Top 5 Stage Performances to Stream This Weekend May 24-27
Leslie Odom, Jr. and Kara Young in the Tony-nominated revival of Purlie Victorious, which is streaming courtesy of PBS. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.
Even though in-person theatre and dance are back in full swing, in the name of accessibility we’re continuing to round up performances to watch online from the comfort of home. Our curated list spotlights the five best options to stream this Memorial Day weekend, Friday, May 24 to Monday, May 27, all for FREE.
PBS Great Performances: Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
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PBS Great Performances: Richard III
Since The Public Theater is doing a massive renovation of the Delacorte Theater, there is no Shakespeare in the Park this summer. Happily, you can enjoy some fantastic productions from seasons past courtesy of PBS Great Performances. In addition to Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing and Merry Wives, which are already streaming, starting this Friday you can watch Danai Gurira in Robert O’Hara’s radically inclusive Richard III. The Black Panther star is riveting as the power-hungry and ruthless title villain, who’s determined to become king at all costs. The diverse ensemble also includes Oklahoma! Tony winner Ali Stroker as Richard’s conquest Anne, Heather Alicia Simms as Queen Elizabeth and Tina Tony nominee Daniel J. Watts.
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PBS: National Memorial Day Concert
Airing on TV on PBS Thirteen on Sunday, May 26 at 8 p.m. ET for FREE. Available to stream online until Sunday, June 9.
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PBS Great Performances: Keeping Company with Sondheim
PBS Great Performances presents Keeping Company with Sondheim, a documentary about director Marianne Elliott’s gender-swapped revival of Company, which won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. Filmed over two years, the doc features rehearsal and performance footage from pre- and post-shutdown, plus interviews with Elliott, the late, great Stephen Sondheim, stars Katrina Lenk and Patti LuPone, and members of the musical’s original 1970 cast.
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American Masters: Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life
Less than a year before we lost the prolific playwright Terrence McNally to COVID, this wonderful documentary about his six-decade career premiered on PBS American Masters. Learn about his groundbreaking plays, including the Tony-winning Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class, and the many books he wrote for musicals, including Ragtime, The Full Monty and Kiss of the Spider Woman. His LGBTQ activism and triumph over addiction are also explored in this jam-packed, 90-minute portrait.
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