Always entertaining - with a perspective on the Asian experience in Austin, TX…read more The shows frequently sell out, so buy your tickets or show up to the box office early. This show is put on at the Salvage Vanguard Theater on Manor Road. Always worth the money!

Thanks Yelp and someone named Kelly S... This was hilarious, catch up on the movie before going if…read moreyou need a refresh. They also show the movie before the musical starts - get in early! 3$ beer, 4$ wine and 1$ square service card fee per transaction. I would suggest arriving 45 min prior. Actors will keep a smile on your face and laughter in your belly all night long. Such a great spin on a dark movie!! Kudos.

The audience applauded at the end. Roughly as long as a musical is expected to be. The people on…read morestage often broke out into song and dance ( that can sometimes take you by surprise). I had a few moments where my heart dropped because it looked as if one of the individuals was about to venture into the audience. However, luckily they did not.

PART TWO: OK, I'm…read moredone with my "rant" (sorry, I was "born this way"; oops, wrong artist), time to focus on the actual show. Steve Vai was simply AMAZING! I don't think he's capable of putting on a bad show. I bought my ticket well in advance, & still wish I'd done it sooner. I was in the Orchestra, about 15 rows back. Show was at the PARAMOUNT THEATER. What a JUXTAPOSITION! Opened in 1915, The Paramount harkens back to an even earlier period, somewhere in the 19th Century. Contrast that with some of the most technically advanced music of OUR age, & it blows the mind! Man, if the original architects could see it now, completely restored, still every bit the JEWEL of Downtown Austin as it was, "back in the day". Pick out something YOU like, and GO! Find yourself a REASON to get inside the building! I've seen everyone from the late Carlos Montoya to Pat Metheny, & many others. Folks were SHORTER 100 years ago; I'm "average" height (6'1"), & the Balcony seats are cramped, but ONLY from there can ya truly appreciate the ornate GRANDEUR of the scroll work surrounding the Stage, from top to bottom. A modern movie theater is made from tilted concrete walls, & has no soul. The Paramount Theater's truly a SHRINE to the Arts. In our clamor for "progress", we've lost something. I'll cover the Paramount more on its own page, but I had ta digress; back to "Little Stevie Vai" (what a NICE little boy!). NO elaborate light show, NO costuming (well, there was the one "alien?" suit he wore). NO GIMMICKS! It's all about the MUSIC. Let's make sure EVERYONE gets their just due. The main members of the Band for "The Story of Light" tour include: BASS: Philip Bynoe GUITAR: Dave Weiner DRUMS: Jeremy Colson And a few supporting members whose names I don't know; sorry. Much (but not all) of Steve's music is complicated, poly-rhythmic, in odd time signatures, & maybe not "accessible" for the "GAP" (definition in Part One). It's difficult to classify what "genre" it is; I guess "fusion" would come the closest, but that label seems to conjure up images of Avant Garde Jazz. Steve Vai is NOT Jazz. You just have to hear for yourself; you'll either hate it, or you will LOVE it. And apparently, younger folks are fans too; there were TONS of twenty-&-thirty-something's there! He might not be the biggest "draw" in the Industry, but the age range is an indication folks will be listening to Steve Vai for a LONG time. Most of the show (as usual) was instrumental. Steve's got quite a bit of solo material, but many (including me) think "Passion and Warfare" is one of his best albums. Accordingly, the songs in this work are ALWAYS a major part of his shows. The climax of the concert (though not the end) is "For the Love of God". Also from "Passion", there's "The Audience Is Listening", a depiction of a "show and tell" from yer Grammar School days, with his ACTUAL childhood teacher, Nancy Fagan, pleading, BEGGING him to turn it down ("boys, it's getting too LOUD."). I mean, he warned her ("Just wanna warn ya; it's gonna be LOUD"). The song is re-enacted live, compete with Nancy's (recorded) voice. That's another thing about Steve: his humor. He's a virtuoso, but he doesn't take himself too seriously, or seriously AT ALL, really. None of the "angst" with which too many Jazz musicians are afflicted. The music will play to your intellect, but you'll also LAUGH YOUR ASS OFF! As always, there's an acoustic set, & Steve is just as mesmerizing doing "Wooden Music" as on Electric. He brought up a coupla audience members, to "write" a song for the band. He'd have them sing or "beat box" lil' parts, and "build" the song by adding each part, one at a time. But we need someone else, to complete the picture; we need (Steve's words here, I'll not argue): "The BEST guitarist in the World!" Well, we ARE in Austin, right? Can ya see where this is going? Who should walk onstage but ERIC JOHNSON! Now, I've seen Steve before, and Eric sat in that time too. So, at a certain point, I knew what was coming, but that didn't make it any less COOL. Of course, they played with Joe Satriani, in G3; I believe they were the FIRST to tour with him under that name (saw that too, at AMH). Of course, there's the obligatory Encore, & afterwards, possibly the nicest, most sincere "Thank You" to the audience I ever heard. Steve loves coming to Austin, as do many other artists, so we sometimes get that EXTRA special show the rest of the Country doesn't (like Eric Johnson stoppin' by). But Steve's got other friends in Austin as well (Terry Bozzio, for one), so I know when he talks about loving Austin, he really MEANS it! All in all, a GREAT SHOW! Again, I encourage you to at least check out "Passion and Warfare", and you'll see why I'm so enthusiastic about Steve Vai. I'd ask ya to go check him out, but by now, he's in S. America, on the next leg of his tour, so ya missed out. larrythediner .

