16 Stage Performances to See Today, June 10
Stars in the House Presents Free Speech: Performing Artists and the Power of the Spoken Word
At 2 p.m. ET, Stars in the House presents Free Speech: Performing Artists and the Power of the Spoken Word, an impactful selection of poems, songs and speeches that address this moment performed by James Alexander, Masi Asare, Valerie David, Jennifer Nelson, Awa Sal Secka, Nandita Shenoy, Riki Stevens, Janelle Stewart and Bil Wright, hosted by Devanand Janki. Watch for free on YouTube.
La Fanciulla del West at the Met
At 5 p.m. ET, it’s a bonus opera from the Metropolitan! Ever since the shutdown began, the opera house has been sharing productions from its Live in HD series nightly at 7:30 p.m. ET. But it also presents weekly student streams that debut on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. ET. These productions have been specially selected for families and Zoom education sessions leading up to the screening teach school-age kids about opera. This week’s offering is La Fanciulla del West, Giacomo Puccini’s colorful romance set during the California Gold Rush, as a charming outlaw wins the heart of a gun-toting saloon owner. Eva-Maria Westbroek, Jonas Kaufmann and Željko Lucic star in this 2018 mounting, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Watch for free anytime through Friday at 5 p.m. ET on the Metropolitan Opera’s website
HERE Arts Center: Disposable Men
At 6:30 p.m. ET, downtown culture hub HERE presents Disposable Men, playwright-performer-techie James Scruggs‘ searing multimedia exploration of how American culture depicts Black men as monsters. Using eight channels of video, satire and unforgettable audience interaction, this 2005 work examines many timely issues, notably how police brutality and unequal health care are killing Black men. The recording will be followed by a live conversation with Scruggs and director Kristin Marting. Watch for free on HERE’s Facebook page.
Ballet Hispánico: Nací
At 7 p.m. EST, Ballet Hispánico presents Nací, choreographed by Andrea Miller of Gallim. In this 2009 work, the dance-maker celebrates her multicultural Spanish and Jewish-American background with an exploration of the Sephardic culture of Spain. Watch for free on the dance company’s Facebook page.
New York Theatre Barn: Teeth and Maya
At 7 p.m. ET, for the past 13 years, New York Theatre Barn has showcased musicals in progress in its New Works Series. That initiative has now gone virtual, with 40-minute peeks at two new shows a week. Today, newly minted Pulitzer Prize winner Michael R. Jackson and Anna K. Jacobs present songs from Teeth, based on the humorous 2007 horror movie of of the same name, while Cheeyang Ng and Eric Sorrels share selections from Maya, which infuses traditional Indian music into its score. Watch for free on New York Theatre Barn’s YouTube channel.
Hansel and Gretel at the Met
At 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera shares one of its holiday staples, Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. Filmed for the company’s Live in HD series in 2008, this fantastical, English-language production stars Alice Coote and Christine Schäfer, and features oversize cartoon chefs, singing trees and an unforgettable witch’s kitchen. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s double bill of Iolanta and Bluebeard’s Castle until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
Betty Buckley on Stars in the House
At 8 p.m. ET, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley welcome Tony-winning Cats diva Betty Buckley to Stars in the House, where she’s sure to talk about the dramatic ups and downs of her lengthy career, from headlining the notorious flop Carrie to acting in big-time TV shows such as Eight Is Enough and Supergirl, to starring in the recent national tour of Hello, Dolly!. This twice daily show benefits the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and you can watch for free on YouTube.
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The Wilma Theater: Kill Move Paradise
Philadelphia’s Wilma Theater shares a recording of its 2018 mounting of Kill Move Paradise, James Ijames‘ potent play about three Black men and one Black boy who find themselves trapped in a surreal netherworld after being victims of police violence. This indelible work was inspired by the murder of 12-year-old Tamir Rice and so many others. To access the viewing link, make a donation of any amount to Black Lives Matter Philly.
Matrix Theatre Company: Scraps
Los Angeles’ Matrix Theatre Company shares its 2019 production of Scraps, Geraldine Inoa‘s powerful examination of how friends and family cope when a Black loved one is murdered by police. We covered the play when it had its world premiere at The Flea two years ago, and its themes and emotions remain infuriatingly timely. Directed by Obie winner Stevie Walker-Webb, the production is available to watch for free on the theatre’s YouTube channel.
Jomama Jones in Black Light
Joe’s Pub presents a recording of Black Light starring Jomama Jones, the theatrical alter ego of writer-performer Daniel Alexander Jones. A breathtaking Black diva who’s not afraid to let her pain show, Jomama shares her original songs and her struggles in a performance that ultimately champions love and connection. Watch for free on Joe’s Pub’s YouTube channel.
Shakespeare’s Globe: The Merry Wives of Windsor
London’s Shakespeare’s Globe shares a recording of its 2019 mounting of The Merry Wives of Windsor, the Bard’s comedy about the clownish Falstaff, who romances two women for their fortunes until they turn the tables on the two-timer. Olivier nominee Bryony Hannah and Sarah Finigan play the clever ladies and Pearce Quigley is Falstaff. Watch for free anytime through Sunday on the theatre’s YouTube channel.
The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
In honor of Pride Month, the 92nd Street Y shares a recording of The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, writer-performer James Lecesne‘s one-man play about how the disappearance of a gay teenager impacts a small New Jersey town. Lecesne, who earned an Oscar for his short film Trevor, portrays all the characters in this award winner, which . Watch for free anytime all month on the 92Y’s website though donations are encouraged.
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Top image: Anna Deavere Smith in Twilight: Los Angeles.
RAVEN SNOOK