We don't get many shows as good as Black Watch in Austin. That's not a dig on our local talent. They don't get many shows as good as Black Watch in London or Chicago, either. If the challenge of theater -- or any art form, really, but particularly one whose continued relevance can be called into question the way that theater's can -- is to powerfully assert why it exists, and why the work being done in the medium can only be done on stage, in the form in which it appears, then Black Watch stands among a handful of contemporary performances -- like Nick Stafford's War Horse or the Rude Mechs' Method Gun -- as proof that theater's continued existence is vital, because without it, we couldn't get stories like this. more ›

The Van Morrison show on Saturday, January 23 at Bass Concert Hall at The University of Texas at Austin has been canceled. Mr. Morrison is citing exhaustion. Customers that purchased tickets online or by phone may contact Texas Box Office at 512-477-6060 to arrange refunds. Canceled shows have a two-year window to obtain a refund. more ›

Austin Public Library and UT PAC are hosting a brown bag lunch with members of the cast of Wicked, today at the Austin History Center from noon to 1 p.m. The production runs through August 30, and while most shows are sold out or near capacity, they're running a special pre-show lottery for those who didn't get a chance to buy tickets in advance—you can find out more in our review of the show. [Brown Bag Lunch Info] more ›

World music icon Goran Bregovic is making a stop in Austin this week during his eight-city tour of the United States. We're giving away tickets for Wednesday's show . . . try your luck by filling in the form here. more ›

UTPAC has just announced a September 1 performance at Bass Concert Hall featuring Elvis Costello & the Sugarcanes. The all-acoustic band will be supporting the release of Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane, out on June 2. Tickets go on sale May 18 at 10 a.m. For more info, click here. more ›

Fifteen years after the quintessential 90s musical made its debut at the New York Theatre Workshop and over a decade since it won the Pulitzer and big stack of Tony Awards for its portrayal of artistic types living in America at the end of the millennium, Rent is coming to Bass Concert Hall, thanks to Broadway Across America. Originally conceived as a way to "bring Musical theater to the MTV generation", Rent exists as both a product of and a comment on the decade in which it's set. more ›

Queenie Pie, a remarkable musical theater-jazz-opera combination, will be produced here in town by Austin's very own Butler School of Music, Butler Opera Center and Huston-Tillotson University, so this ain't no out of town roadshow, though the play promises to be out of this world. Renowned jazz vocalist Carmen Bradford stars in the show. more ›

Late call: There's just a few hours left in our Morrissey ticket giveaway, so go fill out the form before you forget. The legendary Brit will be crooning the night away on Sunday, April 12 at the UTPAC, supporting Years Of Refusal. [more info] more ›

Season subscriptions are now available for the newly-announced 2009-2010 Broadway Across America series, which locally is held at Bass Concert Hall. The season, which starts in October, includes Spring Awakening, The Color Purple, Fiddler on the Roof, In the Heights, and A Chorus Line. Individual tickets will be made available about two months before each production. [Broadway Across America] more ›

The UT Performing Arts Center will host a remarkable performance this Saturday evening that encompasses the work of two major figures in the arts; Leonard Cohen, the multi-talented poet, musician and illustrator, and Phillip Glass, one of those rare figures in experimental and minimalist composition whose work has been celebrated and influential both in the mainstream and avant-garde. more ›

The UT Performing Arts Center’s Bass Concert Hall is back in business after undergoing renovations over the last year and a half. BCH hosted John Legend last Friday and is home to two stellar events this weekend. On Saturday, Broken Social Scene brings its mesmerizing compositions to the remodeled venue but not before a very special evening entitled World of Sound this Friday. more ›

Last May, the University of Texas Performing Arts Center undertook a major renovation project with Bass Hall. The venue, originally finished in 1981, sat about 2,800 and held a 100 member orchestra, but the $14 million Ponce de Leon-inspired upgrade and facelift has given the hall a new lease on life. more ›

Morrissey has landed on Nashville-based (mostly Americana, Universal-owned) label Lost Highway, and has announced a massive 2009 tour schedule. The Moz will be in Austin on April 12 at Bass Concert Hall. Nothing is posted there yet, but you can email or call (512.471.1444 or 1.800.687.6010) the ticket office for more info. more ›

Canada's Broken Social Scene music collective is making a stop in Austin at the Bass Concert Hall on January 31, 2009. more ›

FRIDAY [9] art • Grand Opening Party for DRAW, 150 artists strong at Gallery Lombardi (7pm - 10pm) comedy • Todd Barry, Matt Bearden at Emo's Lounge music • Deerhoof, Macromantics, Experimental Dental School at Emo's music • Primordial Undermind at End of an Ear (6pm, Free) music • The Everyday People CD Release Show with The Hero Factor, Live Oak Decline at The Parish Room music • Lucinda Williams, Heartless Bastards at Stubb's... more ›

THURSDAY [8] film • Super Happy fun Monkey Bash 5 at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • Now That's What I Call a Singalong: Pop Royalty at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • Terror Thursday: The Beast Must Die at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown art • Opening Reception for "In My Stairwell" by Mark Seliger at Fielding Lecht Gallery (6-9pm) art • Artistic License: Matthew Day Jackson at The Blanton (6-7pm) art • Public Tour: The Geometry... more ›

WEDNESDAY [7] music • The Shins, Viva Voce at The Backyard music • Love and Dancing, with Daetron Vargas, Disco Nihilist, Majora Y Minora, and John Gomi at The Peacock music • Spinto Band, Dios, The Changes at Emo's music • Invincible Czars, Bee vs Moth, Golden Arm Trio at Emo's Lounge music • Woodgrain Wednesday with Bavu Blakes, DJ Rapid Ric, D-Madness at The Parish Room music • Patty Griffin at Waterloo Records... more ›

