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[Wortham Tree Lighting Ceremony]
SO PROUD TO BE HERE TODAY, UH, FOR THE 32ND ANNUAL LIGHTING OF THE TREE HERE AT WORTHHAM THEATER CENTER.WE TOOK A TWO YEAR BREAK, UH, LIKE A LOT OF THINGS, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO IT IN 2020 AND 2021, UH, BUT WE'RE SO HAPPY TO BE BACK HERE TODAY, UH, TO REESTABLISH THIS, UH, TRADITION.
UH, ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE HERE IN HOUSTON, UH, WE'RE SO GLAD TO HAVE MANY OF OUR PARTNERS HERE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE TODAY HAPPEN.
UH, I FIRST WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT, AT HOUSTON FIRST AND ALL OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS THAT WORK ALL YEAR LONG TO BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
UM, IN ADDITION, OUR PARTNERS FROM THE HOUSTON BALLET AND THE HOUSTON GRAND OPERA, UH, THAT ARE OUR PARTNERS TODAY IN, IN, IN MAKING TODAY HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AROUND THE, THE BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL WORLD CLASS THEATER DISTRICT THAT WE HAVE HERE, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE HOLIDAYS, IT IS JUST A SPECTACULAR, SPECTACULAR ASSET, UH, ON BEHALF OF HOUSTON.
UH, WE TALK A LOT AS WE MARKET AND PROMOTE HOUSTON ABOUT OUR CULTURE.
UM, UH, THE DIVERSITY THAT WE HAVE HERE.
SO MANY WORLD-CLASS OFFERINGS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN HOUSTON, AND, UM, OUR THEATER GROUPS THAT ARE HERE, UH, THE BALLET, THE OPERA, THESE BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE ARE A KEY COMPONENT OF THAT.
SO, UH, WHAT A WONDERFUL TIME AROUND THE HOLIDAYS TO BE ABLE TO, TO CELEBRATE THAT.
UM, NOW TO HEAR A, A FEW REMARKS FROM THE BALLET AND FROM THE OPERA, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, INVITE UP CORY DSOR, GENERAL DIRECTOR AND CEO OF THE HOUSTON GRAND OPERA.
AND JIM NELSON, THE CEO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON BALLET.
JUST TREMENDOUS PARTNERS TO US AT HOUSTON FIRST, AND THEY PROVIDE SO MUCH, UH, ON BEHALF OF THIS COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, NOW I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO CORY FOR SOME REMARKS.
UH, WHAT A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
THIS IS MY FIRST HOLIDAY SEASON AS A HOUSTONIAN.
MY GIRLS AND I ARE SO EXCITED TO ATTEND THE NUTCRACKER TOGETHER.
UM, AND I HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THE ARTS GROUPS IN THIS CITY, ESPECIALLY THE HOUSTON BALLET.
UH, NOTHING SAYS THE HOLIDAYS LIKE THE NUTCRACKER.
AND ONE OF THE JOYS OF LIVING IN SUCH A DIVERSE COMMUNITY IS BEING ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN TRADITIONS FROM OTHER CULTURES.
UM, HOUSTON GRAND OPERA IS SO THRILLED TO BE BRINGING BACK, UM, OUR MOST POPULAR OFFERING EVER FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
MILAGRO DERO, OUR MARIACHI CHRISTMAS OPERA.
WE HAVE MUSICIANS THAT WILL BE PERFORMING FOR YOU TODAY.
UM, THE TRIO, CHIPOLTE P IS IN TOWN.
UH, THIS OPERA TELLS THE HEARTWARMING STORY OF EROS WHO TRAVEL HOME, UH, TO THE MICHAN MOUNTAINS IN MEXICO, UH, FOR CHRISTMAS.
IT'S SO BELOVED, AND WE ARE REALLY PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS HOUSTON TRADITION WITH THE PROUD MARIACHI CULTURE THAT WE ENJOY IN THIS RIDGE CITY.
