Name: Esther’s Follies
Telephone: (512) 320-0553

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Esther’s Follies is a national treasure. Our world needs more belly laughs.
Katie F. , 8 months ago
Funny funny FUNNY SHOW!! Seriously I could not stop laughing from start yo finish.

It is smart comedy… not just silliness… although there is some of that mixed in as well… and magic too.

We have been wanting to do this since we moved to Austin and this past Valentine’s Day I took my wife to the 10pm Friday night show.

It was freaking hilarious!! I haven’t laughed that much in years. Like the good old days of Saturday Night Live but on steroids!

I’m telling you… THIS SHOW IS FUNNY!! It was worth every penny and I feel a must see for any adult. Yes it is for sure an adult show. No kids… first it would be way over their heads and 2nd it is certainly not appropriate even for younger teens!

Any way if you are coming to austin, live in austin, visiting Austin or whatever… you have to take in this show! It is, I feel, an Austin must!
Brett J. , 5 years ago
Ok, THAT was a blast! This show is not too long, not too short, and just right with its fast-paced timing. It’s the perfect entertainment option for someone whose attention is difficult to maintain. The parts where the actors go out onto 6th street and can be seen through the window are HILARIOUS. The magic tricks are super fun and all the actors bring something unique to the show. Highly recommended!
Felix J. , 5 years ago
Haven’t laughed this hard in a very long time! What an amazing experience. Esther’s Follies will give you an evening of magic, comedy, song, dance, and very politically incorrect humor.

As others have said, do spend the extra money to buy pre-assigned seats, and remember if you’re too close to the stage, you’re at risk of being included in the show – but it’s all in good fun!

We’ll be going to Esther’s Follies every time we make our way to Austin – can’t wait to go back!
Julie Anne C. , 5 years ago
If you’re in Austin, I highly recommend Esther’s Follies! I’ve already gone 3 times – it was a different show every time & I was in stitches every time! It’s hilarious, smart & entertaining! There’s sketch comedy, magic, music …. a little bit of everything The cast is brilliant! Go see it!
Dhruvi B. , 5 years ago
Wow! Go to this ASAP. I went here during my recent first time trip to Austin and it reminded me of SNL but better. I’m also a fan of magic and there’s some of that along with very funny audience engagement. Ray is hilarious and the entire cast had us laughing the entire time. The sketches are updated for recent events so I’d return whenever I’m back in Austin!
Anand D. , 5 years ago
I thought this place would be cheesy, but it was anything but… Seriously, it was so funny! I belly laughed and was entertained throughout the whole thing. With interactive portions, magic shows and a performances, and comedy sketches that play off of current events, politics, and adult life. If you’re looking for a unique fun night out in ATX, this is a great choice. Well worth the ticket and you’re bound to be thoroughly entertained.
Helina M. , 5 years ago
Esther’s follies is one of the most exhilarating and entertaining show in Austin. This variety show has something for everybody, from magic and comedy to music and political satire. Located on East Sixth or “Dirty 6th”, its takes over a corner with open windows that lets the audience look out, and passerbys look in. This alone is hilarious to watch, especially since they’ll occasionally poke fun at their expense. You can also buy drinks and food before, after, or during the show.

Highly recommend for a fun night out. Serves as a great pregame to the rest of the night. After all you just got 90 minutes of content to talk about!

PRO TIP: buy the tier seats to choose where you sit. Sitting in the front will result in getting “love” from the cast. Depends on the person if this is good or not.
Ann P. , 5 years ago
I have brought so many friends/fam here who are visiting from out of town – always a hit! PG13 humor, super fun! They have bathrooms & a bar for drinks (pre-game and the show is even funnier, obviously). They lean towards favoring Longhorn fans and liberals for jokes but there is plenty of humor for all. Definitely a must-do while in town. If you are up to date on Texas culture and politics you will get all the jokes, if not …ask your neighbor lol. Beware if you sit up front 😉 Good magic acts in there too. Also for reference I brought my 65 yr old mother to my 28 yr old boyfriend on diff occasions both loved it for diff reasons. Good crowd pleaser for all! Tourists, clients, birthdays, etc.
Lacey P. , 6 years ago
‘ve been coming to this show for over 20 years and I’ve never been disappointed. There’s a revolving door of up and coming stars, but the skits are usually the same. Somehow they always make me laugh, even though I know what’s coming next.

