The Austin Decider, tied to the satirical paper "The Onion," published on July 22 its consideration of improv haven Esther's Follies in its series on "tourist traps," with links to two YouTube videos.
Tourist Trap: Esther's Follies
A window to the heart of Sixth Street and utterly complacent comedy
by Erik Adams July 21, 2009
[Decider photo: Shannon Sedwick, cast member]
Like it or not, tourist attractions are part of this city, too. But do they deserve the bad rap they get from grizzled locals? In Tourist Trap, Decider takes an ongoing, objective look at the cold, hard facts of establishments that largely exist to draw in transients. In this edition, we sit in on the vaudevillian antics of Sixth Street comedy institution Esther's Follies.
Fodor's says: "There's really one place in downtown Austin known for its rip-roaring comedy shows. Esther's has kept Austin rolling with laughter for more than 25 years. Situated in the heart of the entertaining Sixth Street District, it's the perfect place to take in an evening of satire and parody."
Decider says: The regular performers at The Hideout Theatre and The Velveeta Room might take umbrage with Fodor's assessment, but it's true that when Esther's Pool opened in 1977, it was downtown's only comedy destination. Even as the whole of east Sixth Street became a place to get a laugh at the expense of others (something Esther's gleefully exploits with its backstage window to all the debauched revelry), the theater and its vaudeville-inspired revues have retained their singularity and profitability, regularly packing the house at $20 per ticket. More than anything, Esther's Follies survives on enthusiasm, an earnest "let's put on a show" spirit that makes the broad humor of its revues hard to hate, even after the second punchline about sagging pants.
Click for full text and video links at austin.decider.com
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