Due to the COVID-19 virus, there will be limited theatre news for the foreseeable future. I will continue to search for anything meaningful and/or fun to report. Stay safe and healthy.
Today’s Highlights:
* November reading, by David Mamet, starring John Malkovich, Patti LuPone, Dylan Baker, Ethan Phillips, and Michael Nichols, livestreamed at 8 PM ET here. The reading will only be available at this time.
* Hugh Jackman in conversation, livestreamed at 6 PM ET here. Tix: $25.
* “Poetry in America’s” discussion of Stephen Sondheim’s “Finishing the Hat,” with Raúl Esparza, Melissa Errico, Donna Lynne Champlin, Kerry O’Malley, Andrew Arrow, and Adam Gopnik, at 12:30 AM ET on New York City Life. Click here to find a time & station in your area. Watch a preview here.
* “In-Depth Conversations: Falsettos,” in support of BC/EFA, featuring Christian Borle, Stephanie J. Block, Andrew Rannells, Anthony Rosenthal, Tracie Thoms, Brandon Uranowitz, and Betsy Wolfe, livestreamed at 7 PM ET here.
* “54 Celebrates Mel Brooks” livestreamed concert, hosted by Richard Kind, featuring Nick Cearley, Harrison Chad, Veanne Cox, Dan DeLuca, Nathan Lee Graham, Timothy Hughes, Michael Kushner, Charlotte Maltby, Lesli Margherita, Lauren Molina, Brad Oscar, Lee Roy Reams, Jelani Remy, Don Darryl Rivera, Angie Schworer, Adam B. Shapiro, Eric Ulloa, Leigh Zimmerman, Remy Germinario, Mia Gerachis, Danté Jeanfelix, Lindsay Lavin, Rhetta Mykeal, and Ben Schrager, at 6:30 PM ET here.
* Musical Theatre Audition MasterClass, with instructors Debbie Gravitte & Michael Orland, special guests Jerry Mitchell, Garrett Clayton, and Marissa Jaret Winokur, and singers Free Bicknell, Jessica Alexander, Connor Hogg, Audrey Latt, Aubrey Baux, Noland Brown, and Maya Delgado, at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on Zoom (ID: 663 981-0058, no password required).
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Video: “Stars in the House,” with Sally Rudetsky’s Birthday Celebration, including special guests Christine Ebersole, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Norm Lewis. (1:13:12)
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Video: “Plays in the House,” a reading of Tiny Beautiful Things, by Nia Vardalos, featuring Vardalos, Teddy Canēz, Hubert Point-Du-Jour, and Natalie Woolams-Torres. (1:32:16). Available through May 10 at 2 PM ET only.
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ABC will air “The Happy Days of Garry Marshall” on Tues. May 12 at 8 PM.
The special will feature Marshall’s family and friends sharing some of their favorite memories from “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “Mork & Mindy,” and more.
Richard Gere, Hector Elizondo, Julia Roberts, Ron Howard, Don Most, Marion Ross, Anson Williams, Henry Winkler, Cindy Williams, David Lander, Michael McKean, Pam Dawber, Barbara Hershey, Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Chris Pine, Jimmy Kimmel, Abigail Breslin, Yvette Nicole Brown, Cary Elwes, Jennifer Garner, Kate Hudson, Ashton Kutcher, Rob Low, and John Stamos, along with Marshall’s wife Barbara, and their children Scott, Kathleen, and Lori.
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“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” performed by some of your favorites:
Video: Judy Garland
Video: Audra McDonald
Video: Christine Brewer
Video: The Blanks (on the “Scrubs” series finale)
Video: Ariana Grande
Video: Eva Cassidy
Video: Ella Fitzerald
Video: Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole
Video: Patti LaBelle
Video: Ray Charles
Video: Barbra Streisand
Video: Sam Harris (“Star Search” 1984)
Video: Beyonce
Video: Josh Groban
Video: Tony Bennett
Video: A Capella Choir from the Chino Valley Unified School District
Video: Bob Marley
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“The Quarantine Diaries,” a benefit for The Chicago Actors Fund, created by Barbara Hobart, and presenting 11 original monologues, directed by Deanna Reed-Foster, will be livestreamed on Sat. May 9 at 7:30 PM CT on Facebook.
Tanikia Carpenter, Celeste Cooper, Jerre Dye, L. Maceo Ferris, Shelly Goldstein, Andrew Guerdat, Barbara Hobart, Arlene Malinowski, Tiffany Ogelsby, Eileen Reynolds, and Shariba Rivers.
Brianna Buckley, Sidney Charles, Ian Paul Cluster, Ti Nicole Dandridge, Barbar Figgins, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Shelly Goldstein, Saren Nofs Snyder, Sara Sevigny, Terence Sims, and Alee Spadoni.
