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for Thu., June 29
  • A Christmas Carol

    Austin’s hottest holiday tradition returns with new music and surprises to ring in the season. ZACH’s adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a musical sleigh ride through rhythm and time, infusing the traditional Victorian story with a score that spans all genres.
    Nov. 17 - Dec. 31  
    ZACH Theatre
Recommended
  • Arts

    Theatre

    Jigglewatts Burlesque: 17th Anniversary

    The Jigglewatts Burlesque Revue celebrates 17 years of electricitease in Austin and beyond with a dazzling show of lightning performances from a full cast of Jigglewatts: Ruby Joule, Pearl Lux, Jolie Goodnight, Ruby Lamb, Something Blue, Lady Lola LeStrange, Layna D’Luna, Alexander the Great, and Selma Bawdy.
    Thu., June 29, 7-11pm. $20-150.  
    • Community

      Events

      Parish Presents: Opera on Tap

      Opera On Tap makes opera accessible by taking it out of the concert hall and bringing it to other venues. For instance, right here, tonight, at the Parish.
      Thu., June 29, 7:30pm. $15.  
    • Arts

      Theatre

      Box

      Penfold Theatre reveals the harrowing story of Henry Box Brown, the abolitionist lecturer and early magician who escaped slavery by mailing himself to freedom. Using actual stage magic, this world premiere from playwright Jarrett King imagines an unwritten chapter in the story of one of history’s most overlooked folk heroes.
      Through July 8. Thu.-Sat., 7:30pm; Sun., 5pm. $21.  
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    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Art & Parks Tour

      This sweet opportunity comes to us from the Downtown Austin Alliance, the Pease Park Conservancy, and Ride Bikes Austin – so we know it's a damned good thing indeed. Take the self-guided Art & Parks Tour to explore the best of what Downtown Austin art and parks have to offer through this selection of curated murals, artworks, and green spaces. You can sign up anytime, so click that URL and get ready to learn the most vibrantly visual parts of your city soon – live and in person.
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Art for the People Gallery: Vibrance of Summer

      One of the definitions of “vibrance” is “the state of being full of energy and life," and this gallery is definitely ablaze with vivid energy! “Vibrance of Summer” provides your sensation-hungry eyes a dynamic array of works created by more than 35 Austin artists.
      Through Aug. 11  
    • Arts

      Dance

      Ballet Austin: Classes

      Learn your way to physical grace with a dance class at Ballet Austin. There are so many varieties to choose among – ballet, barre, contemporary dance, hip-hop, tap, cardio dance fitness, Pilates, and more – and all taught by professional instructors. See website for details.
      $3-7 per class.
    • Arts

      Theatre

      Big Fish

      Based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the film directed by Tim Burton, Big Fish tells the story of Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest – and then some. Starring Andrew Cannata, Connor Barr, Sarah Zeringue, Liam Minor, Cara Bernstein, Braden Tanner, Stephen Mercantel, Brian Coughlin, Kia Malone, Amy Morgan Minor, Mia Carter, and Nicholas Hunter. Directed by Lara Toner Haddock, with musical direction by Lyn Koenning, for Austin Playhouse.
      Through July 2. Thu.-Sat., 8pm; Sun., 5pm. $34 and up; pick-your-price, Thursdays.  
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Butridge Gallery: Second Sight: A Visual Opera

      This large installation from acclaimed artist Darcie Book is an immersive experience, incorporating unexpected materials and offering opportunities for discovery at every turn. The multipartite show functions as a single artwork, an abstract narrative that unfolds as the viewer-participant moves through the vividly engaging space. Pro tip: Bring your flashlight!
      Through July 22
    • Arts

      Comedy

      Cap City Comedy Club

      That's right: Cap City Comedy Club, the longtime cornerstone of Austin's comedy scene for nearly four decades is at a new venue in the Domain. And here's Valerie Lopez with a closer look at what's in store for the scene via the venue. Click for details!
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Davis Gallery: Introspection

