Today’s Highlights:
* Godspell, outdoor production, directed by Alan Filderman, featuring Nicholas Edwards (Jesus), with Tim Jones (Judas) and Hanna Koczela (Host), with Alex Getlin, Najah Hetsberger, Kimberly Immanuel, Isabel Jordan, Emily Koch, Brandon Lee, Dan Rosales, Michael Wartella, and Zach Williams, previews at MA’s Berkshire Theatre Group.
* The Homebound Project: Series 5 new works, in support of children affected by Covid-19, featuring plays by Melis Aker, Lloyd Suh, Lena Dunham, Ryan J. Haddad, Sylvia Khoury, Donnetta Lavinia Grays, Stephen Karam, Lindsey Ferrentino, Craig Lucas, Basil Kreimendahl, Catya McMullen, and Korde Arrington Tuttle, directed by Tatiana Pandiani, Colette Robert, Maggie Burrows, Jaki Bradley, Scott Ellis, Pam MacKinnon, Samantha Soule, Jenna Worsham, featuring Brian Cox & Nicole Ansari-Cox, Christopher Oscar Peña, Daniel K. Isaac, Andy Lucien, Laurie Metcalf, Kelli O’Hara, Austin Pendleton, Cesar J. Rosado, Amanda Seyfried, and Johnny Sibilly, begins streaming here (scroll down), and continues through Aug. 9.
* Cuttin’ Up FREE benefit reading, by Charles Randolph-Wright, directed by Carl Cofield, featuring Joe Morton, Blair Underwood, Dyllon Burnside, Tisha Campbell, Charles Browning, Godfrey The Comedian, Reynaldo Piniella, and Marcel Spears, streams at 12 PM ET here (through Aug. 9).
* Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater‘s Love Stories, Judith Jamison’s 2006 collaboration with Rennie Harris and Robert Battle, directed by Phil Bertelsen, set to the music of Stevie Wonder, streams at 7 PM ET (available through Aug. 13).
* “BPN Town Hall: My Broadway Memory” conversation about all things “Smash,” featuring Megan Hilty and Marc Shaiman, streams at 7 PM ET here.
**********************
Video: A tribute to Nick Cordero, featuring cast members from the 2015 Off-Broadway production of Brooklynite — Matt Doyle, Nicolette Robinson, Ann Harada, John-Michael Lyles, Manik Choski, Remy Zaken, Grace McLean, Andrew Call, Gerard Canonico, Carla Duren, Max Chernin, Alex Boniello, and Tom Alan Robbins, plus composer Peter Lerman on guitar — who perform the show’s “Rescue Waltz.”
**********************
Video: “Stars in the House,” a Freestyle Love Supreme reunion, with Andrew Bancroft, Tarik R. Davis, Aneesa Folds, Arthur Lewis, Kaila Mullady, Chris Sullivan, and Anthony Veneziale. (1:09:56)
**********************
Live with Carnegie Hall
Video: Judi Collins (1:12:03)
Video: Auudra McDonald (1:17:37)
Video: Isaac Stern: Centenary (59:12)
Video: Michael Feinstein: It’s De-lovely – The Songs of Cole Porter (), with special guests Storm Large and Catherine Russell (1:08:40)
Video: Juneteenth Celebration (1:16:26)
Video: Michael Feinstein: America’s Schubert – The Songs of Iriving Berlin, with special guests Laura Osnes, Santino Fontana, Cheyenne Jackson, Kelli O’Hara, and Tony Yazbeck. (57:45)
Video: Renée Fleming. (56:18)
Video: Michael Feinstein: ‘SWonderful: Celebrating the Music of George Gershwin, with special guests Christine Ebersole and Alicia Hall Moran. (53:53)
Video: Ute Lemper (1:28:45)
Video: Titus Burgess (1:22:37)
**********************
Scenes from Encores’ Brigadoon (2017), with Kelli O’Hara, Patrick Wilson, Aasif Mandvi, Stephanie J. Block, and Robert Fairchild.
**********************
Chicago’s Porchlight Music Theatre presents its 3-day PorchlightPalooza Aug. 21-23 (all at 7 PM CT):
Fri. Aug. 21: Concert, offering songs from throughout the years, with music direction by Michael McBride, featuring Brian Acker, Adrian Aguilar, Missy Aguilar, Charissa Armon, Jayson Brooks, Caron Buinis, Lydia Burke, David Girolmo, Lucy Godinez, Sharriese Hamilton, Jermaine Hill, Callie Johnson, Donterrio Johnson, Michelle Lauto John Marshall, Jr., Alexis J Roston and Stephanie Stockstill.
Sat. Aug. 22: a showcase of emerging artists, with music direction by Linda Madnoa, featuring E. Faye Butler, Matt Crowle, James Earl Jones II, Heidi Kettenring and Gene Weygandt.