SO, UH, WE HAVE A SPECIAL TICKET OFFER FOR YOU TODAY IF YOU'D LIKE TO BRING YOUR FAMILY TO SEE MILAGRO.
IT RUNS AT THE CULLEN THEATER FROM DECEMBER 8TH TO 18TH, AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THERE.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR TURNING OUT AND, UM, IT'S MY PLEASURE NOW TO INTRODUCE JIM.
IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK IN THE WORTHHAM FOR THE ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY.
AND I WANNA THANK OUR PARTNERS AT HOUSTON FIRST AND THE MAYOR AND HOUSTON GRAND OPERA FOR BEING HERE.
AND IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE ALL OF YOU AGAIN.
IT WOULDN'T BE THE HOLIDAYS WITHOUT THIS EVENT, AND IT WOULDN'T BE A LIGHTED TREE WITHOUT THE SUGAR PLUM FAIR.
YOU'LL SEE HER IN JUST A MINUTE.
BE SURE THAT YOU STAY AROUND AFTER THE TREE LIGHTING, BECAUSE THE MARIACHI SINGERS, I HEARD THEM WARMING UP.
SO, UM, PLEASE STICK AROUND FOR THAT.
SO THE NUTCRACKER OPENS TOMORROW, TOMORROW NIGHT, NOPE, THURSDAY, FRIDAY.
NUTCRACKER OPENS FRIDAY THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING AND RUNS UNTIL THE 27TH OF DECEMBER.
UM, AND TICKETS START AT JUST $30.
IT'S A GREAT, GREAT HOLIDAY TRADITION.
PLEASE COME DOWN, JOIN US AND, UH, AND, UH, SPEND PART OF YOUR HOLIDAYS WITH US.
BUT, UH, I WON'T, UH, DELAY THE SUGAR PLUM FERRY AND THE MAYOR ANY LONGER.
SO, TURNING IT BACK OVER TO MICHAEL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
COREY, AND JIM, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND PLEASE, UH, IF YOU HAVEN'T, PLEASE GO OUT AND SUPPORT ALL OF OUR PHENOMENAL, UM, UH, ARTS GROUPS THAT WE HAVE HERE, JUST WORLD-CLASS PERFORMERS, AND IT'S SO MUCH TO SEE.
UM, WHAT YOU SEE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU IS A 26, UH, FOOT TALL TREE THAT WILL HAVE, UH, THOUSANDS OF ILLUMINATED LIGHTS.
UM, THIS IS JUST BUT ONE PORTION OF, UH, EIGHT HOLIDAY VILLAGES THAT WE HAVE DOWNTOWN, WHETHER IT BE OVER AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER, WITH OUR PARTNERS
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AT THE ALLEY THEATER WITH 30 TREES THAT ARE ILLUMINATED, A HUNDRED THOUSAND LIGHTS THAT ARE OUT HERE ON BAGBY STREET.UM, GO TO VISIT HOUSTON.COM IF YOU WANNA SEE MORE OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE.
MOST OF IT IS ALL FREE TO BE ABLE TO SEE WITH YOUR FAMILY, TO BE ABLE TO COME DOWN, GET THE WORD OUT.
UH, BUT PLEASE VISIT, UH, VISIT HOUSTON.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.
UM, IF THERE IS ANYONE, UH, THAT EMBODIES THE SPIRIT OF HOUSTON, IT IS OUR MAYOR.
UH, HE IS THE CHIEF, UH, SPOKESPERSON, CEO, BOSS, CHEERLEADER, WORLD TRAVELER, YOU NAME IT.
HE'S GOT A HUNDRED TITLES ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US HERE IN HOUSTON.
UM, IF YOU WONDER HOW HE SHOWS UP AT EVERYTHING, WHICH I OFTEN DO, UH, YOU LOOK AT IT, IT'S THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING.
