This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, April 23
Clu-eth world premiere, written & directed by Steve Wargo, featuring Manu Narayan (Goodman, Brian Charles Rooney (Lady Larkspur), Thom Sesma (Lord Colonel Daffodil), Jordan Kai Burnett (Mistress Poppy), Victoria Huston-Elem (Amee), Jillian Louis (Lady Lily), Christian Elan Ortiz (three victims), Dick Terhune (Doctor Pansy), and Stuart Williams (Master Ivy), begins in person or streaming at 8 PM ET at Long Island’s Radial Park
Keen Company‘s Radio Nowhere world premiere audio play, by Kate Cortesi, directed by Taylor Reynolds, featuring Alfredo Narciso, George Salazar, and Amelia Workman, begins streaming at 7 PM ET here.
Call Me Elizabeth, written by & starring Kayla Boye, directed by Erin Kraft, begins streaming on demand at Chicago’s Porchlight Theatre.
Shakespeare Sonnet Slam: the Bard’s Birthday Bash, featuring Stephen Brown-Fried, Robert Cuccioli, Tyne Daly, George Dvorsky, Melissa Errico, Alison Fraser, Tom Hewitt, Daniel Jenkins, John-Andrew Morrison, Patrick Page, Maryann Plunkett, Tonya Pinkins, Laila Robins, Jay O. Sanders, Renee Taylor, Jon Patrick Walker, and more, streams for FREE at 6 PM ET here.
Romeo and Juliet, filmed at London’s National Theatre, directed by Simon Godwin, featuring Jessie Buckley (Juliet), Josh O’Connor (Romeo), Adrian Lester (Prince), Lloyd Hutchinson (Lor Capulet), Colin Tierney (Lord Montague), and Ella Dacres (Peta), along with Fisayo Akinade (Mercutio), Deborah Findlay (Nurse), Tamsin Greig (Lady Capulet), Lucian Msamati (Friar), Shubham Saraf (Benvolio), David Judge as Tybalt, Alex Mugnaioni (Paris), and Ellis Howard (Sampson), airs at 9 PM on PBS (check local listings).
TO BE 4/23 event, featuring a conversation with Common, as well as musical performances by Ingrid Michaelson, Jovan Landry, Ariana Burks, Lucy Godinez, Alexa Xioufaridou Moster, Juwon Tyrel Perry, Brandon Pisano, Sawyer Smith, Briana Arthur, Taylor Ramos, Kimi Hayes, Charles Heath, Dan Peters, Carlotte Rivard-Hoster, Chuck Webb, and Tahirah Whittington, livestreams for FREE at 7 PM CT at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
Saturday, April 24
Rock of Ages: All-Star Reunion Concert, featuring Constantine Maroulis, Laura Bell Bundy, Frankie Grande, William, Dot-Marie Jones, Dan Finnerty, Tom Lenk, Kerry Butler, James Snyder, James Carpinello, Dee Snider, Amy Louise Pemberton, James Snyder, Andre Ward, Amy Spanger, Adam Dannheisser, Michele Mais, Callandra Olivia, Regina Levert, Matt Wolpe, Chris D’Arienzo, and Dave Gibbs, streams at 7 PM ET on Stellar.
Musical Theatre West‘s A Live Outdoor Concert with David Burnham, at 7:30 PM PT at Long Beach’s The Grand.
“Broadway Profiles with Tamsen Fadal,” with special guests Jessie Mueller, Jane Krakowski, Reneé Rapp, Bradley Gibson, Christian Thompson, and Victoria Rae Sook, airs at 6 PM ET on NYC’s WPIXTV (also Apr. 25).
The Shot video presentation, by Robin Gerber, directed by Michelle Joyner, starring Sharon Lawrence, streams at 5 PM PT at LA’s Skylight Theatre.
Clu-eth world premiere, written & directed by Steve Wargo, featuring Manu Narayan (Goodman, Brian Charles Rooney (Lady Larkspur), Thom Sesma (Lord Colonel Daffodil), Jordan Kai Burnett (Mistress Poppy), Victoria Huston-Elem Amee), Jillian Louis (Lady Lily), Christian Elan Ortiz (three victims), Dick Terhune (Doctor Pansy), and Stuart Williams (Master Ivy), concludes in person & streaming at 8 PM ET at Long Island’s Radial Park
Sunday, April 25
Don’t Stay Safe, by Cheryl L. Davis & Doug Cohen, directed by Christina Franklin, featuring Iris Beaumier, Latoya Edwards, and Nygel D. Robinson, streams at 6 PM ET at New York Rep.
The Seth Concert Series, with special guest Mandy Gonzalez, streams at 3 & 8 PM ET here.
“Tails from the Stage with Bill Berloni, Episode 2” stories & conversation, with special furry guests Bruiser and Rufus, livestreams at 3 PM ET here.
