BroadwayWorld.com Austin Stories

Austin Symphony Orchestra to Welcome Six New Board of Trustees for Upcoming Season

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 22:17:44 PST

The Austin Symphony Orchestra has announced its incoming Board of Trustees for the 2026 to 2027 season, welcoming a dynamic group of leaders whose experience spans finance, technology, operations, entrepreneurship, consulting, civic service, and the arts.

The incoming trustees bring deep professional expertise and a shared commitment to strengthening Austin's cultural community. Their leadership will support the ASO's mission to present exceptional symphonic music, expand community engagement, and advance educational opportunities across Central Texas.

Joining the Austin Symphony Orchestra Board of Trustees are Johannes Brinkmann, former Chief Financial Officer of AM Technical Solutions; Dr. Soriya Estes, Founder of Think Purple Consulting; Ben Heitner, finance and planning professional at Adobe and former President of Austin Symphony Orchestra BATS; Sylvia Mayer, Director of Operations at Cover Desk and past President of Austin Symphony Orchestra BATS; Adriel “A.J.” Meditz, Senior Private Banker at PNC and Hawthorn Private Bank; and Kumar Parakala, CEO, North America, of Tabhi Inc.

Johannes Brinkmann brings three decades of experience in the semiconductor industry, including executive leadership roles as Chief Financial Officer of AM Technical Solutions and President and CEO of the United States operations of STEAG Electronic Systems. His long record of civic and arts involvement includes service as President of the Austin Civic Orchestra, board member and cellist with the Central Texas Medical Orchestra, and organizer of the annual Haydn in the Hills chamber music camp.

Dr. Soriya Estes brings extensive experience in brand strategy, culture building, organizational transformation, and entrepreneurship. As Founder of Think Purple Consulting, she works with leadership teams and organizations navigating growth, mergers and acquisitions, and cultural change. A longtime supporter of Austin's music community, Estes has partnered with the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians since 2009 and has served in leadership roles with KMFA Classical Public Radio.

Ben Heitner brings a strong background in finance, planning, transformation, and program management, with experience at Adobe, Dell, DJO, and Forcepoint. He has also been a dedicated ASO volunteer leader through Austin Symphony Orchestra BATS, where he served in multiple officer roles, including President, helping strengthen engagement between young professionals and the Symphony.

Sylvia Mayer brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate operations, organizational development, training, and international vendor management. As Director of Operations at Cover Desk, she leads planning, employee training, capacity management, and growth initiatives across international teams. Mayer has also served for more than 10 years with Symphony BATS, including as President and board member, and has supported numerous nonprofit and arts organizations through volunteer leadership.

Adriel “A.J.” Meditz brings expertise in private banking, wealth management, and financial planning through his work with PNC Private Bank and Hawthorn Private Bank. A third generation Texan and Austinite since 1997, Meditz has been actively involved in a wide range of civic, cultural, and nonprofit organizations, including the Paramount Theatre, Austin Opera, Austin Sunshine Camps, Young Men's Business League, and the Austin Symphony Board of Directors.

Kumar Parakala brings more than three decades of global leadership experience across technology, professional services, strategy, governance, and artificial intelligence. As CEO, North America, of Tabhi Inc., he leads work in the global travel technology sector. A certified board director and author of Lead to Disrupt, Parakala has served on corporate, nonprofit, and advisory boards across the United States, Australia, and Asia Pacific, and is passionate about the role of the arts in building strong, creative communities.

“We are honored to welcome this exceptional group of trustees to the Austin Symphony Orchestra,” said Justus Zimmerman, CEO of the Austin Symphony Orchestra. “Each incoming board member brings a unique combination of professional expertise, civic leadership, and passion for the arts. Their perspectives will help the ASO continue to grow, serve our community, and inspire audiences throughout Central Texas.”

The Austin Symphony Orchestra also recognizes the continued leadership of Jay Stewart and James “Jim” Green. Stewart will serve as ASO Board President and Green will serve as Chairman of the Board of Trustees beginning September 1, 2026. Their ongoing service provides continuity and guidance as the incoming trustees begin their terms.

Together, the 2026 to 2027 Board of Trustees will help guide the Austin Symphony Orchestra into its next chapter, supporting artistic excellence, community connection, education, and the continued vitality of Austin's cultural landscape.

For more information about the Austin Symphony Orchestra, upcoming performances, and community programs, please visit austinsymphony.org.

INTO THE WOODS, PRIMARY TRUST and More Set for Austin Playhouse 26-27 Season

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:54:27 PST

Austin Playhouse has unveiled its the 2026-27 Main Stage Season with five plays, including a recent Pulitzer Prize winner, a new mystery, a revolutionary comedy, a beloved musical re-imagined, and a new play.

The 2026 Festival of New Texas Plays will kick off the season with staged readings August 14-16, 2026. With a commitment to new play development, Austin Playhouse supports new works through world premieres, commissioned work, and the Festival of New Texas Plays.

Additionally, the 2026-27 season will offer Theatre For Youth programming and special events. Information on special performances and events will be announced at a later date.

2026-27 Austin Playhouse Season

Primary Trust | September 11 – October 4, 2026 | AUSTIN PREMIERE

by Eboni Booth
Welcome friend, you are right on time!

Kenneth has everything he needs: a job he loves, his best friend Bert, and daily mai tais at Wally’s. It’s a comforting, secure routine — until he finds himself unemployed. With Bert’s encouragement, Kenneth applies to be a teller at Primary Trust Bank. Thriving at work, he slowly begins to open his heart to new people and possibilities. But when newfound rhythms threaten his friendship with Bert, Kenneth must face his past before he can fully embrace his future.

A Sherlock Carol | November 13 – December 20, 2026 | REGIONAL PREMIERE

by Mark Shanahan
A classic holiday mystery with a spirited twist.

Scrooge is dead, to begin with, and Sherlock Holmes is seeing ghosts. After the defeat of Moriarty, Holmes is a haunted man, convinced his detecting days are done. But when he’s drawn into the investigation of the death of Ebenezer Scrooge, the Great Detective must use his gifts to solve one Dickens of a mystery!

The Revolutionists | January 29 – February 21, 2027

by Lauren Gunderson
A Comedy • A Quartet • A Revolutionary Dream Fugue • A True Story

Four beautiful, badass women lose their heads in this irreverent comedy. Join playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle, and former queen Marie Antoinette as they hang out, murder Marat and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. This grand and dream-tweaked comedy is about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters and how we actually go about changing the world.

Into the Woods | March 26 – April 25, 2027

music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
book by James Lapine

Be careful what you wish for. In Sondheim’s dazzling musical, fairy tale characters such as Jack (of beanstalk fame), Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Rapunzel take us beyond happily ever after to discover what really matters in life. Beloved for nearly 40 years and filled with soaring songs like “No One Is Alone” and “Children Will Listen,” Into the Woods is a joyful and moving exploration of how to be human.

You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! | May 28 – June 20, 2027 | REGIONAL PREMIERE

by Keiko Green
A raucous celebration of the unthinkable

When Greg gets a terminal diagnosis, his small family feels the pressure of time running out. His wife Viv wants nothing more than to savor every last minute together. His child works to find meaning in the chaos. Meanwhile, Greg feels a new connection to the fate of our planet. Can saving the world save Greg? Maybe? After all, the world’s too big not to be kind of magical.

2026 Festival of New Texas Plays

Staged Readings: August 14-16, 2026

Austin Playhouse is committed to fostering new theatrical voices and providing a platform for emerging Texas playwrights. The Festival of New Texas Plays celebrates vibrant storytelling and diverse voices, showcasing new works that reflect the rich cultural landscape of our state. Playwrights from across Texas were invited to submit their work for consideration for the 2026 Festival of New Texas Plays. Finalists will be announced July 2026.

Subscriptions and Ticketing Information: 2026-27 subscriptions are available now.

5-Show 2026-27 Subscription Packages Start at $192 and Benefits Include: Benefits include up to 25% off single ticket prices for the 5-play main stage season, early reservations, priority seating, hassle-free booking and exchange privileges, discounts on additional tickets to shows and special events, the option to add discounted season parking at the UT Co-Op Garage, and the option to exchange one season production for an off-season production or special event.

Texas Performing Arts Appoints Christian Lyhus as Director of Programming

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:01:35 PST

Texas Performing Arts has appointed Christian Lyhus as Director of Programming. Christian brings more than 15 years of experience in artistic planning, talent buying, production, and relationship building at leading performing arts institutions across the country. Most recently, he served as Director of Programming at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, where he led artist booking, series development, and strategic partnerships. He will join the team on June 15.

Reporting to Bob Bursey, Christian will direct the programming of more than 250 events annually, serving an annual audience of 400,000+ for the nation's most active university-based performing arts center. TPA's major program areas include Broadway in Austin, the Texas Welcomes series of touring artists, and a curated season of performing arts from around the globe.

"We are thrilled to welcome Christian to the TPA team," said Bob Bursey. "His leadership and expertise will be instrumental as TPA continues to expand our local and national presence while delivering exceptional artistic experiences that enrich audiences, support artists and students, and strengthen the performing arts field as a whole."

About Christian Lyhus

With a background spanning concerts, theatrical presentations, international dance, and special events, Christian Lyhus brings a broad range of experience in developing programming strategies that drive both audience engagement and organizational growth. He currently serves as Interim Programming Director at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. Previously, as Director of Programming at Tennessee Performing Arts Center, he led efforts that contributed to multiple consecutive years of record Broadway subscription growth, introduced new technology-focused programming initiatives, and cultivated partnerships connecting Nashville's music and performing arts communities.

Around The BroadwayWorld: Top News, Reviews, Interviews & More from May 2026

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:03:21 PST

Around the BroadwayWorld is our monthly snapshot of the biggest stories making waves across the global theatre community. In this May 2026 edition, we're bringing you a fresh batch of standout reviews from regional stages across the country - from Brigadoon at Pasadena Playhouse in Los Angeles to The Phantom of the Opera at Seattle's Paramount Theatre and Pippin at Signature Theatre in DC.

Diane Paulus directs an immersive, David Bowie-inspired Life on Mars at American Repertory Theater, the producers of Japan's Gypsy revival walk back a planned title change, and we go behind the scenes with interviews spanning Adam Fields of the Beetlejuice national tour, The Muny's casting director Michael Baxter, Richard Kind on finally taking on Edna in Hairspray, and BWW's Kid Reporters chatting with the touring Von Trapp kids of The Sound of Music. Plus, get a first look at exciting new productions through performance videos and photos, including Anastasia at La Mirada Theatre, Dear Evan Hansen at Arden Theatre, Pippin at Signature Theatre, and the Manila cast of Jesus Christ Superstar - and so much more from across the BroadwayWorld.

Diane Paulus Will Direct Immersive David Bowie Inspired LIFE ON MARS at American Repertory Theater

Joshua Wright | Boston

Diane Paulus will direct Life on Mars, an immersive theatrical production set to David Bowie's music, as the inaugural production at the Goel Center for Creativity & Performance in May.

GYPSY in Japan: Producers Walk Back Title Change Ahead of 2026 Revival

Joshua Wright | Japan

The Japanese revival of GYPSY will retain its original title when it returns to the stage in 2026, reversing an earlier decision to present the production under the name 'Rose.'

Interviews

Interview: Adam Fields of BEETLEJUICE National Tour

Brock Mills | Jacksonville

For Adam Fields, returning to Jacksonville with the national tour of Beetlejuice the Musical isn’t just another stop, it’s a full-circle moment. The production will play in Jacksonville from May 12–17 at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.

Interview: BWW’s 'Kid Reporters' Chat With THE SOUND OF MUSIC’s Touring Von Trapp Kids

Melissa Heckscher | Los Angeles

BroadwayWorld Los Angeles' kid reporters talk with the young touring cast of THE SOUND OF MUSIC to find out what it's like to be part of one of Broadway’s most iconic shows and what actually happens behind the curtain.

Interview: Chatting with The Muny's Casting Director Michael Baxter

James Lindhorst | St. Louis

Michael Baxter’s work will shine on The Muny stage during all 50 performances this summer. He led the efforts and had a hand in hiring every one of the 194 actors who will fill the principal and ensemble roles.

Interview: Richard Kind Talks Finally Taking on Edna in The Muny's HAIRSPRAY

James Lindhorst | St. Louis

When The Muny opens their production of Hairspray on June 15, 2026, the legendary Richard Kind will don Edna Turnblad’s housecoat and step into her fuzzy house slippers. Kind, star of stage, screen and film, calls it bucket list moments to get to perform at The Muny and play Edna all at the same time.

Reviews

Review: BRIGADOON at Pasadena Playhouse

Andrew Child | Los Angeles

Brava to Alexandra Silber for capturing all the heart and humor of Lerner’s original book with her thoughtful new adaptation and brava to Katie Spelman for dreaming up a Brigadoon that is as ebullient and spirited as it is deeply human.

Review: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at Paramount Theatre

Shelley Dean | Seattle

It’s almost unbelievable for me to admit that this was my first time seeing The Phantom of the Opera. Of course, I knew the iconic songs and had seen countless clips over the years, but experiencing the production live on stage for the first time was entirely different, haunting, and spine-chilling in the best way possible. From the chandelier drop to the monumental set pieces, the show truly lives up to its legendary reputation. The 2026 tour, directed by Harold Prince, serves as a revitalized version of the original production, featuring Maria Björnson’s iconic designs, musical staging, and choreography by Gillian Lynne. It is absolutely ravishing, and Seattle audiences are lining up hours early to witness the spectacle for themselves.

Review: PIPPIN at Signature Theatre

Aidan O'Connor | Washington, DC

Certain facets of the human condition are foundational to our very existence – change, connection, desire. One such particularly toxic universal truth is a constant need to be something more than we currently are. To search for happiness in external achievement rather than within ourselves, in our simple joys. Pippin at Signature Theatre breathes within that precise virulence, relatively orchestrated by a troupe of impeccably costumed and choreographed players. A feast for the eyes in all senses, Matthew Gardiner’s production surpasses even the highest of expectations.

