Today’s Highlights:
* On Love reading & talkback, by Mfoniso Udofia, directed by Awoye Timpo, featuring Temídayo Amay, Antwayn Hopper, Chiké Johnson, Patrice Johnson, Zonya Love, and Anastacia McClesky, streams at 6:30 PM ET at Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater.
* ABC Daytime: Back on Broadway FREE BC/EFA benefit concert, featuring Bobbie Eakes, Melissa Claire Egan, Vincent Irizarry, Eva La Rue, Susan Lucci, Cameron Mathison, Eden Riegel, Chrishell Stause, Walt Willey, Kristen Alderson, BethAnn Fuenmayor, Kathy Brier, Kassie DePaiva, David Gregory, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Catherine Hickland, Mark Lawson, Hillary B. Smith, Jason Tam, Brittany Underwood, Bradford Anderson, Brandon Barash, and Anthony Geary, streams at 7 PM ET here.
**********************
Video: Stars in the House, a Game Night, with special guests Steven Skeels and Jared Bortz, Paul Castree and Nina West. (1:32:54)
**********************
NY’s Forestburgh Playhouse will celebrate its 75th anniversary with Diamond Delirium, a virtual party & fundraiser, which will stream Wed. Feb. 24 at 6:30 PM ET, hosted by Morgan James, Nicholas Rodriguez, Tom Hewitt, and Ed Staudenmayer.
Kate Baldwin, Morgan James, Graham Rowat, Christina Bianco, Kyle Taylor Parker, Kerstin Anderson, and Paige Turner, along with appearances from the theater’s alums/artists.
**********************
The Stratford Festival’s Antony and Cleopatra (2014) will stream Feb. 11 – May 12 at LA’s Center Theatre Group, directed by Gary Griffin.
Yanna McIntosh (Cleopatra), Geraint Wyn Davies (Marc Antony), Sean Arbuckle (Mecenas), Daniel Briere (Eros), Ben Carlson (Octavius Caesar), Ryan Field (Man from Sicyon), Carmen Grant (Octavia), Randy Hughson (Lepidus), Peter Hutt (Agrippa), Andrew Lawrie (Diomedes), Jamie Mac (Towrus), Anthony Malarky (Dolabella/Thidias), Jennifer Mogbock (Iras), André Morin (Varrius), Karack Osborn (Scarrus), Andrew Robinson (Ventidius), Brad Rudy (Manas/Camidus), Stephen Russell (Soothsayer), E.B. Smith (Alexas/Proculeius), Brian Tree (Pompey/Clown), and Sophia Walker (Charmian).
**********************
Off-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater will present a benefit reading of Hannah Cowley’s The Belle’s Stratagem on Mon. Feb. 22 at 7:30 PM ET, directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch.
Lilli Cooper and Santino Fontana, with Cecil Baldwin, Jasmine Batchelor, Mard Bedard, Neal Bledsoe, Peter Jay Fernandez, Tony Jenkins, Lauren Karaman, Aaron Krohn, Heather Alicia Simms, and Chauncy Thomas.
In this light-hearted comedy of courtship, the knife-sharp belle Letitia has been betrothed to the foppish Doricourt since childhood, but fears she is soon to be trapped in a loveless marriage. With the help of the sly Mrs. Racket, the saucy Mrs. Ogle, and country Lady Frances Touchwood — whose sniveling husband is terrified of her discovering city life — Letitia hatches a plan to fascinate her fiancé, ensuring that he knows he is soon to be wed to an equal partner. The women conspire to open the eyes of the men — dancing rings around them at a masquerade ball where mistaken identities ensure joyous resolution.
**********************
Broadway Record and Black Theatre Coalition have announced the creation of a new album, “Black Writers Amplified,” which will be released this year (exact date TBA).
The album will consist of entirely new works (appx. 12 tracks) by Black musical theatre writers. Each participating writer will contribute a never-before recorded composition from a musical theatre piece. Songs will be selected by a panel of experienced industry professionals. In addition to elevating the voices of black writers, the production of the album will also created opportunities for Black engineers, arrangers, orchestrators, musical directors, copyists, musical contractors and musicians.
Established and emerging black musical theatre writers are encouraged to submit their new work for consideration. Click here for additional information and submission guidelines (deadline: Mar. 31, 2021).
**********************
Cambridge’s A.R.T.‘s reimagined digital version of Idris Goodwin’s Hype Man: a break beat play will stream Apr. 8 – May 6, directed by Shawn LaCount.
