Today’s Highlights:
* 2020 Obie Award presentations, streamed at 8 PM ET here.
* The Metropolitan Opera‘s La Traviata (1981), featuring Ileana Cotrubaș, Plácido Domingo, and Cornell MacNeil, and conducted by James Levine, streams at 7:30 PM ET (and available for 23 hours).
* “Kay Ballard: The Show Goes On,” documentary screening, including interviews with Ann-Margret, Carol Burnett, Harold Prince, Carol Channing, Michael Feinstein, Rex Reed, Joy Behar, and more, streamed at 8 PM ET here (also July 15 at 3 PM ET). 
Video: trailer
* Night of A Thousand Judys benefit concert, featuring Lena Hall, Natalie Douglas, Eva Noblezada, Nathan Lee Graham, Adam Pascal, Beth Malone, Alice Ripley, George Salazar, Ann Harada, T. Oliver Reid, Jessica Vosk, Spencer Day, and Bright Light Bright Light, streamed at 8 PM ET here.
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Video: “Stars in the House,” spotlighting the Manhattan School of Music, with guest host Andréa Burns, and student Elizabeth Baxley. (54:58)
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NJ’s Two River Theater presents reading of Paul Osborn’s On Borrowed Time, in support of The Actors Fund, to take place Aug. 5 (Act I) & 6 (Act II) at 7 PM ET, directed by Joel Grey.
Blair Brown, Michael Cumpsty, Oakes Fegley, Bill Irwin, Bebe Neuwirth, Phillipa Soo, Steven Skybell, and Sam Waterson.
A magical fantasy about the love between a little boy and his Gramps. When Death himself pays them a visit in the form of a man named Mr. Brink, Gramps outwits him — trapping Brink in a tree and refusing to let him down.
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Marcia Cross will receive the 2020 Marin Mazzie Award for Empowerment on July 16 during the Cancer Support Community’s Virtual Celebration for her work as an outspoken patient advocate.
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Upcoming guests in the Broadway Q&A Series: (following the livestream, all at 1 PM ET, the interviews will be available here)
July 15: Music Supervisor Alex Lacamoire will answer questions about creating Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, In the House, and more. Click here to submit a question.
July 20: Tom Kitt
July 22: Kathleen Marshall
July 27: Scott Ellis
July 29: Conor McPerson
Aug. 3: Marc Bruni
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Congratulations to Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita who are now new parents. Beckett Mercer Ferguson-Mikita was born on July 7.
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Video: Scenes from Broadway’s Peter and the Starcatcher (2012), featuring Christian Borle, Adam Chanler-Berat, Celia Keenan-Bolger, and more. (1:01:02)
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Andrew Lloyd Webber is officially taking legal action against Donald Trump.
Last month, Betty Buckley called on Webber to send a cease-and-desist notice to the Trump campaign, as the song “Memory” continues to be played at his rallies.
Now action has officially been taken by Webber’s Really Useful Group.
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Upcoming Broadway musical presentations on PBS:
July 24: She Loves Me (Broadway 2016 revival), directed by Scott Ellis, starring Laura Benanti, Zachary Levi, Jane Krakowski, and Gavin Creel.
July 31: Present Laughter (Broadway 2017 revival), directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, starring Kevin Kline, Kate Burton, Kristine Nielsen, and Cobie Smulders.
Aug. 7: “In the Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams” documentary.
Aug. 14: Much Ado About Nothing ( 2019 Shakespeare in the Park production), directed by Kenny Leon, starring Danielle Brooks and Grantham Coleman.
Aug. 21: The King and I (London 2018), directed by Bartlett Sher, starring Kelli O’Hara, Ken Watanabe, and Ruthie Ann Miles.
Currently available:
* Twilight: Los Angeles, written by & starring Anna Deavere Smith
* Macbeth, starring Patrick Stewart and Kate Fleetwood.
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Video: Andrew Lippa answers questions about his process and his musicals.
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Broadway Theatre Studio will produce a festival of live productions specifically created for online performances, to run this Fall. The winner, chosen by a panel of judges,, as well as an Audience Choice Award winner voted on by festival viewers. Both winning productions will receive a $1,500 cash prize.
Theatre fans looking to attend the festival will be able to purchase all-access festival passes for $2.99, with $1 from each ticket going to The Actors Fund.
Writers are encouraged to create works that can be experienced simultaneously with other audience members regardless of physical location or proximity, and that specifically embrace the live nature of the performances. The festival will feature cutting-edge technology from BeTerrific that brings the live theatre experience online, in hopes that participating theatre makers can use the festival to lead the charge in redefining the art from in the wake of the current health crisis.
Click here for submission guidelines and to submit (deadline: Aug. 13).
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Michael Lavine will present a Webinar Zoominar series: Moment Matinee Presents Songs of the Decade in a 3-part series on July 16, 23 & 30, from 3-5 PM ET. Register here.
July 16: The Roaring Twenties:
Steven Bringberg will discuss the history of the song “My Man” and Fanny Brice and eventually Barbra Streisand’s performance of the song in the film “Funny Girl.”
Jay Aubrey Jones will perform a little-known Gershwin song.
Brian Gari will talk about his grandfather, Eddie Cantor, and will perform”Makin’ Whoopee”
Rebecca Luker will perform a world premiere song, “Dancing Honeymoon,” from Battling Butler (1923), which played on the West End before transferring to Broadway
Laura Osnes will perform “In the Meantime,” from Good News (1927)
Information on the July 23 & 30 events TBA.
