Post-Y2K Austinites may not realize that the current Long Center sits atop the footprint of the old Palmer Auditorium and was constructed almost plank-by-plank from her reused remnants. Built over a decade starting in 1998, the gorgeously upcycled space has already proven to be a vastly flexible venue. Founded on opera, symphony, and ballet with a heart forged in supporting the local arts, the Long Center brings to town top touring speakers and comedians, stage plays and musicals, outdoor aerial performances and movie screenings, and even played host to the world's largest performance of the choreography from "Thriller" (before Mexico City stole Austin's thunder the following year).
