21st Annual Houston Theater District Open House Set for 8/24

The Houston Theater District will celebrate its annual Open House event Sunday, August 24 from noon - 4 p.m. An event that Houstonians look forward to at the beginning of each fall, this FREE, family-friendly event will take place in the heart of the Theater District at the Alley Theatre Production Center (500 Louisiana), Hobby Center for the Performing Arts (800 Bagby), Wortham Theater Center (501 Texas Ave.) and Jones Hall (615 Louisiana Ave.).

"Each year the Houston Theater District performing arts organizations look forward to this day when we can throw open our doors and welcome into our venues those looking to discover all that the arts scene has to offer," said Perryn Leech Managing Director of Houston Grand Opera and acting Board Chair of the Houston Downtown Alliance. "It is a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase the fantastic, world-class venues we have to offer and to peek behind the curtain of the vibrant arts life in downtown Houston."

The TransCanada Theater District Open House presented by Bank of America will offer up an array of free performances, highlighting the best of what's on tap in the coming 2014-2015 season. These include a performance and Tango lessons, presented by the Society for the Performing Arts; appearances by the Houston Ballet's Nutcracker and Sugar Plum Fairy; and capping off the day, the Houston Symphony will perform a full concert beginning at 4 p.m. in Jones Hall.

Open House is a fun-filled afternoon of learning more about the arts and Houston's nine major performing arts organizations: Alley Theatre; Da Camera of Houston; Broadway at the Hobby Center; Houston Ballet; Houston Grand Opera; Houston Symphony; Society for the Performing Arts; Theatre Under The Stars and Uniquely Houston.

This year's Open House allows Houstonians to do just that with interactive and informative events including: backstage tours; live performances by professional and community entertainers; sneak previews of the 2014-2015 Theater District seasons; question and answer sessions with performers; face painting; an instrument petting zoo for kids and season ticket information booths. Enjoy complimentary Theater Trolley Stops to the venues for guests wishing to ride rather than walk, plus an array of food trucks onsite at the Hobby Center and Jones Plaza to add some foodie fun.

More than two million people visit Houston's Theater District annually. Houston is one of only five cities in the U.S. that boasts permanent professional resident companies in all of the major performing arts disciplines of opera, ballet, music and theater, and is the only city in America that has a collective Open House involving all of these groups and their multiple venues.

Mr. Leech concluded, "We are incredibly grateful to all the generous sponsors who supported this year's Theater District Open House. Houston is a vibrant and growing city and it is fantastic that all the major performing arts disciplines can work together to welcome everyone to this annual free event."

Theater District Open House is a program of the Houston Downtown Alliance sponsored by TransCanada, Bank of America, Houston Downtown Alliance, CenterPoint Energy, Minuteman Press, Bayou Music Center, Houston Chronicle, Houston Endowment Inc., Lancaster Hotel, Houston First Corporation, KUHF, CultureMap, and funded in part by the City of Houston.

For additional event information, including the full schedule of events and details on special ticket offers, visit houstontheaterdistrict.org.