something to sing about

Les Mis, Hamilton, and 7 other shows hit the stage for Broadway in Austin's 2024-25 season

Les Misérables is one of nine shows coming in the new Broadway in Austin season.

Photo courtesy of Broadway in Austin

On Tuesday evening, March 5, Texas Performing Arts tried something new. The University of Texas group has held live season previews before, but perhaps organizers sensed that the theater kids and grown-up theater kids who frequent Broadway in Austin shows could cheer enough for a first-time standalone event.

Texas Performing Arts (TPA) announced nine shows coming in the 2024-25 season to near-constant applause, gasps, and even screams of delight. The most dramatic audience reaction was to the announcement that Hamilton would be returning, but Les Misérables and Moulin Rouge! The Musical certainly gave the founding fathers a run for their overtaxed money.

This season also features a play — a relative rarity at the Bass Concert Hall, which mostly features musicals and concerts. That production will be Clue, a comedy based on the classic sleuthing board game. The other black sheep of the bunch is the musical Shucked, which is still a relative unknown among the other titles that have become household names.

This awards ceremony-style event got Austinites acquainted with the shows coming through town over the next year or so with video trailers, live performances, and explainers about TPA's initiatives, like free shows for K-12 students.

“We can’t wait to bring this new season to Austin and share it with Broadway fans and theatre lovers of all ages,” said Texas Performing Arts’ Executive and Artistic Director Bob Bursey. “The season starts this fall with Tony Award-winning MJ and ends with the new blockbuster Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Together with the eagerly awaited return of Hamilton, this year’s lineup offers something for everyone, with the hottest new shows direct from New York, classics, and audience favorites.”

Broadway in Austin, which brings Broadway shows to Austin thanks to highly skilled touring casts and meticulous set reproductions, welcomes members with 6- or 7-show subscription packages, with some shows offered as "options." These packages (starting at $235) are on sale now. Folks who just want to catch one or two favorite shows will be able to buy tickets later in the year. More information is available at austin.broadway.com.

The 2024-2025 Season features nine productions from October 2024 to May 2025 at Bass Concert Hall:

MJ
October 8-13, 2024
The late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, hits the stage once again thanks to this tribute show that follows the 1992 Dangerous World Tour. Choreography is, of course, a big part of this popular musical.
Shucked
November 12-17, 2024
An irreverent and relatively new musical, Shucked comments on country life via some of country music's biggest songwriters: Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally. The latter's songwriting credits include Kacey Musgraves, Luke Bryan, and Reba McEntire.
Peter Pan
December 10–15, 2024
This magical, long-running musical might cause nostalgia for many audience members, and is presented in a new adaptation. This show will be the first in TPA's history that's available for free to K-12 students during the daytime.
Clue
January 14–19, 2025
Turning a board game into a successful play takes a strong sense of humor. This silly play will also deliver a health dose of suspense and plot twists until the end, just like a good round with clever friends.
Funny Girl
March 4-9, 2025
One of the most revered musicals in Broadway's history, Funny Girl comes to Austin hot on the heels of Barbra Streisand's historic Lifetime Achievement SAG Award. The role Streisand originated will always be fresh and endearing, with iconic numbers like "Don't Rain On My Parade."
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
May 13-25, 2025
This musical adapted from the flashy, famous Baz Luhrmann film presents pop hits in an over-the-top Vaudeville style that's perfect for the stage. Songs featured include "Lady Marmalade," "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," "Your Song," and a long list of other classics in many styles.
Hamilton
March 25-April 6, 2025
One of the most impactful shows in recent memory, Hamilton swept the nation for putting rapping on the stage. The multi-award winner turns a historical and political story into one that touches hearts.
Come From Away(Season option)
January 4-5, 2025
Based on a true story about stranded travelers in Newfoundland on 9/11, this famously emotional musical is lauded for its depth and encouraging message about humanity in the face of tragedy.
Les Misérables (Season option)
February 4–9, 2025
The standard favorite musical of many a serious theater kid, this post-revolutionary show about 19th century France will make audiences think about resilience and the indomitable human spirit.

Stay tuned for more information about the shows on this lineup. CultureMap covers some Broadway in Austin shows throughout the year from an insider perspective, with cast interviews. Still left in the 2023-24 season are Wicked, Girl From the North Country, and Disney's Frozen.

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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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