Today’s Highlights:
* Lizzie (2015 production), by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer, Alan Stevens Hewitt & Tim Maner, featuring (original cast) Jessica Coker, Elizabeth Curtis, and Melissa Reinertson, streams at 6 PM PT here.
* “Queens of the Kingdom,” featuring cast members from Broadway’s Six — Adrianna Hicks, Abby Mueller, Brittney Mack, and Samantha Pauly, with host David Alpert. livestreams at 8 PM ET here.
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“Dear Hate,” performed by Nick Cordero and Liana Stampur, recorded on Mar. 9, 2020, which turned out to be Nick’s final appearance in public.
the single here.
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The Save Birdland benefit concert has announced that its fundraising campaign will conclude streaming Sun. Jan. 24 at 7 PM ET here.
The event will feature a selection of classic jazz, reimagined standards, stories, greetings, and Birdland memories from an ever-growing roster of talent, including Bill Clinton. Donations to Save Birdland can be made now or during the event on the show’s website.
Clive Davis, Monty Alexander, Lucie Arnaz, Iain Armitage, John Bucchino, Kenneth Ascher, Colleen Ballinger, Erich Bergen, Terence Blanchard, Stephanie J Block, Matthew Broderick, Scott Bradlee, Brenda Braxton, Ken Burns, Gunhild Carling & Her Darlings, Ron Carter, Jim Caruso, Peter Cincotti, Emmett Cohen Trio, George Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, Elvis Costello, Jeff Daniels, Diana DeGarmo, Aisha de Haas, Natalie Douglas, Michelle Dowdy, Christine Ebersole, Kurt Elling, Kevin Eubanks, Giancarlo Esposito, Whoopi Goldberg, Mandy Gonzalez, Tim Guinne,Amanda Green, Julie Halston, John Heginbotham, Sara Hickman, Perez Hilton, Clint Holmes, Sunny Holiday, Demetia Hopkins-Green, Joe Iconis and Family, Sheila Jordan, Stacey Kent, Tory Kittles, Amy Hillner Larsen, Warren Leight, Amanda Lopez, Melissa Leo, Norm Lewis, Tzi Ma, Manhattan Transfer, Wynton Marsalis, Lauren Marcus, Karen Mason, Marilyn Maye, Audra McDonald, Jane Monheit, Susie Mosher, Anson Mount, Bebe Nuewirth, Leslie Odom, Jr., Arturo O’Farrill Quintet, Mandy Patinkin, Christine Pedi, Wendell Pierce, John Pizzarelli, Martha Plimpton, Randy Rainbow, Chita Rivera, Justin “Squigs” Robertson, Mercedes Ruehl, Catherine Russell, Victoria Shaw, Dee Snyder, Billy Stritch, Veronica Swift, Mary Testa, Steve Tyrell, Lillias White, Frank Wildhorn, Steve Wilson, Amra-Faye Wright, Ace Young, Karen Ziemba, Glenn Zaleski, and more TBA.
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Manhattan Theatre Club‘s new monthly series, Snapshots (all links TBA), will premiere 10-minute works created exclusively for the digital format.
* Ritual: A Spell for healing and transformation (premieres Feb. 1-6), by Alexis Scheer, directed by Scheer & Gabrielle Carrubba, features Carrubba, Octavia Chavez-Richmond, Shirley Chen, Ari Groover, and Samantha Williams.
A digital manifestation of magic and intention: Starting on Feb. 1, experience a five-day journey and guide to create your own personal spell for healing and transformation that culminates in a collective gathering and casting of energy at precisely 2:06 PM on Feb. 6.
* Please Welcome Our Guest: A Personality test/performance (dates TBA), written & performed by Liza Birkenmeier, directed by Trish Harnetiaux.
Birkenmeier, a playwright without a personality, gives you a personality assessment. With the help of a surprise guest star and an experimental survey, maybe she’ll guide you toward a better understanding of your unique self.
* Camille A. Brown: A glimpse behind the curtain (dates TBA), conceived & created by Camille A. Brown, featuring Juel D. Lane.
An intimate look inside the mind and creative process of director/choreographer Brown as she prepares for her re-envisioned production of Ain’t Misbehavin’.
* Untitled Vampire Cowboys Project: An original treat for pop culture nerds everywhere (dates TBA), by Qui Nguyen, directed by Robert Ross Parker.
Vampire Cowboys takes viewers on a rollicking ride through the life of the notorious Julie D’Aubigny — the queer, 17th century, opera-singing adventurer from the their hit show, Revenge Song.
