The Anything But BASIC Cabaret

Event ID: CE00548

Sun, Mar 15, 2026 | 3:00 AM - 4:15 AM

Venue: Esther's Follies

View on Official SXSW

Summary

A one-night-only variety show hosted by Chelsea Devantez and Ashley Nicole Black featuring the entire cast of BASIC, a 2026 SXSW World Premiere film (Taylor John Smith, Kandy Muse and more!). Join us for an unforgettable night of comedy, music, drag, and special appearances at Esther’s Follies.

Contributors

Raw Event JSON

Large nested arrays are compacted for page readability. Full payload remains in dataset files.

Open JSON payload
{
  "id": "CE00548",
  "track": null,
  "focus_area": null,
  "category": "Comedy",
  "event_id": "CE00548",
  "event_type": "comedy_event",
  "format": "Comedy",
  "genre": "Comedy",
  "subgenre": null,
  "name": "The Anything But BASIC Cabaret",
  "presented_by": null,
  "publish_at": "2026-02-25T11:00:00.000-06:00",
  "reservable": true,
  "reservable_id": "CE00548",
  "reserved": false,
  "date": "2026-03-15",
  "end_time": "2026-03-15T23:15:00.000-05:00",
  "start_time": "2026-03-15T22:00:00.000-05:00",
  "message": null,
  "image": {
    "alt_text": "The Anything But BASIC Cabaret",
    "credit": "",
    "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/11shvxM8CAKZx6HacLacRHO8wY8=/0x0:4569x3046/950x633/images.sxsw.com/185/6e5d1ee5-b4fa-41f0-aad1-758952767bbf/CE00548"
  },
  "credentials": [
    {
      "name": "Music Badge",
      "type": "music"
    },
    {
      "name": "Platinum Badge",
      "type": "platinum"
    },
    {
      "name": "Innovation Badge",
      "type": "innovation"
    },
    {
      "name": "Film & TV Badge",
      "type": "filmtv"
    }
  ],
  "contributors": [
    {
      "id": 98602,
      "company": null,
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv",
        "innovation",
        "music"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2263064,
      "name": "Chelsea Devantez",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Director"
      ],
      "title": "Writer/Director",
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Chelsea Devantez",
        "credit": "",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/QfH5vsNKRhH9kkBtR3x7H5RLdVc=/2184x163:6427x4406/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/fed404d5-0ff1-431e-bb3b-9dad8193486b/pcid-968422"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Director",
      "details": "Chelsea Devantez is an Emmy-nominated writer, comedian, and director whose credits include Head Writer for The Problem with Jon Stewart, Girls5Eva, Bless this Mess, and Not Dead Yet, among others. Her debut memoir was published by Harper Collins and became a national bestseller. She also hosts the wildly popular literary podcast: Glamorous Trash.",
      "links": {
        "instagram": "https://www.instagram.com/chelseadevantez"
      },
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 101359,
      "company": "Performer",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv",
        "innovation",
        "music"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2267714,
      "name": "Ashley Nicole Black",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Cast",
        "Comedian"
      ],
      "title": null,
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Ashley Nicole Black",
        "credit": "",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/GEQaXWIv3C5s9p4dajEMvMuJmXw=/523x0:1589x1066/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/3e181556-e175-4e78-8beb-fcde9354a8d4/pcid-1650172"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Cast/Comedian",
      "details": "Ashley Nicole Black is a two-time Emmy-award-winning writer, actress, and comedian. Her projects include Ted Lasso, Shrinking, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and The Amber Ruffin Show. Her career in comedy began at the legendary Second City in Chicago. Now back in LA, she is writing and developing a number of projects for film and television.",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 106348,
      "company": "Performer",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv",
        "innovation",
        "music"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2278013,
      "name": "Kandy Muse",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Comedian"
      ],
      "title": null,
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Kandy Muse",
        "credit": "",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/B2clgWLbCpAJ-FDbWUjEvDdOvpI=/219x335:2677x2793/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/a2f79981-e07e-472b-bea6-0368d0705dd4/pcid-1650177"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Comedian",
      "details": "Kandy Muse is an internationally known drag artist best known for being a popular TV personality, now turned actor. Named one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Reality TV by Variety, Kandy is widely recognized for their appearances on RuPaul's Drag Race and House of Villains. They have recently broken into the scripted TV/Film industry with guest star appearances on two Paramount+ series: iCarly and Dragging the Classics: The Brady Bunch. You can now see Kandy making their big film debut in Basic (2026).",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 106349,
