21 Stage Performances to Watch Today, July 23
André De Shields on Classic Conversations
At 6 p.m. ET, Classic Stage Company continues its Classic Conversations with a chat between artistic director John Doyle and Hadestown Tony winner André De Shields, who starred in the theatre’s 2017 mounting of As You Like It. With almost 50 years of stage performances under his fabulous belt, he’s certainly got a lot to talk about! Watch for free on Classic Stage Company’s Facebook page.
Paul Giamatti in I, My Ruination
At 7 p.m. ET, the Cape Cod Theatre Project presents a starry reading of I, My Ruination, Kevin Artigue‘s history-inspired drama about director Elia Kazan and playwright Arthur Miller, who took different paths when they were called to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee during the communist witch hunts of the 1950s. The performance features Tony winner Nina Arianda, Paul Giamatti, Corey Stoll, Arian Moayed and Pedro Pascal, and is helmed by the company’s artistic director Hal Brooks. Tickets are $50.
Virtual Pillow: Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE
At 7 p.m. ET, the Berkshires’ lauded Jacob’s Pillow continues its virtual summer season with a selection of works by Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, a Brooklyn-based troupe that fuses African dance with contemporary choreography and storytelling. This compilation includes In Gratitude, Brown’s tribute to Katherine Dunham, Grace and highlights from New Conversations set to Afro-Cuban jazz by Grammy winner Arturo O’Farrill. Watch for free on Jacob’s Pillow’s YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.
The Metropolitan Opera: Roméo et Juliette
At 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera shares Roméo et Juliette, Charles Gounod’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy about ill-fated teenage lovers. Roberto Alagna and Anna Netrebko play the star-crossed couple in this 2007 production, which costars Nathan Gunn and Robert Lloyd and is conducted by Plácido Domingo. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Verdi’s Macbeth, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
Dixon Place HOT! Festival: Basement
At 7:30 p.m. ET, downtown staple Dixon Place brings its 29th annual queer culture fest online with four weeks of theatre, dance, music, readings and comedy. Tonight catch Kallan Dana‘s one-act Basement about a couple of hoarders. Pay-what-you-can tickets are available to purchase from the theatre.
Stars in the House: Fame Reunion
At 8 p.m. ET, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley host a Fame reunion on Stars in the House in honor of the 40th anniversary of the iconic movie about students at NYC’s High School of the Performing Arts. Cast members Debbie Allen, Lee Curreri, Laura Dean and Antonia Franceschi will be joined by composer Michael Gore and lyricist Dean Pitchford of “remember my name” fame for stories and songs about this cultural phenomenon. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.
Patrick Page in Shakespeare in Vegas
At 9 p.m. ET, a pair of West Coast theatre companies present a reading of Shakespeare in Vegas, Suzanne Bradbeer‘s wacky comedy that reimagines the Bard’s poetry as punnery. Hadestown‘s Patrick Page and Tony winner Karen Ziemba lead the cast as a wise guy from the Vegas Strip and a classical actress from NYC who team up to realize their middle-aged night’s dream. Watch on TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s website though donations are encouraged.
Available to Watch All Day
The Metropolitan Opera: The Merry Widow
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 at 5 p.m. ET. These productions 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 2015 mounting of Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow, helmed by Tony-winning director Susan Stroman, and starring opera legend Renée Fleming as the title character, who’s wooed by Nathan Gunn‘s Danilo, an old flame with ulterior motives. Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara costars. Watch for free until Friday at 5 p.m. ET on the Metropolitan Opera’s website.
The Transport Group: Broadbend, Arkansas
Stalwart NYC theatre company The Transport Group presents Broadbend, Arkansas, a two-person musical about a Black father and daughter grappling with the personal impact of racial oppression three decades apart, first in the ’60s, then in the ’80s. The show had its but its themes feel even more urgent in the current moment. Reserve your free ticket to receive the viewing link; donations to the Black Theatre Network are encouraged. The recording is available until August 16.
Graeae Theatre Company: Reasons to Be Cheerful
Back in the ’70s and ’80s, Ian Dury became one of the first rockers with a disability to break through to mainstream success with his New Wave band The Blockheads. In 2017, London’s Graeae Theatre Company, which showcases artists with disabilities, produced a gleefully raucous musical about his life, Reasons to Be Cheerful, filled with songs from his career, including his in-your-face anthem “Spasticus Autisticus.” Watch for free until Monday, August 3 on Graeae Theatre Company’s YouTube channel. There’s also an audio-described version.
—
Top image: Christina Bianco. Photo by William Ernst.
RAVEN SNOOK