Zilker Theatre Productions celebrates 65 years

“Legally Blonde the Musical” will premiere on Friday, July 12 and run through Saturday, August 17 at Beverly S. Sheffield Zilker Hillside Theater. You can bring picnic blankets, ground chairs, and snacks + drinks to enjoy the production under the stars — just as Austin locals have for the past six and a half decades.

Zilker Theatre Productions has produced the Zilker Summer Musical every year (except 2020) since 1959, aiming to “make the arts more accessible and inspire the next generation of artists and audiences.” The summertime tradition of free performances draws 45,000+ folks to the lawn each year.

Photo courtesy of Austin History Center, Austin Public Library

A timeline of Zilker Hillside Theater’s history

• 1937: Austin Parks and Recreation Department Director Beverly S. Sheffield began a sing-song program at the outdoor venue.
• 1959: Funded by the Parks and Recreation Department, a cast of high school actors hit the stage in a production of “Seventeen,” the theater’s first musical. About 400 people were in the audience.
• 1987: Zilker Theatre Productions was established as a nonprofit organization when city budget cuts threatened the theater group’s survival.
• 1994: The Zilker Hillside Theater structure as we know it was built directly across from Barton Springs Pool.
• July 2024: Austin Parks Foundation invested $150,000 to revitalize the theater, removing the damaged wooden stage and replacing it with a new one in time for the opening night of “Legally Blonde the Musical.”

Photo by Walter Barnes via Austin History Center, Austin Public Library

What to know before you go

• The shows begin at 8:15 p.m., but it’s best to arrive early to grab a spot
• Ride sharing is encouraged
• Attendees can bring a picnic or buy concessions
• American Sign Language interpreted performances are Thursday, July 18 and Friday, July 26
• High-back chairs are only permitted in the ADA seating and at the top of the hillside