MUSICIANS TO RECEIVE MORE ELBOW ROOM AT WORTHAM CENTER
Orchestra pit in Brown Theater to be enlarged; acoustics, ventilation to be enhanced

June 20, 2005 -- Musicians playing for Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera will have more room to maneuver this fall when the long-planned expansion of the orchestra pit in the Alice and George Brown Theater at Wortham Center begins on Tuesday.

The Brown Theater will be closed to performances all summer as contractors work to complete the $2 million project prior to the start of Houston Ballet's new season in September. The dance company completed its 2004-2005 season Sunday. After Houston Ballet moves out today, workers will begin demolition of the existing pit tomorrow.

The City of Houston and the Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department have been working with Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera since 2002 in a project to increase performance space, improve ventilation and enhance acoustics in the orchestra pit.

As it is currently designed, the orchestra pit is built on split levels, partially situated beneath the stage. The reconfigured pit will have all musicians seated on one level in the pit, out from beneath the stage.

"This project will improve the audience experience in several ways," said Dawn Ullrich, director of the Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department, which manages Wortham Center. "The musicians will be more comfortable and their sound will be better as a result of acoustical enhancements. Audiences will hear the difference. And because the pit will be more forwardly placed, audiences will be able to see the orchestra more clearly, too.

"We have been speaking with musicians, arts groups and architects for several years to make this project work. It's been a matter of having all the plans in place so that construction can be completed during the relatively narrow window of opportunity this summer," Ullrich added.

The arts groups hailed the project.

"I'm pleased that after years of planning, the renovations to the orchestra pit are finally under way. Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet will at last have a world class playing area to showcase their talents and enhance the performances of both companies," said Patrick Summers, music director for Houston Grand Opera.

DivisionOne Construction is the general contractor and Morris Architects is the design consultant and construction manager.

Wortham Theater Center, opened in 1987, is owned by the City of Houston and managed by the Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department. It consists of two theaters, the 2,450-seat Alice and George Brown Theater and the 1,100-seat Lillie and Roy Cullen Theater, and the magnificent Grand Foyer. Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera are the resident art companies who perform at Wortham Center.