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Video: Carol Burnett and Alan Arkin perform “They’re Playing Our Song” (1979). Hysterical.
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“Rebuilding Broadway,” hosted by Erika Alexander, will take place Thurs. July 16 at 8 PM ET here.
Karen Olivo, James Monroe Iglehart, Nik Walker, Adrianna Hicks, and Brittney Mack.
The panel will discuss how to create an equitable, anti-racist, and safe Broadway community.
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Video: Audra McDonald performs “Down with Love”
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Originally scheduled to stream on the Paramount Network, Darren Starr’s comedy series “Emily in Paris” will now debut on Netflix this Fall (date TBA).
Lily Collins, Ashley Park and Kate Walsh, with Samuel Arnold, Philippine Leroy Beaulieu, Lucas Bravo, Camile Razat, Bruno Gouery, William Abadie, and Arnaud Viard.
A 20-something marketing strategist packs up her life and moves to Paris to pursue her dream job. Once there, she must navigate life as she makes new friends and finds love.
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Video: 22 Amazing details that make Hamilton even better. (12:07)
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LA’s Geffen Playhouse presents its annual Backstage Live at the Geffen on Sat. Aug. 22 at 7 PM PT, hosted by Rory O’Malley.
Diane Keaton, Gloria Calderón Kellet, and Frank Mancuso.
The festivities will include unscripted, unannounced surprise performers and storytellers sharing songs and personal stories of life behind-the-scenes.
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Video: A discussion of Pop Songs based on Classical Music Melodies. Great fun.
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Project Sing Out! benefit concert will take place Mon. July 20 at 7 PM ET here, in support of the Educational Theatre Foundation, which is committed to increassing theatre education in under-resourced schools, specifically in low-income communities of color.
Chita Rivera, Don Cheadle, Vanessa Williams, Audra McDonald, LaChanze, Ruthie Ann Miles, Brandon Victor Dixon, Ramin Karimloo, Ali Stroker, Will Swenson, Javier Muñoz, Jordan Fisher, Jenna Ushkowitz, Peppermint, Jamie Brewer, Celia Rose Gooding, Adam Jacobs, Ana Villafañe, Rodney Hicks, Jon Rua, Telly Leung, Quentin Earl Darrington, Jelani Alladin, Joshua Castille, Antonio Cipriano, and Ilda Mason.
Whoopi Goldberg, Lea Salonga, George Salazar, Colman Domingo, Hailey Kilgore, Robin Roberts, BD Wong, Lyn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Sycon Sengbloh,DeMarius R. Copes, Camille A. Brown, Willie Barson, Eden Espinosa, Nikki Renée Daniels, Aurelia Williams, Tally Sessions, Jonathan Raviv, Sharone Sayegh, Christiani Pitts, Antoine L. Smith), Catherine Foster, Jeff Kready, Julie Foldesi, George Psomas, Bobby Cronin, Max Vernon, Mia Williamson, Emerson Davis, Bryan Fenkart, Skizzo Arnedillo, Dustin Sullivan, Rachel Flynn, Joanna Carpenter, Vishal Vaidya , and Vivek Tiwary.
Brianna Mercado, Kellie Jean Hoagland, Elodie Dufroux, Emily Knieriem Dan Castiglione, Mark Cruz, Rebecca Corrigan, Gina DePool, and Emily Greenwell; featured students Hailey Thomas, John Claud Yambao, Makayla Bird, Madison Fraser, Vikas Venuthurupalli, RJ Christian, Neifert Enrique, and Apryl Walker.
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Video: Original Hamilton cast surprises Emily Blunt’s daughter and sings “Alexander Hamilton”
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The Virtual Fire Island Dance Festival, in support of Dancers Responding to AIDS, will take place Fri. July 17 at 7 PM ET here.
presenting world premiere pieces:
* Oscar Joy, featuring Ayodele Casel
* When the Sun Comes Out, by Larry Kiegwin, featuring Jonvan Dansberry, Yukiko Kashiki, Christopher Mai, Jerry Mitchell, Ricky Schroeder, Vernon Scott, Hal Hayes, Nicole Louftaine, Matthew Markoff, Eng Kian Ooi, Norman Simon, Kendra Verderosa, Adam Rei Siegel, and Beau Speer.
* Are You Lonesome Tonight, featuring Lloyd Knight, with Nicholas Sciscione.
* An Untitled Love (an excerpt), by Kyle Abraham, featuring Calvin Royall, Tamisha Guy,and Calvin Royal III.
* Weekend ’76, by Al Blackstone.
* Continuum, by Garret Smith, featuring Christopher D’Ariano and Lucien Postlewaite.
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Video: Jason Graae performs “Madeleine” from Jacques Brel is Alive & Well & Living in Paris. Hysterical!
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Cinderella, originally scheduled to run this Fall at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, will now begin previews Mar. 19, 2021 and open Apr. 7, directed by Laurence Connor, with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter.
Carrie Hope Fletcher (Cinderella) and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Stepmother), with more TBA.
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The Metropolitan Opera will stream Porgy and Bess on Fri. July 17 at 9 PM ET on PBS (check local listings), starring Eric Owens and Angel Blue.