Jan 20-Jul 28 The American Twenties
Harry Ransom Center, 21st & Guadalupe
(512) 471-8944, hrc.utexas.edu

Profound cultural and social change occurred during the 1920s in this country; it was a decade of ambiguities, contradictions, contrasts and conflicts. In the decade's struggle to define the future of America, a plethora of issues were argued and fought out in poetry, novels, political tracts, music and the movies. Issues of race, religion and revolution were paramount followed by those of love, sex and gender. Questions of the primacy of labor and capital were particularly fraught and the benefits of socialism, communism, anarchism and capitalism were openly debated. Fundamentalists and experimentalists clashed in many areas of human endeavor. Through these, the idea of the "Modern" was crystallized and the "American" century born.

This exhibition is an exploration of that decade through the literature and art that was to become quintessentially American and quintessentially modern. Themes explored in this all-gallery exhibition of materials drawn from the Ransom Center's collections. The Center's commemoration of its 50th anniversary year begins in 2007 with the opening of this exhibition, one of many programs planned in a year dedicated to "Celebrating the Imagination." The exhibition is guest-curated by Rodney Phillips.

Jan 18-Jan 20 Esther's January Highlights
Esther's Follies, 525 E. Sixth Street
(512) 320-0553, esthersfollies.com

Esther's News Medley covers Washington D.C. as Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats sweep into power, while George W. Bush surges more troops into Iraq. Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie top Hollywood's Best Messed Up List, birds fall from the sky here in Austin just as the Legislature returns...coincidence? Ray Anderson offers up a world-class dose of comedy and magic, with illusions, disappearing acts and levitations. Borderline Musical-Immigration! Esther's follows two young border jumpers into Texas as they try for jobs, security and the American Way.

Jan 18-Mar 11 Present Laughter
Zachary Scott Theatre, 1510 Toomey Rd.
(512) 476-0541, zachscott.com

This semi-autobiographical, madcap farce is one of Noel Coward's finest and funniest comedies. Stylishly attired and devastatingly charismatic, Garry Essendine is a famous, self-dramatizing actor who never met a mirror he didn't like. He teeters reluctantly towards middle age, while everyone who encounters him is completely infatuated with him. The stage is set for a battle of glittering egos as the ruthless, razor-sharp-tongued Essendine takes on an admiring young playwright, his tart-tongued secretary, his business partners, an hilariously acerbic ex-wife, and an hours-old tryst. You get the picture, and just know the play is even more entertaining than this description!

Jan 19, 21, 27, 29 Waiting for the Barbarians
Austin Lyric Opera
Bass Concert Hall, 23rd & Robert Dedman
(512) 472-5992, austinlyricopera.org

Philip Glass' Waiting for the Barbarians is a two act opera with libretto by Christopher Hampton based on Nobel laureate John M. Coetzee's novel of the same name from a poem by Constantine Cavafy. The work is a startling allegory of the conflict between oppressors and oppressed. It's the moving story of a loyal Magistrate of the Empire who witnesses the unjust treatment of barbarian prisoners and commits a compassionate act of rebellion that brands him an enemy of the state. (Note: this production contains partial nuditiy. Image Courtesy of Theater Erfurt.)

Jan 20 Chelsea Handler
8:00 p.m.
Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress
(512) 472-5470, austintheatre.org

Chelsea Handler is an American stand-up comedian and valley girl. A regular on the Oxygen Network series Girls Behaving Badly, E! and the Tonight Show, she's a veteran of many shows, including Weekends at the D.L., and The Bernie Mac Show. She recently released My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands, her memoirs. Currently, she has her own sketch comedy program, The Chelsea Handler Show, on the E! Check out this refreshingly hilarious comic at chelsea-handler.com.

Jan 20-26 Austin Jewish Film Festival
The Hideout Theatre, 617 Congress Avenue
austinjff.org

This Festival offers an incredible mix of dramas, comedies, documentaries and short subjects from around the world - all dealing with the joys and complexities of Jewish life. Festival Badges and Flex-Passes are available on the Film Festival web site - austinjff.org.

Jan 21 Roald Dahl's WILLY WONKA
Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress
(512) 472-5470, austintheatre.org

Join Willy Wonka and his band of Oompa Loompas as they lead Charlie, the spoiled-rotten Veruca Salt, gluttonous Augustus Gloop, gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde, and Mike Teavee through a labyrinth of lemon drops, life lessons and giggles galore. Live actors, puppets and songs make this a scrumptious musical feast for the entire family. Presented by The Kennedy Center IMAGINATION CELEBRATION® on Tour. Shows @ 2:00 & 4:30 p.m.

Still on Stage...