Arrive early and make sure that you get a good seat. If you sit close enough to the stage, then you might get picked for audience participation.

You might want to consider taking Uber or Lyft. The riff-raff of dirty Sixth Street might bum rush you, so be careful.
John T. , 6 years ago
High energy, fast moving, funny, entertaining show. I would recommend it. The magic was especially impressive. Extending the show to the sidewalk outside was a fun idea. The theater is small so the view from most seats, if not all, should be fine.
Diane W. , 6 years ago
Funny, funniest, funnier fun place to see a show!
The vaudeville song and dance style of show is iconic for this place! The stage is that it’s in front of the large glass windows so the act can be outside as well as inside on the stage!
You get to be wowed by their magician and laugh to the local and National politics spoofs they work into the show!
The interior ambience is amazing! Under the sea feeling with the brightly painted mermaids and sea life murals.
The energy is high in here! We had to call ahead for seat reservations.
Full bar open, and a great lobby area, even an aquarium inside the television! A nod to pee wee Herman!
Do this when in Austin!
Deann L. , 6 years ago
I booked this show for a trip based on extremely high recommendations all over the web-I got nervous when we arrived and learned it could be magic too. I thought it was strictly comedy. Turned out to be a little bit of both and still great. Its not your typical standup style show. They use pop culture references, make a little bit of fun of people in the audience and mix in just the right amount of dirty humor. We really enjoyed it and caught ourselves laughing out loud a lot! It is definitely worth trying out if you are in town, what a hoot!
Caitlin K. , 6 years ago
I really can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard. Honestly, it was so entertaining, funny, thought provoking – even controversial – that when it was time for a cocktail refill, I didn’t want to leave my seat and miss a minute of it. Imagine a Texan version of SNL; they covered everything from political hot topics to pop culture – all through song, dance, magic, comedy and some audience participation…

The cast does a full on production – even the cleanup. Hat tip to you all!
Farrah A. , 6 years ago
The night before heading home from my work trip in Texas, my boss took my colleagues and I to Esther’s Follies. Upon walking up and seeing the posters, the initial lobby, and bar, I had noooo freakin’ idea what to expect and wasn’t sure whether or not to be excited.

The decor itself is interesting to say the least. It has more of a Mexican (or Caribbean?) type feel with the bright colors and overall touches which again, confused me, but I was going with it.

Bar prices are great and the drinks are made perfectly. Jack & Cokes were $7 for and really well made.

We got in, seated, and the show started.

Holy. Shit.

It’s a musical comedy/magic show which is probably SO confusing to picture but it all came together, made sense, and I was in awe or cracking up the ENTIRE time.

They do touch a lot on hot button political issues and poke fun at pretty much everyyyyboddyyy and everything on planet Earth so be prepared to keep it lighthearted and fun. There’s also some pretty sexual content as well but that was also hilarious.

The magician that they have, Ray, was AMAZING. He kept the crowd really involved and was also really funny. He pulled off so many different acts that seriously wowed me and had me scratching my head trying to figure out how he did what he did.

If you’re in the Austin area and have the chance to go see this show, don’t even hesitate – JUST DOOO ITTTT. You will NOT regret it!
Lauren P. , 6 years ago
Well, holy sh*t, this was hilarious. I was NOT expecting that.

But in all honesty, I had no idea what to expect at all. This was sort of a secret company offsite destination for us and I’m so glad I got to go into this with no idea of what I was in for.

The skits were all witty and relevant, some hitting my funny bone harder than others. But I really think I had a constant smile on my face the whole time. I could tell because my cheeks hurt when I left. And if I’m being 100% honest here, I don’t normally get into musical anything or magic. In fact, most magicians creep me out. But Esther’s Follies is my exception to all those opinions.

And while the margaritas are gross (you know, the neon green, weird sour mix kind? But that’s not what I was there for. And I highly recommend checking Ester’s Follies out.
Cara L. , 6 years ago
Oh my gosh! I had no idea how fun this would be. I’ve passed Esther’s a million times, and never realized what a fun, relevant, variety show it would be. A true follies, unlike anything I’ve experienced before.

