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The 1928 Art Deco Sam Houston Coliseum and Music Hall was demolished in 1998 to make way for this building, designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern. Outside of the sleek, 1950s-retro building is the abstract bronze sculpture, Minds, cast in Germany by Tony Cragg.
Inside is a three-story Grand Lobby with 60-foot high glass walls, giving sweeping views of the downtown skyline, Tranquility Park and City Hall. A terrace extends from the Grand Lobby, on the second floor, facing the skyline. Sol LeWitt’s colorful Wall Drawing mural hangs from the wall. Off of the lobby are the theater’s two performance spaces – Sarofim Hall and Zilkha Hall.
Sarofim Hall is home to both Theater under the Stars (TUTS) and Broadway Across America. The gilded interior is a modern version of the atmospheric theaters designed in the 1920s, attempting to create the feeling of being in a gazebo under a starry night. The ceiling is a celestial dome, using fiber optics to replicate stars (and even shooting stars every five minutes). Each season, from September through June, TUTS presents six classical Broadway musicals. Broadway Across America, a touring troupe, presents seven contemporary Broadway musicals during the same season.
Zilkha Hall is a more intimate space, with two levels accented by walnut woodwork. You’ll find smaller, local performing arts groups here.
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Minds
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