11 Stage Performances to Watch Today, October 5
Working Theater: American Dreams
At 7 p.m. ET, Working Theatre presents American Dreams, a darkly clever theatrical game show in which contestants vie for instant citizenship—and the audience decides who wins. The timely work is the brainchild of playwright Leila Buck and director Tamilla Woodard, who’s the co-artistic director of Working Theatre, which is mounting this piece in conjunction with a host of regional theatres. Tonight’s performance is co-produced with Maryland’s Round House Theatre. Log on ready to vote! Tickets are $30.
The Metropolitan Opera: Tristan und Isolde
At 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera kicks off a week of Wagner favorites with Tristan und Isolde, featuring Nina Stemme and Stuart Skelton as the doomed title couple whose all-consuming love defies the law. Mariusz Trelinski‘s 2016 mounting costars Ekaterina Gubanova, Evgeny Nikitin and René Pape, and Sir Simon Rattle conducts. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Idomeneo, until 6:30 p.m. today.
Stars in the House: Brenda Braxton
At 8 p.m. ET, Smokey Joe’s Cafe Tony nominee and Chicago vet Brenda Braxton guest hosts Stars in the House, and she’s bringing some as-yet-unnamed friends with her. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.
Jim Caruso’s Pajama Cast Party
At 8 p.m. ET, cabaret maven Jim Caruso welcomes renowned singers and up-and-comers at Pajama Cast Party, a live-streamed version of his popular weekly Cast Party gatherings that have taken place at Birdland for years. Tonight’s lineup includes Tony-nominated husband-and-wife songwriting team Nell Benjamin and Laurence O’Keefe (Legally Blonde), Hadestown‘s Kimberly Marable and French musical theatre star Marie Oppert. Watch for free on YouTube though tips via the Venmo app are appreciated.
Bindlestiff Open Stage: Quarantine Edition
At 8 p.m. ET, the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus leaps into fall with a new season of its weekly live-streamed variety show. Hosted by adorkable ringmaster Keith Nelson, this evening’s cavalcade includes aerialist Sara “Zepe” Zepezauer, Eries and the Uganda Acrobatic Circus Troupe, magician Shreeyash Palishkar, ukulele master Sarah King and the indescribably hilarious ZeroBoy. Watch for free on Bindlestiff’s YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.
Available to Watch All Day
Play-PerView: Title and Deed Starring Will Eno
On Saturday, Play-PerView presented a live reading of Title and Deed, starring the playwright himself, Will Eno, and you can watch a recording through Wednesday, October 21. The Pulitzer Prize finalist plays a nameless traveler seeking solace and connection in an unknown country. Eno’s favorite Beckettian themes of mortality, isolation and loneliness are all present! Tickets are pay what you wish and proceeds benefit RAICES in Texas.
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Top image: Andy Karl and Orfeh.
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