23 Stage Performances to See Today, May 7
Antony and Cleopatra at the National Theatre
At 2 p.m. ET, London’s National Theatre shares its 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.
Variety Thursday on Stars in the House
At 2 p.m. ET, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley host a live variety show on Stars in the House. The lineup includes hilarious Matilda and Emojiland diva Lesli Margherita, Smokey Joe’s Cafe Tony nominee Brenda Braxton and vocalist Anne Steele. This twice daily series supports The Actors Fund, and you can watch for free on the organization’s YouTube channel.
Justin Vivian Bond: Auntie Glam’s Happy Hour
At 5 p.m. ET, groundbreaking trans artist and activist Justin Vivian Bond shares their wit, wisdom and singular song stylings in their weekly “live-screamed” show Auntie Glam’s Happy Hour. It’s sure to be an entertaining and insightful time. Watch on their website for free, though tips are encouraged.
Tavi Gevinson on Classic Conversations
At 6 p.m. ET, Classic Stage Company continues its Classic Conversations with a chat between artistic director John Doyle and Tavi Gevinson (The Crucible, This Is Our Youth), who was set to star in the theatre’s highly anticipated revival of Assassins, which has been indefinitely postponed. While this is billed as an interview series, the theatre promises “occasional” singing, and we’re hoping they’ll up that to frequent. Watch on Classic Stage Company’s Facebook page. Assassins bonus: Watch Gevinsonn’s costar Ethan Slater croon “The Ballad of Czolgosz” with fellow cast members. It gives you a tantalizing taste of what could have been—and hopefully one day will be.
54 Celebrates Mel Brooks
At 6:30 p.m. ET, cabaret haven Feinstein’s/54 Below shares a recording of 54 Celebrates Mel Brooks, a concert of the funnyman’s irreverent songs from The Producers, Young Frankenstein and other projects. Tony winner and Producers alum Richard Kind hosts an incredible lineup of comedic crooners, including Olivier winner Lesli Margherita, Tony nominees Brad Oscar and Lee Roy Reams, The Prom‘s Angie Schworer and Ain’t Too Proud‘s Jelani Remy. Watch for free on the club’s YouTube channel. This performance won’t be available after-the-fact.
The Oedipus Project by Theater of War
At 7 p.m. ET, Theater of War Productions, a company that uses classical texts to examine contemporary issues, presents a starry reading of Oedipus, followed by a town hall-style discussion with the audience. Two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand, Tony winner Jeffrey Wright, Oscar Isaac, John Turturro, David Strathairn and NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams will perform Sophocles’ tragedy (which premiered during a plague that decimated the Athenian population), and then talk about how the play’s themes relate to our current panedemic, such as poor leadership during a time of crisis. The performance takes place on the free app Zoom, which you’ll need to download in advance. Reserve your free ticket on Eventbrite at least an hour in advance. This performance won’t be available after-the-fact.
Macbeth at the Stratford Festival
At 7 p.m. ET, Ontario’s venerable Stratford Festival continues its Shakespeare On Film series with Macbeth featuring Canadian stage stars Ian Lake and Krystin Pellerin as the bloodthirsty aspirational couple. Watch for free on the Stratford Festival’s YouTube channel.
Capriccio at the Met
At 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera shares its 2011 mounting of Strauss’ Capriccio, starring Renée Fleming, Sarah Connolly, Joseph Kaiser, Russell Braun, Morten Frank Larsen and Peter Rose, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. 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, L’Amour de Loin, until 6:30 p.m. today.
Renée Fleming Live From Lincoln Center
At 7:30 p.m. ET, want more Renée Fleming? Lincoln Center is sharing a fabulous performance from its archives, The New York Philharmonic‘s 1997 gala concert featuring the acclaimed soprano singing pieces by Mozart and R. Strauss in honor of conductor Kurt Masur’s 70th birthday. Watch for free on Lincoln Center’s Facebook page.
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater: New Songs Now in Your Living Room
At 8 p.m. ET, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater launches New Songs Now in Your Living Room, a new series of unplugged mini-concerts by up-and-coming songwriters. This week, Max Vernon, whose musicals including The View UpStairs and KPOP, and 2020 Jonathan Larson Grant recipient Rona Siddiqu share works in progress. Watch for free on the theatre’s YouTube channel.
Available to Watch All Day
Frankenstein at the National Theatre
It’s your last chance to catch a double creature feature courtesy of the National Theatre. The lauded London company shares its 2011 monster hit Frankenstein, directed by Oscar winner Danny Boyle and featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller alternating in the lead roles. Both versions are available to watch for free on YouTube through Friday at 2 p.m. ET, so it’s your choice whether you want to catch Cumberbatch as the doctor and Miller as his ungodly creation, or see the stars the other way around.
Madama Butterfly at the Met
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 about 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 2019 mounting of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, based on Anthony Minghella’s staging, and starring Hui He, Andrea Carè, Elizabeth DeShong and Paulo Szot. Watch for free anytime through Friday at 5 p.m. on the Metropolitan Opera’s website
The Two Noble Kinsmen at Shakespeare’s Globe
London’s Shakespeare’s Globe shares a recording of its 2018 mounting of The Two Noble Kinsmen, a tragicomic love triangle generally believed to be the Bard’s final play, written in collaboration with John Fletcher. Watch for free anytime through Saturday, May 17 on the theatre’s YouTube channel.
The Wooster Group
Pioneering avant-garde theatre troupe The Wooster Group is posting recordings of some of its seminal works online, including Rumstick Road, Spalding Gray‘s response to his mother’s suicide; To You, the Birdie!, the company’s riff on Racine’s Phèdre; and House/Lights, a mash-up of Gertrude Stein’s Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights and the 1964 B-movie Olga’s House of Shame. If you’ve never seen a show by this influential and iconoclastic company, prepare for nudity, obscurity, multimedia experimentation and Willem Dafoe, who was in many early productions. Watch for free on the Wooster Group’s website.
English National Ballet: Romeo & Juliet
The English National Ballet shares a recording of Romeo & Juliet, choreographed for the company by the legendary Rudolf Nureyev. Alina Cojocaru and Isaac Hernández star as the ill-fated lovers in this 2015 mounting. Watch for free anytime through Friday at 2 p.m. on the troupe’s YouTube channel.
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Top image: Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo in Antony and Cleopatra at the National Theatre. Photo by Johan Persson
RAVEN SNOOK