Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be limited theatre news for the foreseeable future. I will continue to search for anything meaningful and/or fun to report. Stay safe and healthy.
In addition, with national protests in full swing, and many events being postponed or cancelled, I don’t know when more theatre news will be available, so newsletters may be even shorter for awhile…
This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, June 12
* Lincoln Center‘s FREE Broadway Friday’s The Nance, by Douglas Carter Beane, with Nathan Lane, Cady Huffman, Lewis J. Stadlen, Jenni Barber, Andrea Burns, and Jonny Orsini, at 8 PM ET. POSTPONED (new date TBA)
* “The Wiz” (2015 Harvey Fierstein TV adaptation), directed by Kenny Leon, featuring Shanice Williams (Dorothy), Queen Latifah (The Wiz), Amber Riley (Addaperle), and David Alan Grier (The Cowardly Lion), with Chris Borrero, James Brown III, Olutayo Bosede, Elon Van Buckley, Ta’Rea Campbell, Jessica Castro, Kacie Garland, Asmeret Ghebremichael, Frankie Gordils, Khadija Griffith, Tre Holloway, Antonio Hudnell, Carlos Irizarry, Marcus Paul James, Frederic Jean, Capathia Jenkins, Mykal Kilgore, Tamika Lawrence, India R. McGee, Maurice Murphy, Antonio Moore, Danielle Polanco, Malaiyka Reid, Eric Sanchez, Sherisse Springer, Chris Silcox, Ahmahd Thomas, Raphael Thomas, Alex Wade, Donald Webber, DaShaun Wesley, Xavier Wilcher, and NaTasha Williams, streamed at 2 PM ET here. (available for 48 hours)
* The Sheen Center‘s FREE Poetry in America – Live, presenting Sondheim’s “Finishing the Hat,” with Melissa Errico, Adam Gopnick, and music director Tedd Firth, livestreamed for at 3 PM ET.
* L.A. Theatre Works’ In the Heat of the Night audio recording, directed by Brian Kite, featuring Ryan Vincent Anderson, James Morrison, Michael Hammond, Kalen Harrison, Travis Johns, Darren Richardson, and Tom Virtue, premieres here.
Saturday, June 13
* The 2020 Drama Desk Awards ceremony airs at 7:30 PM ET here.
* The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater’s Ailey Spirit Benefit Gala, featuring Leslie Odom Jr. Cynthia Erivo, Angela Bassett, Timothy Shriver, Lorraine Toussaint, and Bryan Stevenson, at 7:30 PM ET online here (and continues through June 18)
* Arena Stage’s “May 22, 2020” filmed docudrama, at 7 PM ET here.
Sunday, June 14
* “Life in a Pandemic — One Day At a Time” conversation, hosted by RuPaul, with special guests Norman Lear and Rita Moreno, streams at 7 PM ET here.
*Virtual Variety Show, featuring Marilu Henner, John Tartaglia, and Ben Fankhauser, at 7 PM ET at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse.
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Video: “Stars in the House,” spotlighting the Dallas-based Change the Perception, with Denise Lee, Thomas Collier, Devon Miller, W. Jerome Stevenson, David Stewart, and Brandon White. (1:02:54)
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Video: “Stars in the House,” highlighting 4 actors who have played the Genie in Aladdin — James Monroe Iglehart, Juwan Crawley, Michael James Scott, and Trevor Dion Nicholas. (1:33:48)
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Erica Daniels, the executive director of Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theater, said Monday that she was leaving the theater, the site of protests in recent days over a decision to board up the theater during the fallout from the George Floyd killing and the choice not to hold a national search to replace the departing artistic director, Chay Yew. Daniels had been appointed to a combined job giving her both artistic and executive directorships.
“Early last week, after listening to the voices of the artists, staff and others in the artistic community who expressed disagreement and growing outrage with decisions by the Board after Chay Yew resigned, I had decided to cede the Artistic Director role,” Daniels said in a prepared statement. “Unfortunately, the vitriol has really escalated in recent days, which included many hurtful and personal accusations and misstatements about me. I care too much about Victory Gardens and its mission to let this continue, and therefore I have decided to leave the Theater. I have always been committed to the mission and values of Victory Gardens and leave here very proud of the outstanding work that Chay and I did together.”
Board chair Steve Miller, a major financial benefactor, said he also was stepping down as chair but will remain on the board.
