Theater News

Shows You Can Stream at Home

This list is updated daily.

James Corden (center) and the cast of One Man, Two Guvnors on opening night.
James Corden (center) and the cast of One Man, Two Guvnors on opening night.
(© Tristan Fuge)

With theater companies across the US being forced to cancel ongoing and upcoming productions as a result of concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, some of those companies have turned to the Internet to get their work out there. Thus, we are compiling this running list of ways theaters are going online to bring the joy of theater to their patrons even as they are unable to see live productions. This list is ongoing and updated daily.

Shows You Can Stream at Home

— For those who are still curious to see American Conservatory Theater's productions of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's Gloria and Lydia R. Diamond's Toni Stone, the company has announced that they are now selling tickets to view-at-home recordings of both productions. Purchasers will receive a link to a password-protected site from A.C.T. this week to view the production. Ticket buyers will have until midnight on Sunday, April 5, to view them.

— National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene launched a new online performance series, Folksbiene LIVE!, Tuesday, March 17, on their Facebook page. Among the announced concerts will be a Love Duets Lunchtime Concert featuring Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish stars Stephanie Lynn Mason and Drew Seigla on Monday, March 23, at 2pm. Check the company's website for more information about upcoming live-streamed events.

— On March 17, The 24 Hour Plays released its inaugural series of Viral Monologues on their Instagram feed (@24hoursplays) and on their website. Among the performers are David Cross, Richard Kind, Denis O'Hare, Will Swenson, Tavi Gevinson, Marin Ireland, Patrick Wilson, and many more. Among the playwrights are David Lindsay-Abaire, Hilary Bettis, Hansol Jung, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Jesse Eisenberg, and more.

— Irish Repertory Theatre has begun a series of homemade videos on their social media channels called The Show Must Go Online, hosted by Irish Rep regular Michael Mellamphy and featuring company members such as Melissa Errico, KT Sullivan, and more performing their favorite songs, poems, and monologues from Irish and Irish-American plays, poets, and musicians. The videos will be streamed live here; follow #TheShowMustGoOnline and #IrishRepOnline for updates and new videos.

— Primary Stages has launched Primary Plus, a series of online initiatives created by the theater and the Einhorn School of Performing Arts. Programs include virtual master classes with Theresa Rebeck, Kate Hamill, Jason O'Connell, Mary Bacon, Thom Sesma, Jennifer Mudge, Chris Coffey, Kimberly Senior, and Sharon Washington; as well as online readings, classes, and workshops. Click here for more information.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and piece by piece productions, in association with Rising Phoenix Repertory, are have announced that a limited number of tickets to view-at-home recordings of Ren Dara Santiago's The Siblings Play are now on sale. Beginning on Monday, March 23, patrons who purchased tickets prior to the cancellation, along with new ticket buyers, will be able to watch a recording of the production until midnight on Sunday, April 5. Buy tickets here.

Rave Theater Festival will present a virtual Social Distancing Festival, with submissions now open and the winners chosen by the number of audience views on April 20. The original work can be any format, but must be less than five minutes and must include only one person in the room. The subject must focus on the theme of social distancing. Click here to apply.

— The pianists at the beloved piano bar Marie's Crisis will livestream their nightly sets via Marie's Group on Facebook. The group is normally private, but it is now welcoming all applicants.

— Guild Hall will be live-streaming the premiere of Melissa Errico's Sondheim Sublime concert on Sunday, March 22, at 4pm, the date of Stephen Sondheim's 90th birthday. Errico will be on hand to answer questions from online viewers. You can watch the concert here.

HERE is serving up a feast of online programming, all of which will be streaming live on Facebook. That includes #stillHERE, a short informal visit with a theater artist streamed lived. The event kicks off March 20 at 1pm with Taylor Mac. Every Wednesday at 7pm, HERE will present HERE@HOME, a recording of a full-length production previously presented at HERE. The company is also creating #COVIDEO, a sequential community-built video made one 10-second section at a time. Those interested in contributing should e-mail covideo@here.org.

Broadway Weekends will begin hosting free online musical theater classes taught by Broadway and West End talent, exclusively on their Facebook group, titled "Broadway Weekends at Home." The founder is Jeanna de Waal, star of Diana: A True Musical Story.

Abrons Arts Center will make all of its performance documentation public on its Vimeo page, alongside contact and donation information for the artists whose work you are viewing.

— The Broadway Sings series will launch a daily performance on its Instagram IGTV account, featuring new arrangements of iconic pop songs. Participating singers include Tony winners Ben Platt and Lena Hall, Barrett Wilbert Weed, Caroline Bowman, Tituss Burgess, Corey Cott, Brandon Victor Dixon, Ben Fankhauser, Morgan James, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Mykal Kilgore, Derek Klena, Corey Mach, Constantine Maroulis, Lauren Patten, Kate Rockwell, Keala Settle, Jarrod Spector, Alysha Umphress, and Natalie Weiss.

