Dream of the '90s

Delightfully odd casting brings Sex Pistols, NSYNC, Destiny's Child members to Frank Erwin Center

Think back to 1999. If you were a teenager, or at least a pop music fanatic, in the late '90s, what would your dream band have looked like? Maybe someone from *NSYNC? What about Destiny's Child? And let's not forget Incubus's Brandon Boyd who titillated us all with his perfect abs (and face). He would definitely on the list, right?

Well, guess what? The casting agents behind the latest adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar have been reading your old diary and they're making your dreams come true.

The casting agents behind the latest adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar have been reading your old diary and they're making your dreams come true.

It was announced Friday that an all-star (and, oh, do we mean all-star) cast including John Rotten Lydon of the Sex Pistols, JC Chasez of *NSYNC, Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child and, the ab-man himself, Brandon Boyd of Incubus will be touring across the U.S. as part of the most recent version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.

With the part of Jesus being played by British actor Ben Forster, the role of Pontius Pilate will be taken on by Chasez. In a scandalous turn of events, Mary Magdalene will be played by Williams, ironic considering she always seemed to us the most chaste member of Destiny's Child. Boyd is slated to play Judas, which shouldn't be that difficult of a role to step into considering he was a traitor to us all when he cut that beautiful long hair.

And Johnny Rotten himself will be taking on the role of King Herod. The former Sex Pistols frontman said in a statement, "I'm here to sing with the King of the Jews, who could ask for anything more?" Could this get any better? We submit that it could not!

Jesus Christ Superstar will be performing in Austin on Friday, June 20 at the Frank Erwin Center. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 11 at 10 am through Texas Box Office.

Jesus Christ Superstar will be coming to the Frank Erwin Center in June.

Photo by Duncan Barnes

Jesus Christ Superstar will be coming to the Frank Erwin Center in June.

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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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