Bingo! So, great opera company capable of world-class productions for an enthusiastic and supportive audience-in a poorly designed venue. Could be fixed with.30 minute breaks! Orchestra goes home 20 minutes later. Imagine that when you are hoping to use the bathroom and grab a drink and a snack within 20 minutes. 'Go down these stairs, through the restaurant section, up the stairs at the other end, then walk the width of the theater and your seats are right there'.a trek, down then up and across. We had good seats ($$$) for Die Walkure and had to ask where that section was (the Loge) as there was no sign apparent. Getting to your seat.well there are only two elevators (large but not large enough) so don't come to the show at the last moment.

I saw people just sitting down to eat their food as the 5 minutes to curtain chime was sounded. You'll spend at least half of that lining up to use a bathroom (longer if you are a lady and half of you are). There is space here for tables for refreshments and snacks at intermission HOWEVER intermissions are 20 minutes long.

Then you are in a cavernous lobby that any house in Europe would kill for. The theater is in the Gus S Wortham Center which has a street running through the middle of it so when you go in you have to go up a long elevator to clear this street. Dozens of seats ruined by a floor plan that should never have been approved.

So many of the seats there have obstructed views with balcony boxes from the floor above hanging down in front of a paying customer's eyes. The only fly in the ointment and the only thing holding this back from being Excellent is the poor, nay, pitiful design of the interior of the Brown Theater itself. They are also attentive listeners and reward good singers at the end. Houstonians embrace the arts and it's great to see so many young people in the well-dressed audiences there.

HGO attracts quality singers (using money but that's what it's for) and you can tell there is a creative environment there- it's obvious on the stage and in the orchestra pit. I've enjoyed The Passenger, Sweeney Todd and Die Walkure there. Strong Musical Director, Orchestra, chorus and production teams -all combine to do justice to some great musical works for the theater. In two visits to Houston over the past 16 months I have seen 3 performances from a company that should be proud of their achievements.

Houston grand opera sweeney todd