See “Singin’ in the Rain” for Free at Zilker Hillside Theater This Summer

Zilker Theatre Productions (ZTP) will celebrate its 67th annual summer musical with “Singin’ in the Rain,” the classic stage adaptation of the beloved movie musical. TRIBEZA is a proud media sponsor of this free production that runs Thursdays through Sundays from July 10 through Aug. 15 at the Beverly S. Sheffield Zilker Hillside Theater.

Directed by Damon Brown, the production continues one of Austin’s most enduring summer traditions: gathering on blankets, picnicking on the lawn and watching a community musical unfold under the stars.

“There is nothing like the energy of a live audience at the Hillside Theater,” Brown said. “We’ve taken the unforgettable music, high-energy tap numbers, humor and heart of the iconic movie musical ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and crafted a production that celebrates the spirit of Austin.”

For Brown, who performed at Zilker in the 2002 production of “Into the Woods,” this year’s show is both a return and a first. It marks his first time directing the annual summer musical, though his creative work in Central Texas has included theater productions in Austin and Georgetown, short films with Impact Arts and Summer Stock Austin, and the Emmy Award-winning children’s television program “The Biscuit Brothers,” which aired on KLRU.

This year’s production features Ryan Rhue as Don Lockwood, Alicia Frias Escobar as Kathy Selden, Noah Cantrell as Cosmo Brown and Sarah Reynolds as Lina Lamont. The creative team includes assistant director Kyle Kirchoff, music director Ellie Shattles, choreographer Richard Cerato and assistant choreographer Cara Bernstein.

A Hollywood classic

Based on the screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, “Singin’ in the Rain” follows Hollywood as it stumbles, sings and taps its way from silent films into the era of “talking pictures.” At the center are silent film stars Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont, whose glamorous on-screen romance begins to crack as the industry changes around them. When Lina’s voice threatens her future in sound pictures, aspiring actress Kathy Selden becomes part of the effort to save the studio’s biggest stars.

The result is a musical built around show-business chaos, romance, comedy and the famous onstage rainstorm. For Brown, the story’s setting in 1927 feels newly resonant.

“I think it’s interesting the themes of ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ about working through big transitions, big scene changes in the technological field,” Brown said. “It’s talking about the 1927 transition from silent movies to speaking films and how that upended an entire industry.”

That theme, he said, speaks to the way people continue to navigate major shifts in work, culture and technology.

“We as human beings have to decide who are we on either side of any sort of technological shift or societal shift,” Brown said. “How are we gonna support each other? How are we gonna continue to be real thoughtful caring human beings when the world around us is constantly changing?”

For Lisa Muir, board president of ZTP, the choice to stage “Singin’ in the Rain” came from a desire to bring a classic back to the Hillside. The organization considers audience appeal, cost, rights availability and production demands when choosing its summer show. This year, Muir said, the team wanted a title that felt recognizable and welcoming for a broad Austin audience.

That matters for a production designed to remove barriers to live theater. ZTP estimates that about 45% of its audience members will see only one show a year, and for many, the summer musical is their first theater experience.

Keeping the Hillside tradition alive

Founded in 1959 as part of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, ZTP has since grown into a nonprofit organization that produces free musical theater for more than 66,000 audience members each year. While many Austinites still associate the summer musical with the city, Brown said the production is no longer city-funded.

Keeping the show free now depends on fundraising, donations, concessions and community support. Admission remains free and open to the public, though donations are encouraged. For the 2026 season, ZTP will continue paid parking, with proceeds supporting the long-term sustainability of the program and rising production costs. Donors may also receive benefits such as VIP parking, backstage tours, exclusive merchandise and special recognition.

For Muir, this year feels different from the past few seasons. In 2024, the nonprofit warned that the future of Austin’s free summer musical was at critical risk because of a lack of city funding, along with decreases in grants, corporate sponsorships and community donations. After years of challenges, she said the organization entered the final stretch before opening night with a rare sense of steadiness.

“One of the board members said to me, ‘Correct me if I’m wrong, but we are less than a month out from when the show opens, and we’re not in panic mode?,’” Muir said. “I was like, ‘No, we’re not, everything’s going great.’”

That sense of momentum extends to the cast and creative team, which Brown described as a mix of new voices and returning artists.

“We’ve assembled such a diverse creative team and such diverse talent, that bringing their own humanity to it has made it their own,” Brown said. “It’s thrilling really to see people take something that is iconic and start to make it their own.”

Tips for attending the Zilker Summer Musical

For first-time visitors, Brown recommends arriving prepared for an outdoor Austin evening: Bring water and a blanket. But more than anything, he said, come ready for the shared experience of it.

“Sitting in that audience with hundreds, if not 1,200, of your friends and family and neighbors and community members can be a life-changing experience if you’re open to it,” Brown said.

Muir suggests turning the performance into a full Zilker day: swimming at Barton Springs Pool, laying out a blanket early, picking up food from concessions or packing a picnic, then settling in as the sun sets and the show begins.

“Make a day of it, make it a purely Austin day,” Muir said.

That sense of place remains central to the Hillside tradition. At a Zilker musical, audience members might sit beside longtime theater fans, first-time visitors, families with children, local artists or strangers who become neighbors for the evening.

“We aren’t just putting on a show,” Brown said. “We’re inviting our community to return to their summer home at the Hillside and create a new season of stories together.”

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