Today’s Highlights:
John Cullum: An Accidental Star benefit solo show, by John Cullum, Jeff Berger & David Thompson, directed by Lonnie Price & Matt Cowart, begins streaming at Off-Broadway’s Vineyard Theatre.
John Cullum: An Accidental Star benefit solo show, by John Cullum, Jeff Berger & David Thompson, directed by Lonnie Price & Matt Cowart, begins streaming at CT’s Goodspeed Theatre.
Ute Lemper: Rendezvous With Marlene filmed production begins streaming at 7 PM ET at Off-Broadway’s York Theatre.
Row, world premiere by Daniel Goldstein & Dawn Landes, directed by Tyne Rafaeli, featuring Kerstin Anderston, John Ellison Conlee, Nehal Joshi, Tamika Lawrence, John McGinty, Grace McLean, Kathryn O’Rourke, Lance Roberts, Sean Stack, and Sally Wilfert, begins audio streaming worldwide at Williamstown Theatre Festival.
Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous reading, by Pearl Cleage, directed by Camille A. Brown, featuring Debbie Allen (Betty), Phylicia Rashad (Anna), Heather Alicia Simms (Kate), and Alicia Stith (Pete), livestreams at 8 PM ET here.
A Song for You: An Evening with Darius de Haas concert streams at 8 PM ET at Bucks County Playhouse (also Apr. 9)
“Bernstein on Broadway at the Bicentennial” conversation with Lewis Rosen, streams at 1:30 PM ET at NYC’s 92Y.
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Video: Stars in the House, a Rock of Ages reunion, with special guests Kerry Butler, Constantine Maroulis, Adam Dannheisser and Frankie Grande. (1:12:46)
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The Denver Center has rescheduled four Broadway tours, which were originally set for Fall 2021.
NEW SCHEDULE:
The Lion King (Dec. 2 – Jan. 2, 2022)
Hamilton (Feb 16 – Mar. 27, 2022)
My Fair Lady (dates TBA)
1776 (dates TBA)
Mean Girls (dates TBA)
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations (dates TBA)
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The Music of Simon and Garfunkel will run May 1 (at 2 & 8 PM ET) and May 2 (2 PM ET) at PA’s Bucks County Playhouse, featuring Swearingen & Kelli.
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The 2021 Susan Smith Blackburn Award has been given to playwright Erika Dickerson-Despenza for her play cullad wattah, about the Flint, Michigan water crises.
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Caesar: A Surround Sound Experiment will stream Apr. 27-29, all at 8 PM ET here, in support of The Actors Fund, adapted & directed by Joseph Discher.
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 stunning high-fidelity 3D audio, this new audio adaptation 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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The world premiere of Jodi Picoult & Timothy Allen McDonald’s Breathe will premiere Fri. May 14 at 8 PM ET here, directed by Jeff Calhoun.
Kelli O’Hara, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Patti Murin, Colin Donnell, Denée Benton, Rubén J. Carbajal, Matt Doyle, Max Clayton, Daniel Yearwood, T. Oliver Reid and Josh Davis.
Written as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, the musical chronicles the virus’ impact on five very different relationships. Told in five interlocking suites – each with a different songwriting team and director.
The Original Cast Recording will be released May 14 on Broadway Records.
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Milwaukee Rep has announced its 2021-22 season:
Dad’s Season Tickets (Oct. 29 – Jan. 2, 2022), by Matt Zembrowski, directed by Ryan Quinn. Who will inherit Frank’s treasured season tickets at Lambeau Field? The Kosinski sisters employ every trick in the playbook, on the way to relearning that family isn’t everything – it the only thing.
Steel Magnolias (Nov. 9 – Dec.5), by Robert Harling, directed by Laura Braza.
Toni Stone (Jan. 4-30, 2022), by Lydia R. Diamond, directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden. A high intensity glimpse into the world of the first woman to go pro in baseball’s Negro Leagues.
Piano Men (Jan. 7 – Feb. 27), world premiere. What happens when you put two pianos onstage, add two virtuoso piano players and throw in a limitless songbook that defies genre and decade
Antonio’s Song/I Was Dreaming of a Son (Jan. 26 – Mar. 6), world premiere by Dael Orlandersmith & Antonio Edwards Suarez, starring Antonio Edwards Suarez, directed by Mark Clements. a poetic journey of a dancer/artist/father questioning the balance of his passions – art, culture, family.
As You Like It (Feb. 15 – Mar. 20), adapted by Daryl Cloran. The Beatles meet the Bard. It’s 1960s British Columbia and love is in the air as a handful of cross-dressing lovers lead to mistaken identities, hilarious mishaps and loads of laughs.
