19 Stage Performances to See Today, May 21
National Theatre: A Streetcar Named Desire
At 2 p.m. ET, London’s National Theatre presents A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Gillian Anderson as the tragic Blanche DuBois opposite Ben Foster‘s unforgiving Stanley Kowalski. Directed by Benedict Andrews, this radical reinvention of Tennessee Williams’ classic ran briefly at Brooklyn’s St. Ann’s Warehouse and features a slowly rotating set, fiery emotions and some truly brutal moments. Prepare to see this familiar play from a new perspective. Watch for free through Thursday, May 28 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.
Jerry Herman On Stage at Paper Mill Playhouse
At 7 p.m. ET, in the fall of 1999, when New Jersey’s venerable Paper Mill Playhouse was running a revival of Auntie Mame, the show’s songwriter Jerry Herman dropped by for a chat and a brief performance, and you can watch a recording of it tonight. The theatre’s then artistic director, Robert Johanson, interviewed the Tony winner, and performers Lee Roy Reams and Florence Lacey, both veterans of multiple Herman shows, sang as he played the piano! Watch for free on Paper Mill Playhouse’s Facebook page.
Timon of Athens at the Stratford Festival
At 7 p.m. ET, Ontario’s venerable Stratford Festival continues its Shakespeare On Film series with one of the Bard’s lesser produced tragedies, Timon of Athens, often labeled as one of his problem plays. Stratford vet Joseph Ziegler stars as the title character, a wealthy and generous man whose friends disappear with his funds. Watch for free on the Stratford Festival’s YouTube channel.
Turandot at the Met
At 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera shares its 2019 mounting of Puccini’s Turandot, starring Christine Goerke, Eleonora Buratto, Yusif Eyvazov and James Morris, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. 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, Un Ballo in Maschera, until 6:30 p.m. today.
Creede Repertory Theatre: Ripcord
At 7:30 p.m. ET, Colorado’s Creede Repertory Theatre shares a recording of its production of Ripcord, Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire’s dark comedy about a pair of assisted living roommates who enter into a life-changing bet. Tickets are available to purchase from the theatre but TDF members get a discount.
Benefit Concert for You Gotta Believe on Stars in the House
At 8 p.m. ET, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley’s twice daily talk show usually raises money for The Actors Fund. But tonight they’re hosting a benefit concert for the nonprofit You Gotta Believe, which helps find forever homes for children and teens in foster care. The lineup of performers includes Tony nominees Anika Larsen, Beth Malone and Kerry Butler, plus Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Willie Garson (Sex and the City) and Alec Mapa (Ugly Betty) will share moving and personal stories about adopting their foster children. Watch for free on YouTube though donations are encouraged!
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.
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater: New Songs Now in Your Living Room
At 8 p.m. ET, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater continues its series of unplugged mini-concerts with new work by Grammy-nominated songwriter Jamie Floyd, who’s developing her first musical The King’s Wife; and sibling songwriters Daniel and Patrick Lazour, whose musical We Live in Cairo ran at American Repertory Theatre last year. Watch for free on the theatre’s YouTube channel.
TimeLine Theatre Company: To Master the Art
At 8:30 p.m. ET, Chicago’s TimeLine Theatre Company shares a recording of its production of To Master the Art, William Brown and Doug Frew’s play about Paul and Julia Child’s glorious journey of discovery in 1950s Paris. Tickets are available to purchase from the theatre but TDF members get a discount.
Available to Watch All Day
Hansel and Gretel at the Met
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 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 the Met’s 2008 mounting of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, a holiday staple at the venue. Starring Alice Coote and Christine Schäfer, it’s an eye-popping, English-language production that’s great for kids, with oversize cartoon chefs, singing trees and an unforgettable witch’s kitchen. Watch for free anytime through Friday at 5 p.m. ET on the Metropolitan Opera’s website
MCC LiveLabs: One Acts: The Sentinels
If you missed this one-act by The Inheritance playwright Matthew Lopez last night, you can still watch a recording of The Sentinels starring a formidable foursome of fierce females: Tony winners Jane Alexander, Katrina Lenk and Priscilla Lopez, and Tony nominee Denée Benton. A meditation on mourning that moves backwards in time, the drama centers on a group of September 11 widows who meets every year on the anniversary of the tragedy that upended their lives. Watch the live performance for free on MCC Theater’s YouTube page.
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Top image: Bryan Cranston.
RAVEN SNOOK