Get theatre news and discounts for Austin

Austin Theatre Newsroom Page 89

Back to Main...
BWW Review: DRY LAND Is a Flawed But Savage Portrait of Female Teenaged Life
by Frank Benge - December 12, 2017
DRY LAND is play by Ruby Rae Spiegel that concerns a seventeen year old high school girl who is exploring options for ending her unwanted pregnancy. With the right to choose being part of the current war on women that unfolds daily in our political arena, this subject matter is both timely and a story that needs to be told. Spiegel's play pulls no punches and features dialogue that offers the authentic voice of young women; however, the script has some flaws that when not handled properly, stick out and call attention to themselves and the holes in the story. In this inaugural production from Permanent Record Theatre, director Marian Kansas has given the audience some powerful and riveting moments; but, as a whole, the flaws in the script kept the evening from hanging together.
Moontower Comedy Festival 2018 Announces Lineup Additions: Janeane Garofalo, Ryan Hamilton, Preacher Lawson
by BWW News Desk - December 11, 2017
The seventh annual MOONTOWER COMEDY FESTIVAL, along with producers the Paramount Theatre and sponsors Cap City Comedy Club, has announced additional comics to the 2018 lineup, including multiple headlining acts performing at Stateside at the Paramount as well as a variety of comedians playing shows at Moontower satellite venues throughout Austin. Further additions to the lineup will be announced in the months ahead, including the Moontower Podcast Series.
Jose Llana as the King in THE KING AND I on Tour
by Kathy Strain - December 11, 2017
The success of THE KING AND I over the years has been nothing short of remarkable. The movie version from the 1950's brought Yul Brynner to center stage as he played the role of this famous king. With so many incarnations of the iconic musical there have been quite a few actors who have worked hard to shed the Brynner version of the King and portray him in the way it's most comfortable for them. One such actor is veteran performer Jose Llana. BWW had the opportunity recently to chat with Llana as he is out on tour with THE KING AND I.
BWW Review: POCATELLO - Defining a Family in Shifting Times
by Frank Benge - December 10, 2017
POCATELLO is a 2014 play from acclaimed playwright and MacArthur Fellow Samuel D. Hunter, that takes a darkly comedic look at the need for interaction and connection in an increasingly homogenized America. In a time when corporate stores are wiping out the uniqueness and the differences that separated one place from another, this play asks the possibly unanswerable question: 'How did I get here'? Samuel D. Hunter's Idaho is the locale for this unflinching look into the changing landscape of middle America, and the flawed, yet real, people trying desperately to define what makes a home when you're standing on shifting ground. His play is naturalistic in nature, reminding one of the domestic dramas of Kansan William Inge. If you aren't sure of what this kind of place looks like, (since Austin still has it's mantra to 'keep weird'), take a short drive up IH-35 to Temple and look around. I challenge you to find something that isn't a chain store.
BWW Review: A MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET Classic Radiocast Twinkles with Christmas Spirit in Round Rock, TX
by Amy Bradley - December 10, 2017
A MIRACLE ON 34th STREET is presented as a classic radiocast that reignites our love for Santa Claus and examines the commercialized spirit in the heart of New York City during the busiest shopping crowds of the year - Christmas. Beginning with a drunken Santa too intoxicated to perform in the historic Macy's holiday parade, Kris Kringle (played by Robert L. Berry) steps up to the float to wave at children and fill this required role for any festive affair. When the parade ends, our story's newly-appointed Santa, Kris Kringle, keeps the magic going by serving as Macy's full-time Santa Claus announcing to all those around, that he is the real deal. Doris Walker (played by Sarah Marie Curry), the skeptic and realistic retail operations manager, reluctantly allows Kringle to infiltrate not only the parade but Macy's itself., Children and parents everywhere come into Macy's requesting the perfect present except with the new Kris Kringle, if Macy's did not have the new toy, Kringle would send the family (and their money) to the competitor, Gimballs! Initially outraged by this unspeakable action, Gimball's eventually follows suit, creating some forced harmony between all THREE toy giants, Macy's, Gimballs and Santa himself. All seems harmonious and grand until Kris Kringle pronounces himself the real Santa Claus, much to the embarrassment of his bosses and new- found friends. With the trial of the century scheduled to determine Kris Kringle's sanity and the fate of one little girl's Christmas, Penfold Theatre Companies presentation of A MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET is a Christmas classic all ages can enjoy.
BWW Review: Dickens Meets 'Glee' in ZACH's A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A ROCKIN' FAMILY MUSICAL
by Frank Benge - December 09, 2017
Who doesn't know the story of Charles Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol'? The story is drummed into our heads every holiday season from the moment we're able to process speech. The story has been adapted a staggering number of times for film, stage, opera, and other media. 'A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost-Story of Christmas', is most commonly known simply as 'A Christmas Carol' and was first published in 1843 with that first edition selling out by Christmas Eve. Remarkably, it has never been out of print and by the end of the first year, thirteen editions had been released. It has been translated into several languages. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge (Harvey Guion), an old miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley (Roderick Sanford) and the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Kenny Williams), Present (Chanel), and Yet to Come (Roderick Sanford). Their visits transform Scrooge into a kinder and gentler man.
