35+ Stage Performances to Watch This Weekend April 16-18
Friday, April 16
The Picture of Dorian Gray
It’s your last chance to stream this contemporary adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Written by Henry Filloux-Bennett and set in our screen-dominated world, this cautionary tale centers on a young influencer who makes a deal ensuring that his social media celebrity will never fade. But his picture-perfect life comes at a terrible cost. Tamara Harvey directs Fionn Whitehead as the title hedonist, alongside Tony nominees Joanna Lumley and Stephen Fry and stage favorite Russell Tovey. Tickets are £12, approximately $17. The recording is viewable until Saturday and closed captions are available.
Old Vic: Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
On Friday at 2 p.m. ET, London’s Old Vic presents David Greig and Charlie Fink’s acclaimed adaptation of The Lorax, Dr. Seuss’ classic picture book about one creature’s magical quest to save the environment. This inventively staged and song-filled family show features a cast of humans and puppets, and will be performed live on stage to an empty auditorium and streamed to an at-home audience. Tickets cost £20 to £40, approximately $27 to $55. Audio description and closed captions are available.
The Shows Must Go On!: The Car Man
On Friday at 2 p.m. ET, The Shows Must Go On! presents Matthew Bourne‘s The Car Man, the visionary choreographer’s dazzling dance tribute to film noir. Set in a small-town greasy spoon in the ’60s Midwest, this tale of lust, adultery and murder fuses Georges Bizet’s score for Carmen with plot points from the classic movie The Postman Always Rings Twice. Christopher Trenfield, Zizi Strallen, Dominic North, Kate Lyons and Alan Vincent star in this cinematic spectacle, which was filmed live on stage at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 2015. Watch for free until Friday, April 23 at 2 p.m. ET on YouTube.
The Civilians: Showing Up
On Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the invaluable docutheatre troupe The Civilians (Gone Missing, Pretty Filthy) presents Showing Up, an evening of music and performance inspired by photographer Accra Shepp’s photographs of Black Lives Matter activists. Company members interviewed some of the protesters to create a series of monologues and songs, which will be performed by Becca Blackwell, Cecil Blutcher, Sheldon Best, Anaïs Maviel, Javier Ignacio, Marsha Stephanie Blake and others. Tickets are required to receive the free viewing link though donations are encouraged.
The Metropolitan Opera: Rusalka
On Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Antonín Dvorák’s Rusalka, a tragic Little Mermaid-like tale about a water sprite who yearns to become human in order to fall in love. Tony winner Mary Zimmerman staged this 2017 production, which stars Kristine Opolais, Brandon Jovanovich, Eric Owens and Jamie Barton. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Hansel and Gretel, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
The Town Hall: Judy Collins: A Return to Her Legendary 1964 Concert
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, The Town Hall presents Grammy winner Judy Collins in a recreation of her 1964 Town Hall concert debut, featuring traditional folk songs alongside numbers by Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, Billy Edd Wheeler and others. This performance was filmed live on stage at the venue sans audience in February, so this is an encore stream. Tickets are $30 and the recording is viewable until Sunday.
Hindsight 2020: A Theatrical Time Capsule
On Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET, theatre artists from around the globe come together to devise a virtual time capsule seeking to answer the question, which parts of 2020 should we take with us, and what should be left behind? This unique performance is meant to inspire reflection on our personal pandemic experiences and how we want to move forward as individuals and as a community. Come ready to contemplate! Tickets are pay-what-you-wish.
Saturday, April 17
Old Vic: Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
On Saturday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET, London’s Old Vic presents David Greig and Charlie Fink’s acclaimed adaptation of The Lorax, Dr. Seuss’ classic picture book about one creature’s magical quest to save the environment. This inventively staged and song-filled family show features a cast of humans and puppets, and will be performed live on stage to an empty auditorium and streamed to an at-home audience. Tickets cost £20 to £40, approximately $27 to $55. Audio description and closed captions are available.
Hindsight 2020: A Theatrical Time Capsule
On Saturday at 3 and 10:30 p.m. ET, theatre artists from around the globe come together to devise a virtual time capsule seeking to answer the question, which parts of 2020 should we take with us, and what should be left behind? This unique performance is meant to inspire reflection on our personal pandemic experiences and how we want to move forward as individuals and as a community. Come ready to contemplate! Tickets are pay-what-you-wish.
The Metropolitan Opera: Turandot
On Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Turandot, Puccini’s tale of an aloof princess whose suitors lose their heads over her knotty riddles. Franco Zeffirelli‘s sumptuous staging stars Maria Guleghina as the hard-to-win royal, and Plácido Domingo as the prince who ultimately succeeds. This production was filmed for the Met’s Live in HD series in 1987. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Rusalka, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
Metropolitan Playhouse: Bertha, the Sewing Machine Girl Part I
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. How timely! The play is split into two parts, with the first section streaming tonight, the final half next Saturday. The company’s artistic director Alex Roe helms this production which features a 14-person cast. Watch for free on the company’s YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.
Stars in the House: The Producers Reunion
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, it’s a Producers reunion on Stars in the House! In honor of the blockbuster musical’s 20th anniversary, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley welcome stars Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Roger Bart and Cady Huffman along with director-choreographer Susan Stroman. If anyone can make us laugh this challenging week, they can do it! Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.
Sunday, April 18
National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene: The Bird of the Ghetto
On Sunday at 2 p.m. ET, to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene presents The Bird of the Ghetto, the tragic true story of Jewish resistance leader Itsik Vitenberg and the attempted Vilna Ghetto uprising in 1943. Chava Rosenfarb penned this history-inspired drama, which is the inaugural production in Folksbiene’s Yiddish Women Playwrights Festival. Performed in Yiddish with English subtitles. Watch for free until Thursday at 2 p.m. ET on the theatre’s website.