See the next article for another MTC reading series…
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Starting in February (all dates and casting TBA), Manhattan Theatre Club has announced another reading series — Curtain Call Series:
* The Past Is the Past, (originally produced in MTC’s 1974-75 season), by Richard Wesley, directed by Oz Scott.
* Three Days of Rain (originally produced in MTC’s 1997-98 season), by Richard Greenberg, directed by Evan Yionoulis.
* Neat (originally produced at MTC in 1997), written & performed by Charlayne Woodard.
* Beauty of the Father (originally produced in MTC’s 2005-06 season), by Nilo Cruz, directed by Michael Greif.
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Dance Film Association presents a livestream pre-premiere conversation of “Isolation to Creation,” on Tues. Jan. 26 at 7:30 PM.
here.
Nic Petry (Filmaker), Julie Rooney (Editor), and Duke Dang (General Manager of the Guggenheim’s Works & Process)
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Video: The Kennedy Center offers two curated selections of previous performances to celebrate yesterday’s inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. (22:22)
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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo released his proposed fiscal year 2022 budget, which would include up to $25 million in tax credits for New York City theatre productions and additional arts benefits across the state.
Under the budget’s Pandemic Recovery and Restart Program, New York City productions would receive up to $25 million in tax credits as the promise of venues reopening their doors is on the horizon. Additionally, productions in the state but outside of the city would continue to receive benefits from the Empire State Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit, which would be extended through 2025 and doubled to up to $8 million.
Also included in the Recovery and Restart Program are similar tax credits—totaling up to $50 million each—under small business and restaurant “Return-to-Work” banners.
The proposal, which is to be reviewed by the Legislature in the first quarter of 2021, arrives on the heels of Cuomo’s announcement of the public-private New York Arts Revival initiative, which includes events across the state, the official opening of the “Little Island” performance center in Chelsea, and the reopening of indoor performance spaces with flexible seating.
These proposals, however, are contingent on the materialization of $15 billion in federal funding—what Cuomo referred to as “fair funding” in his State of the State address. His briefing also outlines a “worst case” allocation of $6 billion, which would portend cuts to school and college programs, Medicaid and various state initiatives, as well as the implementation of a temporary wealth tax.
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“Idol Chat: Jim Morgan schmoozes with Lee Roy Reams” will stream Mon. Jan. 25 at 7 PM ET at Off-Broadway’s York Theatre.
A little gossip. A little chat. A little idol talk on this and that. Lee Roy Reams shares fond memories, anecdotes, and a little gossip from his roles in Broadway’s Applause, Hell, Dolly!, 42nd Street, La Cage aux Folles, The Producers, and more.
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The script of Heidi Schrek’s What the Constitution Means to Me has been published in paperback and Kindle.
Order here.
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Manhattan Theatre Club has announced upcoming readings. Dates and times TBA.
* Three Days of Rain, by Richard Greenberg, directed by Evan Yionoulis, featuring original stars Patricia Clarkson, John Slattery, and Bradley Whitford.
* The Past Is the Past, by Richard Wesley, directed by Oz Scott, featuring TBA.
* Neat, written & performed by Charlayne Woodard.
* Beauty of the Father, by Nilo Cruz, directed by Michael Greif.
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Video: Melissa Errico and Michael Cerveris chat Sondheim and more. (1:25:37)
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An Evening of New Works at the York will stream Fri. Jan. 22 at 7 PM ET at Off-Broadway’s York Theatre, featuring young gifted young songwriters who were finalists for the 2020 NEO of the Future Program, which features musical theatre writing by college students.
Rachel Covey, Daniel Rudin, and Jacob Ryan Smith.
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Video: Natalie Weiss sings “Words Fail” from Dear Evan Hansen
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Off-Broadway’s Amas Musical Theatre will present a reading of Mary McCallum & N’Kenge’s “Black Butterfly” drama TV series with music, on Wed. Feb. 3 at 7 PM ET, followed by & Q&A, directed by Jerry Foley. The reading will remain on-demand through Feb. 6.
N’Kenge, Terence Archie, Tamara Tunie, Benjamin Eakley, Tess Deisz, Kevin Kilner, Tamika Lawrence, Jahzara Martina, and John Preator.
Tahja, a beautiful and multidimensional, aspiring Black opera singer, leaves behing the comforts of family life in Florida, the opportunity to work the family business and her engagement to the perfect “Southern gentleman” to pursue her dreams as a graduate student and the prestigious Julliard School in New York City.
