance and bold theatrics, it's an ideal showcase for the company's newest stars. The ballet that inaugurated Wortham Theater Center in 1987 is back in this, our inaugural season rehearsing in the new Center for Dance. JUN 7, 9, 15, 16 at 7:30 p.m. and JUN 10, 16, 17 at 2:00 p.m.
BALLET - Madame Butterfly (Sep. 6 to 16, 2012)
In her cocoon, the butterfly is protected, sheltered in naiveté. It is only when she begins to emerge that she becomes vulnerable. Madame Butterfly, the story of a beautiful Japanese geisha who gives up her faith and her family to marry an American naval lieutenant, is at once compelling and heartbreaking. Set to Puccini's powerful score with costumes and sets by Peter Farmer, Stanton Welch's Madame Butterfly is a stunning achievement in neoclassical ballet that has been an international success, with performances on three continents. Also on the program is Welch’s Clear, a poignant ballet danced to Bach. SEP 6, 8, 14, 15 at 7:30 p.m. and SEP 9, 16 at 2:00 p.m.
BALLET - Women @ Art (Sep. 20 to 30, 2012)
Three of the world's leading female choreographers take Houston Ballet on a spectacular odyssey of dance with a fall repertory program unlike any other. Julia Adam's Ketubah was originally created in Houston. The tale of a traditional Jewish wedding, the ballet showcases the natural humor and story-telling style of the affable choreographer. Already a Houston favorite, acclaimed young Canadian choreographer Aszure Barton creates a theatrical work specifically for dancers of Houston Ballet. And the legendary Twyla Tharp demonstrates why she's recognized as one of the pioneers of contemporary dance with The Brahms - Haydn Variations, a neoclassical milestone. SEP 20, 22, 28, 29 at 7:30 p.m., and SEP 23, 30 at 2:00 p.m.
OPERA - La Boheme (Oct. 19 to Nov. 10, 2012)
Reckless Love. The romance of Paris. The pain of regret. All unfold in La bohème - one of the world's greatest love stories. Rodolfo and Mimi meet by chance in the poet's atelier and fall immediately in love. Mimi joins his group of impoverished, generous friends. They weather break-ups and inevitable reunions, but their love proves fragile as the light of a single candle when they confront the harsh realities of bohemian life. Sung in Italian with projected English translation. OCT 19, 27, 30, NOV 2, 10 at 7:30 p.m. and OCT 21, NOV 4 at 2:00 p.m.
OPERA - The Italian Girl in Algiers (Oct. 26 to Nov. 11, 2012)
The shipwreck was the easy part. Searching for her fiance, Lindoro, Isabella is marooned near Algiers and captured. She quickly catches the eye of Mustafa, the local bey. Bored with his harem, he has determined to marry an Italian girl. His plans go hilariously awry as Isabella thwarts Mustafa's plan, finding (and freeing) Lindoro in the process. The stage is set for madcap comedy in this brilliant production from the team that gave us The Barber of Seville and Cinderella. Sung in Italian with projected English translation. OCT 26, NOV 3, 7, 9 at 7:30 p.m. and OCT 28, NOV 11 at 2:00 p.m.
BALLET - The Nutcracker (Nov. 23 to Dec. 30, 2012)
For mom, for dad, for brother and sis, The Nutcracker is a family tradition you don’t want to miss. Join Clara on her colorful, magical journey. You’ll travel through the Land of the Sweets to Spain, Russia, China and France. You’ll see a Christmas tree that grows to enormous heights, flying cooks, dancing flowers, and snow. Lots and lots of beautiful snow. The music, the magic, the laughter, the fun. It just wouldn’t be the holidays without The Nutcracker. Go to www.houstonballet.org/TheNutcracker for performance times and dates.
OPERA - Show Boat (Jan. 18 to Feb. 9, 2013)
"Ol' Man River" "Make Believe" "You Are Love" "Bill" "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" ... The story follows the theatrical family of the Cotton Blossom as it sails the Mississippi providing musical entertainment at towns along the way. A departure from fluffy operettas and vaudeville revues that were standard Broadway fare in the '20s, Show Boat's magical score and epic story make it a seminal work of the musical theater with a uniquely American accent. Sung in English with projected text. JAN 18, 26, 30, FEB 1, 6, 9 at 7:30 p.m. and JAN 20, FEB 3 at 2:00 p.m.
OPERA - Don Giovanni (Jan. 25 to Feb. 10, 2013)
In any country, any language, Don Giovanni means seduction. It's a story as current as a tabloid headline. Don Giovanni - rich, powerful, and handsome - charms and abandons women at will until his arrogance kindles the fires of his own demise. Mozart's music, alternately playful and powerful, illustrates this timeless story perfectly with charm, wit, and the gravity of impending doom. Sung in Italian with projected English translation. JAN 25, FEB 2, 5, 8 at 7:30 p.m. and JAN 27, FEB 10 at 2:00 p.m.