The Metropolitan Opera: La Cenerentola
On Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents La Cenerentola, Rossini’s charming take on the old Cinderella story, which includes mistaken identities on the royal side, too. Joyce DiDonato stars as the plucky princess-to-be, wooed by Juan Diego Flórez in this 2014 production. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Turandot, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
All Weekend
Kinky Boots
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 1, 4, 7 and 10 p.m. ET, everybody say, “Yeah, yeah!” This weekend, you can watch the exuberant West End production of Kinky Boots, starring Olivier Award winner Matt Henry as drag diva Lola, who helps shoe manufacturer Charlie (Killian Donnelly) inject some fabulousness into his factory. Although the musical examines serious subjects such as homophobia and father-son estrangement, it’s mostly a celebration of friendship and being true to yourself, with catchy songs by Cyndi Lauper and a heartfelt book by Harvey Fierstein. Filmed live on stage in London, the show is streaming to benefit independent cinemas around the US. Tickets are $15.
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, April 25 and closed captions are available.
Jazz at Lincoln Center: The Innovation + Soul Performance
Although Jazz at Lincoln Center‘s virtual 2021 gala took place live earlier this week, you can watch a recording of the evening’s Innovation + Soul Performance after-the-fact. Grammy and Tony winner Dee Dee Bridgewater hosts the affair, featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and special guests such as vocalist Veronica Swift and percussionist Pedrito Martinez. Tickets start at $30 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Sunday, April 25.
WP Theater: Weightless
WP Theater wraps up its digital spring season with Weightless, a theatrical rock musical by married duo The Kilbanes inspired by the ancient myth of devoted sisters Philomela and Procne from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Helmed by Tamilla Woodard, Yale Repertory Theatre’s newly appointed resident director, and filmed outdoors in the Bay Area, this production is a multimedia hybrid of live concert, storytelling and visual art. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish. The recording is viewable until Sunday, May 30.
American Conservatory Theatre: Arms and the Man
San Francisco’s lauded American Conservatory Theater continues its A.C.T. Out Loud reading series spotlighting prescient plays with George Bernard Shaw‘s 1894 comedy Arms and the Man, about a love triangle set against the backdrop of the Serbo-Bulgarian War. Tony nominee Colman Domingo directs Phillip James Brannon, Allen Darby, Allie Marie Evans, Kimberly Hebert Gregory, Danny Scheie, Ariel Shafir, Avanthika Srinivasan and Liam Vincent. Tickets start at $5 and the recording is viewable until Sunday.
TheaterWorks: The Sound Inside
TheaterWorks in Hartford presents a digital reimagining of The Sound Inside, Adam Rapp’s enigmatic Tony-nominated play about an ailing literature professor who forms an unexpected relationship with a precocious but mysterious student. Maggie Bofill and Ephraim Birney star in this twisty two-hander, which was directed by Rob Ruggiero and Pedro Bermudez. Tickets are $25 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Friday, April 30 and ASL interpretation is available.
Goodman Theater: Smokefall
Chicago’s lauded Goodman Theatre gives audiences a peek at its archives with a recording of Smokefall, Noah Haidle‘s surreal play about unborn twins contemplating their future lives, and the family drama taking place outside the womb. Anne Kauffman directed this singular 2013 production. Reservations are required to receive the free viewing link and the recording is viewable until Sunday, April 25. Closed captions are available.
Chelsea dance haven The Joyce continues its digital season with Odeon, a buoyant new work from choreographer Ephrat Asherie fusing breaking, hip-hop, house and vogue, set to music by 20th-century Brazilian composer Ernesto Nazareth. Filmed on the Joyce stage, the performance features a group of dynamic dancers accompanied by live musicians. Tickets are $25 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Wednesday, April 28.
John Cullum: An Accidental Star
Two-time Tony winner John Cullum reflects on his 65-year career in An Accidental Star. He’ll croon songs from the shows he’s known for, such as Shenandoah, On the Twentieth Century, The Scottsboro Boys and Urinetown, and share never-before-heard stories about working with stars like Julie Andrews, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Coproduced by three theatres he has longstanding relationships with—The Vineyard Theatre, Goodspeed Opera House and Irish Rep where it was filmed—this intimate and inspiring solo show is a must-see for theatre history buffs. Tickets start at $28.75 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Thursday, May 6.
Molière in the Park: pen/man/ship
On Friday at 2 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, Molière in the Park, which usually mounts productions by its namesake playwright in Prospect Park, presents pen/man/ship, its first new play. Written by Christina Anderson and helmed by the company’s artistic director Lucie Tiberghien, the drama is set in 1896 and centers on a young Black woman who flees the American South by boarding a ship to Liberia. But liberation turns out to be a rocky journey. Crystal Lucas-Perry and Kevin Mambo headline this production, which is performed live online. Tickets are required to receive the free viewing link.
Planet of the Grapes Live
On Friday at 10 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 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.
Out of the Box Theatrics: The Last Five Years
On Friday at 9:30 p.m.; Saturday at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; and Sunday at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. ET, Jason Robert Brown‘s musical dissection of a romance, The Last Five Years, has proven to be a pandemic favorite, with multiple productions in the UK and stateside. It makes sense since the two-hander is about disconnection, as the man tells his side of their love story chronologically while the woman recalls their relationship in reverse. This digital reimagining of the show was coproduced by Out of the Box Theatrics and Holmdel Theatre Company and filmed inside a New York City apartment, giving it an air of verisimilitude. Nasia Thomas and Nicholas Edwards star as the ill-fated couple, and celebrated musical director Jason Michael Webb helmed the production. Tickets start at $29.
—
Top image: Matt Henry and cast in Kinky Boots on the West End. Photo by Matt Crockett.
RAVEN SNOOK