My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra (Mar. 4 – May 1), by David Grapes & Todd Olson, directed & choreographed by Kelley Faulkner.
New Age (Mar. 22 – May 1), world premiere by Dael Orlandersmith. Four women prove that age is just a number. Cass loves art and continues to redefine herself after divorce, Lisette recounts how she became a writer as she faces health challenges, Candy has carved out a life for herself and despite struggles remains upbeat, and Liberty, the youngest of the group, begins her career as a rock musician.
Titanic (Apr. 5 – May 15), directed by Mark Clements.
Get Happy: Angela Ingersoll Sings Judy Garland (May 5 – July 1)
Murder on the Orient Express (May 31 – July 1), adapted by Ken Ludwig.
A Christmas Carol (Nov. 30 – Dec. 24), adapted & directed by Mark Clements, featuring Lee E. Ernst at Evenezer Scrooge.
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Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, directed by Anthony Minghella, and conducted by Karel Mark Chicho, is now offering 4 shows daily through Apr. 13 at the Metropolitan Opera (2016 production).
Kristine Opolais Cio-Cio-San) and Roberto Alagna as (Lt. Pinkerton).
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Paula Vogel’s The Baltimore Waltz will stream Thurs. Apr. 29 at 8 PM ET here (and available on demand through May 3), in support of The Actors Fund, directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz.
Mary-Louise Parker (Anna), Eric McCormack (Carl), and Brandon Burton (Third Man).
Sister and brother Anna and Carl traverse Europe in search of hedonistic pleasure and a cure for her terminal illness. The play is Vogel’s response to the death of her brother from AIDS complications.
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Breathe, the world premiere of a new series of 5 interlocking musicals, will premiere Fri. May 14 at 8 PM ET here, with production supervision by Jeff Calhoun.
Written throughout the pandemic, the series chronicles the impact of Covid-19 on 5 very different relationships. Each of the stories has a different cast and creative team.
Fever, by Rob Rokicki & Rebecca Murillo, directed by Emily Maltby, featuring Denée Benton & Rubén J. Carbajal. A young woman has a one-night stand that extends far longer than expected.
Aches, by Daniel Mertzlufft & Kate Leonard, directed by Joe Barros, featuring Matt Doyle and Max Clayton. A couple reexamines their relationship.
Swelling and Irritation, by Doug Besterman & Sharon Faughn, directed by Lorin Latarro, featuring Patti Murin and Colin Donnell. A dual-career couple homeschools their children.
Fatigue, by Ethan Pakchar & Douglas Lyons, directed by Zhailon Levingston, featuring Josh Davis, T. Oliver Reid, and Daniel Yearwood. A Black police officer weighs his career against the passions of his son, a grassroots organizer.
Shortness of Breath, by Zina Goldrich & Marcy Heisler, directed by Jeff Calhoun, featuring Kelli O’Hara and Brian Stokes Mitchell. A widow searches for closure.
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Sutton Foster: Bring Me to Light will stream Apr. 28 – May 31 at NY City Center, directed by Leigh Silverman, with music direction by Michael Rafter.
Kelli O’Hara, Raúl Esparza, Joaquina Kalukango, and Wren Rivera.
During the evening, Sutton and her friends will share stories and songs from Violet, South Pacific, Oklahoma!, Camelot, Anyone Can Whistle, The Wild Party, and more.
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Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced its 2021 season, which will all take place outdoors, socially distanced, and with safety prioritized:
Outside on Main: Nine Solo Plays By Black Playwrights (July 6-25), performed on the front lawn. Each performance consists of three of the nine 30-minute world premieres, created by Black writers Ngozi Anyanwu, France-Luce Benson, J. Nicole Brooks, Guadalís Del Carmen, Terry Guest, Ike Holter, Zora Howard, NSangou Njikam, and Charly Evon Simpson; written for actors of color; and brought to life by directors Wardell Julius Clark, Candis C. Jones, and Awoye Timpo on the Front Lawn of the ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance. The series of three shows centers on and celebrates Black artists and their voices through theatrical storytelling.
Row (July 13 – Aug. 8), world premiere musical by Daniel Goldstein & Dawn Landes, directed by Tyne Rafaeli, featuring Grace McLean. The musical interrogates the reliance, fear, and ambition inside one individual as she aims to be the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic.
Alien/Nation (July 20 – Aug. 8), world premiere written & directed by Michael Arden. The piece takes audiences on a journey throughout Williamstown, revealing unexpected surprises around them and within them.