22 Stage Performances to See Today, May 13
Charles Busch in The Confession of Lily Dare
At 2 p.m. ET, Stars in the House presents a live reading of The Confession of Lily Dare, written by and starring the fabulous Charles Busch. A loving send-up of the confession films of the ’30s that’s both funny and poignant, the play , and this event reunites the entire cast, including two-time Tony nominee Howard McGillin as an unscrupulous cad and Busch’s longtime collaborator Jennifer Van Dyck in multiple hilarious roles. Catch it for free anytime through Sunday on YouTube. And if you’re free at 2 p.m. ET today, join us on TDF’s Facebook page to watch it with us!
Desperately Seeking the Exit
At 2 p.m. ET, Peter Michael Marino performs Desperately Seeking the Exit, his riotous solo comedy about the behind-the-scenes drama at his notorious 2007 London flop musical Desperately Seeking Susan. Tickets are available to purchase online but TDF members get a discount.
English National Ballet: Fantastic Beings
At 2 p.m. ET, the English National Ballet shares a recording of Fantastic Beings, a wild dance featuring performers as amazing animals, choreographed by Aszure Barton and set to Mason Bates’ Anthology of Fantastic Zoology, which is performed live by the English National Ballet Philharmonic. Watch for free anytime through Friday at 2 p.m. on the troupe’s YouTube channel.
Donmar Warehouse: Midnight Your Time
At 2:30 p.m. ET, London’s lauded Donmar Warehouse premieres Adam Brace’s brand-new one-act Midnight Your Time about a retired London lawyer named Judy who’s desperately trying to connect with her daughter in Palestine. A meditation on isolation and the challenges of remote communication, the play stars Diana Quick (Brideshead Revisited) and is directed by Donmar Warehouse’s artistic director Michael Longhurst. Watch for free on the theatre’s YouTube channel.
Linda Lavin and Billy Stritch
At 3 p.m. ET, legendary jazz pianist and singer Billy Stritch and his Tony-winning BFF/neighbor Linda Lavin continue their series of live online concerts in support of their new album Love Notes. This week they’re focusing on big band hits, and their friendship, banter and classic songs always feel incredibly soothing. Watch for free on Lavin’s Facebook page.
Irish Repertory Theatre: Molly Sweeney
At 3 p.m. ET, the venerable Irish Rep presents Molly Sweeney, Brian Friel’s popular drama about a woman blind since infancy whose sight is restored with unexpected consequences. Geraldine Hughes and Ciarán O’Reilly reprise their performances as Molly and her husband from the theatre’s hit 2011 production, alongside Paul O’Brien as the surgeon who changes the title character’s life. Told in series of monologues, Molly Sweeney was filmed remotely earlier this month. Tickets are free but required in order to get the viewing link; donations are encouraged.
Drumstruck: Live from South Africa
At 3:30 p.m. ET, get ready to make some noise with Drumstruck, the Stomp-style South African percussion sensation that’s been touring for decades. The cast members will be performing remotely from their homes, and while they won’t be able to hand out djembes to the audience as they usually do, they will encourage you to clap, tap and jump along. All your neighbors will think it’s 7 p.m.! Watch for free on Facebook.
L’Elisir d’Amore at the Met
At 5 p.m. ET, 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. But a little over a month ago, it quietly launched another online initiative to engage audiences: weekly student streams that debut on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. 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 2018 mounting of Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore, an operatic romantic comedy starring Matthew Polenzani, Pretty Yende, Davide Luciano and Ildebrando d’Arcangelo, staged by Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher, who’s known for lavish revivals of Golden Age musicals at Lincoln Center Theater. Watch for free anytime through Friday at 5 p.m. on the Metropolitan Opera’s website
Ballet Hispánico: Asuka
At 7 p.m. EST, Ballet Hispánico presents Asuka, choreographer Eduardo Vilaro’s celebration of the music of Celia Cruz. Known as the Queen of Salsa, the Cuban singer’s life and legacy are used as inspiration for this exploration of immigration and perseverance. Watch for free on the dance company’s Facebook page.
HERE Arts Center: The Scarlet Ibis
At 7 p.m., downtown culture hub HERE presents The Scarlet Ibis, composer Stefan Weisman and librettist David Cote’s opera based on James Hurst’s story. Featuring performers alongside puppets, the work centers on a boy with disabilities in the rural early 20th century South. Watch for free on HERE’s Facebook page.
Ariadne auf Naxos at the Met
At 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera shares a gem from its vaults: its 1988 mounting of Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, starring a trio of glorious divas: Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle and Tatiana Troyanos, conducted by James Levine. 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, The Tempest, until 6:30 p.m. today.
Symphony Space: Virtual Selected Shorts
At 7:30 p.m. ET, Upper West Side culture spot Symphony Space brings its decades-old Selected Shorts series online, with well-known actors performing brief works of literature by contemporary authors. The theme of the evening is Best Laid Plans, and participants include two-time Tony nominee Bobby Cannavale, Grand Horizons‘ Maulik Pancholy, Fun Home Tony nominee Emily Skeggs and Allison Williams from Get Out. Watch for free on Symphony Space’s YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.
Ron Tal in Eleven Hours Away: A Celebration of Israeli Music
At 7:30 p.m. ET, Yiddish Fiddler cast member Ron Tal performs Eleven Hours Away: A Celebration of Israeli Music as part of the Folksbiene! Live series. An exploration of his heritage and home country, the solo show features songs in Hebrew and Yiddish. Watch for free on the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s Facebook page.
Available to Watch All Day
Omigod you guys, this week is performing Legally Blonde the Musical in American Sign Language alongside the recording of . This just launched theatre collective has two goals: to give Deaf actors from around the world a chance to show off their skills, and to make these beloved shows accessible to those who speak ASL. Watch for free anytime through Friday on the group’s Vimeo channel.
Victory Gardens Theater: Fun Home
Chicago’s lauded Victory Gardens Theater is streaming its 2017 production of Fun Home. Written by Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron, the Tony Award-winning musical was inspired by Alison Bechdel’s autobiographical graphic novel about grappling with her sexual identity while being raised by her closeted father in a funeral home. Tickets are $20 and buyers can view the recording once anytime through May 24.
Shakespeare’s Globe: Macbeth
London’s venerable Shakespeare’s Globe has been releasing a new show from its archives every two weeks (the current offering is The Two Noble Kinsmen), but this is a bonus production! This one-act version of Macbeth was created for the theatre’s education series Playing Shakespeare, and Ekow Quartey and Elly Condron star as the bloodthirsty aspirational couple. Watch for free on the theatre’s YouTube channel.
Antony and Cleopatra with Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo
It’s the last day to catch the National Theatre‘s acclaimed 2018 production of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, starring Tony winners Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo as the Roman general and the Egyptian queen torn between love and war. Simon Godwin directs this politically charged epic, which you can watch for free through Thursday, May 14 at 2 p.m. ET on the National Theatre’s YouTube channel.
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Top image: Charles Busch in The Confession of Lily Dare. Photos by Carol Rosegg.
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