      "company": "Performer",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv",
        "innovation",
        "music"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2278014,
      "name": "Kat Sass",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Comedian"
      ],
      "title": null,
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Kat Sass",
        "credit": "",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/X0xNh5o6eQnX7RKHjDIi6AFV-qs=/328x0:2114x1786/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/8b55db58-7a63-4679-ab95-639bac0b40d3/pcid-1650181"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Comedian",
      "details": "Kat Sass is a multi-hyphenate powerhouse: drag performance artist, vocalist, DJ, producer, designer, and host. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Cut, Cosmopolitan, and the Library of Congress. She has been seen on national television on The Weakest Link and Proven Innocent. \r\rShe tours nationwide, igniting private and corporate events with live vocals, sharp mixing, and undeniable stage command. Clients include Givenchy, Meta, Twitter, Glossier, Pinterest, Headspace, Airbnb, Yelp, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, and Shedd Aquarium. She also sings for a live band with her best friend Discord Addams of RuPaul’s Drag Race, blending drag, music, and spectacle into something unforgettable.",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 106350,
      "company": "Elizabeth Productions",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv",
        "innovation",
        "music"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2278015,
      "name": "Kenzie Elizabeth",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Comedian"
      ],
      "title": null,
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Kenzie Elizabeth",
        "credit": "",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/jU4BnIJvJ1zvng5zeTLewGXpQOc=/224x69:1584x1429/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/f3918434-b199-43cd-8349-9c2c6d4ab1ac/pcid-934430"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Comedian",
      "details": "Kenzie Elizabeth is a filmmaker and actor from Chicago. After training at The Second City and iO Chicago, she co-starred in Netflix’s improvised show, Easy, while her award-winning short films were featured on The Huffington Post and reviewed by Autostraddle as “Art+Culture to Follow.” Her most recent short film, Brisket, was an official selection at the LA Int. Film Festival, Chicago’s Reeling Film Fest, Louisville Int. Film Fest, winning Best Direction at the Toronto LGBTQ+ International Fest, and was awarded Best LGBTQ+ Film at the Munich New Wave Fest, London Movie Awards, and Filmhaus Fest. Kenzie is featured on shows such as ABC’s Bless This Mess, Peacock’s Paul T. Goldman, NBC’s Chicago Fire, and AppleTV’s Shrinking, and you can see her in the films The Gutter (2024) and Basic (2026).",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 106351,
      "company": "Performer",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv",
        "innovation",
        "music"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2278016,
      "name": "Tara Trudel",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Comedian"
      ],
      "title": null,
      "image": null,
      "speaker_type": "Comedian",
      "details": "Tara Trudel is a versatile composer, songwriter, and music producer. Her composing work has been seen in SXSW, Amazon Prime, Sony's Voces Nuevas, and Vulture's Best Comedy Shorts of the Year. Her score for Basic the short film won Best Score at the LA Film Awards and the Festigious International Film Festival. Tara has also worked as a songwriter/performer with The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Conservatory of Music, The Second City, Random House, Macmillan, Hachette, and Chronicle Books. Her children's music album, FRACTURED: FAIRY TALES REMIXED has been played on NPR and performed in a theatrical version at the Matthews Playhouse.  ",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 106352,
      "company": "Performer",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv",
        "innovation",
        "music"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2278017,
      "name": "Taylor John Smith",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Comedian"
      ],
      "title": null,
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Taylor John Smith",
        "credit": "Kelsey Hale",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/TT9IhYmQncAwWrtJUM2AbgFwxXA=/0x26:1169x1195/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/31ea361e-6f14-4e4a-8108-a1bf43a9a560/pcid-1650176"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Comedian",
