Plus, the first big rain of the year
6AM City In-house

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20+ plays to watch in Austin this year
Performers rehearsing for ZACH Theatre's "Cinderella"
ZACH Theatre’s “Cinderella” will premiere this Wednesday, Jan. 25. | Photo by Suzanne Cordeiro, courtesy ZACH Theatre
We can’t help it — we love drama.

That’s why we’re putting together a list of 21 must-see local theater events taking place in Austin this year, so mark your calendars.

Winter

Cinderella | Wednesday, Jan. 25-Sunday, March 5 | Times vary | ZACH Theatre, 202 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin | $25-$95 | This fairytale retelling with Deaf Austin Theatre will be performed in both English and American Sign Language.

UT New Theatre: Very Blue Light | Saturday, Feb. 18-Friday, Feb. 24 | Times vary | Oscar G. Brockett Theatre, 300 E. 23rd St., Austin | $26 | In hopes of proving her alien abduction to her friends, Magna goes on a quest for the Marfa Lights.

Spring

Vincent | Thursday, March 23-Saturday, April 8 | Times vary | Ground Floor Theatre, 979 Springdale Rd., #122, Austin | $16-$31 | Vincent Van Gogh’s life unfolds through letters to his brother Theo in this play by Leonard Nimoy.

The Art of Martyrdom | Friday, June 23-Saturday, July 15 | Times vary | The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd., #2135, Austin | Price TBD | This comedy by 10th-century playwright Hrosvitha depicts the day-to-day of her convent with a touch of magical realism.

ATX_Aladdin

See “Aladdin” at Bass Concert Hall next month.

Photo by Deen van Meer, courtesy Aladdin.

Summer

The Memorandum | Friday, July 21-Saturday, July 29 | Times vary | The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd., #2135, Austin | Price TBD | Czech playwright Václav Havel’s 1966 work is a satire of communist rule.

Head over Heels | Wednesday, Aug. 9-Sunday, Sept. 10 | Times vary | ZACH Theatre, 202 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin | $25-$81 | Watch the antics of the royal family set to 1980s rock songs.

Fall

Twelfth Night | Thursday, Sept. 28-Saturday, Oct. 21 | Times vary | The Baron’s Men Curtain Theater, 7400 Coldwater Canyon Dr., Austin | Price TBD | Laugh with Viola, Sebastian, and Duke Orsino at this performance of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy.

Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory | Friday, Dec. 1-Sunday, Dec. 17 | Times vary | The Alchemy Theatre, 130 N. Pedernales St., #318, Austin | Price TBD | This 1956 work depicts Capote’s boyhood in rural Alabama.
12 MORE PRODUCTIONS
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Tuesday, Jan. 24
  • Durry | Tuesday, Jan. 24 | 8 p.m. | 3TEN at ACL Live, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin | $15 | Primo the Alien will open for TikTok stars and sibling duo Austin and Taryn Durry.
Wednesday, Jan. 25
  • That 1 Guy | Wednesday, Jan. 25 | 8 p.m. | Antone’s Nightclub, 305 E. 5th St., Austin | $12 | Mike Silverman uses handmade instruments to perform as a one-man-band.
Thursday, Jan. 26
  • Shanghai Kate Celebration | Thursday, Jan. 26 | 5 p.m. | Mohawk Austin, 912 Red River St., Austin | $33 | Celebrate “America’s Tattoo Godmother” with live music from Shinyribs, Finger Pistol, and Shane Enholm.
  • City of Caterpillar | Thursday, Jan. 26 | 8:30 p.m. | Empire Control Room & Garage, 606 E. 7th St., Austin | $20 | Portrayal of Guilt, Glassing, and BFF are also slated to play at this show.
Friday, Jan. 27
  • Ginuwine | Friday, Jan. 27 | 8 p.m. | ACL Live, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin | $38-$58 | The iconic R&B singer will be in Austin for one night only.
  • Jackopierce | Friday, Jan. 27 | 8 p.m. | Stateside at the Paramount, 719 Congress Ave., Austin | $30 | Celebrate 35 years of music with this Dallas-raised duo.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
100+ MORE EVENTS
6AM City In-house

7 secrets to know about hiring a financial advisor 👀
A friendly-looking older man wearing a green cotton shirt smiles into the camera.
SmartAsset is a hassle-free way to find vetted financial advisers in your area. | Photo by SmartAsset
Life should be a balance of adventure and relaxation — not finances. Enter: Working with a financial advisor. But choosing the wrong one could potentially wreak havoc on your retirement and investments.

