re: Houston is the cultural capital of the South

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The Houston Theater District, with 12,948 seats for live performances and 1,580 movie seats, ranks second in the United States for the number of theater seats in a concentrated downtown area, and is one of only five cities with permanent professional resident companies in all of the major performing arts disciplines: the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Ballet, Theatre Under the Stars and The Alley Theatre.

Houston is recognized as an important city for contemporary visual arts. The city is a prime stop for touring companies from Broadway; concerts and shows, from The Rolling Stones to Cirque du Soleil; and exhibitions for a variety of interests, ranging from the nation's largest quilting show to auto, boat, and home shows.

The Houston Grand Opera is the only opera company in the U.S. to win a Grammy, a Tony, and an Emmy. In 2007, Da Camera of Houston was awarded the CMAcclaim Award from Chamber Music America, for significant contribution to the cultural life of its region.

The Tony Award winning Alley Theatre, founded in 1947, is Texas’ oldest professional theatre company. The Alley is the third oldest continually operating theatre in the United States. It is considered to be one of the foremost theatre company in the United States outside of New York City and was a pioneering company of the regional theatre movement.

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