      "details": "With standout performances across film and television, Taylor John Smith has firmly established himself as one of the most compelling actors of his generation.\rFollowing the success of Sony’s Where the Crawdads Sing, where his nuanced performance drew widespread praise, Taylor delivered equally powerful work in the gritty drama Wolves opposite Michael Shannon. He first captured national attention portraying the emotionally charged John Keene in HBO’s Sharp Objects, starring opposite Amy Adams under the direction of Jean-Marc Vallée, revealing a depth and emotional precision that marked him as a breakout talent.\r\rMost recently, Taylor gives a harrowing and deeply human performance in A24’s critically acclaimed feature Warfare, appearing alongside Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, and Kit Connor, further cementing his reputation for choosing bold, character-driven material.\r\rHe can also be seen in the acclaimed war drama The Outpost, opposite Caleb Landry Jones, Orlando Bloom, and Scott Eastwood. Based on the book by CNN’s Jake Tapper, the film was released to strong critical and audience acclaim, ranking #4 on Variety’s Best Films of 2020, #9 on Deadline’s Top Films of 2020, and earning a place on the National Board of Review’s Top 10 Independent Films of the Year.\r\rTaylor recently re-teamed with director Rod Lurie and Scott Eastwood on Lucky Strike, appearing alongside Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Colin Hanks, further underscoring his continued collaboration with top filmmakers and actors working at the highest level.\r\rAdditional credits include Shadow in the Cloud opposite Chloë Grace Moretz and Nick Robinson, directed by Roseanne Liang, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the 2020 People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award.",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 103690,
      "company": "Performer",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv",
        "innovation",
        "music"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2272466,
      "name": "Ontonio Kareem",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Comedian"
      ],
      "title": null,
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Ontonio Kareem",
        "credit": "",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/oA_j70eVLm5Pf1fFUGDyn-TkZqU=/0x1458:5464x6922/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/a7514354-e42f-45fc-8371-1bb17c5909f7/pcid-1649095"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Comedian",
      "details": "Ontonio Kareem is a comedian, writer, actor and a rising star of the comedy world. His uniquely laid back, introspective style of comedy has gained national attention. Ontonio recently made his stand-up debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He has also appeared on Don't Tell Comedy (350K views) and was named New York's Funniest of New York Comedy Festival 2025. He is currently a regular at the Comedy Cellar and has performed at festivals across the US, including Moontower and New York Comedy Festival. Ontonio can also be seen on NBC's Chicago Fire.\r",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 111211,
      "company": "Performer",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv",
        "innovation",
        "music"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2288294,
      "name": "Ashley Park",
      "speaker_types": [
        "Comedian"
      ],
      "title": null,
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Ashley Park",
        "credit": "",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/FX2RMuhSRsJkhoyvStyo98PeoBM=/0x42:974x1016/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/00341226-f2b4-411d-9f44-dd23e9877d2f/pcid-1650173"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Comedian",
      "details": "Tony and Grammy nominee Ashley Park is best known for her breakout role as Mindy in Netflix’s hit series Emily in Paris, earning a Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series—making her the first Asian American actress ever recognized in the category. Park will star next in the comedy Basic from director Chelsea Devantez, premiering at the 2026 SXSW Festival. A dynamic performer across film, television, and stage, Park starred in Lionsgate’s JOY RIDE, Netflix’s Emmy-nominated Beef, and Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Girls5eva and Tales of the City. On Broadway, she has appeared in Mamma Mia!, The King and I, Sunday in the Park with George, Grand Horizons, and Mean Girls (Tony, Drama League, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Chita Rivera Award nominations).",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    }
  ],
  "venue": {
    "accessible": false,
    "age_policy": "All Ages",
    "floor": null,
    "id": "V0185",
    "indoor_outdoor": "INDOOR",
    "mixhalo_url": null,
    "name": "Esther's Follies",
    "parent_id": null,
    "parent_venue_name": null,
    "venue_entry_info": null,
    "formats": null,
    "location": {
      "address": "525 E 6th St.",
      "lat_lon": [
        30.2662879,