Check out these seven secrets comfortable retirees know about hiring one, so you can get back to the balance that matters most.

Pro tip: For simplicity, try this free tool to get matched with up to three vetted financial advisors serving your area.*
GET YOUR FREE MATCHES

Weather
  • 58º | Rainy | 99% chance of rain ⛈
  • The first big rain of the year is expected to blow through Central Texas later today, with thunderstorms predicted in the early afternoon. So far, this month has been the seventh-driest start to January ever recorded. (KXAN)
Cause
  • Volunteers will conduct the first official census of homelessness in Austin in three years on Friday, Jan. 27. Participants will also distribute care kits with hygiene products as they work — here’s how to get involved. (KXAN)
Biz
  • The Austin-Round Rock metro area had the second-lowest unemployment rate in Texas last month, at 2.7%. Amarillo and Midland metro areas tied for first place with 2.6%, and statewide, rates fell below 4% for the first time since February 2020. 👔 (KXAN)
Development
  • It’s splash time. Round Rock’s Kalahari Resorts has plans to add an adults-only bar, nine new kids’ water slides, and 900 more feet of lazy river in time for the summer season. (KXAN)
Opening
  • Hutto residents, it’s time to go to the movies. The suburb’s first ever movie theater is set to open in 2024, and include eight theaters, 10 bowling lanes, a bar-lounge, and private event space. 🍿 (CultureMap Austin)
  • Award-winning rooftop restaurant Quince, founded in San Miguel de Allende in 2016, has an Austin location in the works for 2023. Although an exact location hasn’t yet been announced, expect international dishes in an “upscale casual” environment.
Sports
  • LBJ High School head coach Jahmal Fenner stepped down from his role Monday. During his five-year tenure at the East Austin school, Fenner helped the team win 11 playoff games. 🏈 (Austin American-Statesman)
Trending
  • The internet’s most popular cup is back in stock. The Stanley Quencher is beloved for its comfortable handle, large straw, ability to fit in your car’s cup holder, and how it keeps water cold for 11 hours. Plus, the popular 40 ounce size means all day hydration. 💧*
Number
  • 4 million. The number of subscribers to Morning Brew, a free daily newsletter that covers the latest in business, finance, and tech. Morning Brew is 100% free and takes just five minutes to read (and thanks to its witty, fun tone, you’ll want to open it every morning).*
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Boomtown slowdown 🏙

What was Austin’s fastest-growing decade?
A graph of population growth rate data from 1990-2030.
The United Nations predicts annual growth rates in the Austin metro area will fall below 1% by 2030. | Graphic by ATXtoday, data sourced from macrotrends.net
Austin may be the fastest-growing metro areas in the US, but it turns out the 2020s have nothing on the Capital City of the 1990s.

Last year, the Austin metro area had a population growth rate of 2.79%. That number represents ~50,000 new residents, but it’s a solid two percentage points lower than the city’s record.

In the last seven decades, ATX’s biggest annual population boom happened in 1997, when the number of residents increased by 4.9% in a single year.

In fact, the duration of the ‘90s marked substantial growth in our state capital, with annual rates staying above 4.2% for the entire decade.

In comparison, rates fell to 3.6% in 2019, and have been dropping ever since. United Nations projections predict that number will fall below 1% by 2030, at which time the metro area’s population will be ~2.45 million.
THE WRAP
Today’s issue was written by London.

Editor’s pick: Last week, we polled you about languages, and it turns out many of you are quite linguistically talented. More than 35% of our readers already speak another language, including American Sign Language, Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Swedish.

Phew, y’all are an impressive bunch.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Austin’s home buying market is cooling down — here’s how much.
Connect with us.

Editorial: Laura Figi, London Gibson, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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