New Braunfels’ lively downtown offers plenty of ways to entertain yourself, including excellent restaurants, shopping and live music. But among the many options, there’s one venue that has stood out since 1942: the Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre.
The Brauntex first opened its doors just one month after the bombing of Pearl Harbor as a state-of-the-art movie theater. For decades it operated as a dual-screen cinema, slowly deteriorating before closing its doors in 1998. It was saved from the wrecking ball in 1999 by a dedicated group of citizens who saw its historic significance and its potential as a performing arts venue.
Today, the Brauntex is the crown jewel of New Braunfels’ performing arts scene. With its vintage art deco style, a walk through the theater’s doors gives the illusion of stepping back in time. However, once the show starts, audiences experience the theater’s high-quality sound system and modern technology. Many audiophiles consider it the best-sounding arts venue in New Braunfels, holding its own with venues in bigger cities.
Each year the theater brings an impressive lineup of entertainment to New Braunfels, including live music, plays, comedy shows, ballets, tribute bands, Texas crooners, holiday performances and more.
Here’s a look at some upcoming highlights (see a complete list of shows online at Brauntex.org):
A multitude of fun nights of music is on the schedule in the coming months, with musicians paying tribute to musical heroes including Joe Cocker, Dolly Parton, Steely Dan, Tina Turner, Linda Ronstadt, The Eagles and the King himself, Elvis Presley.
The Brauntex is launching its Spring 2024 season with an incredible lineup of entertainment that brings national hitmakers to town, including John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band; the Queen of Bluegrass, Rhonda Vincent; The Everly Brothers Experience; The Doo Wop Project; The Fabulous Thunderbirds; Jimmy Fortune; Irish folk group The High Kings; the Texas A&M Singing Cadets; progressive country star Michael Martin Murphy; country legend Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives; Seals and Crofts 2; and country star Terri Clark.
For more information, Spring Season tickets or tickets to any performance, visit Brauntex.org.
Local talent abounds at the Circle Arts Theatre
The Brauntex brings nationally renowned artists to New Braunfels, but the city offers plenty of locally-grown dramatic and musical talent, as the Circle Arts Theatre regularly demonstrates.
Now in its 55th year, the Circle Arts Theatre has provided decades of entertainment to New Braunfels while providing opportunities for local actors to perform in dramas, comedies, musicals and more.
During Wurstfest, the city’s traditional 10-day salute to its sausage-loving roots, Circle Arts offered “The Prince-Wurst Bride,” a hilarious melodrama that spoofs the city’s German heritage.
Circle Arts also offers a youth program, where young actors from 2nd to 9th grade learn about staging, memorizing lines, developing characters, singing in a group and working on a team to stage musical productions, such as Finding Nemo Jr., which plays Dec. 1-3, 2023.
Make the city’s vibrant performing arts scene part of your next adventure #InNewBraunfels. Plan every part of your trip, from lodging to dining to attractions and entertainment, at PlayInNewBraunfels.com.