Esther’s Follies is a beloved pastime on East 6th Street: it’s Austin’s number-one comedy troupe and the nation’s longest-running musical revue! Actor, writer and anchorperson Ted Meredith visited with Studio 512 about what’s new at Esther’s Follies, including a new partnership with CW Austin.
Tell us about the sort of entertainment we’d see at Esther’s Follies.
“The peculiar interaction between stage and street has been a Follies hallmark since the beginning. With 6th Street still dimly sinister after dark, the windows provide safe haven between numbers to watch the steady parade of Sixth Street denizens, and revelers wander by. Esther’s is an equal opportunity satirical revue—fond of skewering both political parties and using the absurd in politics and pop culture as a foundation for their sketches. The end result is a smartly funny, unifying experience for a politically diverse audience, where everyone laughs under one roof.”
How often does the show change?
“It evolves over time as we bring new comic material based on the ever-changing world of news, politics, & pop culture. We’re constantly writing, rehearsing & performing new songs, new sketches, new magic illusions – plus the show reflects a lot of the seasonal changes, from Christmas to summer, Halloween or our famous NYE party. So even when the weather refuses to cooperate, the show still transforms and grows!”
How can we see Esther’s Follies live and in-person?
“By attending shows at our theater on 6th Street & Red River every Thursday, Friday & Saturday night, with showtimes at 7:00 & 9:00 p.m. Reserved seating is available online at EsthersFollies.com.”
Esther’s Follies is partnering with CW Austin to bring our viewers KNOT News, which helps to bring attention to the incredible line-up of comedies happening on the channel, like Seinfeld, Friends, The Big Bang Theory and Two & A Half Men. Can you tell us more about what to expect from KNOT?
“It was a very collaborative effort that started with a simple desire to team up these great local institutions, Esther’s Follies with our friends at CW. We knew we wanted something funny & fresh that captured Austin’s unique flavor. We at Esther’s got a lot of practice with inventing new ways to express ourselves on camera during our temporary pandemic closure, and we’ve been hoping to find ways to keep flexing those video comedy muscles. When the opportunity to form this partnership arrived, we leapt at the chance! Doing a form of local news satire brought all of our strengths and resources together perfectly!”