Videos

Video: Watch La Mirada Theatre's ANASTASIA Star Lena Ceja Perform 'Journey to the Past'

Michael Major | Los Angeles

La Mirada Theatre has released new video footage of Lena Ceja rehearsing 'Journey to the Past' from their upcoming production of Anastasia. The production features Dillon Klena as Dmitry, a role first played on Broadway by his brother Derek Klena.

Photos/Video: DEAR EVAN HANSEN At Arden Theatre

A.A. Cristi | Philadelphia

Arden Theatre Company is now presenting DEAR EVAN HANSEN as the final production of its 2025/26 season, with performances continuing through July 5. New production photos and video have been released from the Philadelphia production, including footage of Evan A. Kaushesh performing “Waving Through a Window.”

Video: Watch 'Corner of the Sky' From Signature Theatre's PIPPIN

Michael Major | Washington, DC

Watch a video of Brayden Bambino performing 'Corner of the Sky' in Signature Theatre's production of Pippin. The in-the-round production is now running through July 26 with tickets available now.

Photos

Photos: Get a First Look at JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR in Manila

Oliver Oliveros | Philippines

The 2017 Olivier Award winner for Best Musical Revival, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera 'Jesus Christ Superstar,' has officially opened at The Theatre at Solaire.

Cast Set for SALLY & TOM Regional Premiere at Zach Theater

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:52:45 PST

Zach Theater has revealed the cast and creatives for the regional premiere of Sally & Tom, a new play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. Directed by Producing Artistic Director Dave Steakley, Sally & Tom is a sharp, funny and fearless American dramedy, playing July 22–August 23, 2026 at The Kleberg at Zach.

The hallmark of the current season is the regional premiere of the new play Sally & Tom by Pulitzer Prize-winner and MacArthur Fellows Program “Genius Grant” recipient Suzan-Lori Parks. One of the first regional productions of this groundbreaking work, Sally & Tom is a bold, witty, and inventive play-within-a-play exploring the tangled relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. Parks uses sharp humor and layered storytelling to ask urgent questions about power, agency, love, and the histories we choose to tell.

Sally & Tom will star Angelique Archer as Luce/Sally; Jonathan Flippo as Mike/Tom; Olivia D. Dawson as Maggie/Mary; Hollis Edwards III as Kwame/James; Amy Downing as Ginger/Patsy; Charlene Hong White as Scout/Polly; Kevin Pellicone as Geoff/Cooper; and Martavius Parrish as Devon/Nathan.

In addition to direction by Dave Steakley, the production team includes: Yunina Barbour-Payne as assistant director and dramaturg; Christa Oliver as choreographer; Daniel Conway as scenic and properties designer; Nanette Acosta as Costume Designer; Sarah EC Maines as lighting designer; Anna Fugate-Downs as hair & makeup designer; Leslie Ann Boyden as AEA stage manager; Harriet Butler as AEA assistant stage manager; and Breanna Pruitt as production assistant.

Special events in celebration of Sally & Tom:

Pay What You Wish Week – Wednesday, July 22 through Sunday, July 26, 2026
Pride Night – Thursday, July 23, 2026 at 7:30pm
Press Night – Saturday, July 25, 2026 at 7:30pm; Press may RSVP to nicole.shiro@motleycrewmedia.com
Zachademia Night with Suzan Lori-Parks – Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 7:30pm
Champagne Opening – Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 7:30pm
ASL Performance – Saturday, August 22 at 2:30pm

Review: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at Georgetown Palace Theatre

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:40:54 PST

Conceived by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice as a concept album in 1970 before making its way to Broadway in 1971, Jesus Christ Superstar is a groundbreaking rock opera that retells the final days of Jesus Christ through the perspective of Judas Iscariot. More than fifty years later, its blend of rock music, biblical storytelling, and complex human relationships continues to captivate audiences worldwide. It also remains one heck of a challenging score, demanding vocal power, stamina, and emotional intensity from nearly everyone onstage.

Directed by Jamie Rogers, Georgetown Palace Theatre's production embraces the show's rock-opera roots while delivering an interpretation that feels both modern and timeless. More importantly, it is simply a lot of fun. In fact, this may be my favorite Georgetown Palace production since I began reviewing for BroadwayWorld in 2018. There, I said it.

The story follows the growing conflict between Jesus and Judas as Jesus's popularity surges and the political and religious powers around him become increasingly uneasy. Judas fears events are spinning beyond anyone's control, while Jesus struggles beneath the crushing weight of expectation. What unfolds is less a traditional biblical retelling and more an examination of loyalty, doubt, fear, friendship, sacrifice, and betrayal.

Rogers guides the narrative with confidence, keeping the action clear while allowing the music and characters to remain front and center. Supporting that vision is Philip Johnson's impressive set design. Built around industrial scaffolding, transparent curtains, elevated platforms, and construction-site aesthetics, the set creates a visual world that bridges the gap between the ancient and the modern. Rather than attempting historical realism, the design reinforces the show's timeless themes and reminds us that these conflicts remain relevant today.

Cast of Jesus Christ Superstar
Georgetown Palace Theatre
PC: Lindsey Brisbine

Of course, Jesus Christ Superstar lives and dies by its score.

This is not an easy sing. The vocals are relentless, the rhythms complex, and the emotional demands immense. Not every song landed perfectly throughout the evening. There were occasional cracked notes and moments where pitch wandered. Normally, those issues might have pulled me out of the experience. Here, however, they felt secondary to the energy, commitment, and sheer enjoyment radiating from the stage. This cast attacked the material fearlessly, and that enthusiasm carried the production forward.

At the center of the story are Nathaniel Fomby as Jesus and Izzie Howell as Judas.

Fomby delivers a subtle and deeply human portrayal of Jesus. His performance reveals the fears, disappointments, doubts, and regrets of someone carrying an impossible burden while watching events unfold beyond his control.

Opposite him, Howell provides the perfect counterbalance. His powerful rock-and-roll vocals anchor the show from the opening number onward, particularly in the electrifying "Heaven on Their Minds." Together, Fomby and Howell create a dynamic relationship that drives the narrative and serves as the emotional heartbeat of the production.

Izzie Howell as Judas and the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar
Georgetown Palace Theatre
PC: Lindsey Brisbine

This is a large ensemble, and I cannot mention everyone, but a few performances deserve special recognition. Nick Riley is an absolute knockout as Herod. His appearance injects a burst of theatrical electricity into the evening, and his rendition of "Herod's Song" earns some of the night's biggest laughs and loudest applause.

Zachary Gonzales brings a dark, imposing presence to Caiaphas, supported by an impressively deep vocal register. DJ DelVecchio shines as Annas, showcasing remarkable vocal range. From SpongeBob to Annas... what can't DJ do? One of my newer Palace favorites, Theron Howard once again proves impossible to ignore whenever he steps onstage.

The choreography by Matthew Kennedy is another strength of the production. Drawing from contemporary, hip-hop, and even touches of vaudeville, Kennedy creates movement that feels modern without feeling forced. More importantly, it showcases the strengths of the cast. What stood out most was the obvious joy with which it was performed. Too often contemporary movement can feel executed rather than experienced. Here, the performers genuinely looked like they were having fun. That enthusiasm spread throughout the theatre. Audible “oohs" and “ahhs" could be heard throughout the evening as the audience responded to the energy pouring off the stage.

Several moments stayed with me a little longer than others. Howell's "Heaven on Their Minds" immediately establishes the production's momentum and stakes. The staging of "The Last Supper" is one of the cleverest directorial choices of the evening, and one I refuse to spoil. Riley's showstopping "Herod's Song" nearly brings the house down. And then there is "Superstar," a thrilling explosion of music, movement, and spectacle that sends the production soaring toward its conclusion. You'll understand why these moments stood out when you see this production for yourself. And yes, you should.

Special recognition must also go to the live band. In a rock opera, the musicians are far more than accompaniment. They are storytellers. Hearing this iconic score performed live is a privilege, and the band delivers the power, urgency, and excitement necessary to propel the show from beginning to end. Their work is consistently outstanding.

For me, this stands as the finest Georgetown Palace Theatre production I have reviewed since 2018. It may not hit every note perfectly, but it captures something far more important: the excitement, energy, joy, and communal thrill that make live theatre unforgettable.

Runtime: 2 hours including intermission.

Nick Riley as Herod
Jesus Christ Superstar
Georgetown Palace Theatre
PC: Lindsey Brisbine

Jesus Christ Superstar

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Lyrics by Tim Rice

Directed by Jamie Rogers

Now playing through July 5th, 2026

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM

Sundays at 2:00 PM

Extra show: Saturday, June 27 at 2:00 PM

No show scheduled on Saturday, July 4, 2026

Georgetown Palace Theatre, Springer Stage

2120 N Mays St #290, Round Rock, TX 78664

2025-2026 Austin Theatre Critics Awards Winners Announced

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:40:45 PST

State Theatre Austin
PC: ATX Theatre

How lucky are we to call Austin home? A bucket load!

Few cities can match the passion, creativity, and sheer talent that make up Central Texas theatre, and every year the Austin Theatre Critics Awards give us a chance to celebrate the artists, companies, designers, technicians, and advocates who keep our stages thriving. A huge thank you to the Austin theatre community, our fellow Austin Theatre Critics, and especially to Sharron Anderson and her ATX Theatre team for creating a night that reminds us just how special this artistic ecosystem truly is.

Vikki and I were thrilled to represent BroadwayWorld Austin at last night's ceremony, and what a fantastic evening it was. With the incomparable Dr. Ellie Jarrett Shattles providing musical accompaniment, emcees extraordinaire Matthew Kennedy and Kyra Jackson kept the energy high and the laughs flowing. Megan Hudson expertly assisted with presenting the coveted awards; the evening felt polished, joyful, and full of heart.

And what did the critics do this time? We handed awards, praised the work that Austin artists shared with us during the past year, and enjoyed the celebrations from backstage!

So, who took home the buckets?

(That is the shape of the award, in case you were wondering.)

Drum roll, please ...

Outstanding Costume Design
Aaron Flynn – the wolf you feed (The VORTEX)

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Michael Cooper – Grand Hotel (The Alchemy Theatre)

Outstanding Director of a Play
Stephanie Crugnola – Caesar & Antony & Cleopatra (Walking Shadow Shakespeare Project)

Outstanding Ensemble
I Wanna Be A Fcking Princess* (Ground Floor Theatre)

Outstanding Lighting Design
Callum Thomas – Pillar of Fire (The Spark/La Fenice)

Outstanding Movement Direction
Noah Wood, Choreographer – Grand Hotel (The Alchemy Theatre)

Outstanding Musical Production
Jesus Christ Superstar (Summer Stock Austin)

Outstanding Musical Direction
Adam Roberts & Ellie Jarrett Shattles – Parade (Ground Floor Theatre)

Outstanding Original Script
Apprehension by L.B. Deyo (Holi Shamoli Productions)

Outstanding Production of a Play
The Fire Raisers (The Hidden Room)

Outstanding Scenic Design
Cody Arn – Caesar & Antony & Cleopatra (Walking Shadow Shakespeare Project)

Outstanding Sound Design
Robert S. Fisher – A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder (Austin Playhouse)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
Marc Pouhé as Rev & Pap – Fat Ham (Austin Playhouse)
and
Gabrielle Smith as Stage Manager (Natalie) – Anton Chekhov Is a Tasty Snack (Penfold Theatre)

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Albert Igbinigie as Juicy – Fat Ham (Austin Playhouse)
and
Sarah-Marie Curry as Jessie – 'night, Mother (The Alchemy Theatre)
and
Johanna Whitmore as Mama – 'night, Mother (The Alchemy Theatre)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
Leslie Hollingsworth as Mayor & Ma Ferb – The Toxic Avenger (Doctuh Mistuh Productions)
and
Nicholas Hunter as Jim Conley – Parade (Ground Floor Theatre)

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Coy Branscum as Jesus of Nazareth – Jesus Christ Superstar (Summer Stock Austin)
and
CB Feller as Lucille Frank – Parade (Ground Floor Theatre)

Outstanding Touring Show
The Outsiders (Texas Performing Arts, Broadway in Austin)

Special Citation for Shimmying Sparkles & Exporting Local Theatre
Sims Holland's Learning to Human

Special Citation for 18 Fab Years of Blending Theatricality & Creativity With Education
The Paramount Story Wranglers

Special Citation for Breaking the Mold with Fiddler on the Roof
Austin Opera

Special Citation for 20 Years of Tenacious Community Theatre
City Theatre

Special Citation for Spotlighting Theatremakers Living With Disabilities
TUBU Fest

Special Citation for 11 Years of Insightful, Right-Sized Productions Reflecting Our Times
Jarrott Productions

Unsung Hero Awards
Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers Photography
Jose Lozano, Magic Spoon Productions
Minerva Villa, Lens of Athena Photography

Congratulations to all the winners, nominees, and everyone who spent the past year creating theatre across Central Texas. The awards may fit on a shelf, but the work, artistry, and community spirit that were celebrated last night fill our spiritual buckets all year long.

The Austin Theatre Critics Awards will return next year... In the meantime, go to the theatre, support your local artists, and enjoy the rest of the summer!

Review: VINCENT at Penfold Theatre

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 14:44:16 PST

Most people know Vincent van Gogh through his paintings.

The sunflowers. The self-portraits. The Starry Night. The severed ear.

What Leonard Nimoy's Vincent does so beautifully is move beyond the mythology. Rather than focusing on the artist history remembers, the play introduces us to the man his brother knew.

Now playing at Penfold Theatre, Vincent is based on the extensive correspondence between Vincent van Gogh and his younger brother Theo. Framed as a reflection delivered shortly after Vincent's death, the play draws from hundreds of letters exchanged between the brothers to paint a remarkably intimate portrait of one of history's most celebrated artists.

Nathan Jerkins as Theo
Vincent
PC: Penfold Theatre

On Saturday evening, I had the privilege of seeing Nathan Jerkins in the role of Theo. Though technically a one-person play, Vincent never feels like a lecture or a history lesson. Instead, it unfolds like a conversation between Theo and the audience, as he opens the journal where he has carefully preserved Vincent's letters and shares memories of the brother he loved, admired, supported, and ultimately lost too soon.

