25+ Stage Performances to Watch This Weekend April 23-25
Friday, April 23
The Shows Must Go On!: Border Tales
On Friday at 2 p.m. ET, The Shows Must Go On! presents Border Tales, a powerful dance-theatre piece by Luca Silvestrini‘s troupe Protein. An exploration of multicultural Britain, this production features dynamic movement, live music and dialogue inspired by the international cast’s real-life experiences. Watch for free for the rest of the year on YouTube.
Dixon Place: MINE
On Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, downtown’s invaluable Dixon Place presents Shayna Strype‘s surreal dramedy Mine, which will be performed in person at the theatre and also streamed to an at-home audience. Fusing puppetry, projections and stop-motion animation, this solo show explores the aftermath of a divorce, as the lonely house, their discarded belongings and a hoarding groundhog sift through the family’s history. Tickets start at $12.
The Metropolitan Opera: Satyagraha
On Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Philip Glass’ Satyagraha, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s life and set to lines from the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita. Richard Croft stars as the world leader in this 2011 mounting. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Simon Boccanegra, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
Stars in the House: Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley welcome husband-and-wife R&B stars Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo, both longtime members of The 5th Dimension. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.
PBS Great Performances: Romeo & Juliet
On Friday at 9 p.m. ET, PBS Great Performances presents a new mounting of Romeo & Juliet from London’s National Theatre. The production was initially planned as an in-person experience, but the pandemic forced the artists to film the show. In this contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy, a group of actors quarantined in the theatre bring the play to life under Simon Godwin‘s direction. Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley portray the star-crossed lovers. Watch for free on TV on PBS Thirteen or the channel’s website.
Planet of the Grapes Live
On Friday at 10 p.m. ET, Peter Michael Marino, the acclaimed playwright-performer behind the riotous solo shows Show Up! and Desperately Seeking the Exit, presents his latest off-kilter creation Planet of the Grapes Live, a toy theatre send-up of the 1968 movie The Planet of the Apes but with talking fruit instead of monkeys. Marino manipulates a cast of grapes and corks as they fight for supremacy on miniature sets made from household items and craft supplies. Expect plenty of puns and pop-culture references as he performs this parody live on stream. Tickets start at $10.
Saturday, April 24
Dixon Place: MINE
On Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, downtown’s invaluable Dixon Place presents Shayna Strype‘s surreal dramedy Mine, which will be performed in person at the theatre and also streamed to an at-home audience. Fusing puppetry, projections and stop-motion animation, this solo show explores the aftermath of a family’s divorce, as the lonely house, their discarded belongings and a hoarding groundhog sift through their history. Tickets start at $12.
The Metropolitan Opera: Fidelio
On Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, about a wife (Karita Mattila) who masquerades as a man to search for her wrongly imprisoned husband. Jürgen Flimm staged this 2000 production, which costars Ben Heppner, Falk Struckmann and René Pape. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Satyagraha, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
Songs of Hope 2021
On Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, up-and-coming musical theatre performer J.R. Heckman hosts a benefit concert for Josh Groban’s Find Your Light Foundation, which provides funding for music and arts education for underserved youth. In addition to being joined by some of his talented college-age peers, Heckman welcomes Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford, Aladdin star Telly Leung and The Cher Show‘s Teal Wicks. Register to receive the free viewing link though donations are encouraged.
Rock of Ages All-Star Reunion Concert
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, the Tony-nominated hair-metal musical Rock of Ages is being resurrected for one headbanging night! A supergroup of alums, including Tony nominees Constantine Maroulis, Kerry Butler, Kate Rockwell and Laura Bell Bundy, Dee Snider from Twisted Sister, king nerd Chris Hardwick and Frankie Grande, belt out ’80s hits such as “I Wanna Rock,” “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “Don’t Stop Believing” during this reunion concert. Tickets start at $33 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is only viewable for 24 hours.
Planet of the Grapes Live
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, Peter Michael Marino, the acclaimed playwright-performer behind the riotous solo shows Show Up! and Desperately Seeking the Exit, presents his latest off-kilter creation Planet of the Grapes Live, a toy theatre send-up of the 1968 movie The Planet of the Apes but with talking fruit instead of monkeys. Marino manipulates a cast of grapes and corks as they fight for supremacy on miniature sets made from household items and craft supplies. Expect plenty of puns and pop-culture references as he performs this parody live on stream. Tickets start at $10.