      Charles Heppner’s work looks to the power of the contour, the universal interconnectedness of all things. His assemblage works marry hard angles, cloudlike fabrics, and the natural world, held frozen in a moment in time. His complex composite photographs Forest Hug and Arboreal Jewels express his spiritual connection to the beauty in nature.
      Through July 29
    • Arts

      Comedy

      East Austin Comedy Club

      Founded by comedians Raza Jafri and Andre Ricks, this club that operates out of Tiger Den on the Eastside is the city's only BIPOC-owned comedy venue.
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Elisabet Ney Museum: De Tierra

      Explore the Ney's latest exhibit, a one-woman show by the acclaimed sculptor Alejandra Almuelle, whose ceramic figurative sculptures exemplify the biological archive of experience through the human form.
      Through July 30  
    • Arts

      Comedy

      Esther's Follies

      Esther's Follies – Austin's not-so-secret weapon in the fight against ennui – the comedy gem that still dazzles this growing urban hub – returns to the weekly live and in-person stage of their club on Dirty Sixth, the whole troupe bringing back old favorites and debuting a new program of hilarity with topical, ripped-from-the-headlines sketches and musical numbers. And you do need a laugh or two, right about this time, don't you, citizen? (And how about a margarita to go with that?) We'd add that the mind-boggling illusions of magician Ray Anderson are a bonus in the night's clever spectacle … but, the way that arch maestro conjures mystery and delight, "bonus" would be an insult.
      Thu., 7pm; Fri.-Sat., 7 & 9pm. $30-40.  
    • Arts

      Comedy

      Fallout Comedy

      This hotbed of local performance is carrying on even more than usual, with an eclectic mix of live, mind-rocking comedy from some of Austin's best, all week long. Hey! The place is our cover story, as reported by Valerie Lopez! And, srsly, who would ever disagree with the sentiment of Monday night's Fuck This Week show? Check the website for details.
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Food, Shelter, Water: Projects by Four Texas Photographers

      This new show features the work of four Texas-based photographers – Verónica G. Cárdenas, Stephanie Duprie Routh, Cindy Elizabeth, Jamie Robertson – who address themes related to our most basic human needs. From Egypt, Latin America, Texas, and Austin, the images presented bring new light to the ways we interact with our social and physical environments.
    • Arts

      Theatre

      Ground Floor Theatre: Playwriting Intensive

      Ground Floor Theatre is accepting applications for their new writers group, GFT Writes. The group will meet biweekly over the course of 12 months, with each playwright developing one new play. Playwrights will receive an honorarium as well as a paid workshop and public reading of their play developed in the group. GFT Writes will start meeting in late August 2023, with workshops taking place the following August. Note: Playwrights must be based in the Austin area. See website for details.
      Applications accepted through July 22  
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Harry Ransom Center: Drawing the Motion Picture

      Explore the beauty and complexity of moviemaking through sketches, storyboards, and designs that illuminate the creation of motion pictures from the silent era to the present day in this new exhibition, featuring production art from iconic movies like Rebel Without a Cause, Raging Bull, Apollo 13, and Lawrence of Arabia, many connected with innovative directors Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, Mike Nichols, Michael Powell, Nicholas Ray, Martin Scorsese, Stephen Spielberg, King Vidor, and more.
      Through July 16
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Ivester Contemporary: The Four Pillars

      This is a solo exhibition of photographs by Austin-based Eli Durst, derived from his latest book.
      Through July 8
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Laguna Gloria

      This local treasure of a venue, run by those Contemporary Austin folks who also bring us the Jones Center shows Downtown, is all about the outdoors – which is perfect for these trickily navigated times of ours, n'est-ce pas? Recommended: Stop by and breathe in the air, enjoy the lawns and gardens and the many examples of world-class sculpture arrayed across the property, and (as Frankie used to say) r-e-l-a-x.
      Thu.-Fri., 9am-noon; Sat.-Sun., 9am-3pm
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Lance Letscher: Sail to the Moon

      Stephen L. Clark Gallery presents this new exhibition of works by Lance Letscher, the locally based artist internationally known for his vibrant, colorful collages of wood, metal, paper, and old books.
      Through Aug. 26
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Landmarks: Self-Guided Walking Tour

      Use your smartphone to access self-guided tours of the outdoor public art sited by UT's award-winning Landmarks program any time you feel like it. BONUS: There's also a free, docent-led tour starting at Marc Quinn's "Spiral of the Galaxy" (1501 Red River) on Sun., Jan. 8, 11am.
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Last Day of the Eureka Room!