Through Theo's eyes, Vincent emerges as far more than the troubled genius often reduced to a handful of biographical anecdotes. We learn about his deep religious convictions and his attempts to minister to coal miners. We see a man determined to make a difference in the lives of others, even when those efforts often ended in disappointment. We witness his search for love and belonging, his fascination with the natural world, his complicated relationships, and his unwavering commitment to his art.

One of the play's recurring ideas is Vincent's belief that art, faith, and love were inseparable. "Love, Beauty, and God are all the same thing," he reflects, a sentiment that seems to guide every aspect of his life. Whether pursuing religion, relationships, or painting, Vincent approached each with the same intensity and hope, even when the world offered little in return.

Penfold's production enhances the story through the effective use of projections by Lowell Bartholomee. Throughout the performance, a large screen displays Vincent's sketches, studies, and paintings, visually tracing his artistic evolution. As Theo recounts key moments from his brother's life, familiar masterpieces appear alongside lesser-known works, helping situate the audience within the different chapters of Vincent's journey while bringing his creative development vividly to life.

There is a confidence in the simplicity of the staging (designed by Natalie George) that allows the text and performance to remain front and center. Director Beth Burns trusts the material and the actor, resisting any temptation to overcomplicate the storytelling. Given that both Jerkins and alternate performer Ryan Crowder are accomplished actors and Penfold's co-artistic directors, one imagines the process was highly collaborative. Whatever the balance between direction and collaboration, the result feels polished, focused, and deeply engaging.

Jerkins delivers a thoughtful and heartfelt performance as Theo. There is an ease to his storytelling that immediately draws the audience in. He never pushes for sentimentality, allowing emotional moments to emerge naturally from the memories and letters. His Theo feels less like a narrator and more like a brother still wrestling with loss while trying to make sense of a life that continues to inspire and puzzle him in equal measure.

"Vincent, will you ever learn to love yourself?"

One of the production's greatest strengths is its ability to make art history feel accessible. You do not need to know anything about Vincent van Gogh before walking into the theatre. This is not a story about paintings. It is a story about family, devotion, creativity, mental health, perseverance, and the enduring bond between two brothers.

The evening passes almost effortlessly; I didn't even look at my watch once! For a play built largely around one man recounting the life of another, Vincent remains remarkably engaging from beginning to end. The storytelling is masterful, the historical context fascinating, and the emotional core deeply moving.

More than forty years after its premiere, Vincent remains a theatrical classic. Penfold Theatre's production reminds us that behind every great artist stands a human story worth telling.

In this case, it is the story of two brothers, one remembered by the world and one who made sure he would never be forgotten.

Run time: 1 hour 20 minutes, no intermission.

Nathan Jerkins as Theo
Vincent
PC: Penfold Theatre

Vincent

Written by Leonard Nimoy

Directed by Beth Burns

Now playing through June 21st, 2026

Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM

Sundays at 2:00 PM

Penfold Theatre | Mainstage

2120 N Mays St #290, Round Rock, TX 78664

Review: INSOMNIA CAFE at Dirty Gold Theatre

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 14:44:27 PST

There was a point during Insomnia Cafe when I stopped knowing whether I should laugh.

Not because the jokes weren't funny. They were. Bre Bietz's dark comedy is packed with sharp observations, absurd situations, and loving nods to Friends. The audience laughed often throughout the evening. So did I.

Then I would catch myself.

Because behind every joke sits something deeply disturbing.

Produced by Dirty Gold Theatre, Insomnia Cafe follows two young people known simply as Man (Kyle Romero) and Woman (Lena Long). Obsessed with the television sitcom Friends, they kidnap Dwyer (Justin G. Smith) because they believe he looks like Chandler Bing. What begins as an absurd premise quickly spirals into something far darker. Dwyer is manipulated, physically abused, psychologically tormented, and gradually forced into participating in their increasingly twisted fantasy.

Kyle Romero as "Man"
Insomnia Cafe
PC: Dirty Gold Theatre

The title itself is a clever reference. Before Friends became one of the most successful sitcoms in television history, Insomnia Cafe was one of the working titles considered for the series. For those unfamiliar with that bit of television trivia, the title may seem random at first. By the end of the play, however, it feels entirely appropriate. The characters are trapped in a kind of emotional insomnia, unable to separate themselves from the fictional world they desperately wish were real.

What makes the production effective is how it embraces the language and iconography of the beloved sitcom. Screens throughout the performance project clips and imagery associated with Friends, constantly reminding the audience of the world Man and Woman desperately want to inhabit. Scene transitions are introduced with episode-style titles, each beginning with the familiar format, "The One When...", creating an unsettling collision between sitcom structure and increasingly disturbing events.

The set, designed by Patrick Neese, includes enough recognizable details to trigger instant nostalgia without recreating the television set outright. Joey and Chandler's distinctive art wall makes an appearance. Monica's iconic purple apartment door features the familiar yellow frame around the peephole. Even the terrace evokes memories of the series. These touches serve almost as emotional shortcuts, inviting the audience into a comfortable, familiar space before the play gleefully dismantles that comfort.

Lena Long as "Woman"
Insomnia Cafe
PC: Dirty Gold Theatre

Romero, Long, and Smith handle the challenge well. The script requires them to strike a delicate balance among comedy, parody, and psychological horror. Rather than offering direct impressions, they capture enough of the rhythms, vocal patterns, and mannerisms of the show's famous six characters to make the references land without turning the evening into a sketch comedy routine. It is a smart choice that keeps the play grounded in its own reality while still drawing heavily from the source material.

That balance is important because Insomnia Cafe is not really about Friends.

It is about obsession.

The play explores what happens when the line between fiction and reality completely disappears. Chandler Bing is not a character to Man and Woman. He is real. Or perhaps more accurately, he is more real to them than the actual human being standing in front of them.

In many ways, the story feels uniquely American. For decades, television has occupied a powerful place in American culture, shaping language, relationships, humor, and identity. Few shows have achieved the cultural reach of Friends. Generations have grown up with these characters, revisiting them through syndication, streaming services, and endless clips online. Most viewers understand where the screen ends and reality begins. Insomnia Cafe imagines what happens when that boundary disappears.

Bietz finds humor in that obsession. There are genuinely funny moments throughout the play, particularly when poking fun at some of the most recognizable tropes and scenes from Friends. Yet every laugh carries weight because the audience never forgets what is actually happening onstage.

That's what makes Insomnia Cafe so unsettling.

We laugh because the situation is ridiculous.

We stop laughing because it isn't.

The kidnapping may be exaggerated, but the loss of reality feels frighteningly familiar. We live in a culture where people build identities around fictional worlds, social media personalities, conspiracy theories, and carefully curated fantasies. Most of the time it is harmless. Sometimes it isn't. Insomnia Cafe imagines what happens when obsession consumes everything else.

The ending largely unfolds as expected (Nope, I will not spoil it). The signs are there long before the final scenes arrive, making the eventual turn feel inevitable rather than surprising. Yet the conclusion still lands with an eerie sense of dread. There is no neat resolution, no comforting return to normalcy. Instead, the play leaves behind a lingering reminder that trauma rarely ends when the door is finally unlocked.

What stayed with me most wasn't the kidnapping, the violence, or even the final twist.

It was the discomfort of laughing.

Dark comedy often asks audiences to find humor in uncomfortable places. Insomnia Cafe pushes that idea right to the edge. At times I wondered whether it had crossed the line entirely. Then again, perhaps that is exactly what Bre Bietz intended.

How dark can a comedy become before it stops being a comedy?

Insomnia Cafe never answers the question.

It simply leaves the audience sitting with it long after the lights go down.

Run time: 1 hour 20 minutes, no intermission.

Insomnia Cafe

Written by Bre Bietz

Directed by Roy Lazorwitz

Now playing through June 13th, 2026

Sunday 6/7 at 5:00 PM

Wednesday 6/10 through Saturday 6/13 at 8:00 PM

Dirty Gold Theatre at Stage Austin

6134 East Hwy 290

Austin, TX

CINDERELLA and NEWSIES Set for Summer Stock Austin 2026

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:03:11 PST

Impact Arts has revealed cast and creatives for 22nd Season of Summer Stock Austin. The 2026 lineup includes the ultimate in family friendly theatre with Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella and Disney's Newsies: The Musical.

In partnership with Texas Performing Arts, Summer Stock Austin 2026 will present live performances at the McCullough Theatre beginning July 23 through August 9, 2026 with a special one-night only Season Sneak Peek event on July 20 featuring upcoming talents and alumni sharing theatrical excellence and professional performances by youth. Season performances will play in rotation with varying schedules.

The Season Sneak Peek is a one-night-only evening of performance, community, and celebration featuring Summer Stock Austin alumni and up and coming talents sharing theatrical excellence and professional performances by youth. Offering a glimpse into the upcoming line up with song and dance numbers from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella and Disney's Newsies: The Musical as well as a rare opportunity to celebrate young artists, the work they have been crafting, and the energy that makes Summer Stock Austin so special. Casting and Production Teams for Season Sneak Peek will be announced at a later date. Tickets on sale now.

Summer Stock Austin returns for the 2026 season celebrating 22 years, with multiple offerings: Season Sneak Peek Directed by Ginger Morris and Matt Kennedy; classic family favorites Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella Directed by Zoë Adams and Musical Direction by Deonte Warren with Choreography by Matt Kennedy, Noah Wood, Stacey Huston, Ginger Morris; and Disney's Newsies: The Musical Directed by Greg Almanza with Musical Direction by Adam Roberts and Choreography by Ginger Morris, Matt Kennedy, and Noah Wood.

The design team for Summer Stock 2026 includes Rachel Atkinson as Lighting Designer; Gavin Kenter as Associate Lighting Designer/Master Electrician; Teresa Carson as Costume Designer; Leah Austin as Properties Manager; Jose Pardo and LEVO as Audio Designer; and Theada Haining as Scenic and Projections Designer. Artistic Direction by Ginger Morris with Associate Artistic Direction by Donelvan Thigpen and Peyton Calhoon. The management team includes Ellena Martinez, Kristin Vandenberg, and Mikayla Stasny. A team of 50 college interns and high school students in production, management, arts administration, and all technical areas will round out the production team.

Casting for Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella includes Avery Linden as Cinderella; Caleb Clemons as Prince Christopher; Dia Rushing as Fairy Godmother; Jaxon Larson as King Maximillian; Aidan Cox as Lionel; Nyla George as Stepmother; Reilly Kearney as Grace; Lucky Cantu as Joy; and the ensemble: Benjamin Akers, Kash Ames, Anna Ardolino, Melody Cano, Stephanie Carter, Kirin Chheng, Marshall Clifton, Reilly Favacho, Nico Gallegos, Mailyn Gil, Zoe Jackson, Grace Kennedy, Peter Lemons, Annie Mawson, Mila Maxon, Maximillian McGuire, Alexa Moy, Izzy Ochoa, Elliott Richards, Caspian Robinson, Rory Ruiz, Keith Scheiern, Grace Scott, Ivy Speight, Elle Wiatrek, Bear Williams, Xenia Willis.

Disney's Newsies: The Musical casting includes E Blaine Lovett as Jack Kelly; Delilah Grad as Katherine Plumber; Leon Martinez Barragan as Davey Jacobs; Blake Couvillon and Strider Ullah as Les Jacobs; River Tinch as Crutchie; Reilly Favacho as Race; Aidan Cox as Joseph Pulitzer; Kyra Jackson as Medda Larkin; with Benjamin Akers, Colton Alderman, Kash Ames, Stephanie Carter, Juni Castro, Caleb Clemons, Sean Condon, Malachi Dennis, Irik Gamen, Luke Golby, Sena Green, Emily Jackson, Peter Lemons, Oscar Lopez, Annie Mawson, Liam Minor, Giovanni Morrison, Alexa Moy, Daniela Pratts, Elliott Richards, Vivienne Robichaux, Seth Rodriguez, Rory Ruiz, Grae Sweeney, Bear Williams, Xenia Willis, Preston Withrow; and the ensemble: Aubrey Hall, Zoe Jackson, Vitor Kvasir Larson-Parachini, Brennan Lein, Noah Mayard, Isoke Mitchell, Jayson Rodriguez, Dia Rushing, Ivy Speight, Gracie Torgerson, Mason Trusler.

Housed under the umbrella of Impact Arts and celebrating its 22nd Season, Summer Stock Austin is uniquely a production company and educational training program in one. It offers high school and college students an opportunity to train, perform and engage in all aspects of theatre and film production in a fast-paced professional atmosphere – all tuition-free while working with theatre professionals. Summer Stock Austin culminates with high caliber, fully staged musical theatre productions for family audiences.

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA (Enchanted Edition)

July 23–August 9 (10 Performances) | McCullough Theatre
Music by Richard Rodgers
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Adapted for the stage by Tom Briggs from the teleplay by Robert L. Freedman

Directed by Zoë Adams | Musical Direction by Deonté Warren | Choreography by Matt Kennedy, Noah Wood, Stacey Huston, and Ginger Morris

A fresh and vibrant reimagining of the classic fairy tale, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (Enchanted Edition) draws inspiration from the beloved 1997 musical starring Brandy and Whitney Houston. In a world of romance, magic, and possibility, Cinderella learns that she is not waiting for life to happen to her — she has the power to shape it herself. This enchanting production celebrates courage, hope, and the belief that dreams are only the beginning. Because sometimes the wish is granted — and then it is up to us to do something with it.

DISNEY'S NEWSIES: THE MUSICAL

July 31–August 9, 2026 (10 performances) | McCullough Theatre
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Jack Feldman
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Based on the Disney film written by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White
Originally Produced on Broadway by Disney Theatrical Productions

Directed by Greg Almanza | Musical Direction by Adam Roberts | Choreography by Ginger Morris, Matt Kennedy, and Noah Wood

Based on the true story of the 1899 Newsboys Strike, Disney's Newsies is a bold, exhilarating musical about young people discovering the power they hold when they stand together. In a world that expects them to stay quiet, these newsies choose to rise, speak out, and fight for something better. Filled with soaring music, explosive choreography, and unstoppable energy, Newsies is a celebration of resilience, community, and the belief that tomorrow can be changed by those brave enough to seize the day.

