When ZACH opened up the Topfer Theatre in 2012, the Austin theater scene jumped up a few notches. ZACH has presented quality musicals and plays since 1932, but once they built a beautiful contemporary theater to house their productions, the whole experience was elevated.

A perfect example of this creative boost is the newly opened “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” With booty shaking music and enough costume changes to boggle the mind, this musical will have audiences grinning from ear to ear for over two hours. [Read more…]

If you’ve daydreamed of stepping back into the roaring 20’s without the assistance of a time machine, head to Zach Theatre to see their production of Sophisticated Ladies.

Upon taking your seat, you’re greeted by a striking image of a gentleman’s face that consumes the stage. His head is tilted downward, warm expressive eyes gaze upward, with skin smooth as silk and a chin resting on a crisp white bow tie. The rim of his top hat casts a slight shadow, leaving an air of mystery. But there was no doubt who was watching over the crowd: jazz composer Duke Ellington, also known as The Duke for his signature dapper attire.

Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies offers a night of indulgence sprinkled with glitz and glamour. Scenes unfold on a stage that mimics Harlem’s notorious jazz venue where Mr. Ellington’s fame blossomed, the Cotton Club. [Read more…]

Imagine if you had eleven months to be president. What would you do? Would you seize the opportunity and make sweeping changes or lay back in the hopes of nabbing another four years?

That’s the problem Lyndon B. Johnson faced when he was thrust into the presidency in the wake of JFK’s assassination. All the Way, a Tony award winning play opening at Zach Theatre on April 16, 2015, examines LBJ’s early career with a dynamite cast and spot on direction. A definite must-see.

Rocky First Year

All The Way is the story of LBJ’s first eleven months in the Oval Office. If following in the tragic footsteps of the most popular president since Roosevelt isn’t enough, the Texas Hill Country native finds himself at the helm of a country ready to tear itself apart. [Read more…]

Austin is a music city. But do you want to know its best kept secret? The theater.

Yes, we live in “The Live Music Capital of the World,” but many only include traditional concerts in this category. I want to open your eyes to the amazing artists and musicians in local theater.

The best time to start your exploration into Austin’s theater world? Now. At Zach Theatre. With The Who’s TOMMY.

I’m guessing you’re not quite seeing what I’m seeing. So let me [Read more…]