Fear & Loathing in Austin: A Clarification

Last week's column about local company Teatro Humanidad Cansada (THC) and an anonymous note accusing it of "violations of ethics and conflict of interest" in last year's City of Austin Cultural Contract funding process contained a crucial error. I reported that "THC board member Maria Rocha did serve as a peer panelist last year and did rank and recommend funding for theatre applicants." According to the company's Board President Ruperto Reyes, Jr., though, while Rocha is currently a member of the board, she was not a member of THC's board when she was on the theatre peer panel. I regret the error.

Zach School: Not For Yule

Theatregoers itching to pay a nostalgic trip to "Conjunction Junction" this fall will have to wait on their "buts" a few months longer. The Zachary Scott Theatre Center has postponed its production of Schoolhouse Rock Live!, the revue featuring those snappy educational jingles aired on Saturday morning TV, from December 5 until the spring. The move was prompted by the fact that Zach was already committed to three musicals running in December -- The Taffetas and Forever Plaid on the Whisenhunt Arena Stage, and Rockin' Christmas Party at the Paramount -- which put a sizable drain on the talent pool that artistic director Dave Steakley was looking to tap for Schoolhouse and stood to drain a hefty chunk of the show's audience as well. While the Taffetas/Plaid tag team may end up running well past winter, a spring Schoolhouse still ought to give Steakley enough breathing room to find the artists and audiences he wants. So what will fill that December slot on the Kleberg stage? Capote and cabaret. Scotty Roberts and Jill Parker-Jones will reprise the version of Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory they've staged in seasons past as an early evening show, to be followed by "Man for All Musicals" Joe York in an evening of song à la his Z Cabaret hits. Both shows open December 5. Call 476-0541.

Lift Every Voice and Sting!

Of course, some folks on the local theatre scene are just as happy not to have musical-meister York onstage so much. Or so it would appear from the promotional material for the new revue Naughty Austin, which bills itself as "An Evening Without Joe York." Is this the work of some bitter baritone who feels his show biz star has been eclipsed? Not really. More the work of a savvy satirist looking to have a little fun with some of the prominent performers in our town. The satirist here is Blake Yelavich, local playwright and actor who dashed off a number of musical parodies mocking events in local theatre for this year's B. Iden Payne Awards. They were so well-received and Yelavich had so much fun doing them that he penned several more, corralled some friends into performing them, and got them booked for the Later@Live Oak cabaret. If you've ever wondered how a homegrown version of Forbidden Broadway would sound, this is it. The spoofery starts at 10:45pm this Saturday. Tickets are $10. Call 472-5143.