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.
This Weekend’s Highlights:
Friday, June 26
* The Men from the Boys virtual reading, a sequel to The Boys in the Band, by Mart Crowley, directed by Zachary Quinto, featuring Denis O’Hare (Michael), Rick Elice (Donald), Mario Cantone (Emory), Joseph James O’Neil (Hank), Kevyn Morrow (Bernard), Lou Liberatore (Harold), Carson McCalley (Scott), Charlie Carver (Jason), and Telly Leung (Rick), at 7 PM ET here.
* Gloria: A Life, by Emily Mann, directed by Diane Paulus, featuring Christine Lahti (Gloria Steinem), Brittany K. Allen, Joanna Glushak, Fedna Jacquet, Francesca Fernandez McKenzie, Patrena Murray, DeLanna Studi, and Liz Wisan, airs at 9 PM on PBS.
* “Robbie Rozelle: Songs From Inside My Locker” podcast, with special guests Bonnie Milligan and Maya Days, released digitally here.
Saturday, June 27
* Masculinity Max benefit reading, in support of BC/EFA, by MJ Kaufman, directed by Will Davis, featuring Ty Defoe, Theo Germain, David Greenspan, Judy Gold, Jason Butler Harner, Esco Jouley, Francis Jue, Matt Maher, Avi Roque, Aneesh Sheth, Kelli Simpkins, Zo Tipp, and Vishal Vaidya, livestreamed at 7 PM ET here.
* Playbill Pride Spectacular benefit concert, featuring Harvey Fierstein, Brandon Victor Dixon, Michael McElroy, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten, John Tartaglia, Eden Espinosa, L Morgan Lee, Mars Rucker, John McGinty, Michael R. Jackson, John Cameron Mitchell, Jenn Colella, Caitlin Kinnunen, Mj Rodrguez, Cheyenne Jackson, Shakina Nayfack, Matt Gould, Griffin Matthews, Matt Rodin, and Miriam Shor at 8 PM ET here.
* Jew York Pride 2020 FREE online event, hosted by Keshet, livestreamed at 11 AM ET here.
* Josh Groban livestream concert, at 1 PM PT here.
* The Last Five Years, directed by Lauren Samuels, starring Lauren Samuels (Cathy) and Danny Becker (Jamie), concludes its livestream at 7:30 PM BST here.
Sunday, June 28
* A Bit of Waiting for Godot Zoom table reading, directed by Jonathan Church, featuring Michael Palin (Vladimir) and Robert Lindsay (Estragon), at 2 PM ET here.
* The Seth Concert Series, with special guest Lea Salonga, livestreamed twice, at 9 AM ET and 8 PM ET here.
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The Lehman Trilogy, adapted by Ben Power, and directed by Sam Mendes, is still hoping to open on Broadway in 2021, though perhaps at a different theatre, due to a scheduling conflict.
(original London cast) Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley, and Ben Miles.
The play follows the 163-year saga that begins with a young man in Bavaria dreaming of a new life and ends with one of the world’s largest financial crises.
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Video: “Stars in the House,” a “Pride Special,” with Mac Shaiman, Michael Benjamin Washington, Eduardo Vilaro (Ballet Hispánico Artistic Director), and Jessica Kirson. (1:09:46)
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East Hampton’s Guild Hall will present a virtual staged reading of Bernard Slades’ Same Time, Next Year on Sun. July 12 at 7:30 PM ET, directed by Bob Balaban.
Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin
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Video: Judi Dench expresses concern for the return of theatre.
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The next Michael Mott & Friends: Live at Home concert will take place Wed. July 1 at 6 PM ET here.
Jenna Ushkowitz and Darnell Abraham.
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Video: First look at Sara Bareilles’ “Little Voice” on Apple TV+
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Steppenwolf’s production of Tracy Letts’ The Minutes will begin previews the week of Mar. 1, 2021 (exact date TBA) and open Mar. 15 at the Cort Theatre (link TBA), directed by Anna D. Shapiro.
Ian Barford, Blair Brown, Cliff Chamberlain, K. Todd Freeman, Armie Hammer, Tracy Letts, Danny McCarthy, Jessie Mueller, Sally Murphy, Austin Pendleton, and Jeff Still.
A hard look at the inner workings of a city council meeting and the hypocrisy, greed, and ambition that bubble to the surface when a newcomer to the small town of Big Cherry starts to ask the wrong questions. Why is someone on the council mysteriously missing? What happened to all those bicycles? Is there skullduggery afoot with the city’s finances? What’s the deal with the available parking space? What the F is going on with the Lincoln Smackdown? And why are the minutes from the last meeting being kept secret?
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The world premiere of The DaVinci Code, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff & Duncan Abel, will launch a UK tour on Apr. 3, 2021, directed by Luke Sheppard.
Casting, tour schedule, link, and additional information TBA.
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Podcast: April in Paris, a short comedy play by Eugene Pack, in support of The Actors Fund and Feeding America, is now available.