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Video: “R&H Goes Live!” — Christy Altomare performs “Cockeyed Optimist”
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Broadway On Demand presents “A Night of Covenant House Stars,” in support of Covenant House, on Mon May 18 at 8 PM ET here, hosted by Audra McDonald and John Dickerson. I’ll post the link when its available next week.
& Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, Jon Bon Jovi, Rachel Brosnahan, Stephen Colbert, Martin Short, Dolly Parton, Dionne Warwick, Stephanie J. Block, Tony Shalhoub, Charlie Day, Chris O’Dowd, Zachary Levi, Zachary Quinto, Robin Thicke, Deborah Cox, Quentin Early Darrington, Ariana DeBose, Darius de Haas, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Eden Espinosa, Jordan Fisher, Stephanie Hsu, Randy Jackson, Capathia Jenkins, Jeremy Jordan, Ramona Keller, Alex Newell, Karen Olivo, Dawn O’Porter, Laura Osnes, Benj Pasek, Jodi Picoult, Shereen Pimentel, Andrew Rannells, Keala Settle, Jake David Smith, Will Swenson, Bobby Conte Thornton, Ana Villafane, Frank Wildhorn, the Broadway Inspirational Voices choir, Covenant House Youth, …and more.
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Video: “If Broadway Songs Were About Quarantine”
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Video: “Gone with the Covid,” a “Gone with the Wind” parody, starring Sarah Elizabeth Combs. Hysterical!
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Chicago’s Porchlight Music Theatre has announced updates to its “Sondheim @ 90 Roundtable” series, which takes place every Sat. at 7 PM on the theatre’s Facebook page.
Each episode focuses on a specific Sondheim musical, with special guests presenting videos of Sondheim-inspired performances, providing a lively discussion of that week’s work, and sharing their views on Sondheim’s impact on the performing arts.
Klea Blackhurst, David H. Bell, E. Faye Butler, Jim Corti, David Girolmo, Gary Griffin, James Earl Jones II, Sean Allan Krill, Hollis Resnik, Marc Robin, Jessie Mueller, and David Cromer.
May 9: Follies
May 16: Gypsy
May 23: Sweeney Todd
May 30: Into the Woods
…and watch these previous episodes…
Apr. 15: West Side Story here.
May 2: Sunday in the Park with George here.
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Video: Carrie The Musical ( complete 2012 Off-Broadway revival ), with Molly Ranson (Carrie), Marin Mazie (Margaret White), Christy Altomare (Sue Snell), Derek Klena (Tommy Ross), Jenna de Waal (Chris Hargenson), Ben Thompson (Billy Nolan), and Carmen Cusack (Miss Gardner). (1:48:02)
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Additional performers have been announced for “The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II” on Sun. May 10 at 7 PM on ABC.
Previously announced: Idina Menzel, Ben Platt. Chloe x Halle, Billy Eichner, Hayley Erbert, Josh Gad, Donald Glover, Halsey, Derek Hough, Julianne Hough, Miguel, Keke Palmer, Seth Rogen, Anika Noni Rose, Walter Russell III, Shakira, Rebel Wilson, Merle Dandridge, Heather Headley, Adam Jacobs, Caissie Levy, Kara Lindsay, Kevin Massey, Josh Strickland, and The Muppets.
Newly announced: Christina Aguilera, Tituss Burgess, Sabrina Carpenter, Jennifer Hudson, Lang Lang, John Legend, Katy Perry, Lindsay Arnold, Alan Bersten, Witney Carson, Val Chmerkovskiy, Jenna Johnson, Sasha Farber, and Emma Slater.
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Video: Michael Arden, “One Kind of Word,” from Encore’s Juno (1998). Scroll down…
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“Artists in Residence” a new album of songs recorded in the writers’ homes, will be released digitally on June 26 (link TBA), in support of The Actors Fund and the Dramatist Guild Foundation.
Alan Menken, David Zippel, Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, Todd Almond, Sean Barry, Jenny Giering, Carmel Dean, Andrew Gerle, Adam Gwon, Peter Mills, Ryan Scott Oliver, Eric Price, Will Reynolds, Ben Wexler, Jake Wildhorn, and David and Joseph Zellnik.
TBA.
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Video: Jason Kravits’ concert series (automatically plays the complete series).
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Video: “We’ll Meet Again,” performed by Sharon D. Clarke, Maria Friedman, Louise Dearman, and more West End stars.
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Video: “Husband Number 2,” from Andrew Lippa’s Tiger King: The Musical (A Parody), featuring Frankie James Grande.