November 20, 2018 | UHCL Staff
Two years ago, Charlie Felts went to a performance at University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Bayou Theater and saw an excellent show – and a lot of potential. Felts, the owner of Opus Ocean Grille in Kemah and the soon-to-open Opus Bistro in the South Shore Harbour Resort and Conference Center in League City, decided to renew his sponsorship for the 2018-19 theater season, enabling the theater to offer 19 performances.
“I am pretty excited about the lineup of shows this season,” Felts said. “There are so many options. I’ve seen nothing but improvement and it’s going to be even better next year.”
Felts was so enthusiastic about the season that he invited any staff member from his restaurants who was available, as well as a number of loyal patrons, to the Oct. 27 performance of Shiny Ribs, an Austin-based indie band that describes its sound as swamp-funk and soul.
“Everyone loved it,” Felts said. “Attending performances at the Bayou Theater is something I really enjoy, and I knew they would, too. Shiny Ribs was one show where most of my employees who weren’t working could come and share the experience of live music and theater.”
He said he took pride in his sponsorship of the Bayou Theater’s season, and that the theater was often discussed at his restaurant. “I want everyone who works for me to feel proud of our sponsorship,” he said. “A lot of our customers are patrons of the theater and I want them to know about our sponsorship. We really talk it up to our customers.”
A few of his employees, said Felts, had already been to the Bayou Theater. “We’re very impressed with the remodeling and the new seating,” he said. “It’s a remarkable difference between last year and this year. We loved the show. Shiny Ribs was hilarious. I’d never heard of them before, but I had a feeling it would be a great show. It went well beyond my expectations, and I expect my employees will be back for more.”
Felts said he was looking forward to May, when the Peterson Brothers, a funk-blues brother duo would take the Bayou Theater stage. “I looked into them and I see they’re opening for a lot of the top blues bands in the country, so I’m sure they’re really good,” he said. “I can tell that’s going to be a great show.”
For those who have not yet seen a performance at the Bayou Theater, Felts has some advice. “You’ll get the same level of entertainment as if you went to Houston, but it’s right here in our neighborhood and it’s a much better value,” he said. “You don’t need to drive all the way to Houston to see a great live performance.”
Bayou Theater Managing Director Alex Malone said, “Sponsors like Charlie Felts and Opus Ocean Grille are what makes great art possible. With their generosity, we are transforming the Bayou Theater in to Clear Lake’s premier performing arts center.”
For more information about UHCL’s Bayou Theater and this season’s remaining events, visit www.uhcl.edu/bayou-theater.