TICKETING: Season Show tickets start at $57.60; Season Sneak Peek individual tickets start at $28.80; available beginning Friday, March 27 at 10am. Senior, student, military and educator discounts available. Buy 3 get 1 free is available for most performances. Additionally, $26.40 rush tickets will be available one hour prior to all performances excluding preview, opening, and closing weekend. More information at impactarts.org/ssa-2026.

VIP Packages

A limited number of VIP Packages are available for Cinderella and Newsies starting at $80 and include:

One (1) show-themed goodie bag or signed show poster.
Post-show meet-and-greet with one (1) guest, including one (1) digital photo with a lead performer.
One (1) souvenir cup with a signature drink (mocktail or cocktail).

VIP Packages do not include a show ticket (sold separately).

VIP Deluxe "Have A Ball!" Packages

New for 2026! A limited number of VIP Deluxe "Have A Ball!" Packages are available for Cinderella only (ages 3–12) starting at $160 and include:

Everything included in the standard VIP Package.
One hour of tea, lemonade, and cookies with a character from the cast.
The opportunity to learn a song from the show with SSA performers.
A chance to perform in the pre-show and lead a parade through the lobby singing a signature song from Cinderella.

VIP Packages do not include a show ticket (sold separately). Parents do not need to be present during the one-hour pre-show experience. Spots are extremely limited—reserve your royal invitation today!

Theatre for All Preview Performances

As part of Impact Arts' "Theatre for All" initiative and to make tickets more accessible, Summer Stock Austin will offer low-cost preview performances with all tickets priced at $28.80:

Cinderella — July 23
Newsies — July 31

Special Events

ASL Interpreted & Audio Described Performances

Wednesday, August 5 at 7:30 PM (Newsies)
Thursday, August 6 at 6:00 PM (Cinderella)

Sensory-Friendly Performances

Wednesday, August 5 at 1:00 PM (Newsies)
Thursday, August 6 at 10:00 AM (Cinderella)

Spanish-Interpreted Performances

Sunday, July 26 at 1:00 PM (Cinderella)
Tuesday, August 4 at 10:00 AM (Newsies)

BroadwayWorld Launches Producer Fantasy Game

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:00:05 PST

Ever watched the weekly Broadway grosses roll in and thought you could pick the winners? Now you can put it to the test. BroadwayWorld has launched the Producer Fantasy Game, a free, season-long competition that lets theatre fans build a roster of Broadway shows and earn points based on how those productions actually perform at the box office. The draft window is open now.

How It Works

The setup is simple. During the draft window, you pick any six Broadway productions that opened this season. Drafting is non-exclusive, so there is no need to race a rival for a hot title. Any number of players can roster the same show.

From there, your shows go to work for you. Every week, each production on your roster earns fantasy points based on its reported box office grosses and capacity percentages. When Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle nominations and wins are announced, your shows bank bonus points on top of that. And each week you can answer our Fantasy Forecast prediction questions for up to five bonus points per correct call.

Weekly Scoring

Each week, a show earns one base point for every $50,000 it grosses, so a $1 million week is worth 20 base points. On top of that, shows can earn bonuses: up to five points for filling seats (based on how close to full capacity the house ran), six points for grossing $2 million or more (or three points for grossing between $1 million and $2 million), and eight points if its gross jumped at least 15 percent from the week before. A show loses four points if its gross dropped at least 15 percent. If a show goes dark and reports no gross for a week, it scores zero for that week with no penalty.

The Fantasy Forecast

The Producer Fantasy Game is really two games in one. The first is the box office game: drafting shows and earning points from their weekly grosses and awards. The second is the Fantasy Forecast, a weekly set of prediction questions about what's happening on Broadway, where each correct answer is worth up to five points. You can play one or both.

We track them separately so you can shine at either. Your Producer score covers the box office game, your Forecast score covers your prediction results, and your Combined score adds the two together for the overall championship ranking. The leaderboard lets you toggle between Overall, Producers, and Forecasters, so a sharp predictor can top the Forecasters board even during a rough season for their roster, and a roster powerhouse can lead the Producers board without answering a single question.

Managing Your Roster

Your lineup stays at six shows all season, and you have plenty of room to maneuver. You get one free drop every week, three additional season drops to use anytime before the trade deadline, and free replacements whenever a show on your roster closes. New productions open throughout the season and become available the moment they start reporting grosses, so it pays to keep a transaction in your pocket for that buzzy new opening.

Join the Game

The Producer Fantasy Game is free for all BroadwayWorld users, and you can join any time the draft window is open. Draft within the first two weeks of the season and your roster is scored from opening week, so the earlier you get in, the more weeks you bank. Build your roster, make your predictions, and start climbing the leaderboard today.

Full Film Lineup Revealed for the 2026 Austin Asian American Film Festival

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:06:56 PST

The full film lineup for the 2026 Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF) has been revealed, with this year’s screenings taking place June 24 - 28, 2026 at AFS Cinema in Austin. AAAFF will present films by diverse filmmakers from all over the world, as well as short films by Texas filmmakers, narrative shorts, documentaries, and more.

This year, the festival will include a special virtual reality (VR) short film experience sponsored by the Taiwan Ministry of Cultural and Taiwan Academy in Houston. A media preview of “IN THE MIST” (VR short film) and corresponding short film “KISS,” by Director Chou Tung-Yen, who will be attending the festival, will take place on Thursday, June 25, from 1 - 4 p.m. at the new Torch Literary Arts Center at the Linc located at 6406 N Interstate 35 Frontage Rd. There will also be a VIP red carpet at AFS Cinema on Friday, June 26 at 6:30 p.m. with details to be announced.

The public are invited to purchase limited Insider Badges (a new opportunity for supporters, offering reserved seats in the theater, invites to private filmmaker BBQ dinner, secret Karaoke party, and priority access to any films and events) and All-Access badges which are on sale now at the AAAFF website, including five-ticket packages and individual screening tickets.

AAAFF, one of the preeminent AANHPI arts organizations in town, champions Asian and Asian American stories via media arts and empowers Asian Americans to explore opportunities in cinema. This year, the annual event will feature headliners produced in the US and China and the full lineup of films can be found below.

2026 Austin Asian American Film Festival Lineup

FEATURES:

"100 Sunset"
Directed by Kunsang Kyirong
Country of Origin: Canada
Texas Premiere

"Before the Call"
Directed by James Choi (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: South Korea, United States
Austin Premiere

"Do You Love Me"
Directed by Lana Daher
Country of Origin: France, Germany, Lebanon, Qatar

"Filipiñana"
Directed by Rafael Manuel
Country of Origin: Philippines, Singapore, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands
Texas Premiere

"The Gas Station Attendant"
Directed by Karla Murthy (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: United States
Austin Premiere

"Ghost School"
Directed by Seemab Gul
Country of Origin: Pakistan, Germany, Saudi Arabia
Texas Premiere

"Gloaming in Luomu"
Directed by Zhang Lü
Country of Origin: China
North American Premiere

"Honeyjoon"
Directed by Lilian T. Mehrel (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: United States
Austin Premiere

"Lali"
Directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat
Country of Origin: Pakistan
Texas Premiere

"TikTok Never Dies"
Directed by Hao Wu (expected to be in attendance with featured subjects Chloe Sexton and Steven King)
Country of Origin: United States
Texas Premiere

"Traces of Home"
Directed by Colette Ghunim (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: United States
Austin Premiere

TEXAS SHORTS:

"Winter Ceremony"
Directed by Sidi Wang (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: United States

"Taemong"
Directed by Sophia Lim (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: United States
World Premiere

"How We Grieve"
Directed by Meghan Ross and Justin Ross (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: United States

"Firewall"
Directed by Bita Ghassemi (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: United States
Austin Premiere

"Cindy Tran: From Here to Here"
Directed by Xinyan Yu
Country of Origin: United States
Texas Premiere

NARRATIVE SHORTS:

"Paper Daughter"
Directed by Cami Kwan
Country of Origin: United States
Texas Premiere

"Vital"
Directed by Amir Zargara
Country of Origin: Canada, Iran
Texas Premiere

"Pilot"
Directed by Sonia Mackwani
Country of Origin: India
Texas Premiere

"11:11"
Directed by Mahnoor Euceph (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: United States
Texas Premiere

"Another Daughter"
Directed by Hongyu Chen
Country of Origin: China
Texas Premiere

"Praying Mantis"
Directed by Joe Hsieh
Country of Origin: Taiwan

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS:

"Barrio Chino Havana"
Directed by Jalena Keane-Lee and Dr. Kiona (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: United States
Texas Premiere

"Memories of a Window"
Directed by Mehraneh Salimian and Amin Pakparvar
Country of Origin: Germany, Iran, United States
Texas Premiere

"Daily Worker"
Directed by Ting Su
Country of Origin: China, United States
Austin Premiere

"A Flower Falling Back Into the Earth"
Directed by Rajee Samarasinghe
Country of Origin: United States
Texas Premiere

"Unfolding"
Directed by Meghna Chakraborty and Iris (Yi Youn) Kim (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: United States
World Premiere

"Cookie Love"
Directed by Sari Arambulo (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: United States
Texas Premiere

NOT-SO-SHORT SHORTS DOC EDITION

"MĀHŪ: A Trans-Pacific Love Letter"
Directed by Lisette Marie Flanary (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: United States
Austin Premiere

"This House of Ours"
Directed by Jay Ngo
Country of Origin: Estonia
World Premiere

"Light on the Hill"
Directed by Myles Mikio Matsuno (expected to be in attendance)
Country of Origin: United States
Texas Premiere

PRE-FEATURE SHORTS

“KUCHAR (The Itch)”
Directed by Vaidaangi Sharma
Country of Origin: India
Texas Premiere

“Beneath Which Rivers Flow”

Directed by Ali Yahya
Country of Origin: Iraq
Texas Premiere

“Caught in the Stream”
Directed by Adela Kwok
Country of Origin: Canada
US Premiere

A DRAG QUEEN CHRISTMAS to Return for 12th Year With 39-City National Tour

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 19:57:07 PST

“A Drag Queen Christmas” will return for its 12th year, launching a 39-city national tour this November - December. The 2026 edition is hosted by returning fan favorite and theatre star Nina West, and features an all-new merry lineup of drag superstars from the Emmy-winning RuPaul's Drag Race franchise.

Artist pre-sale begins Wednesday, June 3 at 10 a.m. (local time) with the code “TWELVE,” and general on sale begins Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m. (local time) at dragfans.com.

This year's cast includes:

Myki Meeks, Winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 18 (2026)
Nini Coco, Runner-up, Drag Race Season 18 (2026)
Darlene Mitchell, Drag Race Season 18 (2026)
Juicy Love Dion, Drag Race Season 18 (2026)
Discord Addams, Drag Race Season 18 (2026)
Crystal Methyd, Drag Race All Stars Season 11 (2026) & Drag Race Season 12 (2020)
Silky Ganache, Drag Race All Stars Season 11 (2026), Drag Race All Stars Season 6 (2021), Drag Race Season 11 (2019)

“A Drag Queen Christmas” is the world's premiere holiday drag showcase and a sensational theatrical experience that delivers high camp, over-the-top lip-sync performances, side-splitting comedy, elaborate costumes, Broadway-style staging, and a whole lot of heart—something we all seek during the chaos of the holiday season. With plenty of spectacular surprises in store, the show offers audiences a chance to see drag queens at the top of their game perform showstopping numbers of epic holiday proportions on revered theater stages across America. Each year, “A Drag Queen Christmas” provides an annual tradition for folks from all walks of life to come together and connect, find community, and celebrate the season with joy and laughter.

This dazzling, 18+ holiday extravaganza runs two hours and offers fans the chance to add-on a VIP Meet & Greet Experience—including early access to the venue, photos with the queens on stage, autographs, and exclusive tour merchandise.

A Drag Queen Christmas 2026 Tour Dates:

November 11 - Detroit, MI (Fisher Theatre)

November 12 - Rochester, NY (Kodak Center)

November 13 - Rutland, VT (Paramount Theatre)

November 14 - Portland, ME (Merrill Auditorium)

November 15 - Boston, MA (Emerson Colonial Theatre)

November 17 - Red Bank, NJ (Count Basie Center for the Arts)

November 18 - Morristown, NJ (Mayo Performing Arts Center)

November 19 - Washington, DC (Warner Theatre)

November 20 - Durham, NC (Durham Performing Arts Center)

November 21 - Wilmington, NC (Wilson Center - Cape Fear Community College)

November 22 - Philadelphia, PA (Fillmore)

November 24 - Pittsburgh, PA (Byham Theater)

November 25 - Columbus, OH (Palace Theatre)

November 27 - Chicago, IL (Riviera Theatre)

November 28 - Appleton, WI (Fox Cities Performing Arts Center)

November 29 - Omaha, NE (Orpheum Theater)

November 30 - Oklahoma City, OK (The Criterion)

December 1 - Des Moines, IA (Hoyt Sherman Place)

December 2 - Kansas City, MO (Uptown Theater)

December 4 - Denver, CO (Paramount Theatre)

December 5 - Salt Lake City, UT (Kingsbury Hall)

December 7 - Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre)

December 9 - Sacramento, CA (Channel 24)

December 10 - San Francisco, CA (Golden Gate Theatre)

December 11 - Stockton, CA (Bob Hope Theatre)

December 12 - Los Angeles, CA (The Wiltern)

December 13 - Santa Rosa, CA (Luther Burbank Center)

December 15 - Mesa, AZ (Mesa Arts Center)

December 16 - Tucson, AZ (Fox Tucson Theatre)

December 17 - El Paso, TX (Plaza Theatre)

December 19 - Austin, TX (ACL Live at The Moody Theater)

December 20 - Dallas, TX (Winspear Opera House)

December 21 - Wichita, KS (Orpheum Theatre)

December 22 - St.Louis, MO (The Factory)

December 23 - Knoxville, TN (Tennessee Theatre)

December 26 - Tampa Bay, FL (Straz Center for the Performing Arts)

December 27 - Fort Myers, FL (Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall)

December 28 - West Palm Beach, FL (Kravis Center for the Performing Arts)

December 29 - Jacksonville, FL (Florida Theatre)

COME HUNGRY to Make Its Debut at Austin's East Side Performing Arts Center

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 19:14:04 PST

Austin Tea Party will present COME HUNGRY, an immersive fashion experience that combines live performance, fashion design, food, and multimedia storytelling. The production will be presented at East Side Performing Arts Center in Austin and is inspired by the "Allegory of the Long Spoons," a parable centered on cooperation and collective care.

