20+ Stage Performances to Watch March 31-April 1
Wednesday, March 31
The Metropolitan Opera: Die Zauberflöte
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 Tony winner Julie Taymor‘s eye-popping, puppet-filled staging of Die Zauberflöte, Mozart’s fantastical fable starring Golda Schultz, Kathryn Lewek, Charles Castronovo, Markus Werba, Christian Van Horn and René Pape. Watch for free until Friday at 5 p.m. ET on the Metropolitan Opera’s website.
The Metropolitan Opera: Roberto Devereux
On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents David McVicar‘s moving 2016 mounting of Roberto Devereux about the complicated love affair between Queen Elizabeth I (Sondra Radvanovsky) and the title character (Matthew Polenzani). Elina Garanca and Mariusz Kwiecien costar. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Capriccio, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
Thursday, April 1
The Metropolitan Opera: Il Trovatore
On Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera shares a gem from its vaults: its 1988 mounting of Verdi’s Il Trovatore featuring Luciano Pavarotti as Manrico, the emotional troubadour. Éva Marton, Dolora Zajick and Sherrill Milnes costar. Watch for FREE for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Roberto Devereux, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
No Exit Theatre Collective: Ubu Roi
On Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET, No Exit Theatre Collective presents a contemporary adaptation of Alfred Jarry’s absurdist classic Ubu Roi chronicling the grotesque misadventures of a dreadful king on Zoom. TDF’s own multitalented Tyler Riley is in the cast! Tickets start at $5 and the recording is available until Sunday.
The Joyce Theater: Step Afrika!: Stono
On Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, Chelsea dance haven The Joyce continues its digital season with Step Afrika!‘s powerful Stono, which uses the troupe’s signature blend of percussive, traditional African and contemporary dance to evoke the little-known Stono slave rebellion of 1739 in South Carolina. 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, April 14.
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran
On Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, Washington, DC’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company presents Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran, Javaad Alipoor‘s multimedia exploration of the global class divide. The second installment of a trilogy examining identity in our high-tech age, this dark comedy fuses online performance and a live Instagram feed to examine entitlement, consumption and social media through the eyes of Iran’s elite. Tickets are $18 and the recording is viewable until Sunday, April 18.
Stars in the House: Game Night
On Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley host one of their surprise-filled Game Nights on Stars in the House, famous players to be determined. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.
San Francisco Ballet: Jewels
On Thursday at 9 p.m. ET, California’s acclaimed San Francisco Ballet presents George Balanchine’s glittering gem Jewels, a full-length abstract ballet featuring three separate sections: Emeralds, Rubies and Diamonds, set to music by Fauré, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky. Tickets are $29 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Wednesday, April 21.
Available to Watch Both Days
National Theatre Live: War Horse
On Wednesday and Thursday at 1, 4, 7 and 10 p.m. ET, National Theatre Live presents War Horse, the profoundly moving story of a boy searching for his beloved steed against the bloody backdrop of World War I. Based on Michael Morpurgo’s novel of the same name and adapted for the stage by Nick Stafford in association with the brilliant Handspring Puppet Company, the production was a smash, first at London’s National Theatre and where it won five 2011 Tony Awards, including Best Play. This mounting was filmed in London and is streaming to benefit independent cinemas around the US. Tickets are $15.
Goodman Theater: Pedro Páramo
Chicago’s lauded Goodman Theatre gives audiences a peek at its archives with a recording of Pedro Páramo. Based on Juan Rulfo’s influential 1955 novel of the same name, the production was created by Cuba’s Teatro Buendía and presented at the Goodman in 2013 featuring a cast of American and Cuban actors. A pioneering work of magical realism, the story centers on a young man who travels to his recently deceased mother’s hometown to track down his long-lost father. The show is performed in Spanish with closed captioning in English and Spanish. Reservations are required to receive the free viewing link and the recording is viewable until Sunday, April 11.
New York City Center: Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet
New York City Center wraps up its New Adventures Festival of Matthew Bourne ballets with Romeo and Juliet. The visionary choreographer presents a powerful take on the old tragedy, set in a not-too-distant dystopian future with the star-crossed couple stuck as inmates in the oppressive Verona Institute. Cordelia Braithwaite and Paris Fitzpatrick headline the production, which was filmed on stage at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London in 2019. Tickets are $15 and the recording is viewable until Sunday.
New York City Center: American Theatre Ballet: A Ratmansky Celebration
New York City Center presents an evening of works by American Ballet Theatre‘s celebrated resident choreographer Alexei Ratmansky. The program was recorded live on stage at City Center sans audience and features excerpts from The Seasons, Seven Sonatas and The Sleeping Beauty, as well as the world premiere of Bernstein in a Bubble, set to music by Leonard Bernstein. Tickets are $25 and the recording is available until Sunday, April 18.
IAMA Theatre Company: Anyone But Me and The Oxy Complex
Los Angeles’ IAMA Theatre Company presents a pair of compelling solo shows by Latina performers. Sheila Carrasco‘s Anyone But Me explores the personas women create to get by in a patriarchal society. Anna LaMadrid‘s The Oxy Complex is set on the 500th day of quarantine (!!!) and examines how loneliness, trauma and the lack of oxytocin impact our well-being. Tickets are $15 per show, $20 for both. The recordings are viewable until Sunday, April 18.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Stream a starry, contemporary adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Written by Henry Filloux-Bennett and set in our screen-dominated world, this cautionary tale centers on a young influencer who makes a deal ensuring that his social media celebrity will never fade. But his picture-perfect life comes at a terrible cost. Tamara Harvey directs Fionn Whitehead as the title hedonist, alongside Tony nominees Joanna Lumley and Stephen Fry and stage favorite Russell Tovey. Tickets are £12, approximately $17. The recording is viewable until Saturday, April 17 and closed captions are available.
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Top image: National Theatre’s War Horse, which begins streaming on Wednesday. Photo by Brinkhoff & Mögenburg.
RAVEN SNOOK