This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, January 22
* “The Last Play at Shea” documentary, written by Mark Monroe, directed by Paul Crowder, hosted by Alec Baldwin, featuring interviews with Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, Roger Daltrey, and Don Henley. begins streaming here.
* Derek DelGaudio’s solo show In & Of Itself (Off-Broadway 2017) premieres on Hulu. The project chronicles conceptual storyteller DelGaudio’s attempt to understand the illusory nature of identity.
* An Evening of New Works at the York, a FREE conversation with 3 gifted young songwriters (Rachel Covey, Daniel Rudin, and Jacob Ryan Smiths — all finalists for the 2020 NEO of the Future Program), streams at 7 PM ET here.
* “Broadway Murder Mysteries: Play The Part Or Be A Detective” streams at 8 PM ET here.
Saturday, January 23
* The Rabbit Hole FREE benefit reading, by David Lindsay-Abaire, directed by Alison Tanney, featuring Celia Keenan-Bolger (Becca), Mary Testa (Nat), Lauren Molina (Izzy), Andrew Barth Feldman (Jason), and Jawan M. Jackson (Howie), streams at 8 PM ET here.
* “Timeless” (NBC series) reading & discussion of Season 2 episode “Hollywoodland,” featuring Malcolm Barrett, Sakina Jaffrey, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lanter, Abigail Spencer, and Goran Višnjić, streams on demand (through Jan. 7) here.
* Backstage Babble: Trivia Night event, hosted by Charles Kirsch, with special guests Lee Roy Reams, Jim Morgan, Peter Filichia, Josh Ellis, and Michael Lavine, and contestants Martin Milnes, Rob W. Schneider, Aaron Coleman, and George Dansker, streams at 7 PM ET here.
Sunday, January 24
* Jessica Vosk & Seth Rudetsky in concert streams at both 5 PM & 8 PM ET here.
* Save Birdland benefit concert, with comments by Bill Clinton, and featuring Clive Davis, Monty Alexander, Lucie Arnaz, Iain Armitage, John Bucchino, Kenneth Ascher, Colleen Ballinger, Erich Bergen, Terence Blanchard, Stephanie J Block, Matthew Broderick, Scott Bradlee, Brenda Braxton, Ken Burns, Gunhild Carling & Her Darlings, Ron Carter, Jim Caruso, Peter Cincotti, Emmett Cohen Trio, George Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, Elvis Costello, Jeff Daniels, Diana DeGarmo, Aisha de Haas, Natalie Douglas, Michelle Dowdy, Christine Ebersole, Kurt Elling, Kevin Eubanks, Giancarlo Esposito, Whoopi Goldberg, Mandy Gonzalez, Tim Guinne, Amanda Green, Julie Halston, John Heginbotham, Sara Hickman, Perez Hilton, Clint Holmes, Sunny Holiday, Demetia Hopkins-Green, Joe Iconis and Family, Sheila Jordan, Stacey Kent, Tory Kittles, Amy Hillner Larsen, Warren Leight, Amanda Lopez, Melissa Leo, Norm Lewis, Tzi Ma, Manhattan Transfer, Wynton Marsalis, Lauren Marcus, Karen Mason, Marilyn Maye, Audra McDonald, Jane Monheit, Susie Mosher, Anson Mount, Bebe Nuewirth, Leslie Odom, Jr., Arturo O’Farrill Quintet, Mandy Patinkin, Christine Pedi, Wendell Pierce, John Pizzarelli, Martha Plimpton, Randy Rainbow, Chita Rivera, Justin “Squigs” Robertson, Mercedes Ruehl, Catherine Russell, Victoria Shaw, Dee Snyder, Billy Stritch, Veronica Swift, Mary Testa, Steve Tyrell, Lillias White, Frank Wildhorn, Steve Wilson, Amra-Faye Wright, Ace Young, Karen Ziemba, Glenn Zaleski, and more, concludes streaming at Off-Broadway’s Vineyard Theatre.
* Gloria benefit reading, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, in support of The Dramatists Guild Foundation, directed by Evan Cabnet, featuring Kle Beltran, Catherine Combs, Michael Crane, Jennifer Kim, Jeanine Serralles, and Ryann Spahn, concludes streaming at Off-Broadway’s Vineyard Theatre.
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Video: Stars in the House — Making the Broadway Inauguration Song. Seth and James as they chat about making the video with director Schele Williams and special guests Shelbie Rassler, Jabari Payne, Daphne Ruben-Vega, Beth Malone, BD Wong, Natasha Yvette Williams, Fredi Walker-Browne, Jenna Ushkowitz, Jame Monroe Iglehart, Andy Karl & Orfeh, and Charlotte D’amboise. (2:06:15)
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Off-Broadway’s Amas Musical Theatre will present a reading of Mary McCallum & N’Kenge’s Black Butterfly on Wed. Feb. 3 at 7 PM ET (and available through Feb. 6), directed by Jerry Foley.
N’Kenge, Terrence Archie, and Tamara Tunie, with Benjamin Eakley, Joy Hermalyn, Tess Keisz, Kevin Kilner, Tamika Lawrence, Jahzara Martina, and John Preator.
A multi-dimensional aspiring Black opera singer, leaves behind the comforts of family life in Florida, the opportunity to work in the family business, and her engagement to pursue her dreams as a graduate student at Juilliard in New York City. The production incorporates a mixture of pre-existing and new musical theatre, jazz, hip-hop, opera, blues, and soul music.