        -97.7375062
      ],
      "city": "Austin",
      "postal_code": "78701",
      "state": "TX",
      "name": "Esther's Follies"
    },
    "root": null,
    "events": "[omitted 5 venue events]"
  },
  "description": null,
  "audio_url": null,
  "accessibility": [
    "High sensory experience"
  ],
  "accessible_venue": false,
  "add_bcl_url": false,
  "add_slido": false,
  "after_midnight": null,
  "age_policy": "All Ages",
  "american_sign_language": false,
  "apple_url": null,
  "audio_description": false,
  "caption_url": null,
  "captioned_qa": false,
  "closed_captioned": false,
  "cpe_credit": false,
  "event_status": "none",
  "has_subtitles": false,
  "hash_tags": [],
  "high_sensory_experience": true,
  "live": false,
  "long_description": "A one-night-only variety show hosted by Chelsea Devantez and Ashley Nicole Black featuring the entire cast of BASIC, a 2026 SXSW World Premiere film (Taylor John Smith, Kandy Muse and more!). Join us for an unforgettable night of comedy, music, drag, and special appearances at Esther’s Follies.",
  "meeting_url": null,
  "meeting_url_live": false,
  "mentorly_url": null,
  "mobile_audio_url": null,
  "open_captioned": false,
  "playlist_tag": null,
  "rebroadcast": false,
  "recommended_ids": [],
  "search_conversions": null,
  "short_program": false,
  "slido_url": null,
  "sort": "ANYTHING BUT BASIC CABARET",
  "source": "Official",
  "squad_up_url": null,
  "stream_embed": null,
  "stream_id": null,
  "stream_url": null,
  "strobe_warning": false,
  "subdiscipline": null,
  "summit": null,
  "summit_display_name": null,
  "tags": [
    {
      "id": 1794,
      "name": "Comedy",
      "created_at": "2017-11-02T12:53:51.333-05:00",
      "updated_at": "2025-03-07T11:08:19.599-06:00",
      "sort": "COMEDY",
      "alpha": "C"
    }
  ],
  "talent_attending": null,
  "title_only": false,
  "track_display_name": null,
  "trailer_id": null,
  "trailer_url": null,
  "video_on_demand": null,
  "vimeo_id": null,
  "vod": false,
  "xr_project_type": null,
  "youtube_id": null,
  "related_events": [
    {
      "id": "FS19344",
      "event_id": "FS19344",
      "type": "event",
      "name": "Basic",
      "publish_at": "2026-02-04T14:00:00-06:00",
      "date": "2026-03-16",
      "start_time": "2026-03-16T21:00:00-05:00",
      "end_time": "2026-03-16T22:36:00-05:00",
      "category": "Narrative Feature",
      "event_type": "screening",
      "genre": "Comedy\rRomance",
      "venue": {
        "id": "V0210",
        "name": "Paramount Theatre"
      },
      "image_url": "https://images.sxsw.com/NgTKafm2E1IPfspbibtrY_fXNcU=/950x633/images.sxsw.com/183/f660ea4d-a133-4c8e-648f-2aa4fe4238c1/basic-360048",
      "thumbnail_url": "https://images.sxsw.com/T0qsNnkNyKHPSM9trVB5EOQUOX4=/950x950/images.sxsw.com/197/744755d8-3d17-a260-ccc5-4ee41ddb2d1c/basic-360048",
      "credentials": [
        {
          "name": "Platinum Badge",
          "type": "platinum"
        },
        {
          "name": "Film & TV Badge",
          "type": "filmtv"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "FS19346",
      "event_id": "FS19346",
      "type": "event",
      "name": "Basic",
      "publish_at": "2026-02-04T14:00:00-06:00",
      "date": "2026-03-17",
      "start_time": "2026-03-17T12:00:00-05:00",
      "end_time": "2026-03-17T13:36:00-05:00",
      "category": "Narrative Feature",
      "event_type": "screening",
      "genre": "Comedy\rRomance",
      "venue": {
        "id": "V1355",
        "name": "Alamo Lamar 5"
      },
      "image_url": "https://images.sxsw.com/NgTKafm2E1IPfspbibtrY_fXNcU=/950x633/images.sxsw.com/183/f660ea4d-a133-4c8e-648f-2aa4fe4238c1/basic-360048",
      "thumbnail_url": "https://images.sxsw.com/T0qsNnkNyKHPSM9trVB5EOQUOX4=/950x950/images.sxsw.com/197/744755d8-3d17-a260-ccc5-4ee41ddb2d1c/basic-360048",
      "credentials": [
        {
          "name": "Platinum Badge",
          "type": "platinum"
        },
        {
          "name": "Film & TV Badge",
          "type": "filmtv"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "FS19349",
      "event_id": "FS19349",
      "type": "event",
      "name": "Basic",
      "publish_at": "2026-02-04T14:00:00-06:00",
      "date": "2026-03-18",
      "start_time": "2026-03-18T21:15:00-05:00",
      "end_time": "2026-03-18T22:51:00-05:00",
      "category": "Narrative Feature",
      "event_type": "screening",
      "genre": "Comedy\rRomance",
      "venue": {
        "id": "V1355",
        "name": "Alamo Lamar 5"
      },
      "image_url": "https://images.sxsw.com/NgTKafm2E1IPfspbibtrY_fXNcU=/950x633/images.sxsw.com/183/f660ea4d-a133-4c8e-648f-2aa4fe4238c1/basic-360048",
      "thumbnail_url": "https://images.sxsw.com/T0qsNnkNyKHPSM9trVB5EOQUOX4=/950x950/images.sxsw.com/197/744755d8-3d17-a260-ccc5-4ee41ddb2d1c/basic-360048",
      "credentials": [
        {
          "name": "Platinum Badge",
          "type": "platinum"
        },
        {
          "name": "Film & TV Badge",
          "type": "filmtv"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "related_sales_client": null
}