The Houston Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” will dance on this season despite damage to its Wortham Theater. Hurricane Harvey caused extensive water damage to the home of the Houston Ballet, The Houston Opera, among other companies.
In a Facebook post from the Wortham, they shared that the theater would be closed until at least May 15, 2018, for repairs. “On August 27, water from Hurricane Harvey filled our basement with 12 feet of water. In addition, water filled the tunnel that connects the Wortham to the Theater District Parking Garage.” Dawn Ullrich, president, and CEO of Houston First Corporation went on to share. “At this point, it does not appear that the building has suffered structural damage, but there has been extensive damage to at least one-third of our air handling units and to the elevators.”
Despite a major setback, The Houston Ballet announced that its staple performing arts event of the year, “The Nutcracker,” would go on to perform at two different locations this holiday season.
In a message from the Executive Director Jim Nelson and Artistic Director Stanton Welch, they shared that the sets and costumes from “The Nutcracker” were not ruined, “In advance of Harvey, Houston Ballet personnel relocated a substantial portion of our valuable costumes, including those for “The Nutcracker,” from the Wortham Theater basement to a safe location. And, we are so pleased to report that the warehouse where all of our sets and additional costumes are stored sustained no damage.
This year you can expect the same award-winning performances from “The Nutcracker,” that thrill young and old alike, at two locations. December 10-23rd, the performances will go on at the new Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land, and from December 30-January 6th they will end the shows at the William P. Hobby Center in downtown Houston.
“We appreciate the patience and support of our resident performing arts partners, as well as their patrons and supporters. We are steadfastly committed to seeing that everyone is back on their home stage as soon as possible,” said Dawn Ullrich, president, and CEO, Houston First Corporation.
For tickets and more information on these venues visit houstonballet.org.
