Miller Outdoor Theatre is an outdoor

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

for the

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perform ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. It is located on approximately of land in

Hermann Park Hermann Park is a urban park in Houston, Texas, situated at the southern end of the Museum District. The park is located immediately north of the Texas Medical Center and Brays Bayou, east of Rice University, and slightly west of the Third ...

, at 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77030. The theater offers a wide range of professional entertainment, including

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

musical theater Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

, and classic films, with free performances running from March through November, where the general public can relax in a covered seating area or enjoy a pre-performance picnic on an

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

-style hillside.

The theatre building

Seating is provided for 1,705 patrons, with 20 wheel-chair spaces, plus an sloping lawn that accommodates about 4,500 more. The theater building itself consists of a 64' x 41' stage; 54 line sets for hanging lights, curtains, and scenery; an orchestra pit which can be raised and lowered; dressing rooms; offices; a full complement of theatrical equipment; and a 110-ton air conditioning system for cooling the performance area. In its 2010 season, the Miller Outdoor Theatre provided entertainment for more than 430,000 people at 141 performances and events.

History

In 1922, the original theater was designed by

William Ward Watkin William Ward Watkin (January 21, 1886 – June 24, 1952) was an architect primarily practicing in Houston, Texas. He was the founder of the Architecture Department of Rice University in 1912, and remained on the Rice faculty until his death ...

as an amphitheater surrounded by twenty

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...

ian-style

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

columns and built by Tom Tellepsen. The theatre’s dedication plaque reads: :To the Arts of Music, Poetry, Drama and Oratory, by which the striving spirit of man seeks to interpret the words of god. This theatre of the City of Houston is permanently dedicated. "Miller’s Hill" was created in 1948 with dirt from the excavations of Fannin Street. In 1968, the city built a new theatre with bonds approved by public vote. The new theatre building, designed by Eugene Werlin and Associates, won several awards: the ''American Iron and Steel Institute’s Biannual Award (1969)'', the ''American Institute of Steel Construction’s Award of Excellence'', and the ''James E. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation Award''. The 1968 Miller Theatre building was then refurbished starting in 1996, jointly funded by the city of

and Friends of Hermann Park. The roof and siding were replaced, and additional restrooms and office areas were installed. In addition, a small stage was added to the east end of the facility, playing to a newly incorporated open plaza area. The renovations were completed in 1998. Today, the venue is managed by the Houston First Corporation.

References

External links

Miller Outdoor Theatre
{{Hermann Park Hermann Park Music venues in Houston

Miller Outdoor Theatre Miller Outdoor Theatre is an outdoor theater for the performing arts in Houston, Texas. It is located on approximately of land in Hermann Park, at 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77030. The theater offers a wide range of professional e ...