Loved this experience. This place has definitely been around for awhile and I can see why. Got…read morethere early to scope out the location and upon entering you provide your name and they provide a paper to give upon entering the show room. There was a group on the patio area where you can order tacos, I did not partake. Then the bar area inside. You can take drinks into the showroom as well. Scoped out the venue which was bigger than anticipated and really enjoyed the fish tank TVs. So fun! The show was entertaining and up to date with references all relevant to the current times. Everyone on stage was great and their chemistry can be seen. The audience was laughing 99% of the time and the show went back fast! I'd totally go back for a local Austin night out with good laughs.

Esther Follies is an Austin staple!…read more They've been performing for 50 years, providing amazing entertainment for all guests attending their shows. They do a mix of comedy, magic, music , and just overall great entrainment for their shows. It's mainly themed around local and world politics + the LGBTQ community. Tickets are approximately $40. The show is about 90 minutes, with a 5 min break halfway through. They have a bar on site, and a taqueria that's connected to their building as well. Highly recommend the taqueria, it's authentic and delicious! Absolutely recommend for locals, visitors, and those who just want to enjoy a great show in the best city in the country!

Every time I hear that country song, "What Hurts the Most" all I can think about is a woman dressed…read moreup in cowboy duds, lip synching to it. Amazing performances, an amazing experience for me. I had a great time here! I've never seen or even imagined anything like this before! At one point (during an, of course, JT performance) I forgot for a few minutes that it was a female on the stage and I put a dollar in her pants. No, I wasn't drunk, either. I'll definitely be coming back to check out further exploits!

Kings N Things, Austin's own drag king performance troupe, is the perfect mix of intellectual edge…read moreand pure sex appeal. No need to engage in that old mind/body split - with KNT, you can have your cake and politicize it, too. Their seasonal shows at Elysium are a treat - ribald Valentine's ballads, sexy Easter bunnies, you name it. My personal favorite king is DD Cummings, but I've got a major Trevor N Deavor jones as well. Keep your eye on their myspace for upcoming shows so you can come out and pick your own favorite!

We had fun! Improv theater is unpredictable and at times hilarious. We saw two groups at the 6pm…read moreshow and enjoyed the whole experience.

Came here for maestro improv with some friends and we loved it!! They have beer/wine/coffee here as…read morewell and I got a glass of cab that was delicious!! We had so many great laughs and definitely will be back!! We loved the concept!!

What an amazing show! This Tony-award winning musical was filled with great comical timing,…read morebeautiful choreography, wonderful performances, and more Dad jokes than you can count. A feast for your eyes and ears, directed by Jack O'Brien, who directed Hairspray. I'm still thinking about the stage design, and how it blended with the choreography. Joe did they balance on the wooden slats?! Lulu (Miki Abraham) stole the show. "Independently Owned" was my favorite song, and she was great in every way. Broadway In Austin made ticket pickup easy. Also they've removed the clear bag policy. Bass Concert Hall now offers additional restrooms past the foyer on four floors in a separate building; there were two people in front of me in line and zero behind me. The pedestrian traffic was well organized by the ushers and helpful volunteers. Her your corns up Austin, and take my kernels of wisdom to motivate you to see the Broadway show of the year.

Went to see Clue tonight at Bass Concert Hall for their opening night and my wife and I were just…read moreblown away by the production and talent of the show. Clue was comedic from beginning to end - like actually funny. The writing was witty and smart, the entire cast completely talented from head to toe. I love this venue because its clean, the aisles are spacious, the seats aren't as compact, and the staff members are so friendly and welcoming to the guests. 11/10, I would recommend seeing Clue to all my friends and to those I don't even know.

Murder? Gay intrigue? PIGEONS?…read more I saw the lizzie borden musical last week and I can't stop thinking about it. I walked up the stairs and was greeted by the twins from the shining speaking in unison and I knew I was in for a treat. The show had a sparse set and only 6 to the cast but I was totally blown away, which is a testament to the strength of the performances and live band. I went randomly because I saw a flyer for it in my local coffee shop and knew it would be right up my alley. Not only did they do an incredible job with this material, the fact that they put it on at all was such a treat considering it doesn't seem very well known. I never would have heard of my new favorite musical otherwise. Looking at the list of their past productions I couldn't believe I hadn't heard of them before. The only complaint I had was that I went to the last show, because if I could've I would've seen it again and brought all my friends. So Doctuh Mistuh if you're reading this..... just a few more shows? Please? Anyway, regardless I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the shows in their Summer repertoire. Toxic avenger the musical? Sign me up!

I was lucky enough to catch a performance of The Heathers musical put on by Doctuh Mistuh…read moreProductions recently and was super impressed. The Vanguard Theater is a nice home for their recent musicals, such as Silence!, Evil Dead, Rocky Horror, and others. There is a certain dark aesthetic to their selection- campy, cult classic, and black comedy seem to be some of their faves. They strive to bring shows with Austin flair, that we'd have no way of seeing otherwise, fantastic, interesting, entertaining shows. I believe they're non-profit and rely on their t-shirt sales, which are unique and funny too. The Heathers as a musical was a no brainer, hell, I think I like it more as a musical. The actors/singers/abstract movers are all very talented and do a great job of transforming into their archetype. I had a couple of songs stuck in my head when I got home and looked up a few videos of other productions, but I enjoyed the actor's performance from Doctuh Mistuh so much more. Animated actors with great comedic timing without being over the top. That's a hard line. The experience really felt like being in an 80s movie, kudos to that! Highly recommended, tickets are cheap, the Vanguard is awesome with its affordable drinks, and the art director Michael is charismatic and commanding! It's a great place to teach your kids about drugs, alcohol, sex, murder, and curse words if you just want to jump right on that!