TUESDAY [6] books • Utter Reading Series with Frances Schenkkan and Lori Aurelia at BookPeople (7:00pm) books • Poetry Reading with Dana Gioia, Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts at Harry Ransom Center (7:00pm) books • Nate Blakeslee presents Tulia: Race, Concaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town at Austin History Center (7:00pm) film • For the Love of Dolly at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • AFS Essential screens Turtles Can... more ›

Ed Note: Please note that the Mobile Art Place opening party mentioned yesterday is not actually free, but is open to those attending Night at the Galleries. Sorry for the inconvenience. FRIDAY [23] music • Maneja Beto, The Interest Kills, The Laughing, White Denim at The Compound ($5, 18+, 9pm, 1300 East 4th Street) comedy • The Frank Mills perform their new sketch show, "One Classy-Ass Show," at Blue Theatre (DEETS) books • Abriendo Brecha... more ›

THURSDAY [22] art • Opening Reception: Owen McAuley at d berman Gallery (6-8pm) comedy • The Frank Mills perform their new sketch show, "One Classy-Ass Show," at Blue Theatre (DEETS) party • Misprint Magazine's Beard & Moustache Competition with performances by Sharp Dressed Men (ZZTop Tribute Band), hosted by Matt Bearden, DJ sets by Stay Gold at Club de Ville (9pm) art • Artistic License: Blanton artist Fabian Marcaccio discusses his work, which is... more ›

TUESDAY [20] books • Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan presents Rollergirl: Totally True Tales From The Track at BookPeople (7:00pm) film • TMNT 2: Secret of the Ooze Pizza Party at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • Polyester at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • AFS Essential: Iron Island at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar music • The Roots with Lupe Fiasco at Stubb's (Early, Sold Out) music • Kodo Drummers at The Paramount Theatre music • Hilary York... more ›

FRIDAY [16] music •Of Montreal, Elekibass, DJ Jester the Filipino Fist at Emo's (outside) music •Those Peabodys, Ume, Oh, Beast!, El Paso Hot Button at Emo's music •Spank Dance Company, Hello Lovers at Emo's Lounge music •Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Reckless Kelly at La Zona Rosa music •Long John Thomas & The Duff, Bellfuries, Eddie Clendening & The Blue Ribbon Boys, The Aquasonics at Continental Club music •Bruce Robison at Cactus Café (9pm,... more ›

THURSDAY [15] benefit •St. Valentine's Day-After Massacre, A Spay/Neuter Fundraiser at Mother Egan's (5:30pm-7pm) art •Public Tour: Michener and Modernism at Blanton Museum (7:00 - 8:00 PM) art •Public Tour: By the River by Radcliffe Bailey at Blanton Museum (12:30 - 1:00 PM) ballet •Ballet Austin presents Director's Choice at The Paramount Theatre (8pm) film •Flicker Film Festival at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film •Love Bites: The 80s Power Ballad Singalong at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown... more ›

FRIDAY [19] film • AFS presents a new 35mm print of The Rules of the Game at Dobie Theatre film • Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival 2007 at Alamo Downtown (7pm, 9:30pm, 11:58pm) Most events are probably back on schedule, but call ahead just to be sure. music • The Weird Weeds, W-S Burn, Brian Sookram, Jonathan Horne at The Peacock ($3, 9pm) art • Two Mongolian Artists From Two Generations: D.... more ›

When you spend nearly every weekend watching all forms of low-budget, pseudo-experimental performance in barely converted warehouses, you find yourself yearning for shows that are just a little more polished. So, when a new company sprouts up, featuring ballet allstars from around the country, and headed by both a nationally recognized choreographer and composer, your interest is piqued. Enter American Repertory Ensemble. The company’s first production, Dialogues, was part contemporary ballet, part classical music... more ›

Nestled between two other fantastic shows in January—Ghostland Observatory on the 19th, and Lindsey Buckingham on the 25th—UT Performing Arts Center's Hogg Auditorium will play host to Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy on Tuesday, January 23rd. more ›

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THURSDAY [16] wine • Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! at Various music • Peter and the Wolf, The Interest Kills at The Mohawk music • The Elected (Members of Rilo Kiley), Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos, Whispertown 2000 at Emo's Lounge music • Jack Ingram & Reckless Kelly at Stubb's music • The Pretenders, Operation:Awesome at Austin Music Hall music • White Ghost Shivers, Dewayn Bros at Beerland music • St. Lawrence... more ›

FRIDAY [3] party/music • Misprint magazine's latest issue release party, with The Jungle Rockers, Mr. Lewis and the Funeral Five, Chalk Outlines, and the Cave Dwellers at Flamingo Cantina (Doors at 9pm, $5/7, Free beer while it lasts!) art • Aaron Reynolds art opening reception with Music by Peter Wagner of The Mercers & free beer at End of an Ear (6pm) art • Warhol Reception and Lectures at ART on 5th (6-9pm) art... more ›

Tickets for next spring's limited engagement of The Lion King went on sale this Saturday morning at 7am, with the first three hours reserved for in-person buyers. The first ticket buyer began camping out at 2:45pm on Friday—Katie Dominguez (left) made the trek all the way from Corpus Christi to secure optimal seats as a surprise for her three grandchildren. Awww! Hundreds were lined up by the time the box office opened; those waiting in... more ›