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 are 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:
* Off-Broadway venues begin to open their doors, providing shelter and services as an answer to a call placed by Open Your Lobby, offering supplies (such as water, snacks, first aid, PPE), and services (including WiFi, charging outlets, and restrooms). Participating theatres (so far): Second Stage, Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theatre, MCC Theater, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Atlantic Theatre Company, New York Theatre Workshop, The Public Theater, Club Cumming, A.R.T. New York, and Irondale Ensemble Project.
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Video: Opening number from the 2011 Tony Awards, with Neil Patrick Harris.
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Video: Opening number from the 2013 Tony Awards, with Neil Patrick Harris.
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Video: “I’ve Decided to Marry You” from A Genteleman’s Guide… (2014 Tony Awards).
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A series of Zoom performances of Duncan Macmillan’s Lungs will run June 28 – July 4 at London’s Old Vic, directed by Matthew Warchus. After purchasing a ticket, a unique login will be sent at least 24 hours in advance of the performance.
Claire Foy and Matt Smith
A dazzlingly funny and deeply moving play about the struggles of sharing, building and making a life in the context of a seemingly doomed world. No doubt it will resonate in many news ways right now.
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Off-Broadway’s Sheen Center will present Poetry in American – Live, featuring Sondheim’s “Finishing the Hat” on Fri. June 12 at 3 PM ET, hosted by Elisa New.
Melissa Errico, Adam Gopnick, and music director Tedd Firth.
The event will celebrate the work of Sondheim through performance of his songs and discussion of the lyrics to this particular song.
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Video: “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught,” from the “South Pacific” film (1958)
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Video: “The Promise of Light Song,” by Georgia Stitt, performed by the Virtual High School Choir Festival Singers.
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Video: At NYU‘s Steinhardt School, the cast of the 50th anniversary cast of Applause was joined by original Broadway cast members Len Cariou, Penny Fuller, and Lee Roy Reams for a salute to composer Charles Strouse, by singing the title number.
NYU plans to present the musical in Winter 2021.
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Of-Broadway’s Red Bull Theater presents a reunion livestream reading of The Government Inspector on Mon. June 15 at 7:30 PM ET here, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, and directed by Jesse Berger.
Arnie Burton, Stephen DeRosa, Michael McGrath, Mary Testa, and Michael Urie.
All politics are local. This deeply silly satire of small-town corruption offers a riotous portrait of rampaging self-delusion. When the crooked leadership of provincial village discovers that an undercover inspector is coming to root out their commonplace corruption, the town weaves a web of bribery, lies, and utter madness. A hilarious reminder of the terrifying timelessness of bureaucracy and buffoonery.
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Video: “Stars in the House,” with special guest Wilson Cruz. (1:05:52),
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Video: “Plays in the House,” a reading of Blithe Spirit, directed by Schele Williams, featuring Merle Dandridge, Angel Desai, Montego Glover, William Jackson Harper), Kendyl Ito, Thom Sesma, and Leslie Uggams. (3:01:44)
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Video: “Stars in the House,” with special guests Brenda Braxton and Raymond J. Lee. (1:04:50)
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Video: “Stars in the House,” featuring actors who have starred in The Phantom of the Opera, with Norm Lewis, Ramin Karimloo, Howard McGillin, and Hugh Panaro. (1:24:25)
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In a plea to ensure the livelihood of theatres and performing arts venues in a post-lockdown environment, Sam Mendes laid out steps the U.K. government and entertainment industries giants could take to ensure the art form’s future.
“The theatre needs a plan, and I believe we have one,” Mendes wrote in his proposal, published by the Financial Times.
After insisting the continuation of the job retention scheme and calling for a package to support freelancers and self-employed artists, Mendes outlined long-term changes that position theatre as a financial investment, including an increase in tax relief from 20 percent to 50 for three years, similar aid for running and remounting costs, and echoing the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre’s Cultural Investment Participation Scheme, which would treat the government as an angel investor and provide it with recoupment benefits for financially successful productions.
