Calendar Notes
The, um, difficulties in the economy, as well as scheduling conflicts and new bookings, have led to several changes in the arts calendar, a number of them taking place around the month of January. If you haven’t been able to keep track of the changes in the lineup, here’s a scorecard:
On a positive note, the Austin Theatre Alliance has added some much-appreciated comedy to its schedule. Making a welcome return after a successful summer run at the State Theater is Late Night Catechism, which will move next door to the Paramount for six shows, Dec. 26-29.
Hot on Sister’s black, patent-leather heels will be the manifold citizens of Tuna, all embodied by Joe Sears and Jaston Williams, doing their Yuletide thang. A Tuna Christmas, originally scheduled for a one-week stay, will instead be back for two (Dec. 31-Jan. 11) to help cover the spot vacated by the cancellation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (see below).
The State, meanwhile, will follow its holiday production of The Little Prince (see “A Time for Magic,” at right) with two weeks of those blazing fools, the Flaming Idiots (Dec. 31-Jan. 12).
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella was to have been Austin Musical Theatre‘s first show in 2003, but as noted in this space previously, AMT’s financial struggles led the company to abandon its plans for a production of the show at present. As a less expensive but still expansively entertaining alternative, the company will present a retrospective of hit numbers from each of its 15 productions to date, featuring performers from the original shows. The one-week run at the Paramount will fill the third week of the original Cinderella run (Jan. 28-Feb. 2).
How Late It Was, How Late was set to follow the Rude Mechs‘ triumphant West Coast tour of Lipstick Traces, but cuts in funding and “the troubles” in the financial world led the company to postpone Kirk Lynn‘s adaptation of James Kelman‘s novel of struggle and survival until the fall of 2003. Moving into the show’s previously announced slot (Jan. 16-Feb. 9) will be the Rudes’ “reinvention” of Requiem for Tesla, originally slated for April.
The Chinese Art of Placement would have marked Jaston Williams’ first return to the Zachary Scott Theatre Center in a one-man show since Tru. But the comedy has been put on hold owing to conflicts in Williams’ schedule with the touring Tuna shows. Zach will fill the empty slot (Jan. 23-Feb. 23), but the replacement show has not been announced yet.
This article appears in December 6 • 2002.