What's Streaming? Tobias Menzies in White Rabbit Red Rabbit; The Met's Porgy and Bess
With theaters closed around the country, some companies are making their productions available online. Below, you'll find our weekly update of productions, videos, and other theater-related streaming content from across the US and elsewhere. Some streams are free, while others may charge a fee or request a donation. Either way, you're sure to find something to scratch your theater itch. Theaters may be dark, but the shows go on.
This Weekend
(© David Gordon)
* Harriet Harris stars in Mark St. Germain's new play Eleanor , streaming from Barrington Stage Company on September 4 and 5 at 7:30pm ET. Directed by Henry Stram, the solo show explores the life of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and was originally scheduled to be presented live on stage. To purchase tickets, click here.
(© Ken Howard)
* The Metropolitan Opera will present a free stream of Porgy and Bess, airing September 4-5. James Robinson's acclaimed production, which opened the 2019-20 season, stars Eric Owens and Angel Blue in the title roles. Watch here.
(handout image via Edinburgh Fringe Festival)
* Tobias Menzies, star of Game of Thrones, The Crown, and Outlander, will appear in an online production of Nassim Soleimanpour's White Rabbit Red Rabbit, presented as part of Edinburgh Fringe Festival's online initiative, Shedinburgh Fringe Festival. Menzies will perform the play on Saturday, September 5 at 2:30pm ET, with affordably priced tickets to be purchased here.
* San Diego REP will present an online edition of its Latinx New Play Festival, running September 4-6. There will be panels on directing, designing, and dramaturgy, as well as readings of new works by Francisco Mendoza, Diana Burbano, Makasha Copeland, Marga Gomez, and Jaymes Sanchez. Tickets are available in a sliding pay what you can scale, though there is a $50 suggested donation for a festival pass. Click here for more information.
Upcoming
(© Mark Garvin)
* Berkshire Theatre Group will present Hershey Felder in his solo show Hershey Felder as George Gershwin Alone — Live From Florence, Italy, to be streamed live on Sunday, September 13, at 8pm. George Gershwin Alone tells the story of America's great composer, who with the groundbreaking A Rhapsody in Blue, made a "Lady out of Jazz." The show incorporates the composer's best-known songs, from "The Man I Love" and "Someone to Watch Over Me", through the hits of An American in Paris and Porgy and Bess, to a complete performance of Rhapsody In Blue. It will be broadcast live from the Teatro Della Pergola in Florence, Italy. Fifty percent of proceeds will benefit the Berkshire Theatre Group. Patrons will be able to stream on a smart TV, computer, smartphone or tablet. To purchase tickets, click here.
* MCC Theater has announced that its annual gala, Miscast20, will take place on MCC Theater's YouTube Channel on Sunday, September 13, at 8pm ET. Performers will include Beanie Feldstein, Tony winner Heather Headley, Tony nominee Joshua Henry, Tony nominee Rob McClure, Nicolette Robinson, Tony nominee Phillipa Soo, Tony nominee Adrienne Warren, and the original cast of Hairspray. Watch the gala here.
(© David Gordon/Gage Skidmore)
* That '70s Show stars Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith will reunite for an online streaming preview of the new play Three Viewings. Presented by Barrington Stage Company, Jeffrey Hatcher's play will be broadcast September 23-26 for a minimum donation of $25. The streaming edition replaces an in-person staging, which was set to take place September 9-20. Directed by Barrington artistic leader Julianne Boyd, an in-person production is expected to happen at a later date.
* The musical Romantics Anonymous will stream on Saturday, September 26 at 4pm EST. Romantics Anonymous has a book and direction by Emma Rice and score by Christopher Dimond (lyrics) and Michael Kooman (music), and is based on the film Les Émotifs Anonymes. The show will be filmed live from the Bristol Old Vic, with the cast and creators each being tested for coronavirus before forming a bubble in Bristol. These rigorous measures mean that they will be able to perform the entire show without social distancing. For tickets and more information, click here.
* John Kevin Jones will bring his one-man stage production, Killing an Evening With Edgar Allan Poe, into viewers' homes this year. Jones will again bring four of Poe's best-known works to life from the Merchant's House Museum, New York City's only 19th-century family home preserved intact. This year, nine haunting performances will be streamed online, October 31-November 8. Tickets are priced at $45 and include the performance and post-show event. To find out dates and purchase tickets, click here. Ticket buyers will receive an event link by email on the day of the event.
Streaming Channels
* Netflix will release Joe Mantello's film remake of Mart Crowley's The Boys in the Band on September 30. The company is made up of Jim Parsons (Michael), Zachary Quinto (Harold), Matt Bomer (Donald), Andrew Rannells (Larry), Charlie Carver (Cowboy), Robin De Jesús (Emory), Brian Hutchison (Alan), Michael Benjamin Washington (Bernard), and Tuc Watkins (Hank).
(© Dan McFadden)
Amazon will release Julie Taymor's Gloria Steinem biopic The Glorias, written by Taymor and Sarah Ruhl, on its Prime Video platform beginning September 30. Spanning five decades, the film has multiple actors playing Steinem at various ages: Ryan Kira Armstrong as Young Gloria, Lulu Wilson as Teen Gloria, Alicia Vikander as Gloria ages 20-40, and Julianne Moore as Steinem through the present. The cast also includes Bette Midler as Bella Abzug, Janelle Monáe as Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Timothy Hutton as Leo Steinem, Lorraine Toussaint as Florynce Kennedy, Enid Graham as Ruth, Kimberly Guerrero as Wilma Mankiller, Monica Sanchez as Dolores Huerta, and Margo Moorer as Barbara Jordan.
* Lin-Manuel Miranda's blockbuster musical Hamilton streams on Disney Plus, featuring the original cast, led by Miranda as Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr, Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler, Christopher Jackson as George Washington, Jonathan Groff as King George, Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton, Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison, and Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton. To find out how to watch, click here.
Available for a Limited Time
* The final three episodes of the world premiere digital musical A Killer Party: A Murder Mystery Musical have been released and will be available for purchase through October 1.
The company includes Jessica Keenan Wynn as Detective Case, Michael James Scott as Varthur McArthur, Krystina Alabado as Lily Wright, Carolee Carmello as Justine Case, Drew Gehling as Cameron Mitchelljohn, Jackie Burns as Joan McArthur, Laura Osnes as Vivika Orsonwelles, Jarrod Spector as George Murderer, Alex Newell as Shea Crescendo, Miguel Cervantes as Clarke Staples, and Jeremy Jordan as…Jeremy Jordan. The nine-episode series can be purchased for $12.99 here. Also available: a 20-track original cast recording from Broadway Records.
(© Joan Marcus)
* PBS's Great Performances is streaming the Public Theater's 2019 Shakespeare in the Park production of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. This bold interpretation of Shakespeare's comedic masterpiece features Danielle Brooks and Grantham Coleman as the sparring lovers Beatrice and Benedick. Tony Award winner Kenny Leon directs, with choreography by Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown. Available through September 11. To watch, click here.
* Bette Davis Ain't for Sissies streams through September 24. Written and performed by Jessica Sherr, this new 80-minute live streaming version is directed for the small screen by Karen Carpenter. Tickets are $19.50 each and are available here.