The narrative-driven event follows five stages exploring themes of isolation, scarcity, connection, and abundance. Audiences will move through a staged environment incorporating fashion presentations, contemporary dance, experimental music, and spoken-word performance.

A multi-course dining experience is integrated into the production, with food served as part of the unfolding narrative. Organizers describe the event as an exploration of human connection through a contemporary and queer lens.

The creative team draws inspiration from a range of visual and theatrical influences, including the work of Alexander McQueen and Alice in Wonderland. More than 70 local creatives are participating in the production, including designers, models, dancers, chefs, and nonprofit partners.

Ticket Information

COME HUNGRY will be presented from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on June 20, 2026, with an additional performance from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on June 21, 2026.

The event will take place at East Side Performing Arts Center, 979 Springdale Road, Suite 815, Austin, Texas 78702.

NEW SEASON ANNOUNCED! at Texas Performing Arts

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:59:46 PST

Austin audiences will have plenty of opportunities to travel the world without leaving their seats during Texas Performing Arts' newly announced 2026/27 season.

Celebrating its 45th anniversary, Texas Performing Arts has assembled a lineup that spans continents, cultures, and artistic disciplines, bringing together internationally acclaimed musicians, innovative theatre makers, celebrated dance companies, and immersive storytelling experiences from around the globe. The season features artists from New Zealand, Japan, Belgium, Morocco, Guinea, the United Kingdom, and across the United States, reinforcing TPA's role as one of Austin's most significant gateways to the performing arts.

"Texas Performing Arts was founded 45 years ago to bring the best of the arts to Austin," said Executive & Artistic Director Bob Bursey in the season announcement. "To mark this anniversary, we're welcoming inventive theatre and dance makers, celebrated musicians, and acclaimed storytellers for a creative passport to the best of American and international performance."

While six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald's January appearance will undoubtedly be one of the season's most anticipated events, the broader season reveals a thoughtfully curated collection of performances that invite audiences to experience stories, traditions, and artistic perspectives from around the world.

Music lovers will find much to celebrate. McDonald returns to Austin with an evening that promises selections from Broadway, the Great American Songbook, and beyond, showcasing the warmth, storytelling, and vocal artistry that have made her one of the most celebrated performers of her generation. NEA Jazz Masters and Grammy Award winners Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves will join forces for a special tribute honoring the centennial of John Coltrane's birth, celebrating the enduring legacy of one of jazz's most influential voices.

The season's international reach is perhaps most evident in productions such as Kodo's LUMINANCE. The world-renowned Japanese taiko ensemble returns to Austin after more than four decades of performances around the globe, offering audiences the thunderous rhythms and extraordinary physicality that have made the company legendary. Likewise, New Zealand's Indian Ink Theatre Company will make its Austin debut with MRS. KRISHNAN'S PARTY!, an immersive theatrical experience that transforms the stage into a vibrant community gathering where audience members become guests at the celebration.

Theatre offerings throughout the season embrace both classic and contemporary storytelling. Actors From The London Stage return with MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, bringing Shakespeare's beloved comedy to life through the company's signature approach of five actors playing every role. Meanwhile, illusionist Scott Silven's THE LOST THINGS blends theatrical storytelling with astonishing magic and illusion in an exploration of memory, mystery, and human connection.

Several productions also push beyond traditional artistic boundaries. WHO TURNS OUT THE LIGHT brings together Sō Percussion, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, and Ringdown in a multimedia performance that blends music, visual design, and theatrical storytelling. Fusebox collaborations continue to expand the season's adventurous spirit with Suzanne Bocanegra's world premiere MOTHERHOOD, a performance lecture exploring the cultural and personal dimensions of raising children, and ALL MY RELATIONS COLLECTIVE's SKELETON CANOE, a visually inventive coming-of-age story that combines puppetry, music, and multimedia design.

Dance audiences will also find compelling offerings throughout the season. The influential LIMÓN DANCE COMPANY returns with a program celebrating the enduring legacy of modern dance pioneer José Limón, while Belgium's Rosas Dance Company presents IL CIMENTO DELL'ARMONIA E DELL'INVENTIONE, a striking reimagining of Vivaldi's THE FOUR SEASONS that reflects on humanity's evolving relationship with the natural world.

Adding another layer to the season is the inaugural Terrence McNally FESTIVAL. Presented in partnership with the Terrence McNally Foundation, Rattlestick Theater, and the University of Texas' Harry Ransom Center, the festival will honor the legacy of the Texas-born playwright while introducing audiences to a new generation of theatrical voices through staged readings and scholarly conversation.

Taken together, the season feels particularly well suited to this moment in Austin's cultural life. Rather than focusing solely on marquee names, the lineup emphasizes curiosity, conversation, and connection. Whether through the communal joy of MRS. KRISHNAN'S PARTY!, the global rhythms of Kodo, the athletic artistry of CIRQUE KALABANTÉ, or the timeless storytelling of Shakespeare, the season invites audiences to encounter perspectives that extend well beyond their own experiences.

Forty-five years after its founding, Texas Performing Arts continues to bring the wider world to Austin's stages—and this season may be one of its most globally minded yet.

Tickets for the 2026/27 Texas Performing Arts season go on sale Friday, June 5. For a complete schedule and additional information, visit Texas Performing Arts.

Review: THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM at The Alchemy Theatre

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:57:37 PST

The first sound is a fiddle. Then a banjo joins in. Before long, the stage feels less like a theatre and more like a gathering on a Mississippi porch where someone is about to tell the tallest tale you've ever heard. That's exactly where The Alchemy Theatre wants you for The Robber Bridegroom, and this delightfully eccentric production never lets you leave.

First produced on Broadway in 1975, The Robber Bridegroom earned Tony Award nominations for Best Musical and Best Score. Adapted from Eudora Welty's novella by Alfred Uhry and Robert Waldman, the musical blends Southern folklore, bluegrass, romance, and absurdist humor into something entirely its own.

Set along the Natchez Trace in eighteenth-century Mississippi, the story follows Jamie Lockhart, a gentleman robber with a dangerous secret. By day, he is handsome, charming, and respected. By night, he becomes the infamous robber who terrorizes travelers along the wilderness road. When he falls for Rosamund Musgrove, the spirited daughter of the wealthiest planter in the territory, romance collides with greed, deception, mistaken identities, and a cast of colorful characters who seem to have wandered straight out of a Southern tall tale.

Matthew Kennedy as Little Harp and Noah Steele as Goat
The Robber Bridegroom
PC: The Alchemy Theatre

Director Michael Cooper embraces the show's whimsical nature from the outset, creating a production that feels less like a traditional musical and more like a communal act of storytelling. The intimate in-the-round configuration of the Whisenhunt Stage at Zach proves to be the perfect setting. Holly and Patrick Crowley's ingenious set is constantly deconstructed and rebuilt before the audience's eyes, transforming effortlessly from one location to another. The mechanics are never hidden. Instead, they become part of the magic.

Much of that magic comes from the ensemble, who continuously reshape the world of the play while remaining fully immersed in the story. Combined with Noah Wood's exceptional choreography, the result is a production that never seems to stop moving. In a compact space, precision matters, and this company handles every intricate step with ease. The choreography blends folk-inspired movement with contemporary influences, becoming a storytelling device in its own right. Despite the constant motion, the stage never feels crowded.

Pam Fletcher's Friday costumes beautifully complement the production's rustic aesthetic, while the excellent live band, led by musical director Ellie Jarrett Shattles, alongside Billy Curtis and Stevie Trudell, provides the show's beating heart.

The cast is strong all around.

Cameron La Brie brings effortless charm and charisma to Jamie Lockhart, while Taylor BIni provides a grounded and spirited Rosamund. Sebastian Vitale mines plenty of laughs as the weak-willed Clement Musgrove, and Rachel Pallante nearly steals the show as his ambitious wife Salome, pairing impeccable comic timing with powerhouse vocals.

Matthew Kennedy is delightfully menacing as Little Harp, while Noah Steele earns our sympathy and laughs as the gullible Goat. Throughout the production, Brittany Marino, Kyra Jackson, Alicia Frias Escobar, Tony Wilson, and Kevin Pellicone seamlessly move between roles, helping create the rich tapestry of characters that populate this strange and wonderful world. Among them, Escobar's Raven stands out thanks to its remarkably precise, birdlike physicality, particularly in the subtle head movements that transform a simple characterization into something memorable.

Alicia Frias Escobar as Raven
The Robber Bridegroom
PC: The Alchemy Theatre

What ultimately makes this production so successful is its complete commitment to its own delightful absurdity. Nobody seems interested in grounding the material or apologizing for its eccentricities. Instead, the company embraces the show's peculiar charm with confidence and joy.

The Robber Bridegroom is absurd. It is hilarious. It is captivating.

Most importantly, it is a lot of fun.

The Alchemy Theatre has assembled a talented company of artists who understand that sometimes the best theatre is simply a great story told well. For over two hours, they invite the audience into a world of robbers, lovers, fools, and folklore, and the invitation is well worth accepting.

You'll laugh. You'll marvel at the staging. You'll leave thoroughly entertained and begging for more.

You’ll thank me later.

The cast and band of
The Robber Bridegroom
PC: The Alchemy Theatre

The Robber Bridegroom

Book and Lyrics by Alfred Uhry

Music by Robert Waldman

Adapted from the Novella by Eudora Welty

Directed by Michael Cooper

Musical Direction by Ellie Jarrett Shattles

Choreography by Noah Wood

Produced by Marnie Near

Now playing through June 14th, 2026

The Alchemy Theatre @ Whisenhunt Stage at Zach Theatre

Thursdays to Saturdays at 7:30 PM

Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 PM

Interview: Josh Wechsler & Jen Young Mahlstedt of STARMADE SHADOWS at The J2 Method

Sat, 30 May 2026 19:38:39 PST

BroadwayWorld Exclusive: Jen Young Mahlstedt and Josh Wechsler on Building The J² Method and Preparing Austin's Next Generation of Theatre Artists

For more than a decade, Josh Wechsler and Jen Young Mahlstedt have helped train hundreds of young performers across Central Texas. Their students have gone on to top BFA programs, national tours, Broadway, television, and stages around the world.

With the launch of The J² Method, the pair have distilled decades of experience into a program with a singular focus: advanced training for students pursuing collegiate and professional careers in the performing arts.

Rather than offering camps, productions, and programming for every age and experience level, J² was intentionally built around a specific path. Their focus is on middle and high school students who have decided they want to pursue dance, acting, or musical theatre professionally and are looking for the training, discipline, and mentorship required to move from the classroom into college programs and eventually the industry.

As Wechsler puts it, "There's room for everybody, just not in every program.”

That philosophy shapes everything they do, beginning with admissions. Instead of relying on a traditional audition that measures only a student's current skill level, J² evaluates how students learn, collaborate, respond to feedback, and engage with their peers. Talent matters, but potential, curiosity, work ethic, and studentship matter just as much.

"It's not just about what they can deliver. It's about the way they work in the room. Their willingness to be students. The way they learn from us and from each other," Wechsler explains.

Jen Young Mahlstedt (left) and Josh Wechsler (right)
Founders of The J² Method

Both educators are often more interested in a student who is eager to learn than one who arrives polished but unwilling to grow. Their goal is not to cast a show. It is to train artists. In fact, Wechsler laughs that they are often "rooting for the underdog," looking for students who are willing to sit, observe, learn from their peers, and put in the work required to grow.

That same philosophy informs their college preparation process. Through a long-standing partnership with College Audition Coach and its leaders, Mark Christine and Mary Anna Dennard, J² students receive structured preparation and mentorship designed to help them enter the audition room ready to compete at the highest level. The emphasis is not on speed, but readiness.

"If they're not ready, I won't let them go," Mahlstedt says.

At the same time, J² rejects the notion that rigorous training must come at the expense of student well-being. Throughout our conversation, both educators returned repeatedly to the importance of creating an environment where students feel challenged without feeling diminished.

One of the most revealing moments of the afternoon came when Wechsler described the culture they strive to create: "A student might feel embarrassed, but we will never embarrass them.” J² provides a brave space for artists to develop and grow. A community. A family.

That culture extends well beyond the classroom. Former students regularly return to mentor younger performers, offer advice during college audition season, and remain connected long after graduation.

"We're there for them after the college audition process," Mahlstedt says. "After they get into school. They can always call us. Come have dinner. Whatever they need."

As the organization grows, so does its vision. This fall will see the launch of the Austin Performing Arts Conservatory, a private performing arts school that combines virtual academics with conservatory-style arts training during the school day.

J² is also expanding opportunities for alumni and working professionals through workshops, masterclasses, and community classes. Their goal is to create the kind of artistic hub often found in larger theatre markets, where performers can continue developing their craft, learn from industry professionals, and remain connected to a creative community throughout their careers.

Accessibility remains an important part of that mission. Through the Student Empowerment Fund, J² provides scholarship support to help ensure talented students have access to training regardless of financial circumstances.

Perhaps the philosophy behind the entire program can best be summed up by a piece of advice Wechsler received from his mother, a teacher herself: "Teach the students, not the class."

Rather than forcing students into a fixed model, J² evolves each year based on the needs of the students in the room, feedback from families, and the realities of an ever-changing industry.

As a parent, I have had the opportunity to watch that philosophy in action firsthand. My daughter trained with Josh and Jen from eighth grade through her senior year of high school before earning a place at a theatre conservatory in England. Today, she is building her career as a performer in London.

