25 Stage Performances to Watch February 10-11
Wednesday, February 10
Irish Repertory Theatre: Give Me Your Hand
On Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET, this winter, the venerable Irish Rep is presenting encore streams of its entire digital season. Today, catch a matinee of Give Me Your Hand, a virtual tour of London’s National Gallery featuring Tony nominee Dearbhla Molloy and Dermot Crowley reciting Paul Durcan poems as paintings are projected. Directed by Jamie Beamish, this is a digital reimagining of the company’s 2012 hit production. Tickets are free but required to receive the viewing link; donations are encouraged.
The Metropolitan Opera: Werther
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 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 Werther, Massenet’s adaptation of Goethe’s epistolary novel starring Jonas Kaufmann as the tortured title character, whose passion for Sophie Koch‘s Charlotte leads to tragedy. Lisette Oropesa, David Bižic and Jonathan Summers costar in Richard Eyre’s 2014 mounting. Watch for free until Friday at 5 p.m. ET on the Metropolitan Opera’s website.
Ballet Hispánico: Café America
On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. EST, Ballet Hispánico presents a vintage recording of Café America, an exploration of the immigrant experience choreographed by The Wiz Tony winner George Faison, set to music by Rubén Blades and Julio Iglesias. There will be a post-stream conversation with Faison and three of the dancers, Jose Costas, Pedro Ruiz and Eduardo Vilaro, who now serves as Ballet Hispánico’s artistic director. Watch for free on the dance company’s Facebook page.
The Metropolitan Opera: Il Barbiere di Siviglia
On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera shares a gem from its vaults: John Cox’s sparkling 1988 mounting of Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Rossini’s comic masterpiece about Figaro, a resourceful barber who helps a couple out of a hairy situation. Leo Nucci stars as the title character and Kathleen Battle and Rowell Blake are the young lovers. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Ernani, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
Irish Repertory Theatre: On Beckett / In Screen
On Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, this winter, the venerable Irish Rep is presenting encore streams of its entire digital season. Tonight, catch Tony winner Bill Irwin in a virtual reimagining of his hit solo show On Beckett. Once again, the acclaimed clown takes the stage at the Chelsea theatre to explore the words and work of the groundbreaking Irish playwright Samuel Beckett. Only this time, no one is in the audience, which makes this meditation on Beckett’s themes of loneliness, loss and decay even more haunting. Tickets are free but required to receive the viewing link; donations are encouraged.
Thursday, February 11
John Turturro on Classic Conversations
On Thursday at 6 p.m. ET, Classic Stage Company continues its Classic Conversations with a chat between artistic director John Doyle and John Turturro, who has a long history with the theatre. He appeared in The Cherry Orchard and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at CSC, and also directed A Spanish Play. Watch for free on Classic Stage Company’s Facebook page.
DANCE NOW: Chapter 4
On Thursday at 6 p.m. ET, usually presented over a few jam-packed days at Joe’s Pub, this 25th annual dance festival has been reimagined for our virtual world, with monthly online installments through May 2021. Chapter 4 features new short digital commissions from Kate Ladenheim, Maleek Washington, Subject:Matter and Alice Sheppard, alongside archival recordings of pieces by Adam Barruch and Mark Gindick. Tickets start at $10 and the recording is viewable until Wednesday, June 30.
Fame 4.0 Benefit
On Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, New York’s prestigious Fame school, aka Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, celebrates the 40th anniversary of the movie that made turned it into a pop-culture phenomenon. In addition to performances by the school’s talented students, the evening features appearances by Debbie Allen, who starred in the movie and TV series Fame, Erica Gimpel from the Fame TV show, Laura Dean from Fame the movie), LaGuardia alums Awkwafina and Isaac Mizrahi, and Samantha Bee and Jason Jones. Remember their names! Watch for free on YouTube though donations are encouraged.
Lincoln Center Theater: Lileana Blain-Cruz In Conversation: On Directing
On Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, Obie-winning director Lileana Blain-Cruz, who was recently appointed resident director at Lincoln Center Theater, talks about the future of the industry with some of her talented peers: Garrett Allen, Sarah Benson and Lila Neugebauer. Register for the free Zoom link.
The Metropolitan Opera: Un Ballo in Maschera
On Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera shares a gem from its vaults: Piero Faggioni‘s 1991 mounting of Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera , with Luciano Pavarotti as a ruler in love with his best friend’s wife. Aprile Millo, Leo Nucci and Florence Quivar costar. Watch for FREE for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
The Reading Series: Reasons to Be Pretty
On Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, The Reading Series presents Reasons to Be Pretty, Neil LaBute‘s Tony-nominated play about four dysfunctional not-quite-grown-ups trapped in toxic relationships. Alison Tanney directs Andrew Kober, Jessica Vosk, Kahlil Garcia and Janine DiVita. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.
Stars in the House: The Love Boat Reunion
On Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley celebrate Valentine’s Day with a reunion of the campiest romance series ever: The Love Boat. Longtime cast members Gavin MacLeod, Fred Grandy, Ted Lange, Bernie Kopell, Lauren Tewes and Jill Whelan will be joined by frequent guest star Charo and Jack Jones, who’ll croon the show’s iconic theme song. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.
Eden Theater Company: The Kitchen Plays
On Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, the women-led Eden Theater Company wraps up its series of virtual shorts exploring the current state of our homebound world with a trio of playlets that take place in the kitchen: Ginger Bug by Jake Brasch, Passion Project by Cassandra Paras and For the Family by Madison Harrison. Tickets start at $5.
The Tank: Borders
On Thursday at 9 p.m. ET, indie theatre incubator The Tank presents a live performance of Borders, Nimrod Danishman‘s timely play exploring the challenges of modern-day virtual romance, as two men from different countries fall for each other on Grindr. Eli M. Schoenfeld and Adrian Rifat star, and Michael R. Piazza directs. Tickets start at $10.
San Francisco Ballet
On Thursday at 9 p.m. ET, the celebrated San Francisco Ballet continues its digital season with a trio of works. Two are archival recordings: Dwight Rhoden‘s Let’s Begin at the End and Mark Morris‘s Sandpaper Ballet. The third, Colorforms, is a brand-new piece by troupe soloist Myles Thatcher, known for his politically charged performances. Tickets are $29 and the recording is viewable until Wednesday, March 3.
Available to Watch Both Days
Metropolitan Opera Stars Live in Concert: Anna Netrebko
Last Saturday, the Metropolitan Opera presented superstar soprano Anna Netrebko in a live concert and you can watch a recording until Friday, February 19. Filmed at Vienna’s gorgeous Spanish Riding School, the performance includes enchanting Russian songs by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Rimsky-Korsakov, along with selections by Strauss, Debussy and Fauré, plus a pair of duets with special guest Elena Maximova. Tickets are $20.
French Institute Alliance Française: Melissa Errico & Adam Gopnik: Love, Desire & Mystery
Tony-nominated chanteuse Melissa Errico and New Yorker essayist Adam Gopnik continue their three-part concert and conversation series exploring what the French call l’amour fou, all-consuming love. In part II, Desire, they delve into sensual pairings such as sex and food, seduction and fashion. Filmed on stage at the French Institute Alliance Française’s Florence Gould Theatre, the performance includes songs from Gopnik’s musical Our Table, Stephen Schwartz’s The Baker’s Wife, Funny Face, Coco and the hits of Edith Piaf. Tickets are $15 but you can buy the three-concert package for $30.
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RAVEN SNOOK