Frontman Pinnacle and his hype man Verb have been making Hip-Hop together since they were kids. Now that they’ve got top-notch beatmaker Peep One in the mix, the group is finally on the verge of making it big — until the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager shakes the trio to its core, and forces them to navigate issues of friendship, race, and privilege.
**********************
The Broadway-aimed Some Like It Hot has added another writer to the creative team. Joining Matthew Lopez is Amber Ruffin. With score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the new musical will be directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw.
The musical now aims to premiere on Broadway in 2022.
**********************
Video: Cynthia Erivo sings “Chain of Fools” in a new trailer for “Genius: Aretha,” which premieres Mar. 21 on National Geographic.
**********************
John Robert Allman & Peter Emmerich‘s “B Is For Broadway” will be released Oct. 12. A portion of the profits will go to The Actors Fund. 
here.
The book celebrates leading men, like Lin-Manuel Mirand and Joel Grey, as well as the folks out of the spotlight, opening doors to the whole process of putting on a show.
**********************
Austin Winsberg, Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner’s First Date Musical will begin streaming Feb. 12 on BroadwayHD, filmed at London’s Crazy Coqs, and directed by Dean Johnson.
Samantha Barks (Casey) and Simon Lipkin (Aaron), with Nicholas McLean (Man #1), Oscar Conlon-Morrey (Man #2), Rufus Kampa (Young Aaron), and Danielle Steers (Woman #1).
**********************
Marriage: The Ups and Downs… in Song — A Cabaret Valentine will stream Feb. 12-15 at Off-Broadway’s York Theatre. Pay-what-you-can here.
Diane Love and Jay Nickerson.
**********************
Off-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater presents a reading of Hannah Cowley’s The Belle’s Stratagem on Mon. Feb. 22 at 7:30 PM ET, directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch.
Cecil Baldwin, Jasmine Batchelor, Mark Bedard, Neal Bledsoe, Lilli Cooper, Peter Jay Fernandez, Santino Fontana, Tony Jenkins, Lauren Karaman, Aaron Krohn, Luis Quintero, Heather Alicia Simms, and Chauncy Thomas.
In this light-hearted comedy of courtship, the knife-sharp Letitia has been betrothed to the foppish Doricourt since childhood, but she fears she is soon to be trapped in a loveless marriage. With the help of the sly Mrs. Racket, the saucy Mrs. Ogle, and country Lady Frances Touchwood whose sniveling husband is terrified of her discovering city life, Letitia hatches a plan to fascinate her fiancé, ensuring that he knows he is soon to be wed to an equal partner. The women conspire to open the eyes of the men — dancing figs around them at a masquerade ball where mistaken identities ensure joyous resolution.
**********************
New Normal Rep, a new streaming theater company dedicated to producing reflective and inclusive plays, has announced the first two productions in its inaugural 4-play season:
* Jericho (Mar. 4 – Apr. 4), by Jack Canfora, directed by Marsha Mason, featuring Jill Eikenberry, C.K. Allen, Eleanor Handley, Jason O’Connell, Michael Satow, and Carol Todd. Several years after tragedy impacted their lives, a family comes together once again for Thanksgiving dinner. While family members struggle to come to terms with residual anger, grief, and guilt, the play explores how people cope with personal and collective catastrophe.
* Two Sisters and a Piano (Apr. 21 – May 23), written & directed by Nilo Cruz, starring Jimmy Smits. Set in 1991, during the Pan American Games in Havana, and while the Russians are pulling out of Cuba, the play portrays two sisters, Maria Celia, a novelist, and Sofia, a pianist, serving time under house arrest. Passion infiltrates politics when a lieutenant assigned to their case becomes infatuated with Maria Callas, whose literature he has been reading.
**********************
Broadway On Demand has announced two streaming productions:
* F*ck 7th Grade (streams Feb. 12-26), written by & starring Jill Sobule. directed by Lisa Peterson. The piece takes audiences through a Rock’n’roll celebration of coming of age and coming out.
* The Last Five Years (streams Feb. 12-19 here), directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, starring Molly Lynch (Cathy) and Oli Higginson (Jamie)
**********************
Giles Terera (Best Actor Olivier Award for Aaron Burr in Hamilton), has written Black Matter, a new song cycle, based on his observations of the changing streets of Soho during a summer in lockdown.
The piece will stream Mar. 24 -31 here.
**********************
Seth MacFarlane: An Evening of Songs Benefiting MPTF & BrightFocus Foundation will stream Sat. Feb. 13 at 7 PM PT here.