Miller Outdoor Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Miller Outdoor Theatre is the premier outdoor theater for the performing arts
in Houston, Texas
. It is located on approximately 7.5 acres (30,351.5 m²) of land in Hermann Park
, at 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77030. The theater offers a wide range of professional entertainment, including classical music
, jazz
, ballet
, Shakespeare, musical theater, 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
-style hillside.
ian-style limestone
columns and built by Tom Tellepsen.
The theatre’s dedication plaque reads:
"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 Houston 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.
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It is located on approximately 7.5 acres (30,351.5 m²) of land in Hermann Park
Hermann Park
Hermann Park is one of Houston's most-visited public parks. Situated between Fannin Street and Cambridge Street, it is within walking distance from the Texas Medical Center, Rice University, and the Museum District, and within a few miles of the Third Ward, the historic Astrodome and Reliant Stadium...
, at 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77030. The theater offers a wide range of professional entertainment, including classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, Shakespeare, musical theater, 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
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
-style hillside.
The theatre building
Seating is provided for 1,705 patrons, with 20 wheel-chair spaces, plus an 80000 square feet (7,432.2 m²) 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 as an amphitheater surrounded by twenty CorinthCorinth
Corinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
ian-style limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
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 Houston 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.