This was our company offsite after a few days in town for training. We didn’t know what we were doing until we walked in, and we were not sure what to expect.

I had no idea how politically current the sketches would be, and since it’s holiday time, there was a mix of that stuff as well. The performers were so talented, and everyone in the crowd had a great time. I absolutely laughed my ass off, as did everyone. I would absolutely do this again, and probably will!
Julie S. , 6 years ago
Customer service here is right on the money. When we called for a reservation, they were super helpful and made the ticket purchasing experience easy. They were even able to help get a last minute add on to our party! And the bartenders gave quick service, they run a very efficient bar. Prices were reasonable too. All pluses in my book.

The magic show was the highlight for me! I literally felt like a little kid again, mesmerized by the (spoiler alert) floating lady, disappearing dog tricks, and vanishing lady. How do they do it?!?!?! Whoa. I loved the little white dog, Leroy? can he date my little daisy please? Now that dog is pure talent. The show also made fun of politics and Texans….that made up the non magic part of the show. And it was my least favorite part. Wish they’d lighten up the load on that a bit. Maybe make fun of celebrities more?

Seats are very tightly placed together, and doing the reserved option is the way to go. Sit in the front if you’d like to participate in the show! And call ahead if you want them to make a birthday announcement. Also, would not recommend for younger audiences, as most the material would fly over their heads. Overall, a great way to spend your evening in Austin and be entertained in a multitude of ways.
Natasha M. , 10 years ago
This is a really interesting and unique show-definitely unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Well, okay, I have seen most of the magic tricks, and I’ve heard dirty and political jokes, but I’ve never seen so many different genres combined into one show. They combine political humor with jokes about current events, social media and even mix in a little local flavor. There are a few magic tricks performed as well. I was impressed by how up to date the show was with current events and how they remembered and perfected their acts/songs so quickly. It’s been a month since I went, so I can’t remember exactly what was included, but some things had been on the news within the past couple weeks.

My favorite aspect is that they involve people walking by on the streets. The back of the stage is a window, and they leave it open for the majority of the show. They also call a “volunteer” on stage, so don’t sit in the first few rows if that’s not something you want. By volunteer, I mean you basically are socially forced. Lol. Even if you’re not brought on stage, Ray, the magician is not afraid to embarrass you or get in your face. Shannon is a hoot. She has a lot of spunk, and I really enjoyed her. At one point in the show, she teaches you how to make crafts out of feminine hygiene products. It was hilarious. I definitely recommend the show. Go early to have a couple drinks. The bar and waiting area is decorated very eclectically, and it’s fun to look around. There is a fish tank in an old TV!
Tyler B. , 10 years ago
I AM COMPLETELY AMAZED BY THIS PLACE!
My friends and I were here on vacation and it was hilarious! I absolutely loved it! They acts were so clever and witty! They left it all out on the stage! Even if you aren’t up to date with the current events, the skits are well thought out and are so easy to follow! Very very talented staff! Worth every penny!! When I come back to Austin, I will be back to Esther’s Follies FOR SURE!
Hailey B. , 10 years ago
Esther’s follies. What an amazing experience. I’ve been here twice, about a year apart, and was blown away both times. I feel like I am watching Saturday Night Live in the audience. The cast is just amazing; the skits, the singing and dancing, the magic, the creativity. It is such a well executed show, as well. They actually use 6th street as part of their stage. ( and the homeless man twirling flowers on his chest, seriously)

We pre ordered our tickets, and showed up 30 min early, to find a spot off to the side. The center section is reserved, and I learned you can pay an extra $5/ticket for this preferred seating. I was all the way against the wall and still could see everything. They offer a full bar, as well as popcorn in the lobby. The show starts promptly on time, and you’re instantly hooked, surprised at every turn. The show is heavy political humor, magic/illusionist (hilarious and crowd involving), musical skits and acting. All praising the great state of Texas. It kept me laughing and on the edge of my seat.

The cast hangs around the bar after the show, which I think is so great to be able to greet them. The restrooms are located near the bar, and are very filled (obviously) during intermission and after the show. Go out on 6th street after and you will have had one hell of a night! Great spot to take out of towners and parents. I’ll definitely be back to the Follies.
Jennifer M. , 10 years ago

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