      Austin's most absurd and fun attraction will have its last day on September 24th, so visit while you still can! It's the Eureka Room, a participatory experience where visitors engage with curious and playful programming within a unique 100-square-foot room filled with light and sound.
      See website for reservations. $25.  
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Martha's Contemporary: Hokey Pokey + What You See Is What You Get

      Here's a two-person exhibition that features painting, installation, videography, and sculpture by Moll Brau and Wes Thompson. It's a deep dive into a pool of loneliness, triumph, and rebirth. It's a forest of mazes where fireflies provide the light. It's a show of creations from a pair of terrific, hardworking local artists and you don't want to miss it.
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      McLennon Pen Co. Gallery: Tastes of Home

      With inspiration drawn from historic Dutch Golden Age and Spanish Baroque still-life paintings, New York-based Audrey Rodriguez studies with a closer look traditional Latin American snacks and produce items such as churros, chicharrones, conchas, nopales, mangos, and bananas.
      Through July 28. Thu.-Sat., noon-6pm
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Mexic-Arte Museum: Expresiones de México, Arte de la Gente / Art of the People

      This new show features an impressive collection of artworks created via techniques and skills passed down through generations, especially highlighting work by master printmaker Sergio Sánchez Santamaría.
      Through Aug. 20
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Museum of Illusions

      Enter the fascinating world of illusions in this new venue that boasts a stunning array of intriguing visual, sensory, and educational experiences among new, unexplored optical wonderments.
      11010 Domain #100
    • Arts

      Theatre

      Noises Off

      In this rip-roaring, hilarious farce, a touring theatrical troupe is performing Nothing On, a silly comedy in which lovers frolic, doors slam, and double entendres are tossed with abandon. Hijinks ensue - but the show still must go on! And, oh! Here's our recent review of the production!
      Through July 19. Wed.-Sat., 7:30pm; Sun., 2:30pm. $25-90.  
    • Arts

      Theatre

      Radio: 30

      Ever have one of those days? Now you can fix it and rescue your embattled, world-weary spirit by catching this bit of brilliance on a favorite local stage. Chris Earle's acclaimed dark comedy, about a hotshot voice talent who falters while recording a 30-second radio spot, features a stunning performance by Mical Trejo (coincidentally, a hotshot voice talent and actor), sound design by Robert S. Fisher, and the whole gloriously unraveling thing directed by Ken Webster for Hyde Park Theatre. And, oh! Here's what the Chron's Patti Hadad said about the show's first run years ago.
      Through July 15. Thu.-Sat., 8pm. $21-23 (pay what you can, Thursdays).  
    • Arts

      Comedy

      South Austin Comedy Club

      South Austin’s first dedicated comedy venue is spearheaded by local comics Martin Henn, Andre Ricks, and Raza Jafri, and brings top-notch acts to South Austin every Wednesday through Saturday. Note: The upcoming comics – including nationally touring acts, local sweethearts, and everyone in between – will be listed on Instagram each night.
      Wed.-Sat., 7:30pm
    • Arts

      Theatre

      The Art of Martyrdom (A Comedy)

      Rita Anderson's play about Hrosvitha, the first female playwright of the Western world, who wrote from behind the walls of a convent, under the disapproving gaze of superiors who tried to ensure that no one would ever hear of her. But Hrosvitha unleashes a secret playfulness and pens closet dramas that defy tradition to break through the constraints of the time. While based on real events, this show is a tale with a comic, magic-realism bent, directed by Karen Jambon for Different Stages.
      Through July 9. Thu.-Sat., 8pm; Sun., 6pm. $15-35.
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      The Blanton: Day Jobs

