Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 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.
In addition, with national protests in full swing, and many events being postponed or cancelled, I don’t know when more theatre news will be available, so newsletters may be even shorter for awhile…
Today’s Highlights:
* Jeremy Jordan & Seth Rudetsky in concert, streamed at 3 PM ET here.
* “Trivia Tuesday Happy Hour” game show, with Caitlin Kinnunen, in support of BC/EFA, at 5 PM ET here.
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Video: Opening number of the upcoming Broadway revival of Company, with Katrina Lenk, Patti LuPone, and the entire cast.
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Video: “Stars in the House,” with guest host Andrea Burns, and featuring Joshua Henry and Robin de Jesus. (1:02:14)
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Houston’s TUTS had planned to launch its 2020-21 season early this Fall, but has now rescheduled its season:
New schedule:
* The Little Mermaid (Dec. 6-24, 2020)
* South Pacific (Feb. 9-21, 2021)
* Sister Act (Apr. 6-18, 2021)
* Come From Away (May 18-30, 2021) national tour
* Rock of Ages (Aug. 10-22, 2021)
* 1776 (Sept. 28 – Oct. 10, 2021), directed by Diane Paulus, with the complete 2021 Broadway cast.
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Video: “The New World,” by Jason Robert Brown. Gorgeous
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NJ’s Paper Mill Playhouse has announced in-person dining as of tomorrow. The Carriage House Restaurant is also offering curbside pickup, with a live cabaret on Saturday nights.
The restaurant will be open from 5 PM Wed-Saturday for prix fixe dinner, as well as high-top seating for small plates and cocktails. Brunch is available on Sundays from 11 AM – 2 PM.
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“Plays in the House” will present Project Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession on Sat. June 20 at 2 PM ET here, narrated & directed by David Staller.
Tonya Pinkins (Mrs. Warren), Midori Francis, David Huynh, James Monroe Iglehart, Thom Sesma, and Raphael Nash thompson.
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Video: Trailer for Season 2 of “The Politician,” starring Ben Platt, will premiere June 19 on Netflix, with special guests Judith Light, and Bette Midler,
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“The Broadway Q&A Series” will go live on Wed. June 17 at 1 PM ET here. The series will be available to watch on demand following the live stream. This week’s guest is Jack O’Brien.
Click here to submit a question to O’Brien.
The hour-long series of live interviews with Broadway professionals on Mondays and Wednesdays at 1 PM ET.
:
June 22: Bartlett Sher
June 24: Lorin Latarro
June 29: Walter Bobbie
July 1: Jerry Mitchell
July 6: Sergio Trujillo
July 8: Denis Jones
July 13: Andrew Lippa
July 15: Alex Lacamoire
July 22: Kathleen Marshall
Video: View past interviews with:
* Susan Stroman
* Jerry Zaks
* Marc Shaiman
* Stafford Arima
* Black theatre artists
* JoAnn M. Hunter
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LA’s IAMA Theatre Company has announced its Stage Play Writing Competition:
* Industry professionals will help choose the winning script, which will receive a $1,000 cash prize.
* The winning script will be circulated to Screencrafts network of playwrights, theater companies, producers, literary managers, agents, and award-winning playwrights
* The winner will be given a week-long workshop, produced by IAMA, and culminating in a reading before an audience of writers and entertainment professionals.
Click here for additional information, submission guidelines and to submit.
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The Metropolitan Opera has announced upcoming presentations, all at 7:30 PM ET, and available for 23 hours.
June 15 : Armida, by Rossini, conducted by Riccardo Frizza; starring Renée Fleming, Lawrence Brownlee, John Osborn, Barry Banks, and Kobie van Rensburg. (originally broadcast 5-1-10.)
June 16: Semiramide, by Rossini, conducted by Maurizio Benini; starring Angela Meade, Elizabeth DeShong, Javier Camarena, Ildar Abdrazakov, and Ryan Speedo Green. (originally broadcast 3-10-18)
June 17: Iphigénie en Tauride, by Gluck, conducted by Patrick Summers; starring Susan Graham, Plácido Domingo, and Paul Groves. (originally broadcast 2-6-11),
June 18: La Forza del Destino, conducted by James Levine; starring Leontyne Price, Giuseppe Giacomini, Leo Nucci, and Bonaldo Giaiotti. (0riginally broadcast 3-24-84.)
June 20: Akhnaten, by Philip Glass, conducted by Karen Kamensek; starring Dísella Lárusdóttir, J’Nai Bridges, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Aaron Blake, Will Liverman, Richard Bernstein, Zachary James. (originally broadcast 11-23-19)
June 21: Satyagraha, by Philip Glass, conducted by Dante Anzolini, starring Rachelle Durkin, Richard Croft, Kim Josephson, and Alfred Walker. (originally broadcast 11-9-11)
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ShowTix4U, a new theatrical platform from Music Theatre International and Broadway Media Distribution, will launch on Thurs. June 18.
Aimed at amateur and community theatres in North America, the platform offers one comprehensive portal to obtain streaming rights, sell tickets, capture and stream performances both live and on demand, and pay royalties.
ShowTix4U will host informational tutorials on Tuesdays and Fridays at 1PM ET here.
The services hopes to offer not only a new performance venue for theatres impacted by the spread of COVID-19, but also a way to make filmed archival performances available on demand as a new revenue source.
Broadway Media’s involvement in the partnership includes the ability for users to get a suite of services—including specialized software, training, and both sales and rentals of streaming equipment—allowing for a range of production levels from single stationary camera setups to multi-camera recordings.
This new platform will only be available for use with titles for which MTI is authorized to provide streaming rights, a list that MTI expects to grow over time. A complete list of shows with streaming rights is available here.
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An updated list of performers have been announced for Playbill’s Pride Spectacular, in support of BC/EFA, on Sun. June 28 at 8 PM ET here, with music direction by John McDaniel.
Harvey Fierstein, Brando, Victor Dixon, Michael McElroy, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten, John Tartaglia, Eden Espinosa, L Morgan Lee, Mars Rucker, John McGinty, Michael R. Jackson, John Cameron Mitchell, Jenn Colella, Caitlin Kinnunen, Mj Rodrguez, Cheyenne Jackson, Shakina Nayfack, Matt Gould, Griffin Matthews, Matt Rodin, and Miriam Shor.
Sergio Trujillo, Matthew Lopez, Clint Ramos, and more.
The event will feature iconic musical numbers that highlight LGBTQIA+ stories in musical theatre sung by members of the Broadway LGBTQIA+ community and its allies as well as appearances from theatre legends.
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The 93rd Academy Awards telecast, which had been postponed to Feb. 28, 2021, has now been rescheduled to Apr. 25, 2021.
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An online reading of Richard Allen & Taran Gray’s Walt and Roy will take place Thurs. July 9 at 8 PM ET, in support of BC/EFA, directed by Richard Allen, with music direction by Charlie Reuter.
here.
Payson Lewis (Walt Disney) and Jonah Platt (Roy Disney), with Conner Peirson (Ub Iwerks), Chelsea Lapp, Alex Arthur, Kürt Norby, Thomas Reasoner, Jon Sangster, Victoria Beall, Lafras Le Roux, Scott Redmond, Hailee Lipscomb, Nathan Nonhof, Justin Kent, Cavin Mohrhardt, and Bryan Porter.
The musical follows the brothers Disney from planting their roots in Los Angeles in 1923 to developing their film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937.