To 2/16: Level One Improv Comedy Classes, The Hideout Theatre, hideoutheatre.com
To 4/26: Maestro Improv Comedy, The Hideout Theatre, hideoutheatre.com
Ongoing: Happy Feet: The IMAX® Experience, Texas the Big Picture, Deep Sea 3D in the IMAX® Theatre; The Star of Destiny in the Texas Spirit Theater, thestoryoftexas.com

Jan 18 Classical Piano
Central Presbyterian Church, 200 E. Eighth Street
(512) 472-2445, centralpresbyterian.org

This week's Thursday Noonday Concert features Tim Woolsey - classical pianoo.

Jan 19 'Ghostland at the Opera'
9:00 p.m.
Hogg Memorial Auditorium, 24th at Whitis
(512) 477-6060, utpac.org

Aaron Behrens and Thomas Turner, Austin's hot indie band Ghostland Observatory, is performing live. Austinist.com describes the experience, "They play electronic music like it was rock, and rock like it was soul. Behrens thrashes around on stage like a modern day Elvis, while Turner tweaks knobs, bashes keys, and churns out a beat to which it is difficult not to dance."

Jan 23, 24 Jeff Tweedy (Tuesday SOLD OUT)
8:00 p.m.
Hogg Memorial Auditorium, 24th at Whitis
(512) 477-6060, utpac.org

Jeff Tweedy, lead singer of Wilco, former member of Uncle Tupelo, Loose Fur and a thousand super groups that exist only in hipster dreams, will make his Performing Arts Center debut when his solo tour stops in the A-Town.

Jan 18 Blanton Happenings
Blanton Museum of Art, Congress & MLK
(512) 232-5171, blantonmuseum.org

Jan 18 - Free Admission Thursday

Curator's Tour: European Prints of Ornament, 1500-1700 - 12:15 p.m.
Josh McConnell, curatorial intern in the Blanton's Department of Prints, Drawings and European Paintings and UT graduate student in Art History Department will lead a special tour of the exhibition. Participation is limited. Tickets are available at the Visitor Services desk one hour before program begins.

Art Fix: Poetry Writing Workshop - 6:00 p.m.
In celebration of the centennial of James A. Michener, become inspired by works of art in the Blanton's collection and write your own poems with the help of poet, Carrie Fountain. Space is limited. Tickets are available at the Visitor Services desk one hour before the beginning of the program.

Jan 18 "The Legacy of Watergate:
Why It Still Matters"
3:30 -6:15 p.m.
Harry Ransom Center, 21st & Guadalupe
(512) 471-8944, hrc.utexas.edu

Watergate journalists, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, will participate in two special panel discussions: "Watergate and Presidential Accountability" (3:30-4:45 p.m.) and "Did the System Work?" (5:00 - 6:15 p.m.) University of Texas professors will also be part of these fascinating dialogues. Seating is free, but limited. Doors open at 3:00 p.m.

Jan 20-Mar 4 The Siren's Song
Arthouse at the Jones Center, 700 Congress
(512) 453-5312, arthousetexas.org

The Sirens' Song is an exhibition about painting, artists and one of the oldest and most powerful forms of communication: the story.

In the last few years, there has been a resurgence of interest among artists in storytelling, particularly with the use of allegory and narrative. By focusing on the work of Seth Alverson, Gilad Efrat, Joey Fauerso, Ali Fitzgerald, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Kirk Hayes, Philip Maysles, David McGee, Xiomara De Oliver, Vincent Valdez, William Villalongo, and Hilary Wilder, this exhibition seeks to understand how artists employ storytelling as one of their primary expressive devices.

The story is not an end in itself, but rather a means of meditating on personal memories and collective experiences or to comment on history and current events. In the process, these artists juxtapose the real and the imagined, non-fiction and fiction, and representation and abstraction.

The exhibition title was inspired by the work of novelist and literary critic Maurice Blanchot, who described the myth of the Sirens as the archetypal story - a story about stories. This beautiful exhibit looks at the poetic and structural nature of stories as expressed through visual art. Opening Reception: January 19, 8:00-10:00 p.m. Artist's Talk by Curator Kelly Baum, January 20, 3:00 p.m.



Jan 21 Identification Day
1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Texas Memorial Museum, 2400 Trinity Street (2 blocks north of the UT stadium)
(512) 471-1604, texasmemorialmuseum.org

Bring your natural objects (fossils, rocks, gems, insects, etc.) and have experts identify them for you. Who knows - you may have something quite valuable. Find out with a Free Identification by Texas Natural Science Center scientists and other experts. And as always, you'll enjoy free admission to the museum. Texas Memorial Museum is part of the Texas Natural Science Center at The University of Texas at Austin. For more information about the Texas Memorial Museum, visit texasmemorialmuseum.org.

