20+ Stage Performances to Watch December 21-22
Monday, December 21
The Old Vic: A Christmas Carol
On Monday at 2 p.m. ET, another Christmas Carol? Before you say, “Bah humbug,” let me assure you, this is a magical mounting of Dickens’ holiday redemption tale. Adapted by Tony-winning playwright Jack Thorne and staged by Tony-winning director Matthew Warchus, the show incorporates beautifully sung Christmas carols and insightful humor into the action. The production originated at London’s Old Vic in 2017 and has been a holiday staple ever since—it even crossed the pond . Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln headlines this year’s edition, which will be performed live on the Old Vic stage to an empty theatre and streamed to an at-home audience. Tickets start at £20, approximately $27. Closed captions and audio description are available.
New Works Virtual Festival: Family Game Night
On Monday at 5 p.m. ET, the ambitious New Works Virtual Festival is presenting 20 plays in 20 days, with a debut every evening at 8 p.m. ET through Christmas. Sunday night’s premiere was delayed due to technical difficulties, so you can catch Peter Kennedy‘s Family Game Night tonight. A dark comedy about a monthly tradition that turns into a meditation on mortality, the play stars Tony nominees Richard Kind, Liz Larsen and Carmen Cusack. Watch for free on YouTube.
The Metropolitan Opera: The Magic Flute
On Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents 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 for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Götterdämmerung, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
New Works Virtual Festival: Cud’n Helen Ain’t Got No Color
On Monday at 8 p.m. ET, the ambitious New Works Virtual Festival is showcasing 20 plays in 20 days, with a debut every evening at 8 p.m. ET through Christmas. Tonight is Sharon Harris Warrick‘s Cud’n Helen Ain’t Got No Color, an exploration of colorism as a Black woman returns to her Mississippi hometown to attend the funeral of her grandmother. Kaylin Seckel, Leon Wooley, Aisha Jackson, Meecah, Mackenzie Williams, Brenda Braxton, Jennifer Fouche and Chaz Ebert star. Watch for free on YouTube.
Stars in the House: Intelligence
On Monday at 8 p.m. ET, Stars in the House presents a live reading of Intelligence, a history-inspired drama by Jacqueline E. Lawton about a CIA operative whose cover is blown in the post-9/11 world. Daniella Topol directs an ensemble cast that includes Kelly AuCoin, Marin Ireland and Lawton. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.
Seize the Show: A Christmas Karen
On Monday at 8 p.m. ET, interactive theatre company Seize the Show puts a timely spin on Dickens’ classic with A Christmas Karen, about a drama-causing harridan whose comeuppance is in your hands. Cast as Karen’s downtrodden assistant, you make choices that guide the action and her fate! Tickets start at $13.
Bindlestiff Open Stage: Quarantine Edition
On Monday at 8 p.m. ET, the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus continues its weekly live-streamed variety show hosted by adorkable ringmaster Keith Nelson. This evening’s cavalcade includes clown Jan Damm, aerialist Selene Ballesteros, hula hooper Santé D’Amours Fortunato and the bawdy brass band Honk NYC. Watch for free on Bindlestiff’s YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.
Tuesday, December 22
The Old Vic: A Christmas Carol
On Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET, another Christmas Carol? Before you say, “Bah humbug,” let me assure you, this is a magical mounting of Dickens’ holiday redemption tale. Adapted by Tony-winning playwright Jack Thorne and staged by Tony-winning director Matthew Warchus, the show incorporates beautifully sung Christmas carols and insightful humor into the action. The production originated at London’s Old Vic in 2017 and has been a holiday staple ever since—it even crossed the pond . Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln headlines this year’s edition, which will be performed live on the Old Vic stage to an empty theatre and streamed to an at-home audience. Tickets start at £20, approximately $27. Closed captions and audio description are available.
Bedlam: Hedda Gabler
On Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, Bedlam, a NYC theatre company lauded for its reinventions of classics (Sense & Sensibility, The Crucible), presents a live reading of The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde’s effervescent comedy of amours. Annabel Capper directs Lauren Modica, Paul Whitty, Margaret Odette, Zachary Fine, Sachi Parker, Aleca Piper and Jamie Smithson. The evening kicks off with a half hour of live music. Watch for free on the company’s Facebook page though donations to Know Your Rights Camp are encouraged.
The Metropolitan Opera: Cendrillon
On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Cendrillon, Jules Massenet and Henri Caïn’s turn-of-the-20th-century take on the old Cinderella story, featuring internationally revered mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato in the title role and Alice Coote as her prince. Kathleen Kim, Stephanie Blythe and Laurent Naouri costar in this 2018 mounting. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, The Magic Flute, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
Merchant’s House: A Christmas Carol
On Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, the ultimate old-school version of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic goes virtual this year, with John Kevin Jones performing his one-man Christmas Carol at the 19th-century Merchant’s House Museum in the East Village. In this historic setting, Jones plays Dickens performing all of the characters, just like the Victorian author did back in the day. Register to receive the free viewing link; a $30 donation is suggested.
Seize the Show: A Christmas Karen
On Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, interactive theatre company Seize the Show puts a timely spin on Dickens’ classic with A Christmas Karen, about a drama-causing harridan whose comeuppance is in your hands. Cast as Karen’s downtrodden assistant, you make choices that guide the action and her fate! Tickets start at $13.
Available to Watch Both Days
PBS: All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914
A powerful work of docutheatre, All Is Calm commemorates the Christmas Truce of 1914, an unofficial ceasefire that brought troops from opposing sides of World War I together on December 24 for a night of caroling and companionship. Created by Minneapolis’ Theater Latté Da, the show interweaves excerpts from letters and journals of soldiers who were there with trench songs and Christmas tunes performed a cappella. I saw this emotional piece at the Sheen Center two years ago and I get misty just thinking about it. It perfectly captures the spirit of the season: peace on earth and good will toward men. Watch for free until Thursday, December 31 on PBS’ website.
Classical Theatre of Harlem: A Christmas Carol in Harlem
While there’s a cornucopia of Christmas Carols streaming this season, the Classical Theatre of Harlem‘s version offers a modern-day, gospel-infused spin on Charles Dickens’ holiday redemption tale. Recorded at Aaron Davis Hall last year, the show cleverly examines the ramifications of gentrification, making the story feel more urgent and poignant than ever. Watch for free until Sunday, January 3, 2021 on the theatre’s website though donations are encouraged.
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Top image: Julie Taymor’s staging of The Magic Flute at the Metropolitan Opera.
RAVEN SNOOK