KOOP RADIO'S 23RD BIRTHDAY PARTY Announced!
by BWW News Desk - December 09, 2017
KOOP Radio 91.7 FM will celebrate 23 years of community radio with a Rock and Soul Birthday Review at The Spider House Ballroom, 2908 Fruth St., today, December 9 at 7:30 p.m. Every day, KOOP Radio brings you great programming of all types, and as part of Austin pop culture history, KOOP Radio is celebrating its 23rd birthday with our annual benefit, a concert celebrating independent listener-supported radio.
BWW Review: THE DROWSY CHAPERONE A Delightfully Near Perfect Musical Treat
by Frank Benge - December 08, 2017
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is a parody of 20's musicals with a book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. It is a show within a show told by a middle-aged, asocial Broadway musical fan, known only as Man in Chair (Scott Shipman). Seeking to cure his 'non-specific sadness', he listens to a rare recording of the fictitious 1928 musical comedy, The Drowsy Chaperone. As he listens to this cast recording, the characters appear in his crowded, tiny apartment, and it is transformed into an impressive Broadway set with footlights, period furniture, painted backdrops, shiny drapes and glitzy costumes. Man in Chair provides a running commentary throughout the show from the stage, and although he is onstage with the characters, he is invisible to the players. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE debuted in 1998 in Toronto and opened on Broadway in 2006. The show won five Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards. It is a loving valentine to a time when shows had only the barest of plots serving to showcase the songs.
Vote For the 2017 BroadwayWorld Austin Awards; Palace Playhouse Leads Theatre of the Year!
by BWW News Desk - December 08, 2017
The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.
BWW Review: MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERELY at Austin Playhouse is a Charming Holiday Comedy
by Lacey Cannon Gonzales - December 07, 2017
Austin Playhouse's production of MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY, continues the season of holiday-themed entertainment in Austin. Written by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, but taking the characters from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, this play endeavours to be a potential sequel to the beloved classic. This time, however, the focus is shifted from previous heroine, Elizabeth to her sister, Mary.
TexARTS Presents A COOL YULE
by BWW News Desk - December 07, 2017
It's that time of year again. A time when the stars of TexARTS Professional Series join together to deliver the most spectacular wintry mix of your favorite holiday songs, both old and new, in A Cool Yule.' This swingin' holiday cabaret is a celebration you won't want to miss!
BWW Review: World Premeire THE BRUTES Looks At Lost History Of The Booth Family
by Frank Benge - December 05, 2017
Casey Wimpee's new play, THE BRUTES, opens in 1861 and is set in 1864. It is a look at the storied theatrical family, the Booths. It examines not only John Wilkes Booth and his plans to assassinate President Lincoln, but also the people, known as Brutes, who conspired along with him in sympathy for the South. The play looks at the reasons John Wilkes was propelled to a destiny that would wipe his families history from popular memory.
Aaron Johnson and His New Play SALTY World Premiere Scheduled For Spring in New York
by Frank Benge - December 05, 2017
Aaron Johnson is best known to Austin audiences for his strong body of performances, including Tribes (Daniel) at ZACH Theatre; Orphans (Phillip), Skylight (Edward) with Street Corner Arts; The Totalitarians (Ben) with Theatre en Bloc; The Real Thing (Billy), The Explorers Club (Lucius), Bloomsday (Robbie) at Austin Playhouse; and Comedy of Errors (Antipholus of Syracuse & Ephesus) with Penfold Theatre Co. Aaron was able to find a home in many of these theatre companies producing, designing, and working crew when he wasn't acting, and is still collaborating from afar with several of them. Earlier this year, Aaron's one-man show The Apple Doesn't Fall was awarded 'Best of Fest' at the 2017 FronteraFest. Aaron moved to New York City earlier this year and his new play, SALTY, will hold its world premiere with Lyra Theater next Spring .
Photo Flash: A CHRISTMAS CAROL Comes to ZACH's Topfer Theatre
by BWW News Desk - December 04, 2017
Austin's most rockin' holiday tradition returns to make merry with a new music to get the party started! ZACH's inspired adaptation of the Dickens' classic is a musical sleigh ride through rhythm and time, infusing the traditional Victorian story with a musical score that spans all genres and eras.
Photo Flash: Ring in the Holidays with CHRISTMAS BELLES
by BWW News Desk - December 04, 2017
CHRISTMAS BELLES. Christmas-time in the Lone Star State - but the Futrelle sisters of Fayro, Texas, are not exactly in a festive mood. Frankie is overdue with twins, Twink's in jail, and Honey Raye is trying to keep the Tabernacle of the Lamb's Christmas pageant from spiraling out of control. Throw in a kidney-stone passing Santa, vengeful sheep, an Elvis impersonator, and a long-kept family secret and, in true Texas fashion, you've got joy to the world.'