Jan 23-Feb 3 The Art of Grace Slick
ART on 5th, 1501 W. 5th S
(512) 481-1111, arton5th.com

The legendary musician and artist, Grace Slick, works in a variety of media including acrylic painting on canvas, ink on paper, and scratchboard. Her subjects include Lewis Carroll's Wonderland iconography, complete with the white rabbit of Jefferson Airplane fame, and Rock'n'Rollers such as Jerry Garcia, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Janis Joplin. ART on 5th will be premiering new artwork including new rabbit pieces, "Don Blanco" and "White Rabbit" and new pieces featuring Jimi Hendrix. You'll see and be able to buy 50 originals and limited editions. Grace Slick will be on hand during special Public Receptions (RSVP required) on Friday January 26, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Saturday January 27, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Sunday January 28, 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Ends Jan 28! Radical New York!
Austin Museum of Art, 823 Congress
(512) 495-9224, amoa.org

This totally "Radical" exhibit ends next week - make sure you check it out before it closes! Radical NY! is a two-part exhibition about distinct generations of New York artists who challenged the definitions of art and re-envisioned the artist?s role in society. The first chapter focuses on the Abstract Expressionist era, with seventeen gestural abstract paintings and works on paper from the 1940s-60s by artists including Willem de Kooning, Adolph Gottlieb, and Jackson Pollock. The Downtown Show:The New York Art Scene, 1974-1984 surveys the vibrant period when a new, postmodern attitude towards artistic production surfaced in Lower Manhattan.

Still On Display Downtown...

To 1/19: The Avenue: Austin's Main Street Since 1839, Austin History Center, cityofaustin.org/library/ahc
To 2/10: Wait and Hope, New Works by Katy O'Connor, Volitant Gallery, volitant.com
To 2/10: Restless Timber, New Works by Jennifer Drummond, Volitant Gallery, volitant.com
To 2/11: 15 Years of Gifts, Umlauf Sculpture Gardens, umlaufsculpture.org
To 2/16: Retreat: New Paintings by Theresa Marchetta, Women and Their Work, womenandtheirwork.org
To 2/20: Los Cuatro Vientos, Dougherty Arts Center, lapena-austin.org
To 4/8: Virtuoso Lithography, Blanton Museum of Art, Blanton Museum of Art, blantonmuseum.org
To 4/8: European Prints of Ornament, 1500-1700, Blanton Museum of Art, blantonmuseum.org
To 4/8: Jusepe de Ribera, 1591-1652, Blanton Museum of Art, blantonmuseum.org
To 5/18: Fun, 2, 3, 4: all about a number of things, Austin Children's Museum, austinkids.org
To 5/27: On the Plains: The Art of Frank Reaugh; Texas Capitol Visitors Center, TexasCapitolVisitorsCenter.com
To 5/28: Power to the People, LBJ Library & Museum, lbjlib.utexas.edu
Ongoing:
European Paintings from the Permanent Collection and America/Americas, Blanton Museum of Art, blantonmuseum.org
Gems and Minerals, Texas Memorial Museum, texasmemorialmuseum.org

Jan 19-20 Austin Spring Home & Garden Show
Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez
showtechnology.com

With hundreds of exhibitors, this is your chance to see the latest products and services for the home during one of Austin's grandest home and gardening events ever! Show hours: Fri. 2:00 - 8:00 p.m., Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Jan 19-21 33rd Annual Austin Car Show
Palmer Event Center, Barton Springs Road
austincarshow.com

Rev yourself up for 3 days of hands-on excitement at the Austin Car Show. Your kids will stay busy with remote control car racing, and more, and you'll have an eyeful with all the ladies, and the Aannual American Dream Calendar Girl Challenge! Oh yeah, and the cars. Va va vroom!

Jan 20 Chuck Norris World Combat
League Championships
8:00 p.m.
Frank Erwin Center, 1701 Red River
(512) 471-7744, uterwincenter.com

Chuck Norris Presents World Combat League (WCL) is geared up to return for an action-packed evening that will feature four of the WCL top teams, culled from a knock-out filled season of full-throttle martial arts action. If you're a martial arts fan, you don't want to miss seeing the turf wars heat up Austin! Further information on the WCL is available at worldcombatleague.com. Tickets are available at all Texas Box Office Outlets, charge-by-phone at (512) 477-6060 or (800) 982-2386, or order online at TexasBoxOffice.com.

Jan 22-25 Austin Green Art (AGA) and
St. Edwards University Paper Project
St. Edward's University
(512) 743-4245

Calling all artists, volunteers and art and environmental lovers. St. Ed's Student Programs and Austin Green Art are hosting a week-long exhibition exploring environmental paper issues. Contact AGA, if you have innovative artwork that utilizes recycled or environmentally sensitive paper that you'd like to submit. You can also volunteer with the exhibit or just view it. You're also invited to be a Presenter if you have information about paper-related technology, activism or artwork - drop by at lunchtime during the week and share your ideas!