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Hollywood’s Blank Theatre Living Room Series will stream a reading of Scott Barry’s Hard on Love on Mon. Jan. 25 at 8 PM PT, directed by Jonathan Cerullo.
Jesse Havea/Brita Filter and Rob Nagle.
Born and raised in the geographic center of the United Stages — Prairie View, Kansas — Steve now live in New York. Scott Lives in Los Angeles. Their stories mirror each other, often word for word, with variances for the sexualities and environments. They desperately try to find love and heal themselves after experiencing the sudden inability to achieve an erection.
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Showtime is developing a new series, “The First Lady,” which will focus on various First Ladies throughout US history. The timeline and premiere date TBA.
Viola Davis (Michelle Obama), Michelle Pfeiffer (Betty Ford), and more TBA.
A reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House. The first season will explores the life of Eleanor Roosevelt (casting TBA).
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Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation’s 2020 Joe A. Callaway Award winners (for excellence in stage direction and choreography in a given New York City Off-Broadway season):
* Danya Taymore (director, Heroes of the Fourth Turning at Playwrights Horizons)
* Travis Wall (choreographer, The Wrong Man at MCC Theater)
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Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars has rescheduled the national tour of Come From Away, which will now play in Spring 2022.
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Due to the spread of COVID, performances for Les Miserable: The Staged Concert has been cancelled through Feb. 18 at London’s Sondheim Theatre.
Michael Ball (Javert), Alfie Boe (Jean Valjean), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Fantine), Matt Lucas (Thénardier), Rob Houchen (Marius), Bradley Jaden (Enjolras), Katy Secombe (Madame Thénardier), Shan Ako (Éponine), Amara Okereke (Cosette), and John Owen-Jones (Jean Valjean at certain performances), along with Kelly Agbowu, Joseph Anthony, Harry Apps, Charlie Burn, Gerard Carey, Earl Carpenter, Richard Carson, Danny Colligan, Rodney Earl Clarke, Matthew Dale, Matt Dempsey, Josefina Gabrielle, Nic Greenshields, Jessie Hart, Holly-Anne Hull, Ebony Jonelle, Connor Jones, Jessica Joslin, Luke McCall, Frances Mayli McCann, Leo Miles, Corrine Priest, Aaron Pryce-Lewis, Jon Robyns, Grainne Renihan, and Samuel Wyn-Morris.
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Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has announced its 2021 season. Casting and creative teams TBA.
* Romeo and Juliet (June 26 – July 24, opening July 2)
* Luisa Omielan: God is a Woman (July 4)
* Jimmy Carr: Terribly Funny (July 11)
* Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year Live (July 18)
* Carousel (July 30 – Sept. 18, opening Aug. 5)
* Dragons and Mythical Beasts (Aug. 10 – Sept. 5), by Derek Bond
101 Dalmatians, has been cancelled due to COVID restrictions. No word yet on new dates.
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Video: VA’s Signature Theatre has released the 9th episode of The Signature Show, featuring Chita Rivera, a sneak peek at the upcoming Simply Sondheim (with Emily Sinner, Solea Pfeiffer, Awa Sal Secka, Felicia Boswell, Mark G. Meadows, Barrett Wilbert Weed, Nora Palka, and Nathan Ellman-Bell). (39:39)
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Off-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater presents Exploring King Lear on Mon. Feb. 1 at 7:30 PM ET.
André de Shields and Nathan Winkelstein.
This online conversation will investigate approaches to essential passages from the play, and will be focused more on the “man more sinned against than sinning.”
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Video: “Dear Hate.” with Nick Cordero and Liana Stampur.
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A Christmas Memory, by Truman Capote, has been extended through Jan. 31 at Pacific Resident Theatre, directed by Michael Peretzian.
Alley Mills Bean and Michael Tulin.
Taken from Capote’s autobiography, the piece traces the relationship between seven year old Buddy and his elderly female best friend and cousin, Sook, during a Christmas in 1930.
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The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation have announced the recipients of the 2020 Joe A. Callaway Awards:, given annually for Off-Broadway excellence in stage direction and choreography. The awards presentation will take place virtually on Feb. 8.
* Danya Taymor (Direction), Heroes of the Fourth Turning at Playwright Horizons.
* Knud Adams (Direction – finalist), The Headlands at Lincoln Center Theatre
* Les Waters (Direction – finalist), The Thin Place at Playwrights Horizons
* Travis Wall (Choreography), The Wrong Man at MCC Theater
* Kamilah Forbes (Zelda Fichandler Award)
* Seret Scott (Gordon Davidson Award)
* Carol Dunne, Pirronne Yousefzadeh, and Seema Sueko (Finalists – Zelda Fichandler Award)
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Educational Theatre will stream Theatre Alive! on Thurs. Jan. 28 at 8:30 PM ET, hosted by Nia Vardalos & John Stamos. 
While the event is free, tickets must be reserved in advance here.
Kenny Leon and Robert E. Wankel.
Wayne Brady, Tina Fey, Jennifer Hudson, Samuel L. & LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Audra McDonald, Amber Riley, and more.
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Boston Lyric Opera will present Philip Glass, Arthur Yorink, and Raúl Santos’ The Fall of the House of Usher, which will premiere Jan. 29, directed by James Darrah, and conducted by David Angus.
Chelsea Basleras (Madeline Usher), Jesse Dardenas (Roderick Usher), Daniel Belcheras (William), Christon Carneyas (Physician), and Jorgeandres Camargoas (Servant).
Video: Trailer