When I recently asked her how she would describe her training, her answer came without hesitation:

"After working with Josh and Jen for five years, everything else seemed easy. Not because training with them was hard, but because it was intense and done at a professional level. When I got to college, I felt prepared. Not just in my skills as a performer, but in how to behave in the room, how to collaborate, how to take feedback, and how to carry myself professionally.” — Emma W

That, more than any statistic or acceptance rate, may be the clearest reflection of what The J² Method seeks to accomplish.

Audiences will have an opportunity to see the results of that work in Starmade Shadows, J²'s annual showcase. Inspired by the imagery of a traveling circus troupe, the production blends contemporary musical theatre, live music, visual art, and immersive storytelling while highlighting the unique skills each student brings to the room. Students perform on their own instruments, contribute original arrangements, and bring skills to the stage that extend well beyond the traditional triple-threat model.

"We get to celebrate the skills of each student that go beyond singing, dancing, and acting,” Wechsler says.

Like the program itself, Starmade Shadows is less concerned with perfection than growth. It is a celebration of artistry, collaboration, and a year of hard work, offering audiences a glimpse of the next generation of performers as they continue their journey toward the profession.

And as a former theatre parent and supporter of the arts, I'll be watching the next generation of artists do "their thing" next weekend!

The J² Method

https://www.thej2method.com/

Showcase Information

Starmade Shadows

June 4-7, 2026

Thursday - Saturday at 7:30 PM

Sunday at 2:30 PM

Westlake High School Black Box Theatre

3800 Westbank Drive, Austin, TX, USA

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE To Be Presented By Austin Shakespeare

Sat, 30 May 2026 18:05:40 PST

Austin Shakespeare's Young Shakespeare program opens its 19th annual summer production in June, presenting William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

Featuring music and dance, the production transports audiences from the streets and canals of Venice to the gilded halls of Belmont Estate, with a cast of actors ages 15–20 navigating some of Shakespeare's most morally complex characters.

"Now in its 19th year, Young Shakespeare invites audiences into a world of romance, wit, wealth and worrisome bargains — where the weight of gold is tested against love, loyalty and the loss of human dignity," said Director Cynthia Florez. "Come join these remarkable young actors inside the beautiful and historic walls of Austin's Scottish Rite Theater as they search for balance inside Shakespeare's comic, yet fragile, house of cards."

The production features eight actors new to the Young Shakespeare program alongside returning alumni.

Making their Young Shakespeare debuts are Skylar Ewing as Portia, Madison Gumbert as Nerissa, Willa Hibbs as Jessica, Janus Santillan as Salarino/Balthazar, Teddy Coltman-Oliver as Bassanio, Avery Matthew Yates as Gratiano, Jackson McCrary sharing the role of Lorenzo and Major Vincent as Shylock.

Returning alumni include David Mackowski (3rd year) as Antonio; Kenji Miller (3rd year) who will share the role of Lorenzo, Prince of Arragon, Waiter and Jailer; and Nicholas Moncivalles (2nd year) as Lancelet, Prince of Morocco and The Duke of Venice.

Skylar Ewing, who takes on the role of Portia this season, previously performed with Austin Shakespeare's professional company in Macbeth at the Long Center's Rollins Studio Theatre, where she appeared as Fleance.

The Merchant of Venice features scenic and lighting design by Patrick W. Anthony, costume design by Cecelia Gay, prop design by Stephanie Schmid and sound design by Dawson MacLeod.

Performances will take place on June 19–28, 2026, at the Austin Scottish Rite Theater. Seven performances are scheduled Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. More information can be found at the Austin Shakespeare website.

SONIC LIVE IN CONCERT to Launch Global Tour With US and UK Premieres

Wed, 27 May 2026 20:59:39 PST

As Sonic the Hedgehog celebrates 35 years as one of the most iconic video game franchises of all time, Senbla and SEGA today announced Sonic Live In Concert (www.sonicliveinconcert.com). This new concert experience brings the music and moments of the beloved video games to the stage.

Featuring iconic moments and music from the very first game in 1991 through today, the production will debut in the U.S. at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on September 26, 2026, before making its European premiere at London's Eventim Apollo on September 30. The U.S. tour will visit more than 30 cities nationwide, and a UK tour will follow in February 2027. More European dates will be announced at a later time. Tickets will go on sale May 29, 2026, with pre-sale tickets going on sale on May 28, 2026.

As part of a global rollout celebrating the franchise's milestone anniversary, Sonic Live In Concert features the most recognizable music from the Sonic universe, performed by a live ensemble alongside rock musicians, vocalists, and electronic elements. The setlist includes fan-favorite tracks and an incredible array of music from the very first game through to today accompanied by synchronized HD footage of iconic levels, moments and boss battles from the franchise. Audiences can expect musical Easter eggs woven into the arrangements, adding an extra layer of discovery that brings Sonic's world vividly to life on stage.

The concert also highlights the creative legacy behind Sonic's music from legendary composers Jun Senoue and Tomoya Ohtani, whose work has helped define Sonic's sound across generations.

"Sonic has some of the most distinct and celebrated music in gaming," says Ollie Rosenblatt, CEO of Senbla. "We wanted to create a live show that stays true to what the fans love about Sonic's music, from the electronic and melodic themes to high-energy rock."

“Music has always been a core part of Sonic's identity, shaping how fans experience this world across generations," said Ivo Gerscovich, Chief Business & Brand Officer at SEGA of America, Inc. "With this concert, we're looking forward to celebrating that legacy in a live setting; bringing together the energy, emotion, and creativity of Sonic's music in a way that both longtime fans and new audiences can enjoy together.”

Since his debut in 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog has become a global entertainment icon spanning video games, film, television, and consumer products. With renewed momentum driven by recent film releases, new game titles, and a global brand campaign tied to the 35th anniversary, the franchise continues to reach new generations of fans worldwide.

The performance schedule includes:

September 20, 2026 – Spokane, Washington – First Interstate Center for the Arts
September 22, 2026 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre (preview)
September 23, 2026 – Portland, OR – Keller Auditorium (preview)
September 25, 2026 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Civic Theatre (preview)
September 26, 2026 – Hollywood, CA – Dolby Theatre
September 27, 2026 – Riverside, CA – Fox Performing Arts Center
September 29, 2026 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Arts Center - Ikeda Theater
September 30, 2026 – London, U.K. – London Eventim Apollo
October 1, 2026 – Las Vegas, NV – Resorts World Theatre
October 2, 2026 – Fresno, CA – Saroyan Theatre
October 3, 2026 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic
October 4, 2026 – Reno, NV – Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort & Casino
October 6, 2026 – Denver, CO – Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre
October 8, 2026 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
October 9, 2026 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center
October 10, 2026 – San Antonio, TX – Boeing Center at Tech Port
October 11, 2026 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
October 13, 2026 – Wichita, KS – Orpheum Theatre
October 15, 2026 – Omaha, NE – Orpheum Theater
October 16, 2026 – Peoria, IL – Prairie Home Alliance Theater
October 17, 2026 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace Theatre
October 18, 2026 – St. Louis, MO – The Factory
October 19, 2026 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
October 20, 2026 – Mobile, AL – Saenger Theatre
October 22, 2026 – Brandon, MS – City Hall Live
October 23, 2026 – Huntsville, AL – VBC Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
October 24, 2026 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre
October 25, 2026 – Greensboro, NC – Steven Tanger Center for Performing Arts
October 27, 2026 – Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium
October 28, 2026 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Performing Arts Center
October 29, 2026 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre
October 30, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FL – Duke Energy Center for the Arts - Mahaffey Theater
October 31, 2026 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Broward Center for the Performing Arts - Au Rene Theater
November 1, 2026 – Orlando, FL – Walt Disney Theater at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
February 17, 2027 – Glasgow, UK – Royal Concert Hall
February 18, 2027 – Edinburgh, UK – Usher Hall
February 19, 2027 – Manchester, UK – Bridgewater Hall
February 20, 2027 – Birmingham, UK – Symphony Hall

For more information, tour dates, and tickets, visit www.sonicliveinconcert.com.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR to Open at Georgetown Palace Theatre

Wed, 27 May 2026 12:45:20 PST

The Georgetown Palace Theatre will open Jesus Christ Superstar, this Friday, May, 29, on the historic Springer stage. The first musical by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber to be produced for the professional stage, Jesus Christ Superstar has wowed audiences for over 50 years. A timeless work, the rock opera is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary and universally known series of events, but seen, unusually, through the eyes of Judas Iscariot. Loosely based on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Superstar follows the last week of Jesus Christ's life. The story, told entirely through song, explores the personal relationships and struggles between Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene, his disciples, his followers, and the Roman Empire.

The iconic 1970s rock score contains such well-known numbers as “Superstar,” “I Don't Know How to Love Him” and “Gethsemane.” A true global phenomenon and perfect choice for schools, community theaters and professionals alike, Superstar continues to touch new generations of audiences and performers. Directed by Jamie Rogers.

Mix and mingle with the cast, Friday, May 29, for our opening night after party in the Tin Barn located in Tin Barn Alley behind the theatre. We will have complimentary drinks and snacks.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR to Open at Georgetown Palace Theatre

Wed, 27 May 2026 12:45:20 PST

Mix and mingle with the cast, Friday, May 29, for our opening night after party in the Tin Barn located in Tin Barn Alley behind the theatre. We will have complimentary drinks and snacks.

Review: ERMA BOMBECK: AT WIT’S END at Austin Playhouse

Tue, 26 May 2026 10:16:47 PST

Erma Bombeck: at wit's end doesn’t deliver grand drama, but rather succeeds in portraying the ordinary battle Erma lived on the daily: the home, the family, the column deadline, the endless negotiation between who a woman is and who everyone expects her to be.

Written by Allison Engel and Margaret Engel, the play follows Bombeck from suburban wife and mother to nationally syndicated columnist, tracing how her humor grew out of the daily frustrations women were rarely allowed to name out loud. It also follows her growing public voice, including her advocacy for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), but the piece never turns into a lecture. That is its smartest move. It lets the politics rise out of the punchlines.

Did you know that the ERA has been introduced in nearly every congressional session since 1923, but it's still stuck in limbo over century-old deadlines? Why can't women have equal constitutional rights? A mother of two young women is asking kindly...

Austin Playhouse’s production, directed by Lara Toner Haddock, balances politics and ordinary life beautifully. It never wags its finger. It opens the kitchen door, lets the audience in, and allows recognition to do the rest.

At the center of it all, Sarah Fleming Walker (as Erma Bombeck) gives an outstanding solo performance. She is warm, sharp, mischievous, and completely in command. Walker never pushes for laughs. She trusts the writing, then slices through it with immaculate timing. Her Erma is not a museum piece or a nostalgia act. She is a working woman trying to think, write, mother, love, argue, and survive inside a world that keeps shrinking the room around her.

As a working mother, I found the play deeply relatable: the children, the deadlines, the household expectations, the ambition, the guilt, the need to be taken seriously while still being expected to find everyone’s socks. It was a mirror into my life, and from the reaction of the women in the audience, I wasn’t the only one to feel that way.

“Encourage independence in your children by regularly losing them in the supermarket.” - for me it was the mall!

Haddock keeps the production intimate and brisk, allowing the rhythm of the writing and Walker’s performance to carry the evening. There is no clutter, no unnecessary sentimentality, no heavy-handed framing. The focus stays where it belongs: on Bombeck’s voice and Walker’s ability to make that voice feel alive in the room.

By the end, Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End becomes more than a tribute to a beloved columnist. It becomes a reminder of how radical humor can be when it tells the truth without asking permission.

One of my favorite quotes in the play: “Motherhood is the second oldest profession, but it doesn’t pay.” Oh, we know that very well, Erma!

Austin Playhouse has given the piece a production that is witty, generous, and quietly fierce. And Walker is simply terrific. Funny, grounded, and impossible to look away from.

Run time: 1 hour 15 minutes, no intermission.

Sarah Flemming Walker as Erma Bombeck
Erma Bombeck: at wit’s end
Austin Playhouse
PC: Austin Playhouse

Erma Bombeck: at wit’s end

Written by Allison Engel & Margaret Engel

Directed by Lara Toner Haddock

Now playing through June 14th, 2026

Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM

Sundays at 2:00 PM

Austin Playhouse West Campus

Studio Stage

405 W 22nd Street

Austin, Texas

Review: WAKEY, WAKEY. at Hyde Park Theatre

Tue, 26 May 2026 10:16:55 PST

Originally premiering Off-Broadway in 2017 at Signature Theatre Company in New York under Will Eno’s own direction and starring Michael Emerson and January LaVoy, Wakey, Wakey finds an intimate home at Hyde Park Theatre in a stripped-down production directed by and starring Ken Webster alongside Rebecca Robinson.

The story itself is simple. A man named Guy (Webster) sits before the audience in what appears to be a hospital common room or hospice space. He talks directly to us. He jokes, rambles, loses his train of thought, asks philosophical questions, and shares scattered observations about life with the dry sarcasm of someone trying very hard to appear okay.

Halfway through the play, a strange feeling settled over me. There I was, laughing comfortably while the man onstage was forgetting how to hold onto the edges of his own life.

And I felt guilty. Insensitive. Suddenly aware of the fragility of life.

That hot second it takes to understand what Eno is doing, that delayed realization, becomes part of the play’s quiet brilliance. The audience spends much of the evening laughing at Guy’s awkward observations and self-deprecating humor before realizing they are essentially witnessing a farewell speech disguised as casual conversation.

Eno’s writing thrives in contradiction. The play is funny without being cheerful, philosophical without becoming pretentious, and deeply sad without drowning itself in grief. Eno’s voice feels warm, contemporary, and unmistakably American in its rhythm. Humor becomes survival here. Guy jokes because silence would force him to confront the truth sitting quietly beside him.

That balancing act demands an actor capable of carrying emotional weight without announcing it, and Webster delivers exactly that kind of performance.