Mendes also noted that streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have garnered usage increases due to quarantine, and that many of the talent involved in this programming comes from the theatre world. “Is there anyone among those people [in the streaming sector] willing to use a fraction of their COVID-19 windfall to help those who have been mortally wounded? If so, I hope you’re reading this, and that you are able to think of the arts landscape as more than just a ‘content provider,’ but instead as an ecosystem that supports us all.”
“This is not a request for a handout, or for long-term life support,” he maintained. “It is an offer for the government to become partners in a successful business.”
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Video: “Dear Class of 2020,” YouTube’s rescheduled graduation ceremony, featuring Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Lady Gaga, and more. (4:00:10)
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A petition has been created to make NYC’s Apollo Theater a Broadway house.
Per the petition, there are currently 41 Broadway theatres, none of which have Black owners. The Apollo Theater is owned by the State of New York, but is run by the Apollo Theatre Foundation, which is a Black-run non-profit organization, led by President & CEO Jonelle Procope.
The historic theater meets all of the requirements of a Broadway house, including having 500 seats or more, being located in Manhattan, and employing members of the Actors’ Equity Association. The petition is aiming to help the Apollo gain entrance to the Broadway League as a board member, direct board participation at American Theatre Wing, direct exposure and opportunity for Spring Road conference participation, and a vote for who is nominating the shows.
The venue has not commented on the petition, but it has now reached over 5,000 signatures.
Click here to learn more and sign the petition.
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Video: “The Art of Songwriting with Stephen Sondheim and Adam Guettel” (1:04:46)
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Video: Broadway’s Ain’t Too Proud performs “I Wish It Would Rain”
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Actors from The Public Theater, Broadway, National Tour, and West End productions of Fun Home will reunite for a live Q&A on Wed. June 10 at 6:30 PM ET on Facebook, in support of The Actors Fund, moderated by Tiffany Schleigh
Alessandra Bladacchino, Henry Boshart, Abby Corrigan, Kally Duling, Anthony Fortino, Carly Gold, Cole Grey, Kaisa Hammerlund, Nate Hammond, Noah Hinsdale, Noelle Hogan, Victoria Janicki, Eleanor Kane, Sydney Lucas, Zell Steele Morrow, Joél Pérez, Pierson Salvador, Jadyn Schwartz, Luké Barbato Smith, Sofia Trimarchi, Nicole Van Giesen, and Oscar Williams.
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Opera: London’s Royal Opera presents Puccini’s Il trittico: Il tabarro, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi. (3:53:00)
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Video: “Another Hundred People” with Pamela Myers (2007)
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Broadway Theatre Studio will produce the Playbill Virtual Theatre Festival Live, specifically created for online performances this August, hosted by Playbill.
The award 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.
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.
Theatre fans may attend the festival by purchasing an all-access festival pass for $2.99, with $1 from each ticket going to The Actors Fund.
Click here to learn more and to submit for FREE.
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Video: Dolores Gray, “I’m Still Here” (1987)
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Video: John Lennon, “Imagine”
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Video: “Dream Like New York,” with Broadway’s Justin S. Bryant, Karissa Harris, Olivier Medus, Diana Vaden, and Ricardo Zayas. #BroadwayBlackLivesMatter
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Most Tony-nominated artists:
* Actor: Jason Robards, Jr. (8 nominations)
* Actress: Julie Harris and Chita Rivera (10 nominations)
* Choreographer: Bob Fosse (11 nominations
* Playwright: Neil Simon (12 nominations)
* Songwriter: Stephen Sondheim, John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Andrew Lloyd Webber (11 nominations each)
* Scenic Designer: Santo Loquasto (16 nominations)
* Costume Designer: Jane Greenwood (21 nominations)
* Lighting Designer: Jules Fisher (24 nominations)
* Sound Designer: (Brian Ronan) (6 nominations)
* Orchestrator: Jonathan Tunick (11 nominations)