20 Stage Performances to Watch May 12-13
Wednesday, May 12
The Metropolitan Opera: The Magic Flute
On Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET, ever since the shutdown began, the Metropolitan Opera 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. These productions have been specially selected for families and are complemented by online educational materials. This week’s offering is a welcome repeat from last week: Tony winner Julie Taymor‘s eye-popping, puppet-filled mounting of Mozart’s fantastical fable The Magic Flute. Condensed into one act and performed in English, this 2006 production stars Nathan Gunn, Ying Huang, Matthew Polenzani, Erika Miklosa and René Pape. Watch for free until Friday at 5 p.m. ET on the Metropolitan Opera’s website.
The Metropolitan Opera: Tristan und Isolde
On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde featuring Ben Heppner and Jane Eaglen as the title couple whose all-consuming love defies the law. Katarina Dalayman, Hans-Joachim Ketelsen and René Pape costar in this 1999 production. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Don Giovanni, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
Thursday, May 13
Tales from the Wings: A Lincoln Center Theater Celebration!
On Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, Lincoln Center Theater presents Tales from the Wings, a celebration of the institution’s productions past and future. In between clips of acclaimed plays and musicals, artists who’ve triumphed at the theatre, including actors Rosemary Harris, Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Ruthie Ann Miles, Steven Pasquale and Paulo Szot, directors Lileana Blain-Cruz and Bartlett Sher, and playwright Ayad Akhtar will share backstage stories and a peek at the upcoming season. Register to receive the free viewing link though donations are encouraged. The recording is viewable until Monday.
The Metropolitan Opera: Der Rosenkavalier
On Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Der Rosenkavalier, Strauss’ comedy of love and errors starring Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Christine Schäfer and Kristinn Sigmund. Filmed for the Met’s Live in HD series in 2010, it’s 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, Tristan und Isolde, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
The Joyce Theater: Stephen Petronio Company
On Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, Chelsea dance haven The Joyce continues its digital season with the lauded Stephen Petronio Company. The program features five works, either new or reimagined for online viewing, including Trisha Brown’s 1973 piece Group Primary Accumulation. Tickets are $25 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Wednesday, May 26.
Goodman Theatre: The Sound Inside
On Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET, Chicago’s acclaimed Goodman Theatre presents Adam Rapp’s Tony-nominated play The Sound Inside about an ailing literature professor who forms an unexpected relationship with a precocious but mysterious student. Performed live on stage and streamed to an at-home audience, the production is helmed by Goodman’s artistic director Robert Falls and stars Mary Beth Fisher and John Drea. Tickets are $30 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount.
Available to Watch Both Days
PBS Great Performances: Uncle Vanya
PBS Great Performances presents Conor McPherson‘s adaptation of Uncle Vanya, Anton Chekhov’s heartbreaking tale of loneliness and longing. Toby Jones stars in the title role, an unhappy man who believes life has unfairly passed him by. Richard Armitage, Rosalind Eleazar, Aimee Lou Wood, Anna Calder Marshall, Dearbhla Molloy, Roger Allam and Peter Wight costar in this stage-cinema hybrid, which was filmed live at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre, where the production had enjoyed a critically acclaimed but truncated run due to the pandemic. Watch for free on PBS Thirteen’s website.
Feinstein’s/54 Below: Jeremy Jordan: Carry On
Feinstein’s/54 Below presents Newsies Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan in Carry On, a profoundly personal concert that explores his life as a father as well as his own complex childhood. Although the show debuted in 2020 before the shutdown, this edition has been reimagined for digital consumption and was recorded on stage during the pandemic at the celebrated cabaret club. The evening includes numbers from the musicals he’s known for, including the TV series Smash, plus pop songs and personal favorites. Tickets are $35 and the recording is viewable until Thursday, May 27.
San Francisco Ballet: Romeo & Juliet
California’s acclaimed San Francisco Ballet presents Romeo & Juliet choreographed by the troupe’s artistic director, Helgi Tomasson. This archival recording of Prokofiev’s passionate ballet features Davit Karapetyan and Maria Kochetkova as the star-crossed lovers. Tickets are $29 and the recording is viewable until Wednesday, May 26.
The Shows Must Go On!: Before the Interval
The Shows Must Go On! presents the satirical dance-theatre piece Before the Interval, the sequel to After the Interval centering on three dancers and their career aspirations. Luca Silvestrini conceived of and directed the work, which was recorded at London’s Linbury Studio Theatre in 2014. Watch for free indefinitely on YouTube.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Black Feminist Video Game
On Wednesday and Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET, Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents a live online performance of Black Feminist Video Game, Darrell Alejandro Holnes‘ inventive and interactive show about Jonas, a biracial teen on the autism spectrum attempting to win a classic 2D game along with the girl of his dreams. His journey unfolds on Twitch with the audience helping (or hindering) Jonas’ progress along the way. Christon Andell, Kyla Jeanne Butts and Starr Kirkland star and Victoria Collado directs. Log in ready to join the action! Tickets are $10.
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Top image: the cast of 42nd Street at London’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Photo by Sophie Thomas.
RAVEN SNOOK