YOU LOOK AT IT ON A SATURDAY OR A SUNDAY, DOING SEVEN, EIGHT EVENTS.
UH, MAYOR TURNER'S ENERGY LEVEL THAT HE HAS ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US, UH, AT HOUSTON, UH, IS, IS UNBELIEVABLE.
UM, UH, IT IS, UH, UH, ADMIRABLE, UH, WHAT HE PUTS INTO THIS JOB AND THE AMAZING JOB THAT HE HAS DONE OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.
UH, WE'VE PUT IN A PETITION FOR AN EXTRA TERM.
UH, I UNDERSTAND MAYBE SOME FOLKS ARE WORKING ON THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, BUT WE WILL SEE, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS FROM THAT.
UH, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF, OF MANY TIMES BEING ABLE TO, UM, INTRODUCE THE MAYOR.
YOU REALLY DO RUN OUT OF SUPERLATIVES FOR THE WORK THAT HE'S DONE, UH, FOR HIS POSITIVE ENERGY, THAT HE HAS HIS EMBRACE OF ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS HOUSTON, AND I MEAN, EVERY SINGLE ONE.
HE TRULY REPRESENTS ALL OF US IN THINKING ABOUT HOW HE CAN IMPROVE THE LIVES OF HOUSTONIANS EVERY DAY.
SO, UH, WE ARE FORTUNATE, UH, WE'RE PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO WELCOME, UH, THE HONORABLE SYLVESTER TURNER, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON TODAY.
LET ME THANK MICHAEL, MICHAEL HECKMAN, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF HOUSTON.
FIRST, PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO MICHAEL HECKMAN DOING A FANTASTIC JOB.
I DO ALSO WANT TO THANK COREY AND JIM FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH THE OPERA AND WITH THE BALLET.
WHAT JIM DIDN'T TELL YOU IS THAT, UH, UH, JUST A MONTH OR SO AGO, THE HOUSTON BALLET WAS PERFORMING IN JAPAN.
UH, THEY WERE WELL RECEIVED, UH, TOOK ALMOST ABOUT, LET'S SAY BETWEEN 70 AND 90 OF OUR PERFORMERS.
UH, YOU KNOW, I HAPPENED TO BE THERE AT THE SAME TIME.
IT WAS SIMPLY FANTASTIC, AND THEY MADE HOUSTON PROUD.
SO PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO THE HOUSTON BALLET.
CORY TALKED ABOUT THE GRA UH, THE MARIACHI, UH, OPERA THAT'S GOING TO BE TAKING PLACE.
UH, YOU REALLY DO NOT WANNA MISS IT.
SO PLEASE PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR.
THE NUTCRACKER STARTS ON FRIDAY, AND WE'LL GO THROUGH DECEMBER THE 27TH.
AND LOOK, I'M EXCITED BECAUSE THIS CITY HAS GONE THROUGH HURRICANE HARVEY IN 2017.
THE WAR WAS IMPACTED AND SHUT DOWN FOR A WHILE, AND THEN, UH, TWO PLUS YEARS OF COVID AND THINGS, THINGS SHUT DOWN AND WE WERE IMPACTED BY THAT.
BUT NOW, UH, WE ARE RETURNING TO THIS TRADITION HERE OF THREE DECADES ALMOST, OF LIGHTING UP THIS TREE AT THE WORTHHAM OF THE NUTCRACKERS COMING BACK, THE MARTA OPERAS COMING BACK.
SO WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR.
AND IF YOU LIKE ME, YOU KNOW, I CAN BE MAYOR.
I'M STILL A LITTLE KID AT HEART.
I STILL DRIVE AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON LOOKING AT PEOPLE'S CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AND ALL OF THE DECORATIONS.
AND WE HAVE ENCOURAGED DOWNTOWN TO PUT UP MORE LIGHTS, MORE DECORATIONS, BECAUSE AS A LITTLE, LITTLE KID, I TOOK THE BUS FROM ACRE HOME DOWNTOWN JUST TO KIND OF WALK UP AND DOWN MAIN STREET.