“Broadway Profiles with Tamsen Fadal,” with special guests Jessie Mueller, Jane Krakowski, Reneé Rapp, Bradley Gibson, Christian Thompson, and Victoria Rae Sook, airs at 6 PM ET on NYC’s WPIXTV.
Neat, written & performed by Charlayne Woodard, concludes FREE streaming at Manhattan Theatre Club.
A Letter to Harvey Milk newly filmed performance, by Laura I. Kramer, Ellen M. Schwartz, Cheryl Stern & Jerry James, directed by Evan Pappas, reuniting the original cast: Adam Heller, Julia Knitel, Cheryl Stern, Michael Bartoli, Jeremy Greenbaum, Aury Krebs, and Ravi Roth, concludes streaming here.
Jason Graae: Perfect Hermany benefit concert, concludes streaming at Musical Theatre West.
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Video: Stars in the House, an “ER” reunion, with cast members Gloria Reuben, George Clooney, Noah Wyle, Laura Innes, Anthony Edwards, Alex Kingston, Julianna Margulies, Goran Visnjic, Paul McCrane, Ming-Na Wen, Laura Cerón, Yvette Freeman, Conni Marie Brazelton, and CCH Pounder. (2:08:24)
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Article: “Honoring Rebecca Luker”
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Pittsburgh CLO has announced its 2021 Summer Season:
The Wizard of Oz (July 8-10)
75th Anniversary: A Broadway Musical Celebration (July 21-24)
Casting, creative teams, and additional information TBA.
Stadium Staff will take extreme precautions to sanitize all public spaces and surfaces before every performance. Face coverings must be worn and social distancing of at least 6 feet will be enforced at all times.
All shows previously announced for the 2021 Season will be moved to 2022, which will include: Jersey Boys, Kinky Boots, A Chorus Line, The Drowsy Chaperone, Sister Act, and Godspell.
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Video: “The Michael Kors Collection Runway Show,” in support of The Actors Fund, which took place on Apr. 20, offered a pre-show featuring Bette Midler, Billy Porter, Bernadette Peters, Alan Cumming, Jane Krakowski, Judith Light, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Laura Benanti, Sutton Foster, Chita Rivera, Debra Messing, Cynthia Nixon, Matt Bomer, Kristin Chenoweth, Sara Bareilles, MJ Rodriguez, Marisa Tomei, Ashley Park, and Rosario Dawson. (21:04)
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James Ijames’ TJ Loves Sally has been rescheduled, and will now run Apr. 30 – May 13 at Boston’s Speakeasy Stage Company, directed by Pascale Forestale.
Dru Sky Berrian, Jordan Pearson, Tah-Janay Shayone, Sadiyah, Dyce Stephens, and Jared Troilo.
In this wildly irreverent and whip-smart satire, the play dissects a sordid slice of American history with the goal of reimagining the future. Whenh Sally, a young Black college student, is faced with unwanted advances from TJ, her college’s white Dean of Students, she sets out, amidst a swirl of marching bands, beauty pageants, and bubbly tour guides, to dismantle the legacies that bind us.
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A new film adaptation of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” is currently in development, which will be directed by Antoine Fuqua.
Casting, filming, release date and additional information TBA.
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Cast recording releases:
Available now: In Pieces, by Joey Contreras, featuring David Arhuleta, Andrew Barth Feldman, George Salazar, Solea Peiffer, Ben Frankhauser, Natalie Weiss, Ashley De La Rosa, Mia Gerachis, Brad Greer, Leslie Hiatt, Emily Kristen Morris, Stevi Incremona, Sean Doherty, Nygel D. Robinson, Tommy Kaiser, and Joey Contreras. Download here.
Available now:: Little Black Book, by Billy Reece, featuring Alice Ripley, Orfeh, Mandy Gonzalez, Jessica Vosk, Brittney Johnson, Diana DeGarmo, Vonzell Soloman, Kuhoo Verma, Samantha Pauly, Natalie Weiss, and Lillias White. Download here.
May 14: Breathe, by Doug Besterman, Zina Goldrich, Marcy Heisler, Kate Leonard, Douglas Lyons, Daniel J. Mertzlufft, Rebecca Murillo, Ethan Pakchar, Rob Rokicki, and Sharon Vaughn, featuring Kelli O’Hara, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Denée Benton, Rubén J. Carbajal, Max Clayton, Josh Davis, Colin Donnell, Matt Doyle, Patti Murin, T. Oliver Reid, and Daniel Yearwood.
Spring 2021: Cinderella, by Andrew Lloyd Webber & David Zippel, featuring Carrie Hope Fletcher, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, and Ivano Turco. Pre-order here.
Summer 2021: Back to the Future the Musical, by Alan Silvestri & Glen Ballard, featuring Roger Bart, Olly Dobson, Hugh Coles, Rosanna Hyland, Cedric Neal, Aidan Cutler, and Courtney-Mae Briggs.
