this week at cap city

Three reasons to see Hannibal Buress at Cap. City Comedy this week

Hannibal Buress

Hannibal Buress has been really busy lately, between touring to support his new album, Animal Furnace, guest hosting the premiere of Adult Swim’s incredible Eric Andre Showand providing personalized jokes for fans on his website (ok, maybe that last one’s not taking up too much of his time).

But the pace is nothing new for the comic, who hosts a weekly show at New York’s Knitting Factory and frequently appears on late-night shows like Letterman, Fallon, Kimmel and Ferguson. But this week, you won’t have to turn on your TV to catch new bits from Buress — you can head down to Cap. City Comedy to see him live, with six shows between Wednesday and Sunday.

The #1 reason why you shouldn’t miss your chance to see Buress? Straight up, his act is one of the funniest we’ve ever seen. But in case you still need them, here are three more deciding factors:

1. “This is probably the last time he'll be playing comedy clubs and not theaters,” says Dan Solomon (who interviewed Buress last month). Last November, when The New York Times debuted their comedy reviews column, they did so with a glowing profile of Buress, calling him “one of the fastest rising comics working today.” If you caught him at The Parish during Moontower, lucky you.

2. “He is a really strong jokewriter but he isn't held down by joke writing conventions,” says Austin comic Kath Barbadoro. “Every time I see him I always feel like I have no idea what he's going to do.” You may have heard 2010’s My Name is Hannibal and recent release Animal Furnace a hundred times, but you’re guaranteed to see a different live show every night.

3. Ralphie Hardesty — co-host of the acclaimed Encyclopedia Show, Funniest Person in Austin semi-finalist and CultureMap contributor — will be hosting for Buress all weekend, and Minneapolis’ Amber Preston will be featuring, rounding out a bill of brilliant performers all known for their smart, darkly absurd style.

Before Hannibal hits the Cap. City stage on Wednesday, check out this amazing mini-documentary A Week To Kill, a 40-minute film that follows the comic in the week before he taped his first Comedy Central hour-long special.

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Hannibal Buress has six show at Cap. City Comedy this Wednesday through Saturday; tickets are available online.

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ARIA OF INTEREST

Austin Opera unveils dramatic new headquarters and performance center

Photo courtesy of Austin Opera.

Austin Opera's Sarah and Ernest Butler Performance Center

The art form of opera may date back to the 16th century, but Austin Opera is looking towards the future. On October 8, the company announced a sweeping investment in the city’s cultural growth.

The nonprofit, a community fixture since 1986, unveiled plans for its new home at 5811 Trade Center Dr. — but it's not finished yet. Austin Opera relocated its administrative offices in September, but the major work will kick off in January 2025. By October 2025, the company hopes to debut the artistic wing of the building, which will include a 195-seat theater.

The undertaking will also make room for rehearsal space, teaching and practice studios, a costume shop, outdoor event space, and a conference center. The artistic hub will allow Austin Opera to serve the Austin community more fully while providing critical performance and rehearsal space.

“The establishment of this new performance center is a historic step for Austin Opera to expand our audience, secure a sustainable future, and provide essential spaces for the performing arts community in Austin,” explained Annie Burridge, Austin Opera’s General Director and CEO, via a release. “I couldn’t be more excited to work with our community to build an inclusive new cultural hub for our thriving city.”

Although the headquarters will have plenty of bells and whistles, like a state-of-the-art A/V system, its most significant impact will be felt in Austin Opera’s artistic scope. The space will allow the company to expand its programming and educational offerings. Music Director Timothy Myers says the center will enable the organization to explore new repertoire, performance formats, and genres.

The ambitious project was made possible by longtime patrons Sarah and Ernest Butler, who will be honored in the performance center’s name. The creators of a $3 million endowment to fund Spanish language programming at the opera, the philanthropists also were lead contributors to the capital campaign. Austin Opera has secured $3.67 million towards its $7.5 million goal.

“We are proud to support the latest innovative undertaking of Austin Opera. This new performance center, which will bear our names, will help secure a sustainable future for opera in Austin and enable numerous cultural institutions to extend their important work into the community,” said Dr. and Mrs. Butler.

More information about Austin Opera and its current season is available at austinopera.org.

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