SO YOU HAVE TO COME DOWNTOWN AND SEE ALL OF THE LIGHTS THAT'S TAKING PLACE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, ON DECEMBER THE FIRST, THE MAYOR'S TREE LIGHTING TAKES PLACE AT SIX O'CLOCK.
I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN THAT AS WELL.
WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR, OKAY? WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR.
THIS IS, THIS IS MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR, UH, TO JUST CELEBRATE AND, UH, BE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND COWORKERS, YOU NAME IT.
SO, I'M JUST EXCITED FOR ALL OF THE, THE KIDS THAT ARE HERE.
LOOK, HAPPY, HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
AND TOMORROW, OF COURSE, IT'S THE THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE.
RAIN OR SHINE, THE PARADE WILL GO ON TOMORROW AT 9:00 AM RAIN OR
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SHINE.AND IF NOTHING ELSE, JUST A LITTLE MISS, YOU KNOW, NOT A HEAVY RAIN.
BUT BE THAT AS IT MAY, WHEN YOU'VE GONE THROUGH HARVEY AND YOU'VE GONE THROUGH COVID, IT'S JUST WORTH COMING OUT.
AND FROM A PERSONAL NOTE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR.
SO I'M SO APPRECIATIVE TO BE ABLE JUST TO BE IN THE RAIN AND TO ENJOY, UH, THE HOUSTONIANS AND FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
SO, TOMORROW MORNING, NINE O'CLOCK THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE, I HOPE YOU WILL COME.
LOOK, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T WANNA DELAY THE LIGHTING OF THIS BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL TREE.
I DO WANNA THANK YOU FOR JUST WHAT YOU DO IN THIS CITY FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS YOU MAKE, FOR HOW YOU'VE HELPED SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE LIGHTING OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE, THE THANKSGIVING DAY, UH, PARADE TOMORROW MORNING, THE SUPERFEST AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, FEEDING ABOUT 25,000 PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TOMORROW MORNING AS WELL.
SO, SO MUCH HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE, THE TURKEY GIVEAWAYS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN IN OUR CITY OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS.
SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION.
NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, HOUSTON FIRST, THANK YOU, THE HOUSTON OPERA COURT, THANK YOU.
THE HOUSTON BALLET GYM, THANK YOU.
AND ALL OF THE PERFORMERS, UH, THAT YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM, UH, LATER ON THIS MORNING.
SO IS THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY READY? COME ON UP AND LET'S GET IT DONE.
COREY, JIM, MICHAEL, WHY DON'T Y'ALL COME AND JOIN US UP HERE AS WELL.
HOW YOU DOING?
I'M, I MAY PUT ON THE MALE VERSION OF THIS OUTFIT,
BUT ANYWAY, THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY IS HERE.
SO HOW DO WE DO IT ANYWHERE YOU WANT? WE CAN DO COUNT, WE TAKE COUNT DOWN, COUNT DOWN, COUNT DOWN FROM FIVE, OKAY? COUNT DOWN FROM FIVE AND, AND GIVE US WITH SOME SPIRIT, OKAY? GET SOME, SOME SPIRIT STARTING OFF.
AND I DO WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU, PLEASE COME AND ENCOURAGE US, COME DOWNTOWN BETWEEN NOW AND THROUGH DECEMBER AND SEE THE MANY DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE YOU CAN REALLY ENJOY IT.
TAKES SOME NICE SELFIES, PICTURES, OR JUST ARE JUST STROVE THROUGH, OKAY? AND, UH, AND WE ARE REEMPHASIZING OUR EFFORTS TO KEEP YOU SAFE IN OUR CITY.
OKAY? SO WE KNOW THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
WE WANT YOU TO ENJOY IT, AND WE WANT YOU TO BE SAFE AS WELL.