Culture - Performing Arts; Applause, Encore

The house lights dim. The audience settles. The quiet gives the impression of calm, but on both sides of the curtain adrenaline rushes through the air as the music boldly announces the power and vitality barely contained in the ornately costumed dancer who now owns the stage. A once-in-a-lifetime performance? Not in Houston. Any day of the week all year long, Houston audiences marvel at the artistry of an impressive range of performing arts groups; here the arts are a significant part of everyday life.

Few U.S. cities support the arts as passionately as Houston. Known for its world-class Theater District, second only to New York in number of seats in a concentrated downtown area, the city offers vibrant and diverse performances through eight professional companies that offer opera, ballet, symphony and staged theater. Houston also supports the educational dimension of the arts — nurturing emerging arts groups that otherwise would be unable reach their audiences.

With this altruistic goal, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts established Uniquely Houston, an innovative, collaborative program to foster artistic and administrative capacity for small and mid-sized, nonprofit performing arts organizations. Home to dance companies, musical ensembles, theater groups and family-oriented performers, Uniquely Houston provides performance venues, publicity, knowledgeable production technicians, technical direction and state-of-the-art marketing and ticketing services. This vital component of the arts landscape provides opportunities for the region’s performing arts organizations and is a cultural asset to the city.

Uniquely Houston truly defines Hobby Center’s founding vision of inclusion and outreach and is the reason Zilkha Hall, the smaller, 500-seat proscenium theater, was built. Managing Director Mark Powell explains, “We designed Uniquely Houston to fill a void and everybody wins. Our partnering organizations receive the essential guidance and performance platforms they need, and Houston audiences reap the benefits of an unprecedented range of professional artistic talent. And it’s all our own talent.”

In a recent Uniquely Houston season, Colombian Folkloric Ballet brought a pageant of color, sound and movement to showcase the rich heritage of its homeland. Uniquely Houston also helps musicians, dancers and actors who are eager to share their life’s passion with receptive audiences. Local audiences accustomed to performances of the highest caliber take great pride in watching the best emerging artists develop on the city’s many stages. Theatergoers experience the excitement of young dancers getting a first chance to bask in the spotlight knowing the famous Houston Ballet is cheering them on. The air is electric when the unbridled enthusiasm of a small orchestra striving for perfection meets the bells and whistles of professional staging previously resserved only for the likes of Houston Grand Opera and Houston Symphony.

The performing arts scene is a dynamic feature of the city’s character. Stellar performances and enthusiastic audiences create a testimony to the diversity of the city’s generous and supportive culture.