Today’s Highlights:
The Kander & Ebb Years concert, which includes songs from Chicago, Cabaret, Flora, The Red Menace, and Kiss of the Spider Woman, featuring Beth Leavel, Ute Lemper, Tony Yazbeck, Natascia Diaz, and Danny Gardner, begins streaming at 7 PM ET here (and available for 72 hours).
Amas You Love: A Heart to Heart to Heart Virtual Benefit, hosted by Justina Machado, honoring Lillias White, featuring performances from Four Guys Names José, Distant Thunder, MĀYĀ, and Hip Hop Cinderella, directed by Maria Torres, streams at 7 PM ET here.
Norm Lewis FREE LIVE concert at 8 PM ET outdoors at the NY Library for the Performing Arts.
“The Creative Process: Patti LuPone” conversation with Cathy Henderson, streams for FREE at 5:30 PM ET at the NY Library for the Performing Arts.
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GRACE NOTES Quiz: A Night at the Opera, by Jim Bernhard:
Match these classic romantic ballads with the operettas in which they appear:
| 1. “Serenade” by Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy Donnelly | A. The Land of Smiles |
| 2. “Indian Love Call” by Rudolf Friml, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Otto Harbach | B. The Chocolate Soldier |
| 3. “Lover, Come Back to Me” by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II | C. Orange Blossoms |
| 4. “Some Day” by Rudolf Friml and Brian Hooker | D. The Desert Song |
| 5. “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life!” by Victor Herbert and Rida Johnson Young | E. The Student Prince |
| 6. “My Hero” by Oscar Straus and Stanislaus Stange | F. Rose-Marie |
| 7. “Will You Remember?” by Sigmund Romberg and Rida Johnson Young | G. Naughty Marietta |
| 8. “A Kiss in the Dark” by Victor Herbert and B. G. DeSylva | H. he Vagabond King |
| 9. “One Alone” by Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Otto Harbach | I. The New Moon |
| 10. “Yours Is My Heart Alone” by Franz Lehar and Harry B. Smith | J. Maytime |
Scroll down for the answers…
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Second Stage Theatre has announced its Broadway and Off-Broadway seasons. Casting and additional information TBA.
Broadway (Hayes Theatre):
Clyde’s (Fall 2021), by Lynn Nottage, directed by Kate Whoriskey. 
A truck stop sandwich shop offers its formerly incarcerated kitchen staff a shot at redemption. Even as the shop’s callous owner tries to keep them under her thumb, the staff members are given purpose and permission to dream by the their shared quest to create the perfect sandwich.
Take Me Out (Spring 2022), by Richard Greenberg, directed by Scott Ellis. Darren Lemming, the star center fielder for the Empires, comes out of the closet.
Between Riverside and Crazy (Fall 2022), by Stephen Adly Guirgis, directed by Austin Pendleton. City Hall is demanding Walter “Pops” Washington and his recently paroled son Junior, move out, the liquor store is closed, and the Church won’t leave him alone.
Off-Broadway (Kiser Theatre):
Letters of Suresh (Fall 2021), by Rajiv Joseph, directed by May Adrales. The play reveals intimate mysteries through a series of letters between strangers, friends, daughters, and lovers – many with little in common but a hunger for human connection. Sending their hopes and dreams across oceans and years, they seek peace in one another while dreaming of a city once consumed by the scourge of war.
To My Girls (Spring 2022), world premiere by JC Lee, directed by Stephen Brackett. Is there anything more fabulous than Palm Springs after the end of the world? For one tight group of gay men, a post-pandemic getaway is the perfect chance to reunite, reclaim their time and replace the gloom with some gossip. But as soon as the drinks start pouring, truths start spilling and this chosen family quickly realizes the world has changed. So, here’s to navigating evolving friendships and getting things straight…kind of.
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Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution will resume live performances on Aug. 3 at the London County Hall, directed by Lucy Bailey.
Casting TBA.
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NYC May Bill de Basio has announced City Artists Corps, a $25 million arts and culture revitalization program, which will employ over 1,500 artists by putting them back to work throughout the city, with live performances, pop-up concerts, public art installations, and more. Click here to learn more.
The City Artist Corps is inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Federal Art Project, a part of the Works Progress Administrations that came out of the New Deal to revitalize the economy after the Great Depression. In addition to providing an economic boost to the city, Gozalo Casals (NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner) said “it’s also the presence of arts and culture in our community that makes for safer, healthier, and more cohesive communities.
The commissioner hopes works unveiled during the pandemic, like the Black Lives Matter street murals and the AAPI-focused “I Still Believe in Our City” posters will serve as inspiration for artists in the program.
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Karey Kirkpatrick, Wayne Kirkpatrick & John O’Farrell’s Mrs. Doubtfire, starring Rob McClure, will resume previews Oct. 21 and open Dec. 5 at the Sondheim Theatre, directed by Jerry Zaks.
Additional casting TBA.
