Funny Stuff

Ladies of laughter: Moontower adds more women to the mix with latest lineup additions

When the initial lineup of the 2013 Moontower Comedy & Oddity Festival was announced in January, the air was definitely electrified with excitement over just how stacked it was from top to bottom — comedy legends and the next generation included.

But even with so many great comedians invading on the list, there was apprehension and uneasiness over the fact that very few women were going to be gracing the stages during the second annual festival. It’s not like the world of comedy is lacking in funny women who would jump at the chance to show off their talents right here in Austin.

The latest release of new names coming to Moontower should help to even things out. Eight new names were added to this year’s festival lineup, and all of them are proudly sporting a pair of X chromosomes.

The comedians added include the likes of Christina Pazsitzky, a regular of the Round Table on Chelsea Lately, as well as Morgan Murphy, writer for 2 Broke Girls and regular on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The LGBT community will have a presence with Julie Goldman, star of The Big Gay Sketch Show on Logo TV.

Other names included with the announcement are Last Comic Standing’s own Jessica Kirson, as well as Helen Hong, Mary Patterson and Emily Heller. Moontower also made sure to once again mine Austin’s talent pool of funny folks, with Kerri Lendo getting tapped for the chance to shine. You may remember her from such local comedy accolades as a finalist for Funniest Person in Austin and as the winner of the Funniest Filmmaker in Austin competition.

The Moontower Comedy Festival will also be the site of all-female reviews like the incredibly popular “She Bang” showcases, as well as various standup mix-and-match performances that will be taking place across venues during the festival.

The complete Moontower lineup can be perused here. If you're interested in spending an entire weekend laughing nonstop, hurry up and buy a badge now, before they run out.

Kerri Lendo

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New

Historic Austin museum will close for more than a year for restoration

Photo courtesy of the City of Austin

The Elisabet Ney Museum will close at the end of 2024 and reopen in mid-2026.

Every building needs some maintenance here or there, and the historic Elisabet Ney Museum needs some extra-special care. Formerly the art studio and residence of its namesake, it's been standing since 1892. It'll spend 2025 in relative solitude, as it undergoes renovation for a year and a half with no visitors allowed.

The museum will close to the public December 30, 2024, and open again in the summer of 2026 if all goes according to plan, a news release from the City of Austin shares. It'll be a quiet period compared to the 21,000 people visiting from around the world each year.

According to a museum overview on the city's website, Elisabet Ney, a European portrait sculptor, bought the property and called her new studio Formosa. She worked on sculptures depicting important Texans like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, and collected works of European contemporaries.

The building at 304 East 44th St. includes 3,700 square feet of museum space, which was converted by Ney's friends after her death in 1907. It retains its unique look that juxtaposes a Neo-Classical main studio from 1892 with a later addition from 1902 including a tower for her husband, Edmund, to write in. It is also on 2.5 acres of land, which has largely been restored to its natural state with native species.

A press release lists these tasks (verbatim) within the scope of the new work, referred to as the Capital Improvement Project (CIP):

Restoration of original exterior wood doors and windows
Upgrades and replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system
Replacement of the exhibit and general lighting systems
Repairs to the roof, masonry, plumbing, and interior finishes.

There will also be work to do outside of the building. Workers will replace the pedestrian bridge across Waller Creek, stabilize a 20,000-square-foot portion of the bank, and make the grounds more accessible by adding new pathways.

Funding comes from several sources, according to a release: "the 2012 Bond, Proposition 14, the Parkland Dedication Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, Partners in Preservation through the National Trust, and contributions from the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum."

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