In terms of UT performing-arts facilities slated for renovation, the name on everyone’s lips is Bass Concert Hall. After all, it’s been widely reported that the 3,000-seat theatre will be shuttered for 18 months as of May 21 to undergo a $15 million makeover. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only hall on the 40 Acres slated for a face lift. Several years ago, the UT Performing Arts Center announced that Hogg Auditorium, that grande dame of UT theatres on the western edge of the campus, was also in line for an upgrade. Now, the UT PAC never put the project on the same fast track that it did Bass or publicly updated the status of the project, but that doesn’t mean the renovation was shelved. Far from it. Hogg will be getting a makeover, a fact made crystal clear by the announcement this month of a $2 million gift from David and Ann Honeycutt to support the hall’s restoration. David Honeycutt, who founded the energy firm Texas American Resources Co., has been chairing a committee dedicated to restoring the 73-year-old theatre, and this gift shows just how committed he is to seeing that through. While there is as of yet no timeline or budget for the Hogg renovation, design work is under way, with the Houston-based architectural, design, and engineering firm 3D International figuring how to bring the 1930s-era auditorium into the 21st century while maintaining its period grandeur. With the Bass renovation fully funded, the UT PAC is now able to concentrate on doubling the size of its $10 million Endowment for Performing Excellence and raising funds for the Hogg makeover, and the Honeycutts’ seven-figure lead gift will no doubt help kick the latter development effort into high gear.
This article appears in March 2 • 2007.