Sun. Aug. 23: honoring Joel Grey in conversation with Bill Kurtis, featuring highlights from Grey’s career, and greetings from Bob Balaban, Patrick Cassidy, Kristin Chenoweth, Raul Esparza, Josh Gad, Tom Kitt, David Mamet, Joe Mantegna, Howard McGillin, Mandy Patinkin, Benj Pasek, Bernadette Peters, Lonny Price, Chita Rivera, Susan Stroman, Paul Oakley Stovall, Stephen Wallem and Maury Yeston, along with performances by Andres Enriquez, Erica Evans, Cory Goodrich, Christopher Kelley, Laura Savage and Joey Stone.
**********************
RIP: Eric Bentley, drama critic, translator, playwright, poet, educator, and stage director, has died at the age of 103.
Bentley’s criticism is noteworthy for covering practical, aesthetic, and philosophical aspects of theatre, stemming from a belief that art must rescue humanity from meaninglessness, as well as a noted distaste for mainstream theatre, including Broadway.
In 1952, he succeeded Harold Clurman as drama critic for The New Republic. His work has also been featured in The New York Times,The Nation, Theatre Arts, and The Times Literary Supplement in London.
**********************
Video: The winner of the “A Song for Our Time” contest is “Looking at the Moon,” by Amir Shoenfeld & Caitlyn Burt, performed by Hadley Fraser, with vocals by Lizzie Bea, Danny Becker, Caitlyn Burt, Natalie Chua, Christopher Dickins, Laura Frances, Gabriela García, Natalie Green, Alex Hammond, Tom Hier, Sarah Ingram, Devon-Elise Johnson, Kurt Kansley, Shane McDaid, Gemma McMeel, Manuel Pacific, Sam O’Rourke, Ben Sell, Samuel Thomas, Laura Thomson, and Paul Wilkins.
Contestants were asked to write an original song in response to the effects of the global pandemic.
**********************
Off-Broadway’s Irish Rep presents Barry Day’s Love Noël: the songs and letters of Noël Coward, to stream Aug. 11-16, directed by Charlotte Moore.
Steve Ross and K.T. Sullivan
In this intimate performance, Steve and KT transform into some of the many characters that made up Coward’s unique life — Gertrude Lawrence, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Elaine Stritch, Lynn Fontanne, Virginia Woolf, Edna Ferber, the Queen Mother, and, of course, Noël Coward.
**********************
The world premiere of Stephen Beresford’s Three Kings has been postponed again, due to star Andrew Scott’s continued recovery from a minor surgical procedure (not Covid-19 related). New dates TBA.
The solo play, written specifically for Andrew Scott, will be streamed live directly from the the stage of London’s Old Vic, directed by Matthew Warchus.
When Patrick is eight years old, his absent father returns unexpectedly and in a brief but memorable encounter, sets him the challenge of “The Three Kings.” Years later, Patrick traces these events of his father’s life and takes us on a journey of grandiose plans, aching disappointments, and audacious self-delusion.
**********************
The Muny 2020 Summer Variety Hour Live, Episode 4, will stream Mon. Aug. 10 at 8:15 PM CT here, and will include:
* Scenes from vault productions of Annie, West Side Story, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Jersey Boys, and The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
* Jason Gotay and Michael Hartung perform “Song on the Sand” from La Cage aux Folles.
* Kennedy Holmes, “The Voice” 2018 finalist, performs “Children Will Listen” from Into the Woods.
* Meet Me In St. Louis (2018) cast members perform the title song.
* “Tap Your Troubles Away,” choreographed by Katie Johannigman, performed remotely by many Muny artists from the last decade.
* “Speechless,” a contemporary dance piece directed & choreographed by Jack Sippel, performed by local Muny Teen alums.
* The Muny Teens sing “It Roars” from Mean Girls.
* “Do-Re-Mi,” filmed at the Muny, featuring members of The Muny Kid and Teens.
* Jenny Powers and Matt Cavenaugh perform “New Words,” by Maury Yeston.
* Behind-the-scenes stories about what’s happening at the Muny.
* “Munywood Squares,” a hilarious Muny-themed game show, hosted by Gordon Greenberg, featuring E. Faye Butler, J. Harrison Ghee, Ann Harada, Raymond J. Lee, Vicki Lewis, Steve Rosen, Jeffrey Schecter, John Scherer and Christopher Sieber.
… and much more …
**********************
Broadway Bares: Zoom In (Aug. 1) raised $596,504 for BC/EFA.
**********************
CT’s Goodspeed Theatre has announced its outdoor concert series, Goodspeed by the River, to run Aug. 20 – Sept. 6 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday evenings, all at 6 PM ET) on the Goodspeed lawn.
The Broadway-inspired bluegrass quartet The Playbillies — Andrew Crowe, Matt Cusack, Mike Rosengarten, and Sam Sherwood.
The concerts will overlook the scenic Connecticut River while featuring songs, stories and plenty of live music from some of Goodspeed’s favorite performers. Pack your picnic basket and lawn chairs and bring the family for a safe, fun and enjoyable Goodspeed evening.