GRACE NOTES: Friday, February 12, 2021

 

This Weekend’s Highlights:

Friday, February 12

* First Date (2020 London virtual production), by Austin Winsberg, Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner, directed by Dean Johnson, featuring Samantha Barks (Casey), and Simon Lipkin (Aaron), with Nicholas McLean (Man #1), Oscar Conlon-Morrey (Man #2), Rufus Kampa (Young Aaron), and Danielles Steers (Woman #1), begins streaming on BroadwayHD.

* Broadway for Racial Justice concert, featuring  Ines Nessara, Nasia Thomas, and L Morgan Lee, streams at 7 PM ET here.

* Judy Collins: A Return to Her Legendary 1964 Concert streams at 8 PM ET at NYC’s Town Hall.

* John Lloyd Young’s Vegas Valentine concert livestreams at 6 PM PT here.

* Broadway Murder Mysteries, a virtual evening hosted by Brandon Hicks, livestreams at 8 PM ET here.

Saturday, February 13

* Smithtown virtual production, by Drew Larimore, directed by Stephen Kistsakos, featuring Michael Urie, Ann Harada, Colby Lewis, and Constance Shulman, begins streaming here.

* Revenge Porn reading, by Carla Ching, directed by Bernardo Cubría, featuring Ken Leung.  Tina Huang, Amy Hill, Kahyun Kim, Christopher Larkin, and Roland Ruiz, streams at 8 PM ET here.

* Harmony, New York City Gay Men’s Chorus Valentine’s Day benefit concert, featuring Nick Adams, Frenchie Davis, Sidney DuPont, Henry Gottfried, Ann Harada, Jessica Hendy, Davin Ilaw, DJ Lady Bunny, Marla Louissaint, John Tartaglia, Vishal Vaidya, and Tyler Whitman, streams at 8 PM ET, as part of Stars in the House.

* Seth MacFarlane: An Evening of Songs Benefiting MPTF & BrightFocus Foundation streams for FREE at 7 PT here.

Sunday, February 14

* The Look of Love: A Valentines’ Day Presentation, offering an array of artistic creations, conceived by Jonathan Fox & Jenny Sullivan, directed by Sullivan, featuring Meredith Baxter, Michael Gross, Gregory Harrison, T. Coraghessan Boyle, Amanda McBroom, and many more, begins FREE streaming at Santa Barbara’s Ensemble Theatre Company.

* The Gin Game staged reading, by D.L. Coburn, directed by Jenny Sullivan, starring Joe Spano and JoBeth Williams, begins streaming at Laguna Playhouse. 

* Josh Groban’s Valentine Day Concert – 2021 streams at 8 PM ET here.

* A Kern Valentine FREE concert, starring Andrea Marcovicci, with music direction by Brad Ellis, livestream at 7:30 PM ET here.

* Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, by Anna Deavere Smith, directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, starring Patrese D. McClain, concludes streaming at Syracuse Stage.

* Before Fiddler – Live From Florence world premiere, starring Hershey Felder as Sholem Aleichem, concludes streaming at 5 PM PT at CA’s Rubicon Theatre.

* Haley Swindal: To New York, With Love benefit concert, directed by Will Nunziata, streams concludes streaming at NYC’s Birdland.

* Tonight’s The Night new virtual musical, written & directed by Bruce Kimmel, featuring Eric Peterson and Hartley Powers, concludes FREE streaming here.

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  VideoStars in the House, a “Love Boat” reunion, with special guests Gavin MacLeod, Fred Grandy, Ted Lange, Bernie Kopell, Lauren Tewes, Jill Whelan, Charo, and Jack Jones. (1:37:08)

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Milwaukee’s Skylight Music theatre presents a staged concert reading of Paul Williams, Eric R. Cohen & Marc Madnick’s Fortunate Sons on Feb. 19-20, both at 8:30 PM ET, directed by Michael Unger, with music direction by Eric Svejcar.

Stephanie Staszak, Joey Chelius, Chad Larget, Joseph Nolan, Jamie Lynn Mercado, Frankie Zabilka, George Lorimer, Denzel Taylor, and Amanda Satchell.

Set in 1969, the musical centers on the turbulent times during the Vietnam War and the first draft lottery held since 1942.

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  New Normal Rep presents a streaming production of Nilo Cruz’s 1999 play Two Sisters and a Piano Apr. 21 – May 23, directed by Cruz.  Link for watching TBA.

Jimmy Smits, and more TBA.

Set in 1991, the play follows two sister serving time under house arrest in Cuba, and the lieutenant assigned to their case who falls in love with one of them.

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 Laura Osnes Videos:

Video: with Santino Fontana –“10 Minutes Ago” and “You’re Never Away”
Video: “Hopelessly Devoted to You”
Video: “Winter Wonderland,” with Aaron Tveit
VideoGrease Tony Awards performance
Video: “My Own Little Corner”/”Agony,” with Jeremy Jordan & Corey Cott.
VideoBonnie and Clyde performance highlights
Video:  “Welcome Home” from Bandstand
Video: “Journey to the Past” from Anastasia
Video: “It’s De-Lovely” from Anything Goes, with Colin Donnell

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  The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus will present Angels on Thurs. Mar. 11 at 6 PM PT.

A virtual musical event in remembrance of those loved and lost to AIDS, which will showcase exciting performances, dynamic interviews, singer spotlights, and more.

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  David Rockwell & Bruce Mau’s “Drama” will be released May 12.
here.

