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.
Today’s Highlights:
* Off-Broadway’s Public Theater‘s We Are One Public benefit, directed by Kenny Leon, hosted by Jesse Tyler Ferguson, featuring Antonio Banderas, Laura Benanti, Kim Blanck, Ally Bonino, Danielle Brooks, Glenn Close, Jenn Colella, Elvis Costello, Claire Danes, Holly Gould, Danai Gurira, Anne Hathaway, Stephanie Hsu, Oscar Isaac, Nikki M. James, John Leguizamo, Audra McDonald, Grace McLean, Sandra Oh, Mia Pak, David Hyde Pierce, Phillipa Soo, Trudie Styler & Sting, Will Swenson, Shaina Taub, Kuhoo Verma, Ada Westfall, Kate Wetherhead, Todd Almond, Troy Anthony Burton, Michael Cerveris, Daniel Craig, Carla Duren, Danaya Esperanza, Jane Fonda, Nanya-Akuki Goodrich, David Henry Hwang, Brian d’Arcy James, Alicia Keys, John Lithgow, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Margaret Odette, Kelli O’Hara, Suzan-Lori Parks, Phylicia Rashad, Jay O. Sanders, Liev Schreiber, Deandre Sevon, Martin Sheen, and Meryl Streep, livestreamed at 8 PM ET.
* 92Y‘s The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, written & performed by James Lecesne, premieres at 8 PM (available through June 30).
* Red Bull Theater‘s The Revenger’s Tragedy FREE reading, adapted by Jesse Berger, featuring Paul Niebanck, Petronia Paley, Matthew Rauch, and Marc Vietor, livestreamd at 7:30 PM ET.
* “The Broadway Q&A Series,” with special guest Scott Ellis, who will answer questions about working on Tootsie, Take Me Out, She Loves Me, Steel Pier, Curtains, and more, at 1 PM ET here.
* “The Carol Burnett Show,” all 11 seasons, streamed on ShoutFactoryTV.com: Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Android apps, Tubi, and Amazon Prime.
* “Royalties,” starring Darren Criss, premieres on Quibi (free for the first 2 weeks).
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GRACE NOTES Quiz: On the Street Where You Live by Jim Bernhard
Insert the proper street name in these titles of plays, musicals, and songs:
| 1. The Barretts of ____ Street, play by Rudolf Besier | A. Baker |
| 2. ____ Street, play by Patrick Hamilton | B. Easy |
| 3. ____ Street, musical by Michael Stewart, Mark Bramble, Harry Warren, and Al Dubin | C. 174th |
| 4. Our Lady of ____ Street, play by Stephen Adly Guirgis | D. Angel |
| 5. “____ Street,” song from Annie | E. Henry |
| 6. So Long, ____ Street, musical by Joseph Stein and Stan Daniels | F. Wimpole |
| 7. ____ Street, musical by Jerome Coopersmith, Marian Grudeff, and Raymond Jessel | G. Christopher |
| 8. “____ Street,” song from Wonderful Town | H. 42nd |
| 9. The Saint of ____ Street, play with music by Gian-Carlo Menotti | I. 121st |
| 10. “____ Street,” song from Funny Girl | J. Bleecker |
Scroll down for the answers…
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Due to breaking news events in New York this past weekend, Spectrum News NY1 and the Drama Desk organization postponed last night’s planned airing of The 65th Annual Drama Desk Awards.
A rescheduled date and time TBA.
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Video: Chita: A Legendary Celebration (2013), in support of BC/EFA, with special guests Tommy Tune and Ben Vereen, along with a video tribute from John Kander. (1:33:55)
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Video: Julie Andrews and Jon Cypher, “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful,” from the TV presentation of “Cinderella” (1957)
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Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre presents Pride Plays Festival 2020, which will be livestreamed June 5-26.
June 5: Brave Smiles…Another Lesbian Tragedy, by The Five Lesbian Brothers (Maureen Angelos, Babs Davy, Dominique Dibbell, Peg Haealy, and Lisa Kron), directed by Leigh Silverman.
June 12: One in Two, by Donja R. Love, directed by Malika Oyetimein,
June 19: Masculinity Max, by MJ Kaufman, directed by Will Davis.
June 26: The Men From the Boys, by Mart Crowley, directed by Zachary Quinto.
Developmental Series:
* Everything Beautiful Happens at Night, by Ted Malawer, directed by David Cromer.
* Just Press Save, by Rodney Hicks, directed by Michael Greif.
* Good Time Charlie, by Ryan J. Haddad, directed by Danny Sharron.
* Crooked Parts, by Azure D. Osborne-Lee, directed by Kirya Traber
* Roof, by Omar Hantas, directed by Kareem Fahmy
* Are You There Truman? by Garrett David Kim, directed by Gaven Trinidad
* Marked Green at Birth, Marked Female at Birth, by Sophie Sagan-Gutherz, directed by Caitlin Ryan
* You Have to Promise, by Audrey Lang, directed by Jenna Worsham
* Modern Gentleman, by Preston Max Allen, directed by Blayze Teicher
* Will You… Hold My Hair Back, by Carmen LoBue, directed by Dominique Rider
* For Leonora or, Companions, by Harley St. James, directed by Leigh Fondakowski
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Video: “Stars in the House,” a Dear Evan Hansen reunion, with Jordan Fisher, Gabrielle Carrubba and Christiane Noll joined by writer Steven Levenson and director Michael Greif. (1:06:42)
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Video: “Stars in the House,” with special guest Cheyenne Jackson. (1:09:02)
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Video: “Plays in the House,” with a reading of Tim Pinckney’s Ever So Humble, featuring Reed Birney, Andréa Burns, Brandon Contreras, Montego Glover, Ryan Spahn, and Michael Urie. 
