This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, December 18
* New York City Gay Men’s Chorus‘ Sweet Is the Sound: A Holiday at Home With (Chosen) Family, begins streaming.
* “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” adapted by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, directed by George C. Wolfe, featuring Viola Davis (Ma Rainey), Chadwick Boseman (in his final film role), (Levee), Michael Potts (Slow Drag), Glyn Turman (Toledo), Coleman Domingo (Cutler), and Jeremy Shamos (Irvin), with Jonny Coyne, Taylour Paige, and Dusan Brown, premieres on Netflix.
* “On Pointe” six-part docu-series, which follows students at the School of American Ballet as they pursue their dreams, premieres on Disney +. Watch the trailer here.
* The Broadway Green Alliance‘s You’re a Green One, Mr. Finch FREE benefit concert, featuring Idina Menzel, George Salazar, Michael James Scott, Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, Kay Trinidad, Elizabeth Stanley, Ben Cameron, Ann Harada, Lesli Margherita, Javier Muñoz, Susan Egan, Laura Osnes, and Courtney Ree, streams at 8 PM ET.
* A Swinging Birdland Christmas concert, featuring Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, and Billy Stritch, streams at 7 PM ET here.
* Holiday Follies, by Victor I. Cazares, directed by Kevin Cahoon, featuring Annaleigh Ashford, Nabiyah Be, Brandy Clark, Marshall L. Davis Jr., Jake Dupree, Bridget Everett, Lisa Stephen Addalie Burns & Luke Hawkins, Daniel & Patrick Lazour, Gian Perez, Martha Redbone & Aaron Whitby, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Adrian Stevens & Sean Snyder, Michael Urie, Bruce Vilanch, More Zmin, Michael Cerveris & Loose Cattle, Mariachi Los Pasajeros, and many more, streams at 7 PM ET at New York Theatre Workshop (and available through Dec. 20).
* A Co-op Christmas: Two Evenings of Wonder, Love, and Light, filled with different, classic, and maybe not-so-familiar Christmas stories, written by Nan McNamara, Gregg Easterbrook, Linda Kerns & Nan McNamara, Peter E. Adotey Addo, with music by Linda Kerns, Treva Tegtmeier & company members, directed by Natalie Hope MacMillan, Rhonda Kohl, and Linda Kerns, featuring Francesca Patron, Anna Telfer, Susanna Vaughan, Kimi Walker, Garrett Botts, Crystal Jackson, Heidi Palomino, Ivy Beech, Phil Crowley, Jack Tavcar, and Rodrick Jean-Charles, streams at 5 PM PT here (also tomorrow at 5 PM PT).
* “Stars in the House,” with a “Seussical Reunion,” featuring Kevin Chamberlin, Sharon Wilkins, Anthony Blair Hall, Janine LaMana, Michelle Pawk and Rosie O’Donnell, streams at 8 PM ET here.
Saturday, December 19
* Peter Pan – A Musical Adventure, directed & choreographed by Amber Mak, featuring Johnny Shea (Peter Pan), Elizabeth Stenholt (Wendy Darling), Cameron Goode (John Darling), Carter Graf (Michael Darling), James Konicek (Hook/Mr. Darling), Rengin Altay (Storyteller), Sean Patrick Fawcett (Smee), Roberta Burke (Mrs. Darling/Cecco), Jonathan Butler-Duplessis (Nana/Bill Jukes), Christina Hall (Starkey), Colin Lawrence (Curly), Michael Kurowski (Tootles), John Marshall Jr. (Slightly Soiled), and Travis Austin Wright (Nibs), begins FREE streaming at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
* The Night Before Christmas: In Concert, featuring The Sound of Blackness singers — Jamecia Bennett, Nneka Costantino, Layce Dreamz, Kadejsha Kibble, Lorrie Lean, Ayenna Davis, Bridget Dawkins, Carrie Harrington, Micah Cherina Eubanks, Artisha Knight-Milon, Quintin Brown, Steve Dinkins, Len Jones, Ronnie Allen, Rodney Fair, Graydon Francis, and David Hurst, begins streaming at St. Paul’s Ordway.
