Tag: texas performing arts

Anonymous no more.

I’ve started my second season with Texas Performing Arts as a volunteer usher. I now have a name tag with my name on it! Moving on up. Yesterday I worked the show for Broadway in Austin’s performance of SIX – The Musical.

A bit of an unusual musical. It really didn’t have much dialog other than the songs that each of the six former wives of Henry VIII sang, giving a glimpse into each of their different situations before and after marrying the king. As they say in the show…”Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.” There were no set changes. No intermission. Just 80 minutes of singing and dancing. All that is not bad, just different. I enjoyed it very much.

They have moved on from Austin, but the current US Tour runs through the end of July 2024. You can see the remaining tour schedule here

One more show for the road.

The Texas Performing Arts 2022/2023 season is coming to a close. I worked as a volunteer usher for my eighth event yesterday, a production of the Broadway in Austin musical Hairspray – very colorful, talented singers, and great tunes. In a month or two I’ll decide whether to sign up for the next season. I very much enjoyed the shows I was able to work.

Unique perspective.

Over the holidays I spoke with a couple of friends who volunteer as ushers for the Texas Performing Arts organization, which hosts events all year at the Bass Concert Hall on the UT campus, and several other local theaters.

I was interested. I do have “theater” experience after all … I worked on the tech crew for the event coliseum at the university I attended back in the day – setting up, tearing down, and working spotlights for concerts, and helping Monte with productions for the showbiz club where we worked. Ok, so theater may not actually be in my blood, but I’ve at least stubbed my toe on it a few times. 🙂

I had an interview this week, attended a training session for volunteer ushers tonight, and decided to join for the remainder of this season – through August – to see how I like it. And to see how it fits in with all the other things I enjoy doing.

A bonus: I got to see some cool views of an empty Bass Concert Hall tonight.

An empty house, viewed from the second balcony.
And a view from the stage. How awesome is that?!