Rebecca Robinson (Lisa) and Ken Webster (Guy)
Wakey, Wakey
Hyde Park Theatre
PC: Hyde Park Theatre

Alone onstage for most of the production, Webster keeps the performance restrained and naturalistic. His Guy feels tired in a painfully familiar way, like someone trying to hold himself together through conversation alone. Rather than leaning into melodrama, Webster allows the character’s confusion, awkwardness, and vulnerability to surface gradually over the course of the play. By the final moments, the empathy arrives quietly.

Robinson’s Lisa provides a steady counterbalance to Guy’s increasingly fragmented thoughts. Warm and understated, she grounds the play without slipping into sentimentality.

One of the production’s most prevalent elements is its use of video projection (Lowell Bartholomee). Images of ordinary pleasures and fleeting moments drift across the stage like fragments of memory: sunlight, laughter, movement, small joys we barely notice while living through them. The effect quietly reinforces the play’s central idea that existence itself is fragile and miraculous, even in its most mundane details.

Under Webster’s direction, the realism of the piece remains intact. There is no attempt to inflate the material into something larger or more theatrical than it needs to be. The intimacy of Hyde Park Theatre works beautifully here, trapping the audience inside Guy’s unraveling thoughts with nowhere to emotionally hide.

What stayed with me after I left Wakey, Wakey was not sadness, though sadness certainly crept in at times. It was awareness. The uncomfortable recognition that life often slips by in fleeting moments until suddenly someone turns off the light and you realize you may not have lived at all.

Eno never offers a solution or a comforting thought. He simply gives us a dying man cracking jokes into the dark, hoping somebody hears him before the silence arrives.

Run time: Short of 60 minutes, no intermission.

Ken Webster (Guy)
Wakey, Wakey
Hyde Park Theatre
PC: Hyde Park Theatre

Wakey, Wakey.

Written by Will Eno

Directed by Ken Webster

Now playing through June 13th, 2026

Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 PM

Hyde Park Theatre

511 West 43rd Street

Austin, Texas 78751

Jalen Baker, Musiqa and More Set for 2026-2027 Houston Is Inspired Series at the Hobby Center

Thu, 21 May 2026 13:46:39 PST

The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts announces Jalen Baker, Musiqa, and Harrison Guy featuring Urban Souls Dance Company for the 2026-2027 Houston Is Inspired Series, showcasing new and bold performances rooted in Houston's stories, culture, and creative spirit. Single tickets as well as three-show ticket packages on sale now and are available now.

Reflective of the Hobby Center's commitment to be an active partner in strengthening Houston's arts ecosystem, the organization continues to invest in local artists and serves as a portal for audiences to discover something new, unexpected, and distinctly Houston.

Kicking off the new season is a mainstay on the international jazz scene, Houston's own Jalen Baker with RePaved playing Dec. 4, 2026, in Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center.

The series continues with two performances in Zilkha Hall: Contemporary music ensemble Musiqa presents Looking Back, Looking Forward on March 19, 2027, followed by Harrison Guy featuring Urban Souls Dance Company on April 24, 2027, with Gentrified: Where have all the porches gone?, a performance exploring Houston's historic Black neighborhoods, memory, change, and the communities shaping the city's evolution.

Houston Is Inspired celebrates and amplifies the work of local artists and organizations through week-long residencies, offering access to the Hobby Center's premier spaces, professional production support, and marketing resources.

Selected artists and organizations for the 2026-2027 Season will receive comprehensive production, administrative and promotional support including a $20,000 stipend to help fund the creation and development of their performance. They will receive five days of full access to Zilkha Hall comprised of the stage, dressing rooms, technical equipment, production staff for rehearsals, tech and final performance as well as community engagement support through the education department. Additionally, a marketing investment from the Hobby Center alongside a project-specific promotional plan will be created and executed in partnership with the artist/organization. Each week-long residency is valued at over $60,000 in support of the project.

The Houston Is Inspired series logo and mural, on display in Zilkha Hall, were created by artist GONZO247 for the Hobby Center, reflecting Houston culture and drawing from a visual theme in his mural at Market Square Park.

The Hobby Center's Houston Is Inspired 2026-2027 Series Performances in Zilkha Hall

Jalen Baker | RePaved | December 4, 2026

RePaved brings the stories of Houston's Third, Fourth, and Fifth Wards to life through a new suite of jazz music featuring a 9-piece chamber ensemble. Drawing on histories like Freedmen's Town and Juneteenth, RePaved connects past and present, revealing how these communities continue to shape the city we know today.

Musiqa | Looking Back, Looking Forward | March 19, 2027

Looking Back, Leaping Forward celebrates Musiqa's 25th anniversary with a double bill of new chamber operas exploring memory, change, and the choices that shape our lives.

Iphigenia by composer Anthony Brandt and librettist Neena Beber reimagines a Greek myth in a contemporary setting, where a proposed wind energy project becomes a flashpoint for a community navigating uncertainty. When shifting conditions force a reversal, the work explores the tension between progress and short-term comfort, asking what we're willing to give up, and who ultimately bears the cost.

In Follow the Sky by Pierre Jalbert and Stephanie Fleischmann, a philosophy student is haunted by the music of an aging violinist, whose playing permeates the apartment building where they live. Inspired by HP Lovecraft's The Music of Erich Zann, this meditation on music as a lifeline in the face of fractured memory explores the trauma of displacement and the meaning of home.

Harrison Guy featuring Urban Souls Dance Company | Gentrified: Where have all the porches gone? | April 24, 2027

Gentrified: Where have all the porches gone? is a multidisciplinary performance that centers the porch as a vital gathering place in Black communities, where neighbors connected, stories were shared, and everyday life unfolded in full view. Through dance, spoken word, and storytelling, the work brings forward voices from seven historic Black Houston neighborhoods: Fourth Ward, Fifth Ward, Third Ward, Independence Heights, Sunnyside, Acres Homes, and South Park.

As porches disappear and communities face change, Gentrified: Where have all the porches gone? reflects on what those spaces made possible—connection, visibility, and care—while asking what it means to carry that spirit forward today.

Review: PUEBLO REVOLT at Ground Floor Theatre

Thu, 21 May 2026 10:11:45 PST

In Dillon Christopher Chitto’s PUEBLO REVOLT, now playing at Ground Floor Theatre, history breathes through two brothers standing at the edge of revolution. Funny, tender, deeply human, and quietly devastating, PUEBLO REVOLT transforms the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 from a distant historical event into something immediate and painfully recognizable: a story about identity, survival, belonging, and the cost of resistance.

Playwright Chitto, who is of Mississippi Choctaw, Laguna Pueblo, and Isleta Pueblo heritage, wisely avoids turning the play into a museum piece or history lecture. Instead, PUEBLO REVOLT is infused with contemporary humor, sibling tension, queer longing, and emotional intimacy. The play understands something too often erased from Indigenous narratives: Native people were never merely symbols of tragedy or resistance. They were, and are, gloriously alive, complicated, funny, fearful, loving people.

Under Carl Gonzales’ direction, Ground Floor Theatre anchors all of that humanity in two tightly wound, deliberate, and excellent performances from AJ Reyes as Feem Whim and Benjamin G. Bazán as his brother Ba’homa. To start, Gonzales understands this play requires a distinct and nuanced pacing. Even in well produced, professional productions, we too often come away with a flat and distanced experience of story telling that Gonzales gets right with Chitto’s personal portrayal of the Pueblo Revolt. It’s a crucial element in a story that is simultaneously grave, funny, vulnerable, cruel, and loving. In other words, lifelike. Gonzales is also blessed with a pair of actors who possess an effortless chemistry with sharp comic timing. Reyes, who bears the brunt of a good deal of the play’s vulnerability, is both charming and affecting. Bazán gives us an evocative performance of Ba’homa as an uncomplicated but passionate young man navigating a complex and dangerous time. Chitto deserves credit for creating Feem and Ba’homa as such clearly multi-faceted humans. Gonzales’s careful direction of Chitto’s script perfectly refrains from stereotype on so many levels, that we are free to experience what the playwright intended with this play. Add this up, and you’ve got a production that feels both politically resonant and profoundly personal.

The production is backed by a purposeful, pared down set that consists of a rounded platform reminiscent of a Cochiti Pueblo drumhead. It is the centerpiece of this play staged in the round. Maggie Armandariz’s scenic design and Luis Sandoval’s lighting provide a beautiful backdrop for this simultaneously touching, serious, and funny show.

PUEBLO REVOLT ultimately understands that history is not over. Colonialism is not some safely sealed chapter from long ago, but something whose echoes still shape identity, belonging, culture, and survival right now. Dillon Christopher Chitto wisely refuses to reduce Native people to symbols of tragedy or resistance alone. Instead, these characters are funny, awkward, tender, queer, frightened, loving, impulsive, hopeful human beings trying to figure themselves out while history crashes around them. That may be what makes the play feel so quietly urgent. It doesn't ask what heroes do during revolution, but what ordinary people do when the world around them begins to change. In Ground Floor Theatre’s deeply moving production, humanity becomes the heartbeat of the story.

PUEBLO REVOLT

by Dillon Christopher Chitto

Directed By Carl Gonzales

Ground Floor Theatre

979 Springdale Rd

Austin, TX, 78702

May 7–23, 2026

Ground Floor Theatre believes in theatre for everyone regardless of ability to pay. Tickets are always Pay What You Can. Click here to get yours.

A RAISIN IN THE SUN Will Come to City Theatre Austin as Part of Juneteenth Celebration

Wed, 20 May 2026 05:14:04 PST

City Theatre Austin will present the production of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Lisa Jordan. Called “a milestone in American theatre,” this presentation marks the 67th anniversary of the show's groundbreaking Broadway opening and is part of the 2026 Austin Juneteenth Celebration. Performances will run June 12-28.

A recent widow, Lena Younger wants to use her husband's insurance money to buy a home for her family, freeing them from the cramped tenement in which they live. Her son, Walter Lee is determined to invest the money in a business - an opportunity for him to be his own man. Lena refuses: in her eyes a house is a sturdy thing to build a dream on. But when a white representative of the neighborhood "welcoming committee" presents them with an offer to buy them out of their home, the dream quickly becomes a nightmare. The Younger family attempts to find their place amidst a number of difficult situations and, for the first time, Walter begins to value what money can't buy and achieves a new level of self-respect and pride.

For A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry drew from an incident in her own childhood that profoundly affected her family's life. In defiance of real estate contracts of that era that barred Blacks from certain neighborhoods, her father moved his family to an all-white area. Mobs gathered outside the new home, and 8-year-old Lorraine was almost struck by a brick hurled through a window. The family was finally evicted, but Carl Hansberry and NAACP lawyers fought the state court decision all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, ultimately winning a landmark decision prohibiting restrictive housing.

Hansberry would later write, “It will help a lot of people understand that we have among our downtrodden ranks people who are the very essence of human dignity. That is what – after all the laughter and the tears – the play is supposed to say.”

A Raisin in the Sun opened on Broadway in 1959, lauded by The New York Times as a show that “changed American theater forever.” For the first time in history, a production hailed a Black principal cast, a Black director, and a Black playwright. Its 29-year-old author became the youngest American and the first Black playwright to win the New York Drama Critics' Best Play of the Year citation.

The original film starred Sidney Poitier, with a more recent Broadway and film version starring Phylicia Rashad and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. A Raisin in the Sun brings to life an inspiring classic story about a working class Black family struggling to make it in America.

Directed by guest director Lisa Jordan, the cast features Kendra Franklin (Lena Younger), McArthur Moore (Walter Lee Younger), Olivia Jamison (Ruth Younger), Abigail Egbujor (Beneatha), Anthony Stallings (Joseph Asagai), Justen Roberts (George Murchison), Nathaniel Jamison (Travis), Krys Jordan (Bobo), and Roger Estrada (Karl Linder). The production is designed by Andy Berkovsky, with costumes by Christina L. Manley.

Cast Set for ANNIE, Coming to Zach Theater This Summer

Tue, 19 May 2026 16:40:13 PST

Zach Theater has revealed the cast and creatives for Annie. Directed by Associate Artistic Director Cassie Abate with musical direction by Spencer Hansen and choreography by Kiira Carper. Annie features an adult and youth cast, playing June 24–August 2, 2026 at The Topfer at Zach.

Leaping Lizards! Annie takes the stage this summer in a contemporary staging highlighting the musical’s enduring message of hope. With iconic songs like “Tomorrow” and “Hard-Knock Life,” this beloved classic by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan continues to inspire audiences of all ages with the story of the girl who believes brighter days are around the corner.

The title role of Annie will be shared by the talents of youth actors Layla Ramos and Charlotte Storm as the spunky and optimistic orphan.

Annie will also star Jamie Goodwin as billionaire businessman, Oliver Warbucks; Jamie Karen as the disillusioned orphanage matron, Miss Hannigan; Tiffany Solano as Grace Farrell, Yurel Echezarreta as Miss Hannigan’s scheming younger brother, Rooster Hannigan; and Sara Burke as Rooster’s egotistical gold-digging girlfriend, Lily St. Regis.

Rounding out the youth cast, Annie will be joined by other orphans at the “New York Municipal Orphanage” played by Sophia Ghangurde and Yujo Park as Duffy; Isabella Johnson and Emily Wolfman as July; Caroline Copeland and Amelia Galindo as Pepper; Leili Ahmadyar and Camille Myers as Tessie; Olivia Feuerberg and Areli Knox as Kate; and Monroe Bowcutt and Billie Grace Lit as Molly.

Completing the adult cast: Noah Claiborne Wood as Bert Healy; Bob Brandenburg as President Franklin D. Roosevelt; Ian Bethany, Maclain Dessatti, Gianna Kohl, Malia McLellan, Emily Snouffer, Grisham Locke, and Laura Jane Jones as ensemble.