      This first major exhibition to examine the overlooked impact of day jobs on the visual arts is dedicated to demystifying artistic production and upending the stubborn myth of the artist sequestered in their studio, waiting for inspiration to strike.
      Through July 23
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      The Blanton: Las Hermanas Iglesias

      Sisters Lisa and Janelle Iglesias present related textiles, collages, and sculpture that explore caregiving as part of a complex network of social issues, melding melds cultural references to the Dominican Republic and Norway (their parents’: home countries) with personal experiences – most recently their navigations of fertility, pregnancy, loss, and birth.
      Through July 9. Free on Thursdays.  
    • Arts

      Comedy

      The Comedy Mothership

      Joe Rogan's new venue is open and packing in the comedy-craving crowds at what used to be the Alamo Ritz, bringing in some of the biggest names (Rogan himself among them) and rising stars in the business, all presented with the kind of provocative pizzazz that makes Dirty Sixth (and especially this Mothership) a destination seven days a week.
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      The Contemporary Austin: Competing with Lightning / Rivalizando con el Relámpago

      The Contemporary Austin presents an exhibition tracing the evolution of Eamon Ore-Giron's dynamic paintings over more than twenty years of creative practice, revealing how the artist mines the complex nature of Latinx identity, the history of the Americas, and the many legacies of abstraction in art. ALSO: The newest exhibition space here is called HOST and features work by María Fernanda Camarena and Gabriel Rosas Alemán (aka the Mexico City-based artist duo known as Celeste).
      Through Aug. 20. Free (Aug. 9-13).
    • Arts

      Comedy

      The Creek and the Cave

      This snazzy spot for local and national stand-up acts has shows almost every night of the week.
    • Arts

      Comedy

      The Hideout

      The diverse lineup of sometimes hilarious, always surprising improv shows continues, with Pgraph and Maestro and the Big Bash and more, for the most unexpected delights of in-person entertainment. For instance: Their annual New Year's Eve spectaculars will start your 2024 off right, baby! See the website for details.
      $10 and up.  
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Unchained.Art: Tales In Ink

      Juliette Lepage Boisdron's first solo U.S. exhibition presents an aesthetic universe inhabited by expressive, majestic, and mystical women, caring insects, large observing eyes, exuberant plants, and plenty of animals.
      Through Aug. 19
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Wally Workman Gallery: Patrick Puckett

      This is Wally Workman Gallery's 10th solo show with figurative painter Patrick Puckett, whose paintings are known for their bold colors and languid figures, executed with confident interaction between paint application, shape, color, and texture.
      Through July 2
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Women & Their Work: Paradise Bloom

      This group show features the work of Anahita Bradberry, Jessica Carolina González, Naomi Lemus, and Alexis Pye, organized by guest curator Ashley DeHoyos Sauder. Through use of paintings, installations, neon lighting, and photography, "Paradise Bloom" explores the interconnected relationships between identity development and self preservation, using expressions of nature, domestic interiors, diasporic aesthetics and traditions as resources for world-building and re-imaging.
      Through July 6
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Wyld Gallery

      This is Ray Donley's gallery of art by Native Americans, located in that company of artistic glory called Canopy and resplendent with creations from the original people of our struggling country.
      Call for appointment
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Yard Dog: New Baseball Paintings

      Austin artist Will Johnson explores the history of baseball in a series of portraits of players. An avid baseball fan since childhood, he began creating these paintings in 2007 or 2008, wanting to pay tribute to some of his favorite players and stories — especially unheralded players — through folk art paintings.
    • Arts

      Visual Arts

      Yard Dog: Two Birds, One Stone

      Yard Dog presents an exhibition of new paintings from Toronto artists Scott Griffin and Rita Koos.
      Through July 29

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