* It’s A Wonderful Life, A Live Radio Play, adapted by Joe Landry, and filmed & edited by Michael Kushner, featuring Lauren Molina, Nick Cearley, and Debbie Christine Tjong, begins streaming on-demand at Laguna Playhouse.
* Interviewing Miss Davis FREE virtual reading, by Laura Maria Censabella, featuring Karen Kondazian (Bette Davis), Wonjung Kim and Aleisha Force, streams at 5 PM PT at LA’s Fountain Theatre.
* Get Us Out of These Boxes: A Zoom Christmas Carol benefit radio play, written by Darren Sextro, directed by Gary Heisserer, featuring Hillary Clemens, Walter Coppage, Nedra Dixon, Sidonie Garrett, Jerry Mañan, Shawna Peña-Downing, Victor Raider-Wexler, John Rensenhouse, Jan Rogge, Matt Sameck, Cinnamon Schultz, and Matt Schwader, streams at 7:30 PM PT CT at Kanas City Actors’ Theatre.
*Josh Groban’s First Holiday Livestream Concert takes place at 8 PM ET here.
* The American Pops Orchestra’s Drag Out the Holly: A Holiday Drag FREE benefit event, featuring Alexis Michelle, Jujubee, Peppermint, and Lagoona Bloo, streams at 9 PM ET here.
* Lillias White in concert, with music direction by Mathis Picard, concludes streaming at Off-Broadway’s York Theatre.
* A Co-op Christmas: Two Evenings of Wonder, Love, and Light, filled with different, classic, and maybe not-so-familiar Christmas stories, written by Nan McNamara, Gregg Easterbrook, Linda Kerns & Nan McNamara, Peter E. Adotey Addo, with music by Linda Kerns, Treva Tegtmeier & company members, directed by Natalie Hope MacMillan, Rhonda Kohl, and Linda Kerns, featuring Francesca Patron, Anna Telfer, Susanna Vaughan, Kimi Walker, Garrett Botts, Crystal Jackson, Heidi Palomino, Ivy Beech, Phil Crowley, Jack Tavcar, and Rodrick Jean-Charles, streams at 5 PM PT here.
Sunday, December 20
* A Merry Little Christmas Carol, written & directed by Mark Shanahan, featuring Paxton Whitehead (Ebenezer Scrooge), Brian J. Carter (Bob Cratchit), Joel de la Fuente (Fred), Sana ‘Prince’ Sarr (Street Urchin/Peter Cratchit), Triney Sandoval (Jacob Marley), Mia Dillon (Mrs. Dilber), Geneva Carr (The Ghost of Christmas Past), Mark Shanahan (Mr. Creakle), Pear Fan), Richard Henry (Old Fezziwig), Joe Delafield (Dick Wilkins), Danielle Davenport (Belle), Britney Coleman (The Ghost of Christmas Present), Sarah Manton (Mrs. Cratchit), Catherine Shanahan (Martha Cratchit), Theo Adamson (Tiny Tim), John Gromada (The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come), and Mark Lamos (Narrator), begins streaming at 12 PM ET at Westport Country Playhouse (and available through Jan. 3).
* The Nutcracker at Wethersfield ballet, choreographed & directed by Troy Schumacher, featuring Sara Mearns (Sugar Plum Fairy), Ashley Bouder, Megan Fairchild, Lauren Lovette, and Kathyrn Morgan, streams at 5 PM ET (or on demand Dec. 23-26) here.
* Andrea McArdle in concert, with music direction by Steve Marzullo, concludes streaming here.
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Video: “Stars in the House,” spotlighting HBO Max’s “Homeschool Musical,” with Laura Benanti (producer), Alana Bright, Annie Leppert, Elizabeth Ramirez, Fischer Barnett, Isaiah Valbrun, Jeffrey Cornelius, and Joseph Nalieth. (1:13;24)
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Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Center has announced its 2021-22 Broadway Series:
* Mean Girls (Oct. 26 – Nov. 7, 2021
* Wicked (Feb. 9 – Mar. 6, 2022)
* Tootsie (May 31 – June 12, 2022)
* My Fair Lady (Jan. 11-22, 2022)
* The Band’s Visit (Mar. 22 – Apr. 3, 2022)
* Pretty Woman (July 5-17, 2022)
* Hadestown (Aug. 9-21, 2022)
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The national tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical has been rescheduled, and will now launch Feb. 26, 2022 – Apr. 24 (opening Mar. 11) at Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre.