In addition to direction by Cassie Abate with music direction by Spencer Hansen and choreography by Kiira Carper, the production team for Annie includes: Abbigayle Scott as assistant choreographer; Wilson Chin with tour scenic design; Susan Branch Towne as Costume Designer; Benjamin Gantose as lighting designer; Darby Smotherman as sound designer; additional props by Brady Flock; Anna Fugate-Downs as hair & makeup designer; Leigh’Ann Andrews as AEA stage manager; Casey Boriskie as AEA assistant stage manager; Gloria Labatut Davies as assistant stage manager; KayCi Wolf as production assistant; Victoria Salzar and Aidenne Despres as student actor supervisors; and Gabby Carney as dog supervisor.

Special events in celebration of Annie:

Pay What You Wish Week

Wednesday, June 24 through Sunday, June 28, 2026

Pride Night

June 25, 2026 at 7:30pm

Zachademia Night

Wednesday, July 1, 2026 at 7:30pm

Champagne Opening

Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 7:30pm

ASL Performance

Saturday, July 11 at 1:00pm

THE NOTEBOOK North American Tour Adds 26 Cities to 2026-27 Route

Tue, 19 May 2026 08:13:15 PST

The North American Tour of THE NOTEBOOK hasannounced engagements for the 2026-27 season, adding 26 cites to the previously announced route, including stops in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, and Houston. The tour began performances on September 6, 2025, at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio, and has welcomed over 500,000 patrons to date.

Read the reviews for the touring production of The Notebook.

Allie and Noah, two people from different worlds, share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart in a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love. Based on the book that has sold millions of copies worldwide and a film that is one of the highest-grossing romantic dramas of all-time, the musical adaptation of THE NOTEBOOK played Broadway at the Schoenfeld Theatre from March 2024 to December 2024 following a critically acclaimed world premiere engagement at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in the fall of 2022.

THE NOTEBOOK features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson and a book by playwright Bekah Brunstetter (writer and producer on NBC's “This Is Us,” The Cake). The production is directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, RENT) and Schele Williams (Aida, The Wiz), with choreography by Katie Spelman (Associate Choreographer on Moulin Rouge! The Musical).

The creative team for the tour includes scenic design by David Zinn and Brett J. Banakis, costume design by Paloma Young, lighting design by Ben Stanton, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Mia Neal, and projection design by Lucy Mackinnon. The production's music supervisor is Carmel Dean, who also collaborated on arrangements with Ingrid Michaelson and on orchestrations with John Clancy, and the music director is Tina Faye. Casting by The Telsey Office, Patrick Goodwin, CSA.

The production was recognized with three 2024 Tony Award nominations (Best Book of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical), Drama League Award nominations for Outstanding Production of a Musical, two Distinguished Performance Awards and the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing, Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, and an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical.

2026-2027 Tour Dates:

Detroit, MI — Fisher Theatre
September 22 – October 4, 2026

Dayton, OH — Schuster Center
October 6 – 11, 2026

Grand Rapids, MI — DeVos Performance Hall
October 13 – 18, 2026

East Lansing, MI — Wharton Center
October 27 – November 1, 2026

Richmond, VA — Altria Theater
November 3 – 8, 2026

Pittsburgh, PA — Benedum Center
November 10 – 15, 2026

Schenectady, NY — Proctors
December 1 – 6, 2026

Boston, MA — Emerson Colonial Theatre
December 8 – 20, 2026

Oklahoma City, OK — Civic Center Music Hall
December 29, 2026 – January 3, 2027

Houston, TX — Hobby Center
January 5 – 10, 2027

Dallas, TX — Winspear Opera House
January 12 – 24, 2027

New Orleans, LA — Saenger Theatre
January 26 – 31, 2027

Hershey, PA — Hershey Theatre
February 3 – 7, 2027

Providence, RI — PPAC
February 9 – 14, 2027

Rochester, NY — Auditorium Theatre
February 16 – 21, 2027

Fayetteville, AR — Walton Arts Center
February 24 – 28, 2027

Huntsville, AL — Von Braun Center
March 2 – 7, 2027

Ft. Lauderdale, FL — Broward Center
March 9 – 14, 2027

Ft. Myers, FL — Barbara B. Mann Hall
March 16 – 21, 2027

Naples, FL — Artis—Naples
March 23 – 28, 2027

North Charleston, SC — North Charleston PAC
March 30 – April 4, 2027

Birmingham, AL — BJCC Concert Hall
April 6 – 11, 2027

Atlanta, GA — Fox Theatre
April 13 – 18, 2027

Tucson, AZ — Centennial Hall
April 27 – May 2, 2027

San Jose, CA — Center for the Performing Arts
May 4 – 9, 2027

Sacramento, CA — SAFE Credit Union PAC
May 11 – 16, 2027

THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM to be Presented at Zach Theater in Austin

Mon, 18 May 2026 15:51:45 PST

The Alchemy Theatre will present the opening of The Robber Bridegroom, the bluegrass-infused musical running May 29 through June 14, 2026, at The Whisenhunt at Zach Theater.

With book and lyrics by Alfred Uhry and music by Robert Waldman, The Robber Bridegroom is a witty and fast-paced theatrical adventure inspired by a Grimm fairy tale that later became a novella by Eudora Welty. Directed by Michael Cooper, this intimate reimagining transforms the musical into an immersive, concert-like experience filled with live bluegrass music, storytelling, and Southern charm.

Set in 18th-century Mississippi along the Natchez Trace, the story follows the mysterious Jamie Lockhart - gentleman by day, infamous robber by night - as he woos Rosamund, the daughter of the richest planter in the region. Packed with colorful characters, romance, comedy, and adventure, The Robber Bridegroom blends folk storytelling with a lively score performed by onstage musicians playing fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, and piano.

The production features an 11-member cast accompanied by live musicians Billy Curtis (fiddle and mandolin), Stevie Trudell (guitar and banjo), and Dr. Ellie Jarrett Shattles, who serves as Music Director and performs on piano throughout the production.

The Alchemy Theatre will also present special events during the run:

May 31 - "From Page to Stage"

A post-show conversation with director Michael Cooper and Dalia Azim from the Texas Book Festival exploring the journey from Grimm fairy tale to Eudora Welty novella to musical adaptation.

June 6 - Tecovas Western Wear Night

Where audiences are encouraged to wear their favorite western attire and one lucky audience member will win a free pair of Tecovas boots.

Opening Weekend performances on May 29, May 30, and May 31 will launch the production with a festive atmosphere as audiences experience this immersive musical for the very first time. Opening Night on May 29 will also feature a champagne toast and appearances by the Tiff's Treats hot cookie truck following the performance.

The Robber Bridegroom runs May 29 - June 14, 2026, at The Whisenhunt at Zach Theater in Austin.

DEATH BECOMES HER Sets Closing Date

Mon, 18 May 2026 11:00:20 PST

BroadwayWorld has just learned that the Tony Award winning and Grammy Award nominated musical, and the most nominated production of the 2024/2025 Broadway season, DEATH BECOMES HER, will conclude its Broadway run on Sunday, June 28, 2026 after 20 months, over 650 performances and 900,000 tickets sold at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.

Lowe Cunningham, SVP, Head of Creative & Strategy, Universal Theatrical Group said today on behalf of the producers, “Bringing Death Becomes Her to Broadway has been an incredible joy, and we are immensely proud of every artist, musician, crew member, and individual who helped make this show what it is. Night after night, it has been a thrill to watch audiences come together to laugh, celebrate, and embrace the wildly entertaining spirit of this production. We are deeply proud of what this show has brought into the world, and we are excited for its life to continue as it tours across the U.S. and beyond in the years ahead.”

DEATH BECOMES HER will launch a multi-year North American tour this September at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, OH.

DEATH BECOMES HER North American tour schedule:

CLEVELAND, OH 9/12/2026 10/3/2026 Playhouse Square
COLUMBUS, OH 10/6/2026 10/11/2026 Ohio Theatre
ST. LOUIS, MO 10/13/2026 10/25/2026 The Fabulous Fox
OMAHA, NE 10/27/2026 11/1/2026 Orpheum Theatre
NASHVILLE, TN 11/3/2026 11/8/2026 TPAC
DURHAM, NC 11/10/2026 11/15/2026 DPAC
ATLANTA, GA 11/17/2026 11/22/2026 The Fox Theatre
KNOXVILLE, TN 11/24/2026 11/29/2026 Tennessee Theatre
ORLANDO, FL 12/1/2026 12/6/2026 Dr. Phillips Center
TAMPA, FL 12/8/2026 12/13/2026 Straz
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 12/15/2026 12/27/2026 Broward Center for the Performing Arts
NAPLES, FL 12/29/2026 1/3/2027 Artis-Naples
GREENSBORO, NC 1/5/2027 1/10/2027 The Tanger Center
BOSTON, MA 1/12/2027 1/24/2027 Citizens Bank Opera House
PROVIDENCE, RI 1/26/2027 1/31/2027 Providence Performing Arts Center
BALTIMORE, MD 2/2/2027 2/7/2027 The Hippodrome Theatre
CHARLOTTE, NC 2/9/2027 2/14/2027 Blumenthal | Belk Theater
BUFFALO, NY 2/16/2027 2/21/2027 Shea's Performing Arts Center
PITTSBURGH, PA 2/23/2027 2/28/2027 Benedum Center
GRAND RAPIDS, MI 3/2/2027 3/7/2027 DeVos Performance Hall
LOUISVILLE, KY 3/9/2027 3/14/2027 Overture Center
MADISON, WI 3/16/2027 3/21/2027 Overture Hall
DETROIT, MI 3/23/2027 4/4/2027 Detroit Opera House
TULSA, OK 4/6/2027 4/11/2027 Tulsa Performing Arts Center
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 4/13/2027 4/18/2027 Civic Center Music Hall
HOUSTON, TX 4/20/2027 4/25/2027 The Hobby Center
AUSTIN, TX 4/27/2027 5/2/2027 Bass Concert Hall
SAN ANTONIO, TX 5/4/2027 5/9/2027 Majestic Theatre
DALLAS, TX 5/11/2027 5/23/2027 Music Hall at Fair Park
DENVER, CO 5/25/2027 6/6/2027 Buell Theatre
SAN FRANCSISCO, CA 6/9/2027 6/27/2027 Orpheum Theatre
LOS ANGELES, CA 7/6/2027 7/25/2027 Hollywood Pantages Theatre
COSTA MESA, CA 7/27/2027 8/8/2027 Segerstrom Center for the Arts
SAN DIEGO, CA 8/10/2027 8/15/2027 San Diego Civic Theatre
TEMPE, AZ 8/24/2027 8/29/2027 ASU Gammage
SACRAMENTO, CA 9/1/2027 9/5/2027 SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center

For more information on the tour, visit https://deathbecomesher.com/tour/.

Death Becomes her opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 21, 2025. Check out what the critics had to say.

Death Becomes Her at the box office.

DEATH BECOMES HER was the most nominated show of the 2024-2025 Season with 34 total nominations, including: 12 Outer Critics’ Circle Award Nominations, Five Drama Desk Award Nominations, Four Drama Leage Award Nominations, Two Chita Rivera Award Nominations, 10 Tony Award Nominations, and One GRAMMY Award Nomination for “Best Musical Theater Album.”

DEATH BECOMES HER became a viral sensation on social media following the release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording, which has been streamed over 34 million times in North America and 16 million times elsewhere worldwide. A clip of Tony Nominee Jennifer Simard performing the album’s 16th track, “Hit Me,” went viral on TikTok—peaking at #2 on the TikTok Viral Chart and #13 on the TikTok 50 Chart—with 491,000 creator uses and over 2.7 billion total views to date. The track “Let’s Run Away Together” has also gained traction on the platform, inspiring over 10,000 videos using its audio.

The cast and creative team of DEATH BECOMES HER made over 30 national television appearances during the Broadway run, completing interviews and musical performances on such programs as NBC’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, CBS’s Tony Awards, NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, NBC’s TODAY (Four musical performances and multiple interview segments), CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live, ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s The Kelly Clarkson Show, Fox’s SHERRI, Bravo TV’s Watch What Happens Live, ABC’s Nightline, NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers, and more.

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DEATH BECOMES HER features direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli, a book by Tony Award Nominee Marco Pennette, and an original score by Tony Award Nominees Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, and stars Tony Award nominees Betsy Wolfe (Madeline Ashton), Tony Award Nominee Jennifer Simard (Helen Sharp), Tony Award Nominee Christopher Sieber (Ernest Menville), and Grammy® Award winner Michelle Williams (Violet Van Horn) with Taurean Everett (Chagall) and Josh Lamon (Stefan). The cast also features Marija Abney, Kate Bailey, Sarita Colón, Alexa DeBaar, Brayden Newby, Ximone Rose, Jonalyn Saxer, Bethany Ann Tesarck, Mitch Tobin, Sir Brock Warren, Bud Weber, Ryan Worsing, David Wright Jr., Warren Yang, Ayla Ciccone-Burton, Kristine Covillo, Alex Hartman, Lakota Knuckle, McKinley Knuckle, Justin O’Brien, Preston Perez, Amy Quanbeck, and Dee Roscioli.

DEATH BECOMES HER features scenic design by two-time Tony Award winner Derek McLane, costume design by Tony Award winner Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Tony Award winner Justin Townsend, sound design by Tony Award winner Peter Hylenski, hair and wig design by two-time Drama Desk Award winner Charles G. LaPointe, make-up design by Joe Dulude II, fight direction by Drama Desk Award winner Cha Ramos, with music supervision by Drama Desk Award winner Mary-Mitchell Campbell, orchestrations by three-time Tony Award winner Doug Besterman, music direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, dance & music arrangements by Tony Award nominee Sam Davis, vocal arrangements by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Julia Mattison & Noel Carey, music coordination by Kristy Norter, casting by Tara Rubin Casting, production stage management by Rachel Sterner, and general management by 321 Theatrical Management. Marcia Goldberg serves as Executive Producer.

Madeline Ashton is the most beautiful actress (just ask her) ever to grace the stage and screen. Helen Sharp is the long suffering author (just ask her) who lives in her shadow. They have always been the best of frenemies… until Madeline steals Helen’s fiancé away. As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for. After one sip of Viola’s magical potion, Madeline and Helen begin a new era of life (and death) with their youth and beauty restored…and a grudge to last eternity. Life’s a bitch and then you die. Or not!

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