Why I Love Whoopi

Hooray for Whoopi: Living legend takes to the Long Center stage for one night only

When did you first realize that you loved Whoopi Goldberg? Was it with her brilliant Oscar-nominated (but shockingly snubbed) debut role as Celie in The Color Purple? Or was it her hysterical (but clearly given in apology for snubbing her for The Color Purple) Oscar-winning performance as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost?

Maybe it was as the giant Frisbee-helmeted Guinan on Star Trek, doling out wisdom to the officers of the Starship Enterprise. Or the similarly-named and similarly-omniscient role of Gaia on the unforgettable animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers. (I know. Spooky, huh?)

And who could forget the joyful noises and amazing outfits of Sister Act (and Sister Act 2)? It makes you feel good just thinking about them.

She’s an iconic comedian (hello, remember all of those Comic Relief specials with Billy Crystal and Robin Williams?), a go-to host in Hollywood (a la The Oscars and The View) and a feisty and articulate political advocate for liberals everywhere.

And she’s doing it all without eyebrows. I just love it.

My Whoopi love started with the 1986 film Jumping Jack Flash. Something about that terribly dated caper comedy left an immediate and indelible mark upon my heart and made me want to consume every piece of media she has ever created.

What I discovered when I started researching Goldberg’s career was a rich library of unbelievable stand-up comedy and theatrical work, including a series of groundbreaking one woman shows. Much of this early work can be seen in the DVD special, Whoopi: Back to Broadway, where she performs many of those early pieces that skyrocketed her into the public eye.

If you want to see the realized potential of experimental theatre and the most intimate work of a truly gifted performer in her element, you have to check out this performance.

Saturday, Goldberg will be at the Long Center for a single evening, and, quite frankly, it is a moment I’ve been waiting for for approximately 20 years. I have no idea what she will be doing or saying or singing or preaching. But it doesn’t make a difference. She’s Whoopi, and that’s all that matters.

If you can get there, do it. She’s a living legend. She’s got her EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony combination!), and she doesn’t give a damn what you think about her. She’s seen and done and been through it all. And we are all the better for it.

Hooray for Whoopi!

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Whoopi Goldberg performs Saturday, May 18 at the Long Center. Tickets are still available.

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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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