— The Grand Ole Opry has livestreamed its Saturday Night Grand Ole Opry Show episodes without a live audience since March 14 and will continue to do so through April 4.

Annex Theatre in Seattle will livestream the opening and closing nights of its upcoming production of Minna Lee's One Horse Town. Video of the show will be available for purchase.

The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles has announced the launch of Geffen Stayhouse, which will kick off Wednesday, March 25. By signing up, audiences will receive 30-day access to Broadway HD, whose library also includes three Geffen productions: Long Day's Journey Into Night, starring Jane Kaczmarek and Alfred Molina (2017); Thom Pain (Based on Nothing), starring Rainn Wilson (2016); and The Lion, written and performed by Benjamin Scheuer.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has announced the launch of Lincoln Center at Home (#LincolnCenterAtHome), a new initiative that will take the company's work online at LincolnCenter.org. The initiative will include Lincoln Center Pop-Up Classroom, #ConcertsForKids, and archival video of Lincoln Center's resident organizations. For a calendar of events, click here.

Feinstein's/54 Below will launch the streaming series #54BelowAtHome, which features full concerts from the nightclub's archives. The YouTube series kicks off March 25 at 6:30pm with Joe Iconis and George Salazar's Two Player Game concert, with additional shows by Bonnie Milligan and Natalie Walker (April 8), Liz Callaway (April 10), Kyle Dean Massey (April 21), and more. Additionally several preview concerts will be presented live on the venue's Facebook. Click here for a full list.

Central Square Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has released a video recording of its recent production of Dominique Morisseau's Pipeline, to be available for streaming through April 5. You can buy tickets here.

The Actors Fund is teaming up with Schitt's Creek star Emily Hampshire for a weekly livestreamed talk show Humpday With Hampshire. The series will raise money for emergency financial assistance and other services for entertainment and performing arts professionals who have been impacted by COVID-19. The program debuts Wednesday, April 1 on the Actors Fund YouTube channel.

— Starting today, March 30, patrons will be able to watch Signature Theatre's world-premiere production of Dani Stoller's Easy Women Smoking Loose Cigarettes, which played February 18-March 13 before having to cut its run short because of coronavirus concerns. It'll be available through April 12.

Howie Michael Smith (Avenue Q) and Andy Truschinski (War Horse national tour) will host the YouTube series The Show Must Go On…Show, with new 15-minute episodes airing every Tuesday at 7pm starting April 7. Each episode will feature a musical performance and talks with experts and artists about coping with the coronavirus pandemic through creativity; in addition, each episode will feature a charity and provide information on where to donate. Among the guests for the first episode will be Brian Stokes Mitchell, and the Actors Fund will be featured.

— Chicago's Goodman Theatre has released its production of Jocelyn Bioh's School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play as a streaming film, where tickets cost $15 and up (pay what you can). Those who had tickets for the ongoing production will receive the recording free of charge. Click here to watch the show, directed by Lili-Anne Brown.

— London's National Theatre will begin streaming several of its NT Live titles on their YouTube channel beginning April 2 with the original production of One Man, Two Guvnors starring James Corden. The broadcasts will stream free for a week. Subsequent releases include Jane Eyre (April 9), Treasure Island (April 16), and Twelfth Night starring Tamsin Greig (April 23). Watch the show here.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater will launch a virtual salon series on Tuesdays beginning April 7 and a weekly concert series on Thursdays beginning April 9. Participants in the former include Kathleen Chalfant and Zachary Quinto; participants in the latter include Max Vernon, Grace McLean, and Eisa Davis.

National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene will lead a discussion with Joel Grey, Steven Skybell, and the cast and creative team of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish on April 2 at 5pm.

Andrew Lloyd Webber will release videos of his musicals on the new YouTube channel The Show Must Go On. Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, starring Donny Osmond, will premiere on April 3 and be available free of charge for 48 hours.

— Amazon Prime will stream the stage version of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's acclaimed Fleabag for two weeks beginning Friday, April 10. The 48-hour rental will cost around $5 and proceeds will be given to charities helping to fight the coronavirus.

— The Sheen Center will stream the one-man show The Gospel of John for Easter weekend, beginning Saturday, April 11, at 4pm. Ken Jennings performs the Gospel in a slightly abbreviated format. The play will be available for viewing here through Monday, April 13, free of charge.

— Enjoy an encore presentation of Synetic Theatre's A Midsummer Night's Dream from the comfort of your home now through April 30! Pay what you can, taking into account the number of people in your viewing party. After your purchase, you'll receive a link and password to the video.