The remaining tour schedule and casting are TBA.
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The Theatre World Awards Board of Directors, Dale Badway, President, has announced that the 76th Theatre World Awards Ceremony will take place when Broadway returns.
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A one-performance only of Michael Breslin & Patrick Foley’s Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical will stream on Fri. Jan. 1 at 7 PM ET (and available for 72 hours), directed by Lucy Moss, with choreography by Ellenore Scott, and music direction by Emily Marshall. 
Only on TodayTix.
Casting TBA.
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Video: Jason Graae performs “Christmas Gift” from It’s a Wonderful Life.
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Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts has announced virtual performances and productions currently on demand (which are good for 24 hours):
* Melissa Errico: Season for Joy, with special guest Paulo Szot
* A Christmas Carol, starring Jefferson Mays,
* Christmastime Is Here, with Norm Lewis
* Moby Dick, featuring Harris Yulin, Dan Domingues, Wonza Johnson, Nehal Joshi, and Trent Saunders.
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The Educational Theatre Foundation‘s Theatre Alive! gala will take place Thurs. Jan. 28 at 8:30 PM ET, hosted by Nia Vardalos and John Stamos.
Jennifer Hudson, Audra McDonald, Amber Riley, and more TBA.
The benefit event supports ETF and their efforts to increase access to theatre education in underserved schools. The 2021 gala will specifically support two programs: the Thespian Relief Grants to Save School Theatre, which provided financial relief to theatre programs struggling with the effects of COVID-19; and Pathway, a new program addressing racial disparity in theatre.
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London theatres have shut down once again following Tuesday evening’s performances.
“After Tuesday night we have no idea when theatre are to be allowed to re-open again,” reported Cameron Mackintosh. “It’s a Christmas fiasco.”
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Save West Bank Cafe, a telethon to raise funds for the NYC restaurant/cabaret, will stream at 12 PM on Fri. Dec. 25 here.
Betty Buckley, Debra Messing, Martha Plimpton, Alice Ripley, Joe Iconis, Ian Amritage, Lewis Black, Kevin Chamberlin, Megan Hilty, Kerry Butler, Telly Leung, Ryann Redmond, Leslie Kritzer, Nick Adams, Jacki Cox, Alison Fraser, Diana DeGarmo & Ace Young, Cheri Oteri, BenDeLaCreme, Isaac Mizrahi, Perez Hilton, David Eigenberg, Dylan Baker, Warren Light, and more TBA.
Since 1978, West Bank Cafe has been one of the few authentic epicenters of NYC’s theatre community, and due to the pandemic, it is on the verge of permanently closing. With Broadway dark, tourism down, indoor dining closed and no relief plan in sight, 2020 has created a plethora of financial problems for the business.
Please consider making a donation here.
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The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival has announced its 2021 Summer season. All dates TBA.
* The Tempest, directed by Ryan Quinn
* The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington, by Jame Ijames, directed by Taylor Reynolds
* Macbeth radio play, directed by Raz Golden
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The Dec. 10 broadcast of NBC’s “One Night Only: The Best of Broadway,” hosted by Tina Fey, raised $3,051,297 for BC/EFA.
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Broadway On Demand will stream “Speakeasy on Demand” on New Year’s Eve at 7 & 9 PM ET, as well as have 10 finely crafted cocktails delivered to your door. All tickets must be purchased by Dec. 23 to ensure cocktails arrive on time.
Autumn Miller, Big Will Simmons, Miss Miranda, Hazel Honeysuckle, Dan Sperry, Christian Stoinev & Scooby, Mike Peele, Ivan “Flipz,” Velez, Dushaun Thompson, DJ Brynn Taylor, and more.
The event offers a naughty rendezvous and lets your imagination fun wild. Give over to a world of magic and mixology where the speakeasy sirens rule the night and celebration is not only encouraged but expected. Speakeasy on Demand will have your pulse racing and have you dancing in your living room.