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NYC’s 92Y Spring Gala will stream Mon. May 24 at 7 PM ET,
Laurence Belfer, Anna Deavere Smith, Christian McBride, and Marshall Weinberg.
Angela Hewitt, Rita Dove, Ballet Hispánico, Yin Yue, Ian McEwan, Sasha Cooke, Yiyun Li, Ryan Reynolds, Warren Buffett Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and more.
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The world premiere of Hershey Felder’s Nicholas, Anna & Sergei will stream May 16-23 at Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre.
Hershey Felder (Sergei Rachmaninoff), J. Anthony Crane, Ekaterina Siurina, and Igor Poleitsky.
Set in the house in which Rachmaninoff died in Beverly Hills, the story recounts an extraordinary meeting between Rachmaninoff and Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be Princess Anastasia, the sole surviving member of the Romanov Dynasty. The production includes Rachmaninoff’s most beloved melodies, including Piano Concerto #2, Preludes, Etudes, and the 18th variation of “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.”
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Boston’s Commonwealth Shakespeare Company presents The Tempest outdoors on the Boston’s Commons in July/August (dates TBA), directed by Steven Maler.
John Douglas Thompson (Prospero) and more TBA.
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Caeser: A Surround Sound Experiment, adapted by Joseph Discher, will stream May 27-29 here at 8 PM ET each night, in support of The Actors Fund.
Jacqueline Antaramian, Joel de la Fuente, January LaVoy, Sean Hudock, Mark H. Dold, Joseph Discher, Maurice Jones, Anthony Michael Martinez, Ryan McCarthy, Shane Taylor, Patrick Toon, Scott Wentworth, and Derek Wilson.
A new immersive listening experience designed for headphones and lunar light (no screens, no zooms). Recorded in isolation and presented in high-fidelity 3D audio, this new adaption of Julius Caesar invites listeners to turn out the lights, put on a pair of headphones, and be transported to ancient Rome and the beating heart of Shakespeare’s searing epic like never before.
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‘Stand Up’ for Asian Americans, a weekend of variety shows, will stream May 14-16 on Stellar.
Margaret Cho, Telly Leung, Rice Labeija & Kiko Soirée, Poppy Liu, Calamity Chang, Damian Dragon, Frankie Sharp, and more.
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Linda Purl & Tedd Firth ~ Out and About: Songs for a New Beginning will stream Tues. June 15 at 8 PM ET here.
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Kwame Kwei-Armah, Artistic Director of the Young Vic, will make streaming performances a permanent fixture of the theatre’s productions. The decision came out of a need to adapt to the post-pandemic industry landscape and a desire to provide access to theatergoers who might not be able to afford prime seats.
The Best Seat in Your House broadcasts will offer two ticket types:
* The Directors Chair, with the possibility to cut live to any camera in the theatre at any time.
* The Director’s Cut, a chosen edit.
2021-22 Season:
Changing Destiny (July 9 – Aug. 21), by Ben Okri
Klippies (Aug. 4-13), by Jessica Siân
AI (Aug. 23-25), written by humans and robots together
Hamlet (Sept. 25 – Nov. 13), starring Cush Jumbo
Best of Enemies (Dec. 2 – Jan. 22, 2022)
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Video: Jason Graae performs “Tulip Time in Sing-Sing” from Sitting Pretty.
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Romeo and Juliet will run June 17 – July 24 at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, directed by Kimberly Sykes.
Joel MacCormack (Romeo) and Isabel Adomakoh Young (Juliet), with more TBA.
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The People’s Theatre Project Gala will stream Thurs. May 27 at 7 PM ET here, hosted by Vladimir Caamaño.
Katori Hall and Nelson Cruz.
Jimmy Smits, Dascha Polanco, Leslie Grace, Stephanie Beatriz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Quiara Alegraí Hudes.
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Off-Broadway’s Keen Company will re-stream Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking from May 13 at 9 AM ET – May 16 at 11:59 PM ET, directed by Jonathan Silverstein. The event includes a pre-recorded talkback with Kathleen Chalfant.
Kathleen Chalfant
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GRACE NOTES Quiz answers: A Night at the Opera
1-E. “Serenade” by Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy Donnelly – The Student Prince
2-F. “Indian Love Call” by Rudolf Friml, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Otto Harbach – Rose-Marie
3-I. “Lover, Come Back to Me” by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II – The New Moon
4-H. “Some Day” by Rudolf Friml and Brian Hooker – The Vagabond King
5-G. “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life!” by Victor Herbert and Rida Johnson Young – Naughty Marietta
6-B. “My Hero” by Oscar Straus and Stanislaus Stange – The Chocolate Soldier
7-J. “Will You Remember?” by Sigmund Romberg and Rida Johnson Young – Maytime
8-C. “A Kiss in the Dark” by Victor Herbert and B. G. DeSylva – Orange Blossoms
9-D. “One Alone” by Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Otto Harbach – The Desert Song
10-A. “Yours Is My Heart Alone” by Franz Lehar and Harry B. Smith – The Land of Smiles