Summer 2021: For Tonight (concept album), by Shenelle Salcido & Spencer Williams, featuring Simon Gordon, Amy Di Bartolomeo, Dale Evans, Erin Caldwell, Jade Davies, Luke McCall, Jake Halsey-Jones, Sophia Foroughi, Glain Rhys, John Ieuwan Jones, Owen Jac, Isaac Kreisky, and Alexis Wilson.
Release date TBA: Girl From the North Country, by Bob Dylan, featuring Todd Almond, Jeanette Bayardelle, Jennifer Blood, Law Terrell Dunford, Matthew Frederick Harris, Caitlin Houlahan, Robert Joy, Marc Kudisch, Luba Mason, Ben Mayne, Matt McGrath, Tom Nelis, Coltan Ryan, Jay O. Sanders, John Schiappa, Austin Scott, Kimber Elayne Sprawl, Rachel Stern, Chirara Trentalange, Bob Walton, Chelsea Lee Williams, and Mare Winningham.
Release Date TBA: Diana, by David Bryan & Joe DiPietro, featuring Jeanna de Waal, roe Hartrampf, Erin Davie, Judy Kaye, and company.
Release Date TBA: Lovesong, by Michael Valenti, Dorothy Parker & Sir Walter Raleigh, featuring Jenn Gambatese, Lauren Molina, Matt Bogart, and Jeff Kready.
Release Date TBA: Romeo & Bernadette, by Mark Saltzman, with music by various composers, featuring Nikita Burshteyn, Anna Kostakis, Carlos Lopez, Michael Marotta, Judy McLane, Michael Notardonato, Ari Raskin, Troy Valjean Rucker, Zach Schanne, and Viet Vo.
Release Date TBA: Smokey Joe’s Cafe (2018 Off-Broadway Revival), by Jeffy Leiber & Mike Stoller, featuring Dwayne Cooper, Emma Degerstedt, John Edwards, Dionne D. Figgins, Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, Kyle Taylor Parker, Jelany Remy, Max Sangerman, and Alysha Umphress.
Release Date TBA: People Like Us (London), by Todd Almond & Gus Kaikkonen, featuring Matt Bogart and Pamela Bob.
Release Date TBA: It Happened in Key West (concept album), by Jill Santoriello & Jason Huza, with performers TBA.
Recordings not yet announced:
West Side Story (Broadway)
SIX (Broadway)
Company (Broadway)
Mrs. Doubtfire (Broadway)
Darling Grenadine (Off-Broadway)
The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Off-Broadway)
Unknown Soldier (Off-Broadway)
Love Quirks (Off-Broadway)
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Video: Liz Callaway and Ann Hampton Callaway perform “Come in from the Rain”
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The next episode of “Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.” will air Tues. Apr. 27 at 8 PM on PBS (check local listings).
Audra McDonald and Mandy Patinkin.
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The Waves in Quarantine: A Theatrical Experiment in 6 Movements, which is Raúl Esparza, Lisa Peterson, David Buckman, & Adam Gwon’s musical adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s The Waves, will stream Apr. 29 – May 28 at Berkeley Rep, with music direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell.
Raúl Esparza, Alice Ripley, Carmen Cusack, Nikki Renée Daniels, Darius de Haas, and Manu Narayan.
The musical follows six friends from first memory to the end of their lives.
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Article: Hugh Jackman on the future of The Music Man without Scott Rudin.
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Video: Trailer for the new online series, “The Bite,” featuring Audra McDonald, Taylor Schilling, Phillipa Soo, Steven Pasquale, Beth Leavel, and more. Premiere date TBA.
The dark comedy follows the lives of two neighbors, Rachel (McDonald) and Lily (Schilling), as they navigate life in quarantine in NYC.
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Dorothy Lyman’s We Have to Hurry will livestream May 1 (at 5 PM ET) & May 2 (at 2 PM ET) on Broadway on Demand, directed by Patricia Vanstone.
Kathleen Chalfant, Elliott Gould, and Jeanne Lauren Smith.
A pair of mature people are forced to commune from across a balcony due to new isolation protocols. When Gil notices the secret love of his life, Margaret, growing increasingly frustrated with the situation, he takes action to make every moment left count.
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A film version of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” in is the works from Disney.
Timeline, casting, premiere date, and additional information TBA.
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A workshop of Katie Lam & Alex Parker’s The Danish Girl will take place Apr. 26-30 at the UK’s New Theatre Peterborough, directed by Tinuke Craig.
L Morgan Lee, with Laura Pitt-Pulford, Sharif Afifi, Kelly Agbown, Jo Eaton-Kent, Siubhan Harrison, Chloe Hart, Chris Jenkins, Freddie King and Harrison Knights.
The musical is inspired by the life of Lili Elbe, a Dutch painter who became one of the first people to undergo gender confirmation surgery.
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Video: Film trailer for “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It,” which will be released June 18.