Salvage Vanguard Theater to Host House Warming Party This December
by BWW News Desk - December 02, 2017
Join Salvage Vanguard Theater for A House Warming today, December 2nd, 2017 at 6 p.m. followed by a late night party. Join us as we unveil our new artist guest home and dedicate its future to the fruitful hospitality of artists and their work!
BWW Review: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING - Austin Shakespeare's Romantic Comedy
by Lynn Beaver - December 01, 2017
Austin Shakespeare has long ruled the 'Bard scene' in Shakespearean production here in central Texas. Oh, sure, others produce a play or two, but Austin Shakes has been the top of the heap for decades. Their productions have always been filled with the best Austin has to offer and have delighted audiences time and time again. More recently there are some serious contenders for the throne, Something for Nothing, Present Company and The Hidden Room produce stellar Shakespearean fare with their own unique spin. I for one am excited to watch the healthy competition between these various companies because I know who the winner will be...us, the viewing public and what could be better than that?
Vote For the 2017 BroadwayWorld Austin Awards; ROCK OF AGES Leads Best Musical Race!
by BWW News Desk - December 01, 2017
The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.
Color Arc to Present Holiday Comedy PEOPLE OF COLOR CHRISTMAS
by BWW News Desk - December 01, 2017
City of Austin Parks and Recreation, Museums and Cultural Programs Division presents an original, comedic, contemporary Austin Holiday play by Color Arc Productions. PEOPLE OF COLOR CHRISTMAS, written by Christine Hoang and directed by Rudy Ramirez, will run for seven performances only, December 1-16, 2017.
CHRISTMAS BELLES, A Texas-Sized Holiday Comedy Opens in December
by BWW News Desk - December 01, 2017
December in the Lone Star State the holiday treat Christmas Belles comes to Austin for The City Theatre Company's 2017 holiday season. When a church Christmas program spins hilariously out of control, there will be plenty of laughs in the soon to be classic southern comedy, authored by America's favorite writing trio Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten.
Kurt Elling with The Swingles to Bring Jazz & Harmony to the McCullough Theatre
by BWW News Desk - December 01, 2017
Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling is joined by a cappella group The Swingles for an exquisite evening of jazz and harmony!
BWW Review: SANTALAND DIARIES is Quick-Witted Holiday Fun
by Lacey Cannon Gonzales - November 30, 2017
Ringing in the holiday season is Georgetown Palace Theatre and their production of SANTALAND DIARIES. Originally written as an essay by humorist, David Sedaris, it was first read on National Public Radio's Morning Edition in 1992. An instant crowd-pleaser, the essay gave Sedaris his first major break and lead to a much longer version that debuted on-air in 1996. In that same year, Joe Mantello began adapting Sedaris' work into a one-man stage show. The one-act play premiered in on November 7th, 1996 at New York's Atlantic City Theatre Company starring Timothy Olyphant. Since its first initial run, the show has gone on to become a seasonal standard for regional and college theatre.
Tickets Now On Sale for A DON'T HUG ME CHRISTMAS CAROL
by BWW News Desk - November 30, 2017
Tickets are now on sale for the musical comedy A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol , presented by the Hill Country Community Theatre. Reservations can be made by calling (830) 798-8944, online at www.theHCCT.org, or at the box office.
A MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET Live Radio Show to Return to Round Rock Stage
by BWW News Desk - November 30, 2017
Penfold Theatre Company presents A Miracle on 34th Street Classic Radiocast November 30 - December 23 at Old Settlers Hall, next door to Round Rock's 'Christmas Towne.'
Theatre Synesthesia to Present New Play THE BRUTES by Casey Wimpee
by BWW News Desk - November 30, 2017
Theatre Synesthesia presents the world premiere of Casey Wimpee's new play, 'The Brutes.'

Videos


RENT in Austin RENT
Bastrop Opera House (4/10 - 5/3)
C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters in Austin C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters
Bass Concert Hall (4/12 - 4/12)
Hadestown (Non-Equity) in Austin Hadestown (Non-Equity)
Bass Concert Hall (2/20 - 2/22)
Lost in Yonkers in Austin Lost in Yonkers
Lost in Yonkers (3/13 - 3/22)
Beehive: The 60's Musical in Austin Beehive: The 60's Musical
TexARTS: Theatre & Academy (2/13 - 3/1)
Man of the People by Dolores Diaz in Austin Man of the People by Dolores Diaz
Trinity Street Playhouse (1/9 - 1/24)
Music of Love Charity Concert benefiting Children's Health, Jan.10.2026, Robinson Fine Arts Center in Austin Music of Love Charity Concert benefiting Children's Health, Jan.10.2026, Robinson Fine Arts Center
Plano ISD, Robinson Fine Arts Center (1/10 - 1/10)
VIEW SHOWS  ADD A SHOW