83R19130 LUC-D
By: Miles H.R. No. 1557
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The performing arts contribute greatly to the
cultural richness of the Lone Star State, and on May 12, 2013,
residents of Houston are celebrating the 90th anniversary of one of
the city's most popular venues, the Miller Outdoor Theatre in
Hermann Park; and
WHEREAS, Originally built as a permanent bandstand for
municipal use, the former Miller Memorial Theatre was founded in
1923 at the bequest of Jesse Wright Miller, a mining engineer and
cotton broker; the first presentation at the venue, Springtimes of
Our Nation, featured some 2,500 performers, and the theater's
inaugural production, The Rose Maiden, was led by the director of
city bands; in the ensuing years, sports fans gathered at the venue
to listen to radio broadcasts of the World Series and world
championship boxing matches, and in 1941, the Houston Symphony
played its first free concert there; and
WHEREAS, The award-winning structure that exists today
opened in 1968 with a show by the Houston Symphony, and that same
year marked the beginning of a 45-year history of annual musicals
performed by the Theatre Under the Stars company; today, events at
Miller range from celebrations of Juneteenth and Cinco de Mayo to
Motown concerts to Chinese dance to Bollywood films; with the
guidance of the Miller Theatre Advisory Board and Houston First
Corporation and with funding from the City of Houston, the Miller
Outdoor Theatre currently offers more than 130 free performances
every year, and nearly half a million Houstonians turn out annually
for the entertainment; and
WHEREAS, For nine decades, the Miller Outdoor Theatre has
played an important role in the life of the Bayou City, and it is
indeed a pleasure to honor this beloved landmark on the occasion of
this milestone year; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Miller
Outdoor Theatre and extend to all those involved in its operation
sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the venue as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.