Michael Urie, Sherri Shepherd, Tate Donovan, Lainie Kazan, Dayle Feyfel, and Caspar Phillipson. (18:39)
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Audio: Laura Osnes, “When I See You Again,” by Will Reynolds & Eric Price. Scroll down…
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Nick Cordero‘s condition has been updated by Amanda Kloots:
“He interacts with his eyes, answering questions by looking up for yes and down for no. When he is alert he can also move his jaw.”
Kloots says that she has been doing “passive physical therapy” to help Nick continue to get strong and keep his joints moving. She says that he still can not move his body.
She went on to say that Nick has had some “minor blood infections that are causing little blood pressure issues” but they are under control. “His vent settings are getting better and his numbers are trending in a better direction. He is relatively stable.”
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San Francisco Ballet will stream its Jan. 16 2020 Opening Night Gala program, “Spellbound” on Tues. June 30 from 10 AM-Midnight PT, to mark the end of a season that started with hope and then suspended due to COVID-19.
* Foreshadow, by Val Caniparoli
* 05:49, by Myles Thatcher
* Swan Lake pas de deux
* For Pixie, world premiere by Danielle Rowe
* Jockey Dance, by Bournonville
* Grand Pas Classique, by Victor Gsovsky
* Bells pas de deux, by Yuri Possokhove
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Video: Aaron Tveit performs “Broadway Baby” with the Pasadena Pops (2014).
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The UK culture secretary has announced its 5-step program which will “provide a clear pathway back” to re-opening theaters:
Stage 1: Rehearsal and training, with no audiences and adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Stage 2: Performances for broadcast and recording purposes, adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Stage 3: Performances outdoors with an audience plus pilots for indoor performances with a limited distance audience.
Stage 4: Performances allowed indoors and outdoors, but with a limited distanced audience indoors.
Stage 5: Performances allowed indoors and outdoors, with a fuller audience indoors.
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A new production of Hamlet will begin rehearsals on Mon. June 29, directed by Sean Mathias. Performance dates are TBA.
Ian McKellen (Hamlet), and more TBA.
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Michael Burdette, Robert Scott & Brendan Cull’ SLEEPLESS, A Musical Romance, based on “Sleepless in Seattle,” is hoping to premiere in Aug. 25, 2020 at the newly opened Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, directed by Morgan Young, with music direction by Stuart Morley.
Michael D Xavier (Sam), Kimberly Walsh (Annie), Soo Drouet (Becky), Gay Soper (Eleanor), Alex Fobbester (Rob), Dylan Turner (Walter), Vicki Davids (Suzy), Michael Carolan (Gregg), and Jobe Hart (Jonah), with Charlie Bull, Charlotte Gale, Matt Holland, Joanna Rennie, Tyler Smith, and Annette Yeo.
The production is currently awaiting government permission to launch the show this summer. Should the opening be deemed possible, the production will abide by a forthcoming “one meter” social distancing rule.
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Hairspray will run Apr. 22 – July 26, 2021 at the London Coliseum, directed by Jack O’Brien and choreography by Jerry Mitchell.
Michael Ball (Edna Turnblad), Paul Merton (Wilbur), Marisha Wallace (Motormouth Mabel), and Rita Simons (Velma Von Tussle), and more TBA.
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Video: Pride Video —“We Raise Our Voice,” with Matt Lucas, Jazz Jennings, Cheyenne Jackson, Peter Facinelli, Josh Dylan, Frankie Rodriguez, Joe Serafini, Kirsten Vangsness, Andrei Pejic, Courtney Act, Lachlan Buchanana, and Jake T. Smith.
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Bette Midler, William Friedkin and Harvey Fierstein will develop a Mae West biopic for HBO, based on West’s 1959 autobiography, “Goodness Had Nothing to Do With It.”
Timeline, casting, and additional information TBA.
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Video: “Meet the Biz with David Zimmerman,” with special guest Karen Morrow. (36:20)
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DC’s Arena Stage has announced its new Artists Marketplace.
The venture is a new model for regional theaters to connect art, artists, and their artistry directly with patrons, who will have the opportunity to commission or purchase a work of art from the artists and artisans who have graced Arena’s stages.
With traditional methods of commemorating special events on hold, the Marketplace give people meaningful ways to express gratitude to frontline workers, to grieve with one another and to convey love and support.
Offerings include:
* Personal concerts and greetings
* Original music compositions for a loved one
* One-one acting and vocal coaching sessions
* Custom-made face masks
* Conflict resolution
* Custom-designed and performed puppet film of a person’s life
* Cooking class
* Song and writing salon for you and your friends.
* Original, one-of-a-kind artwork
* Rock garden landscape
Participants: Kate Baldwin, Lise Bruneau, Marsha Mason, Nicholas Rodriguez, Dawn Ursula, Kirsten Wyatt, Victor Simonson, Paige Hathaway, Ken MacDonald, Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, Mary Hall Surface, David S. Leong, Jenny Male, Lisa Nathans, Zach Campion, Deborah Lynn Nash, and Timothy M. Thompson.