“I regret that a more transparent process did not occur,” he said in a statement. “I should have listened more to members of the community, as well as to board members who attempted to guide a more equitable and inclusive process. As the board leader, I take full responsibility for these flaws. I feel that the accusations that have been aimed at Erica are undeserved, and it saddens me that Victory Gardens is losing a person who has done so much for the theater and our entire community.”
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Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater‘s Miscast20 Gala has been postponed. A new date is TBA.
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“Anna Deavere Smith in Conversation” as Part of 92Y’s Confronting Hate initiative, will take place Mon. June 15 at 7 PM ET, focusing on racial inequality in the justice system, a them in Smith’s plays.
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Video: Christiane Noll, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”
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Seth Rudetsky’s The Seth Concert Series has announced its upcoming concerts (all on Sunday nights at 8 PM ET & repeated on Mondays at 3 PM ET). 
$25 ($20 early bird) here.
June 14 & 21: Jeremy Jordan and Jessie Mueller
June 28: Lea Salonga
July 5: Melissa Errico
July 12: Audra McDonald
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Video: “Exit Package,” a murder mystery starring Jason Kravits, Kirk Acevedo, Henry Czerny, Tim Griffin, and Kim Wayans. (13:08)
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Video: Idina Menzel and Megan Hilty sing “For Good” for the Class of 2020. Scroll down…
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Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre will present a fully-staged production of Hands Up during the 2020-21 season (dates TBA), in an effort to provide a platform for Black artists, directed by Alexis Woodard & Keith Arthur Bolden.
The work depicts the realities of Black America from the perspective of varying genders, sexual orientations, skin tones, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Initially conceived as a series of seven monologues after the police slaying of Michael Brown.
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Video: Broadway Sessions’ Black Lives Matter fundraiser offering Black performers sharing not only songs, but their thoughts on anti racism, police brutality and how others, hosted by Tamika Lawrence, Kimberly Marable, and Imari Hardon, and featuring Carmen Ruby Floyd, Olivia Lucy Phillip, Tanisha Moore, Marisha Wallace, Major Attaway, Jawan M. Jackson, Nor Schell, Krystal Joy Brown, Romelda T. Benjamin, J. Harrison Ghee, Akron Watson, and Christopher Cherry. (2:45:05)
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A group of prominent black alumni and former staffers at The Second City have released an open letter to the comedy theater that issues a series of demands mostly relating to racial equity, diversity and inclusion.
Widely shared on social media, the letter calls for “a thorough investigation and removal of teachers, producers, directors and other administrative staff guilty of microaggressions, racial transgressions, cultural appropriation, mental and verbal abuse against the Black artists who built your stages,” as well as a “thorough investigation” and “immediate removal of anyone guilty of sexual misconduct and sexual assault.”
The letter, which does not make charges against specific individuals but demands external oversight of the investigations, makes frequent reference to Second City’s longstanding practice of retaining ownership of all contributions by its staff writers and performers (a practice also common at journalistic organizations). It further demands that Second City offer “a revision and proper accreditation” of the contributions of black artists.
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A “Dear Evan Hansen” film is in the works, with Ben Platt and Kaitlyn Dever in talks to star as Evan and Zoe.
Timeline, additional casting, and more information TBA.
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London’s National Theatre has announced 5 productions that will be streamed as part of the theatre’s National Theatre at Home series., all to be broadcast every Thursday at 7 PM BST (and will then be available for 7 days).
These will be the final titles to be shared for free via YouTube in this period. However, future digital activity to connect with audiences in the UK and beyond is planned, with additional details TBA.
* Small Island (June 18-25) here, directed by Andrea Levy.
* Les Blancs (July 2-9) here, directed by Yaël Farber
* The Deep Blue Sea (July 9-16) here, directed by Nicholas Hytner
* A Midsummer Night’s Dream (June 25 – July 2) here, directed by Nicholas Hytner
* Amadeus (July 16-23) here, directed by Michael Longhurst
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Video: Dolly Parton, “When Life is Good Again”
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If you’re a fan of Follies, check out all the fabulous pages dedicated to the musical on Facebook.
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Video: “The Prayer,” with Cantor Lizzie Weiss and Jelani Remy. (20:14)
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Podcast: Eric Leviton‘s podcast series, “Foolish Voices”
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Video: Joan Baez in conversation with Anthony DeCurtis. (1:10:03)
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Video: “Maybe I Like it this Way”/”What is it About Her,” with Quenton Garzón and Carrie St. Louis.