Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2008 > June > 10 > Entry
‘The Bat’ and ‘Hamilton Township’
More evidence of innovative twists from Austinites:
Austin Lyric Opera’s “The Bat” has been lauded by critics for putting a local spin on Johann Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus,” thanks to playful concepts, lyrics and other inspirations from the Esther’s Follies gang. (I was relieved that my name-check in the first act generated laughter rather than cat-calls.) Purists have not been so kind to the adaptation. My minor observations: It was ironic seeing so many Apple products placed on the Dell Hall stage; and, to me, the only character who represented contemporary Austin society was played by the character himself — Stephen Macmillan Moser — during the trippy second act.
Meanwhile, over at the Salvage Vanguard Theater on Manor Road, the company broadens the rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic established by founder and former artistic director Jason Neulander some 15 years ago. Early on, “theater for club kids” sometimes resulted in onstage garage-band-feedback; now, under interim artistic director Jenny Larson, that has been refined to include expertly pitched, if muted performances; and especially stunning apocalyptic video designs by Lee Webster. The social set? The same club kids, who are now graduate students in various humanities, from the look and sound of them.
And now more photos from that social mega-hit: The Long Center plaza.
Michael Helferich, Laura Martin, Joe Chauncey, JJ Muniz
Julie Delgado, Maru Cueto
Soon Cho, Chad Hall
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