The Wortham opened in 1987, built with private money, and it houses two companies Houston is rightly proud of. Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet share the 2,405-seat Brown Theater and the smaller Cullen Theater. The building survived Hurricane Harvey in 2017, when floodwater filled its lower levels, and reopened in 2018. The 2026 to 2027 season is a strong one: HGO opens with Carlisle Floyd's Susannah (Oct 23 to Nov 8) and Gounod's Faust (Oct 30 to Nov 15), then a new Aida in January, while Houston Ballet's The Nutcracker runs Nov 27 to Dec 28, 2026. Arrive early and linger in the grand foyer before curtain.
What to expect
- The building opens 90 minutes before curtain for food and drinks in the Grand Foyer.
- All food and bar service at the Wortham is cashless.
- Pre-order an intermission drink and it will be waiting at a Grand Foyer table.
- Rideshare drop-off and pickup is at the Wortham entrance at 551 Prairie St.
- Parking is in four paid, independently run Theater District garages.
What to do
- The Nutcracker in December
- An HGO opening night
- Pre-show drinks in the Theater District
- May 9, 1987Opened
- Brown Theater (2,405 seats) and Cullen Theater (1,100 seats)Theaters
- Flooded August 2017, reopened September 2018Hurricane Harvey