Woven through the book are a series of conversations between Rockwell and impressive figures from various creative backgrounds. These talks emphasize the value of cross-disciplinary creativity. Featured interviews include Quincy Jones, Anna Deavere Smith, architect Daniel Libeskind, museum director & curator Thelma Golden, chef & humanitarian, José Andrés, production designer Adam Stockhausen, Jujamcyn president Jordan Roth, and lighting designers Peggy Eisenhauer and Natasha Katz.

Inspired by an early life rooted in the theater, Rockwell has long drawn on aspects of performance to frame and enhance his built work, which ranges from hotels and restaurants, theaters and museums, to se and exhibition design, to workplaces, playgrounds and academic buildings. He aims to create a story within any space he designs, evoking a sense of performance, showmanship, and above all — Drama.

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 Williamstown Theatre Festival presents its 2021WTF Gala on Wed. Apr. 7 at 7:30 PM ET, with music direction by Meg Zervoulis.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Renée Fleming, Michael R. Jackson, Jill Kargman, John Lithgow, S. Epatha Merkerson, Steven Pasquale, Amanda Seyfried, Phillipa Soo, Marisa Tomei, and more TBA.

A portion of the proceeds from the gala will be distributed to the scenic designers, costume designers, lighting designers, and stage managers whose invaluable artistic contributions to the development and creation of productions for the 2020 season – converted to an all-audio format in response to the global health pandemic – must be recognized and cherished. WTF deeply values all of the artists, technicians, administrators, and staff members who make the Festival possible and is working hard to sustain community through this challenging time for the broader theatre industry.

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  Off-Broadway’s Keen Company will present Lucille Fletcher’s “Sorry, Wrong Number” Mon. Feb. 15 at 7 PM ET, directed by Jonathan Silverstein.

Marsha Mason, Heidi Armbruster, Chuck Cooper, Jasminn Johnson, and Matt Saldivar

A musical pre-show will feature Lauren Molina, Marc delaCruz, and Sarah Lynn Marion, and hosted by Dan Domingues.

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A benefit reading of Lee Edward Colston II’s For Which It Stands will stream Feb. 19-22 at NY Theatre Workshop, directed by Bianca LaVerne Jones.

Ashley Ayanna, Mikayla Bartholomew, Stephanie Berry, Christopher Cassarino, Katherine George, Bria Samoné Henderson, Deanna Reed-Foster, Carolyn M. Smith, and Andrea Syglowski.

  With the air conditioner busted and temperatures in the triple digits, the only thing keeping Ebony Hemmings cool is counting down the days to the end of her eight-year sentence a Lehigh Penitentiary. She and the other incarcerated women on the “Liberty Unit” sew American flags for a private prison contractor in exchange for recommendations for early release. But when the woman she loves joins a worker’s strike against unfair and inhumane treatment of the women of Liberty, it ignites a powder keg of decades of hidden abuse. With tempers & temperatures boiling and her freedom on the line, Ebony knows the red stripes on the flags she sews could very easily turn to blood.

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An exclusive first listen to the entire “The Wellsongs Project” album, from producer Michael A. Pizzi’s work as an occupational therapist with special needs children.

Brett Boles, Ben Boecker, Jahn Sood, Nicky Phillips, Rick Bassett, Grace Goodrich, Jeff Saver & Amanda Yesnowitz, Jenna Pasquale, and Ben Bonnema.

Kate Baldwin, Christine Andreas, Lisa Howard, Ethan Slater, Jason Gotay, Margo Seibert, Allie Trimm, Lisa Brescia, Bradley Gibson, Halle Hunt, Marissa McGowan, Michael Mendez, Will Reynolds, and Vishal Vaidya.

Listen here (scroll down to listen to the entire album).

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Theater Resources Unlimited has announced it TRUSpeak… Hear Our Voices! fundraiser, to stream Sun. Feb. 21 at 5 PM ET. The event offers curated selection of short plays and musicals by TRU writers.

Brenda Braxton, Robert Cuccioli, Ann Harada, Cady Huffman, Jana Robbins, Lauren Molina, Crystal Kellogg, Regina Taylor, Jim Brochu, Maggie Baird, Dickie Hearts, Jill Paice, Tonya Pinkins, Dominique Sharpton, and Nick Cearley, with Tatiana Wechsler, Brendan Bradley, Andrea Lynn Green, Robert Baptiste, Gha’il Rhodes Benjamin, Adante Carter, Shariff Sinclare, Tyrone Hall, Crystal Tigney, Jianzi Colon-Soto, Will Mader, and Taiya.

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  LA’s Center Theatre Group presents Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes Mar. 20-21, which will stream 5 times during 2-day period.

Ashley Shaw, Adam Cooper, Dominic North, Michela Meazza, Liam Mower, and Glenn Graham.

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A virtual reading of the illustrated children’s book “Broadway Baby,” written by theatre operator & producer Russell Miller, with Judith A. Proffer, will be presented on Sun. Feb. 21 at 3 PM ET here.

 Gloria Estefan, Santino Fontana, Caitlin Kinnunen, Telly Leung, Ruby Lewis, Kara Lindsey, Kevin Massey, Laura Osnes, Adam Pascal, Ann Sanders, Kevin Spirtas, Nik Walker, and Astrid van Wieren.

 The children’s book spotlights Broadway Baby, who dreams of becoming a Broadway star. Those dreams take readers on a theatrical journey from his crib to the playground to the heart of New York City, with nods to many elements that make live theatre so special.

 

 

 


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