17 Stage Performances to See Today, May 28
National Theatre: This House
At 2 p.m. ET, London’s National Theatre presents This House, James Graham‘s gripping examination of Britain’s political strife in the ’70s. Much as he did for his Tony-nominated play Ink, Graham uses historical events to illuminate current woes, both in the U.K. and the U.S. This play may have been filmed in 2013 but its exploration of polarized politics feels insanely timely. Watch for free through Thursday, June 4 at 2 p.m. ET on the National Theatre’s YouTube channel.
Justin Vivian Bond: Auntie Glam’s Happy Hour
At 5 p.m. ET, groundbreaking trans artist and activist Justin Vivian Bond shares their wit, wisdom and singular song stylings in their weekly “live-screamed” show Auntie Glam’s Happy Hour. It’s always an entertaining and insightful time. Watch for free on their website though tips are encouraged.
Steven Pasquale on Classic Conversations
At 6 p.m. ET, Classic Stage Company continues its Classic Conversations with a chat between artistic director John Doyle and Steven Pasquale (The Bridges of Madison County), who was set to star in the theatre’s highly anticipated revival of Assassins, which has been indefinitely postponed. While this is billed as an interview series, the theatre promises “occasional” singing, and we’re hoping they’ll up that to frequent. Watch for free on Classic Stage Company’s Facebook page. Assassins bonus: Watch Pasquale’s costar Ethan Slater croon “The Ballad of Czolgosz” with fellow cast members. It gives you a tantalizing taste of what could have been—and hopefully one day will be.
Irondale Ensemble: Henry V
At 7 p.m. ET, in 2016, Brooklyn’s intrepid Irondale Ensemble presented an ambitious event: a multi-hour marathon of four Shakespeare plays, all written in 1599: Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It and Hamlet. Now the company is revisiting the project for bite-size digital consumption, starting with tonight’s streamlined Henry V, followed by a virtual discussion of the work. Watch for free on Irondale’s YouTube channel.
Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Stratford Festival
At 7 p.m. ET, Ontario’s venerable Stratford Festival continues its Shakespeare on Film series with Love’s Labour’s Lost, an effervescent comedy about a quartet of men who swear off women in order to study… but fate has other plans. Tony-winning Les Misérables director John Caird helmed this 2015 production for the stage, and you can watch for free on the Stratford Festival’s YouTube channel.
Theater in Quarantine: Closet Works
At 7 p.m. ET, downtown multihyphenate Joshua William Gelb, known for deconstructing complicated classics like The Jazz Singer, performs a series of brief dance pieces in his closet. The works were created by Hadestown associate choreographer Katie Rose McLaughlin, and are followed by a Q&A with the artists, then an encore performance at 9 p.m. ET. Watch for free on Gelb’s YouTube channel.
Les Troyens at the Met
At 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera shares its 2013 mounting of Berlioz’s Les Troyens, starring Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, Bryan Hymel and Dwayne Croft, conducted by Fabio Luisi. The production was filmed for the company’s Live in HD series, and is available to watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Manon Lescaut, until 6:30 p.m. today.
The Billie Holiday Theatre: 50in50: Love in the Time of Corona
At 7:30 p.m. ET, Brooklyn’s Billie Holiday Theatre, which showcases black artists, presents a virtual, COVID-19-themed edition of its 50in50 monologue series. Playwrights from around the world were invited to pen pieces about how love binds us together, even during this challenging time of isolation. Out of hundreds of submissions, 50 were chosen, and they’ll be performed live by celebrated actors of color, including Jason Dirden (Skeleton Crew), Roscoe Orman from Sesame Street, Tyler Perry regular Lamman Rucker, Pauletta Pearson Washington and Tony nominee Michele Shay. The evening begins with live music from Maritri Garrett at 7:30 p.m. ET; the show starts at 8 p.m. ET. Watch for free on the theatre’s Facebook page.
Movie Night with Josh Groban: Live at the Greek
At 8 p.m. ET, international recording sensation and Tony-nominated Great Comet star Josh Groban hosts a one-time screening of his 2004 concert movie Live at the Greek online. Throughout, he’ll provide running commentary, sharing memories and stories about the film and his career. Watch for free on Groban’s YouTube channel.
Available to Watch All Day
La Fille du Régiment at the Met
Ever since the shutdown began, the opera house has been sharing productions from its Live in HD series nightly at 7:30 p.m. But it also presents weekly student streams that debut on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. These operas 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 Fille du Régiment, Gaetano Donizetti’s beloved romantic comedy about an orphan girl raised by a regiment of French soldiers who ends up falling for a rebel. Pretty Yende, Stephanie Blythe, Javier Camarena and Maurizio Muraro star in this 2008 mounting. Watch for free anytime through Friday at 5 p.m. on the Metropolitan Opera’s website
Irish Repertory Theatre: The Gifts You Gave to the Dark
The resilient Irish Rep kicks off its all-digital summer season with the world-premiere one-act The Gifts You Gave to the Dark. Written by Darren Murphy to be performed online, the drama centers on the final remote conversation between Tom, sick in Belfast with COVID-19, and his elderly mother Rose, who’s on her deathbed in Dublin. Directed by Caitríona McLaughlin, the play stars Seán McGinley, Marty Rea and The Beauty Queen of Leenane Tony winner Marie Mullen. Watch for free anytime through October on the Irish Rep’s YouTube channel.
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Top image: Charles Edwards in the National Theatre’s This House. Photo by Johan Persson.
RAVEN SNOOK