Wortham Theater Center — Attraction in Houston

Title: Unpleasant Experience at Wortham Theatre Center for Houston Ballet's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

I recently attended the Houston Ballet's performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Wortham Theatre Center. While the ballet itself was enjoyable, I must express my disappointment with the seating arrangement and safety concerns that marred the overall experience.

First and foremost, the seating at the top of the theater proved to be a significant challenge. As my companions and I made our way to our seats, we were immediately struck by the terrifying realization that the walkway to reach our assigned spots was treacherously narrow and lacked any form of railing. This made the ascent to our seats unnerving, especially for those with a fear of heights or mobility issues. The lack of safety measures in this regard was concerning and left us questioning the theater's commitment to ensuring the well-being of its patrons.

Moreover, the seating arrangement itself was highly problematic. Our seats, located on floor six of the audience, were positioned at a steep angle towards the ledge just a few seats in front of us. This configuration severely limited legroom and made it incredibly difficult for people to pass by without causing disruptions. The cramped conditions and lack of sufficient space compromised the comfort of the audience and detracted from the overall enjoyment of the performance.

Considering these issues, I must also address the ethical concerns surrounding the seating safety. At a ticket price of $25 per seat, one would expect a certain level of assurance that adequate safety measures have been implemented. However, the circumstances I encountered on the sixth floor left me questioning the theater's commitment to maintaining a secure environment for its patrons. The steep angle of the seating arrangement, combined with the lack of proper legroom, created an uncomfortable and potentially hazardous setting.

While the Wortham Theatre Center undoubtedly offers a platform for cultural events and performances, it is imperative that they address these safety and comfort concerns to ensure a more enjoyable experience for theatergoers. Safety should never be compromised, regardless of the ticket price.

In conclusion, my visit to the Wortham Theatre Center for the Houston Ballet's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was overshadowed by the unsettling seating conditions and safety issues. The lack of sufficient legroom, coupled with the treacherous walkway to reach the seats, created an uncomfortable and potentially unsafe environment. I sincerely hope that the theater management takes these concerns seriously and takes prompt action to rectify these issues, ensuring a more positive experience for...

It was disappointing for The Nutcracker experience this year because there was only one place to take family photos in the whole theater. Very pretty decorating in that one spot but it didn’t make sense. Because the lobby was only decorated for Christmas in one spot, there were two very long lines for people to get photos. There should have been more areas with Christmas decorations to help with this since there is only a little time to get a family picture before the ballet starts and during intermission, due to all of the long lines. Perhaps intermission should be longer or there should be people helping to take photos or other little area to take photos at. Also, because certain entrances were closed off (why?), we had to walk very far up and down stairs to get to a doorway very far from our seats. It felt very rushed. I enjoyed the Nutcracker Ballet but why were the snow fairies and flower fairies in long dresses? You couldn’t see the dancing very well because of the long dresses and it looked difficult for the ballerinas to dance in the long, poofy dresses. Luckily the children had very sweet dances and great costumes. Also, the stage design was great. The transformation from Clara’s house to the Kingdom of Sweets was incredible. The stage construction was fabulous and the lighting with the clouds rolling by in colorful formations was very well done. The live orchestra was fantastic, too. But it felt very rushed trying to get a family photo and make the extra long procession to our seats. It left me feeling very rushed and like I was in a crowded procession, filing through several staircases finally coming to our seats after having to enter on only one side of the theater. The ladies restroom lines were so long because of the large amount of people and small amounts of restrooms, and three of the four soap dispensers in the ladies room in the main lobby floor were empty at intermission. We will not be returning to Wortham...

An absolutely life-changing performance in a gorgeous theater. I was gifted tickets for the Nutcracker, which I had not seen since I was very very young; Most memories of it were gone, so this was nearly like seeing it for the first time!

I was brought nearly to tears in happiness. As an artist myself, I can't help but try to take in every little detail of the set, the costumes, and the music. Not an ounce of the hard work put into the scenes and behind the scenes has gone unnoticed or unappreciated.

Unfortunately, my partner and I had an awfully discourteous audience member behind us. Though she wasn't being nasty or crude, I think theater etiquette is lost on some people. She was talking the entire time, and was being very loud, despite many looks and hushes. I was in the center of my row and didn't want to cause a scene, but I didn't know that I could have asked an usher for help. This is not meant to be a negative reflection of the theater or staff by any means! Just reporting it for others who might be reading.

If you attend, please wait for the music to finish before applauding. Please be as quiet as you can between that, including children and coughing. I understand there's only so much you can do, but it's not difficult to not be shouting "Look, look! The Sugarplum Fairy is gonna dance a solo!! Look!”

There were obviously fussy toddlers that were better-behaved than this one bad apple!

You're allowed to be in awe QUIETLY, and feel free to applaud and cheer when it's appropriate.

Ma'am...people paid hundreds for these tickets. We are here to look. We are looking. We see it. 🙄 Don't interrupt others' viewing or distract performers from their cues.

All in all, I still had a 100/10 time. It's always worth the chaotic Houston drive to make a visit to the theatre and...