BALLET - La Bayadere (Feb. 21 to Mar. 3, 2013)
A brilliant fire god, opium dreams and a crashing temple. This is Stanton Welch's La Bayadère, classical ballet with a touch of Bollywood. A colorful version of the Russian classic, La Bayadère is the lively story of Nikiya the temple dancer, her lover Solor, and the vengeance that keeps them apart – at least in this life. With lavish scenery depicting the jungles of India and costumes by Peter Farmer, La Bayadèrefeatures mesmerizing classical performances highlighted by the famous Shades scene, staged for the entire corps de ballet. FEB 21, 23, MAR 1, 2 at 7:30 p.m., and FEB 24, MAR 2,3 at 2:00 p.m.
BALLET - The Rite of Spring (Mar. 7 to 17, 2013)
When it was originally performed in 1913, The Rite of Spring, a collaboration of Igor Stravinsky and Vaslav Nijinsky, shocked the audience with its audacious music and controversial subject matter. To mark the 100th anniversary of this exceptional work, Stanton Welch is honoring the tradition of artistic collaboration with his own Le Sacre du printemps, a world premiere featuring art by the famed Australian painter Rosella Namok. Also on the program is a world premiere by Edwaard Liang, an internationally renowned choreographer making his debut in Houston, and Pacific, a joyous and beautiful ballet by celebrated American choreographer Mark Morris. MAR 7, 9, 15, 16 at 7:30 p.m. and MAR 10, 17 at 2:30 p.m.
OPERA - To Cross the Face of the Moon (Cruzar la Cara de la Luna) (Mar. 22 to 24, 2013)
Cruzar la Cara de la Luna follows one family from its patriarch’s distant American dream to their generations-long quest for fulfillment in the country that still does not quite feel like home. The work’s story, by acclaimed director and writer Leonard Foglia, is based on first-hand accounts of Mexican immigrants to Houston. The score is by José “Pepe” Martínez, music director of the world-famous Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. Sung in Spanish and English with projected translations. MAR 22, 23 at 7:30 p.m. and MAR 23, 24 at 2:30 p.m.
OPERA - Tristan and Isolde (Apr. 18 to May 5, 2013)
The Power of Fate. Legendary Romance. A Majestic Opera.
Love potions and poisons. Romantic betrayal. Heightened emotion. These are the things of which legends - and great operas - are made. A matchless work of art, Tristan speaks to timeless themes: the inevitability of fate, death's omnipresence, and salvation through transcending love. Tristan and Isolde has entranced audiences with its mystical power since its Munich premiere in 1865. Sung in German with projected English translation. APR 18, 24, 27, May 2 at 6:30 p.m. and APR 21, May 5 at 2:00 p.m.
OPERA - Il trovatore (Apr. 26 to May 11, 2013)
Revenge and Passion on a Monumental Scale: the is grand opera! Verdi's music illuminates this opera's story with rapid-fire dance rhythms to great theatrical effect. The score is expressive - melodies arrive in quick succession - each more stirring than the last. The result is an unerring melodrama that grips us with intense power. Il trovatore is tour-de-force of musical and dramatic demands that are not for the faint of heart. One of the grandest of all grand operas - it's an experience not to be missed. Sung in Italian with projected English translation. APR 26, MAY 1, 4, 8, 11 at 7:30 p.m. and APR 28 at 2:00 p.m.
BALLET - Journey With The Masters (May 30 to Jun. 9, 2013)
From the banks of the Vltava River to the grandeur of a Russian palace to the rain-drenched sidewalks of Central Park, the spring repertory program is a fantastic voyage led by the grand masters of choreography. Jiří Kylián's Sinfonietta is an exuberant tribute to the Czech choreographer's homeland. Ballet Imperial is George Balanchine's homage to St. Petersburg, to the choreographer Marius Petipa, who he referred to as "the father of classic ballet," and to Russia's greatest composer, Peter Tchaikovsky. The Concert is famed American choreographer Jerome Robbins's laugh-out-loud funny reflection on the active imaginations of New York City concert goers. MAY 30, JUN 1, 7, 8 at 7:30 p.m. and JUN 2, 8, 9 at 2:00 p.m.
BALLET - Peter Pan (Jun. 13 to 23, 2013)
Join Wendy, Peter and the Darling boys as they embark on a magical adventure to Neverland. It's a magnificent world where people fly, where fairies are real, where crocodiles tick like clocks, and where boys never grow up. With swashbuckling swordfights, giant puppets, vibrant masks and colorful sets by Thomas Boyd, Trey McIntyre's Peter Pan is an invigorating journey from beginning to end. It's a voyage navigated by a choreographer who appreciates the fantasies of youth yet understands the complexities of aging. Peter Pan may not have grown up, but his story has. JUN 13, 15, 21, 22 at 7:30 p.m. and JUN 15, 16, 23 at 2:00 p.m.
