My 5 year old daughter has watched Tangled so many times that she knows exactly what happens next and even begins laughing before Rapunzel knocks Flynn rider on the head with a frying pan. Although she loves this movie and watches it repeatedly, she never says, “Mom, remember the time we watched Tangled” because it is not a memorable experience. She does, however, recall the time we saw “the real Belle on the stage” at Leander High School’s presentation of Beauty and the Beast. She remembers seeing the “dancing cats” at the Georgetown Palace Theater’s production of Cats. I love theater and want to share the appreciation for the art with my kids. We love spreading a blanket out at the Zilker Hillside Theater to watch a musical on a summer night. It’s a great way to spend a summer night.
This area provides a rich culture of music, art, theater, and dance. We have so many venues to watch great performances. We are close to the Bass Concert Hall, Zach Theater, Long Center, Cedar Park Event Center, Georgetown Palace Theater, Way Off Broadway Players, and more. From professional performances to community theater to high school productions, we all can find something that appeals to our tastes and our budgets. A great resource for information on discounted shows or even free shows in the area is www.freefuninaustin.com . You can find that Joe McDermott will have a free show at Brilliant Sky Toys on Jan. 21. He plays guitar and sings fun, silly songs that kids love. You will also find on the site a discount code for a buy one adult ticket, get one child ticket free to see Lion King at the Bass Concert Hall on Jan. 17.
Zach Theater has a youth theater program that offers shows geared toward young audiences. In their upcoming season, you can catch a theatrical presentation of the popular storybook Goodnight Moon from Feb. 2-Mar. 23 followed by Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid showing April 6-May 11. For more information, visit www.zachtheater.org.
If you haven’t been to the Georgetown Palace Theater, I highly recommend it. The theater is rich in history. It was built in 1926 and showed silent films of the times. Restored to its 1938 art deco style, you will find yourself in a piece of history as you take your seat. As a small theater, every seat in the house is a great one! Thoroughly Modern Millie will be playing at the Palace May 17-June 16. For more information on their current season, visit www.georgetownpalace.org.
Our local youth are quite talented as well. My daughter, niece, and nephew were impressed with the talent at Leander High School’s production of Beauty and the Beast. Tickets to the local high school theater productions are inexpensive and support their theater programs. Leander High School will be revisiting a bygone era with their production of Grease this spring, Rouse will kick up their heels in Footloose, and Vista Ridge will be presenting Seussical. Check out www.leanderisd.org for more information on these shows.
I hope you take advantage of the many wonderful opportunities to experience live theater in the area. I know my kids and I will be catching a few of these shows this spring. If you have a favorite theater spot, show, or group, please share it with the rest of us. We would love to hear from you!
Center Stage 