Even in its days as a single-minded oil town, Houston nurtured the arts. Establishing several of its major museums just after the turn of the century when it was still considered a small town Houston planted the seeds of a rich arts culture early. Those seeds, now 100 years old, have bloomed into a thriving and variegated garden that no one could have imagined.
Downtown is one of the most distinguished breeding grounds of arts activity in Houston.
The ballet, opera and symphony cluster around a city-block park in a breezy area that brims with nightlife. Performing in the exquisite Wortham Theater Center is the artistically acclaimed Houston Ballet, one of the world s premiere companies and the fifth largest in the country. The company s signature combination of the classic and the cutting edge includes revived and new productions by Artistic Director Ben Stevenson to honor his quarter-century with the company. Premiere works by guest choreographers will also spotlight the season, and the ever-popular Nutcracker will offer its usual the holiday spectacle. The Houston Symphony begins its 88th season this year, performing in downtown s Jones Hall, a towering performance venue that is one of Houston s oldest.