An expired New York City sublet leaves Nick and his two best friends with no place to live. Enter Howard—a loveable but lonely man with a house in Brooklyn. (2:19:24)
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Video: “Stars in the House,” with a Falstettoland original Off-Broadway cast reunion, featuring Stephen Bogardus, Danny Gerard Lanzetta, Heather MacRae, Janet Metz, Faith Prince, Michael Rupert and Chip Zien. (50:20)
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Midnight Theatricals will workshop a new private reading series on Zoom (dates TBA), which will develop boundary-pushing work:
* Wings, by Asher Gleman, directed by Hunter Bird.
* The Sleeping World, by Crystal Skillman, directed by Chloe Treat
* Back, by Matthew Webster, directed by Gabriel Vega Weissman.
Eva Noblezada, Reeve Carney, Ronald Peet, and Ryan Haddad, with Cathy Ang, Brandon Contreras, Robbie Simpson, Zuri Washington, Sasha Diamond, and Lenne Klingaman.
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Article: “Shakespeare in Lockdown. Did He Write King Lear in Plague Quarantine?”
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Video: In case you missed this last night, here is London’s Kings of Broadway streamed concert. (1:48:00)
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Audio: Chuck Cooper performs “The Bus” from Caroline, Or Change
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Video: Highlights from Broadway’s Nine (2013 revival), with Antonio Banderas, Laura Benanti, Jane Krakowski, Chita Rivera, Mary Beth Peil, Mary Stuart Masterson, and more.
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Video: Ethel Waters, “Suppertime”
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Andrew Lloyd Webber is using the London Palladium as a “test bed” methods that could make theatres safe for audiences to return to.
Lloyd Webber’s LW Theatres and 6 other venues are in the early stages of experimenting with technology, including infrared temperature scanners.
Apparently, South Korea’s methods may be applicable in the UK, including a rigorous tracking and testing program, a “traffic light” system indicating indivduals’ danger levels, temperature checks, giving staff PPE, and making masks compulsory.
The company has already invested in an infrared scanner to explore the possibility of checking audience members’ temperature upon arrival. There would also be an infrared camera at the stage door, your temperature is taken remotely as you walk in, and a great big dashboard flashes up [to indicate] whether you can come in the building or not. As soon as it does, the airlock releases, the door opens and you go in. You put on a face mask and hand-sanitize, and keep a two-metre distance because we have markings around the building.” These measures were being tried out at a very small level at stage door but scanners could be used at the front of the theatre to check audiences.
Industry figures including Society of London Theatre chief executive Julian Bird and Nimax’s Nica Burns have strongly dismissed the feasibility of mandatory social distancing in theatre, both on a practical and economic level. Kane Burton echoed these views, saying: “With social distancing there is no theatre.”
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Video: Ann Hampton Callaway, “The Lilac Song.” Stunning.
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Video: Kelli O’Hara performs “To Build a Home” from The Bridges of Madison County.
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LA’s Echo Theater Company has announced its Playwrights Lab 2020:
The writers will meet once a month, via Zoom for the time being, bringing new pages they are working on to each meeting. The goal is to have the first draft of a new play completed by the end of the year.
Darcy Fowler and Stephanie Ward
Agnes Borinsky, Dylan Dawson, LaShea Delaney, Lucas Kavner, Claire Kiechel, Roger Q. Mason, Anna Moench, Brian Otaño and Christopher Sullivan.
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The San Francisco’s Gay Men’s Chorus will present” “Gay Chorus Deep South” as part of the OUTstream Film Festival, on Sun. June 7 at 4 PM PT.
The event will include a live-streamed post-film Q&A with director David Charles Rodrigues, Dr. Tim Seelig, and Chris Verdugo, as well as a performance from the SFGMC’s HomoPhonics at 6 PM PT.
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Video: Safe at Home with Orson Bean, solo show (1:25:59)
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Video: Liz Callaway and Ann Hampton Callway, “Corner of the Sky”
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GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: On the Street Where You Live
1-F. The Barretts of Wimpole Street, play by Rudolf Besier
2-D. Angel Street, play by Patrick Hamilton
3-H. 42nd Street, musical by Michael Stewart, Mark Bramble, Harry Warren, and Al Dubin
4-I. Our Lady of 121st Street, play by Stephen Adly Guirgis
5-B. “Easy Street,” song from Annie
6-C. So Long, 174th Street, musical by Joseph Stein and Stan Daniels
7-A. Baker Street, musical by Jerome Coopersmith, Marian Grudeff, and Raymond Jessel
8-G. “Christopher Street,” song from Wonderful Town
9-J. The Saint of Bleecker Street, play with music by Gian-Carlo Menotti
10-E. “Henry Street,” song from Funny Girl