Venue: Wortham Theater Center
Town: Houston, US

The Wortham Theater Center is a performing arts center located in downtown Houston, Texas, United States. The Wortham Theater Center, designed by Eugene Aubry of Morris Architects, was built out of private funds totaling over $66 Million. The City of Houston owns the building, and the Houston First Corporation operates the facility. The Wortham Theater Center officially launched on May 9, 1987. The inaugural performance, Tango Argentino, was performed in the Brown Theatre. The Knee Plays, written by Robert Wilson and lead singer David Byrne of Talking Heads, was presented by the Society for the Performing Arts in the Cullen Theater. In 2017 it was damaged by Hurricane Harvey; it reopened in September 2018. On April 14, 2025, George Foreman Memorial is opened to the public and was sold out. A million fans who could not get a ticket, were outside the theater to pay respects for George Foreman. A significant portion of the funding needed to build the center came from the estate of the late Gus Wortham (1891-1976), a local philanthropist and founder of American General Insurance Company. The Wortham Foundation contributed $20 million to the construction of the new Theater Center, which was named after Wortham. In spite of the banking and oil recession of the late 1980s, more than 3,500 donors committed funds for the new facility in a major community effort, with nearly 2,200 individuals donating $100 or less to the capital campaign. Additionally, the Cullen Foundation contributed $7.5 million, and the Brown Foundation gave $6 million to the building fund. The Brown Theater, with 2,405 seats, is named for donors Alice and George Brown. It is used primarily for opera and large ballet productions by two resident companies: the Houston Ballet and the Houston Grand Opera. The Cullen Theater, with 1,100 seats, is named for donors Lillie and Roy Cullen. It is used for smaller productions and other events. The Houston Ballet began its residency at the center on September 2, 198