Hurricane Harvey's Latest Victim: Houston Ballet's "Nutcracker"

September 18, 2017

After Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston Ballet’s facilities and damaged its home theater, the Wortham Center, the company wasted no time finding temporary rehearsal space and rescheduling its first two programs of the season at the nearby Hobby Center. But today, the Texas company faced another major blow: The Wortham Center announced that it will be closed for repairs until at least mid-May. That means Houston Ballet now needs to reschedule more than half of its season—including 34 performances of Nutcracker.

As everyone in the dance world knows, Nutcracker is a major financial lifeline for American ballet companies. Houston’s production, choreographed by artistic director Stanton Welch with sets and costumes by Tim Goodchild, was brand-new last year. (Fortunately, the company moved its sets and costumes to a safe location during the storm.) Finding space for a month-long run will surely not be easy, and the Hobby Center looks booked. While there’s no news of a backup plan yet, here’s hoping Houston Ballet will receive some Nutcracker magic—and be able to find a new home for this year’s production. We’ll keep you posted once they do.