Metropolitan Playhouse: Bertha, the Sewing Machine Girl Part II
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, Metropolitan Playhouse, an Obie-winning company that revives forgotten works, presents a reading of Bertha, the Sewing Machine Girl, Charles Foster’s politically charged 1906 melodrama about the virtuous title character, who’s trying to survive a toxic work environment and rise about her so-called station. The company’s artistic director Alex Roe helms this production which features a 14-person cast. Part I premiered last week and is available on YouTube. You can watch Part II for free on the company’s YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.
Sunday, April 25
Play-PerView: The Gett
On Sunday at 4 p.m. ET, Play-PerView presents a live reading of The Gett, Liba Vaynberg‘s examination of the ancient ritual of Jewish religious divorce. The cast features four-time Tony nominee Tovah Feldshuh, Peter Mark Kendall, Alfredo Narciso and the playwright. Daniella Topol directs. Tickets start at $5 and net proceeds go to Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and Congregation Beth Elohim. Can’t make the live performance? For $20, you can watch a recording until Thursday, April 29.
NewYorkRep: CivilWrights Part III: Don’t Stay Safe
On Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, New York Rep presents its third installment of CivilWrights, evenings of anti-racist shows by BIPOC dramatists. Tonight, catch the short musical Don’t Stay Safe by Cheryl L. Davis and Douglas J. Cohen, about a Black lawyer trying to hold her romantic and familial relationships together during the pandemic’s early days. The performance will be followed by a Town Hall-style talkback. Register to receive the free viewing link.
The Metropolitan Opera: Dialogues des Carmélites
On Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents John Dexter‘s striking mounting of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, about a young woman (Isabel Leonard) who escapes the violence of the French Revolution by joining a convent of Carmelite nuns. Erin Morley, Adrianne Pieczonka, Karen Cargill, Karita Mattila and David Portillo costar in this 2019 production. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Fidelio, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
All Weekend
Lincoln Center Theater: The Royale
Lincoln Center Theater shares a recording of The Royale, Marco Ramirez‘s powerful pugilist play inspired by the real-life experiences of Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight world champion. Rachel Chavkin won a well-deserved Obie Award for her visionary direction of the show at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi Newhouse Theater in 2016, and Khris Davis earned kudos for his breathtaking performance as a boxer who’s always fighting—even outside the ring. Montego Glover, John Lavelle, McKinley Belcher III and Clarke Peters costar. . The recording is viewable until Sunday, May 16.
A Letter to Harvey Milk
Catch the uplifting musical A Letter to Harvey Milk about an unexpected friendship between a widower and a writing teacher that inspires them to confront long-standing issues with humor and heart. The . This digital reimagining reunites original stars Adam Heller, Cheryl Stern and Julia Knitel. Evan Pappas once again directs. Tickets start at $10 and the recording is viewable until Sunday. Proceeds benefit The Actors Fund and HIAS.
Manhattan Theatre Club: Neat
Manhattan Theatre Club continues its Curtain Call series spotlighting important plays from its past with a reading of Neat. This autobiographical coming-of-age tale by the multitalented Charlayne Woodard examines the impact of racism on her family, notably her disabled aunt Neat. MTC presented the play back in 1997 and Woodard reprises her critically acclaimed performance, complemented by original music by Rolling Stones bassist Darryl Jones. Reservations are required to receive the free viewing link. The recording is viewable until Sunday and closed captions are available.
The Drama Company NYC: Proof
The Drama Company NYC presents David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Proof, about a sensitive young woman whose late father was a brilliant but troubled mathematician. In the wake of his death, she’s forced to grapple with her estranged sister, her father’s acolyte and her own worries about her mental health. Tickets are $17 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Sunday.
San Francisco Ballet
California’s acclaimed San Francisco Ballet presents a trio of archival recordings: artistic director Helgi Tomasson‘s neoclassical work 7 for Eight; Cathy Marston‘s Snowblind inspired by Edith Wharton’s novella Ethan Frome; and David Dawson‘s physically demanding Anima Animus. Tickets are $29 and the recording is viewable until Saturday, May 15.
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RAVEN SNOOK