Jan 24 Mediterranean Wine Tasting
7:00 p.m.
Dona Emilias South American Bar & Grill, 101 San Jacinto Blvd.
(512) 478-2520, donaemilias.com

Dona Emilia's is hosting a Mediterranean Wine Tasting with a portion of this event to benefit Operation Comfort. Specially paired appetizers will be served and seven wines from the Mediterranean will be tasted. Steve Lawrence from Terra Verus wines will share this expert knowledge of the wines, and Jerry Reid, owner of Vino Vino, will also offer special discount prices on any of the wines included in this event. Tickets may be purchased donaemilias.com/events or at the restaurant.

Ongoing Special Events

Jan 20 Start Fresh at Austin Farmer's Market
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Cesar Chavez and Lavaca
(512) 236-0074, austinfarmersmarket.org

Eating healthier is such a popular New Year's resolution, and there's no better way to keep your promise than by making the Austin Farmer's Market part of your routine. You'll find the freshest produce, fruits and meats at the market. And free chef's demonstrations and live music make the market fun for the whole family. Remember the new location on Cesar Chavez and Lavaca with free parking at City Hall.

Jan 20, 21 West 6th St. Artists Market
709 W. 6th
(512) 698-8099, 6thstreetmarket.com

The West 6th Street Artist's Market is back in a new location! Here's another splendid shopping opportunity downtown - at this festive outdoor art fair, featuring a variety of work by independent artists from Austin and Central Texas. Open every Sat. & Sun, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Jan 24 New Wednesday Austin Farmers' Market Hours
Whole Foods Market, 6th and Lamar
austinfarmersmarket.org

The Austin Farmers' Market at Whole Foods Market is changing its Winter hours for its Wednesday market to 8:30 a.m. to noon. With the expected shorter and colder days of January and the earlier part of the year, the market is changing to daylight hours to help customers see and shop for local produce and other food products in morning light.

Jan 7, 10 UT Basketball
Frank Erwin Center, 1701 Red River
(512) 477-6060, texasboxoffice.com

The Men's and Women's Longhorn Basketball teams want to see YOU as they take center stage at the Erwin Center. Help pack Austin's finest sporting arena night in and night out and cheer the Horns on to victory! Here's the line-up for this week:

1/21 at 2:00 p.m. - Women take on Texas A&M
1/24 at 7:00 p.m. - Women battle Baylor

Jan 19, 20, 24 Run With the Toros!
Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez
(512) 236-8333, austintoros.com

The Toros are on a tear in their new season. Don't miss a second of the action!

1/19 at 7:30 p.m. - It's 80's Night with a Kid's Headband giveaway.
1/20 at 7:30 p.m. - Military appreciation night with a dance team poster giveaway for all fans and a swearing in ceremony at half-time for newly enlisted Army recruits.
1/24 at 11:00 a.m. - School House Jam; Toros take on the Colorado 14ers.

Jan 20 Austin Farmers' Market
Cesar Chavez at Lavaca
austinfarmersmarket.org

Because of construction near Republic Square, the Farmers' Market is temporarily moving from Republic Square to Cesar Chavez Street. Through March 2007, Cesar Chavez, between Lavaca and Congress, will be closed from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Looking Ahead to the week of Jan. 25-Jan. 31

Jan. 28 3M Half Marathon
solutions.3m.com/wps.portal

The 3M Half Marathon will be coming up on Sunday, January 28. Details will follow next week what effect this popular event may have on traffic.

Jan 24- Arts & Entertainment Marketing Meeting
Resceduled from Jan 17 due to weather.
8:30 a.m.
7th Floor Conference Room, 211 E. 7th Street
Committee Chair: Nancy Burns, Staff Liaison: Cilla Temple


This Week on

Jan. 18 - 6:30 p.m. KLRU-G
Jan. 19 - 5:30 a.m. KLRU-G


Episode #213 - "Best" of DOWNTOWN

Roll the Presses, from story creation to doorstop delivery. / "Catch a risting star" as Austin Museum of Art's "22 to Watch" Exhibit takes a look at some of the most creative, innovative and "up and coming" artists in the world.

Jan. 19 - 9:00 p.m. KLRU Basic/Digital

Episode #113 - "Best" of DOWNTOWN

Casual, cosmopolitan, techie, hippie, artistic...Words used to describe DOWNTOWN Austin are as diverse as the people who live, work, play and develop here. Catch the "Best" of DOWNTOWN as it profiles the special people, places and stories that make DOWNTOWN: As Austin As It Gets.?

DOWNTOWN is a co-production of the Downtown Austin Alliance, Action Figure and KLRU-Austin's PBS Station. For more details or a more complete schedule visit KLRU's web site at: KLRU.org