TDF Stages

With in-person theatre still a rarity, many companies and performers from Broadway and beyond are showcasing their work online. Below are performances you can watch Monday, July 12 and Tuesday, July 13, for free or at low cost.

Monday, July 12

Red Bull Theater: Short New Play Festival 2021
On Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET, Off Broadway's Red Bull Theater is known for revitalizing classic plays. But tonight it presents seven brand-new shorts inspired by the theme of restoration. The evening features six playlets by emerging writers alongside a new commission by Obie winner José Rivera. The cast includes Sheria Irving, Junior Nyong'o, Abigail Onwunali, Luis Quintero and Reggie D. White. Watch for free on Red Bull Theater's YouTube channel. A recording will be viewable until Friday at 7 p.m. ET.

Weathervane Theatre: Buyer & Cellar
On Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET, New Hampshire's Weathervane Theatre presents a virtual production of Buyer & Cellar, Jonathan Tolins' uproarious one-man play about an out-of-work actor who lands an insane job curating the tchotchkes in Barbra Streisand's basement. Nathaniel P. Claridad directs Jorge Donoso in this laugh-out-loud comedy. Tickets start at $22.50 but if you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount.

The Metropolitan Opera: Manon Lescaut
On Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Manon Lescaut, Puccini's romantic tragedy about a woman torn between love and luxury. Karita Mattila, Marcello Giordani and Dwayne Croft star in this 2008 mounting. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera's website. You can still stream yesterday's opera, Der Rosenkavalier, until 6:30 p.m. today.

Tuesday, July 13

The Garden
On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, Baltimore Center Stage presents The Garden, a moving new play written by and starring Tony nominee Charlayne Woodard about the complex relationship between a Black woman and her estranged adult daughter. Patricia McGregor directs this world premiere, which costars Caroline Stefanie Clay. Tickets start at $25 but if you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount.

The Metropolitan Opera: La Bohème
On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera shares a gem from its vaults: La Bohème starring Luciano Pavarotti and Renata Scotto as the young lovers at the center of Puccini's romantic tragedy. Maralin Niska, Ingvar Wixell and Paul Plishka costar in Fabrizio Melano's 1977 production. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera's website. You can still stream yesterday's opera, Manon Lescaut, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.

Stars in the House: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Cast Returns!
On Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, it's encore week on Stars in the House, with replays of fan favorites. Tonight, rewatch a reunion of the smash musical TV show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend featuring creator-star-theatre nerd Rachel Bloom, Skylar Astin, Donna Lynne Champlin, Kat Burns, Vincent Rodriguez III and other cast members. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.

Available to Watch Both Days

Fishamble Theatre Company: Silent
Dublin's acclaimed Fishamble Theatre Company presents Silent, Pat Kinevane's Olivier Award-winning solo show about a man who's lost everything, including his home and his mind. Kinevane reprises his captivating, Olivier Award-winning performance as McGoldrig, who shares his tumultuous and surprising past with disarming honesty. Jim Culleton directed the production, which was filmed live on stage. Tickets are $15 and the recording is viewable until Sunday.

Play-PerView: Living and Breathing
On Saturday, Play-PerView presented a live reading of Living and Breathing and you can watch a recording until Wednesday. In Mando Alvarado's racially charged comedy, an incendiary piece of art causes a rift between three longtime pals. It's like Yasmina Reza's Art, but deeper and more timely. Jerry Ruiz directs Chris Gardner, Tommy Mejia, Jose Perez and Johnathan Tchaikovsky. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish though a $20 donation is suggested. Net proceeds benefit RAICES: Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services.

PTP/NYC: Lunch
PTP/NYC, known for its insightful mountings of politically charged plays, kicks off its virtual season with Lunch, Steven Berkoff's whirlwind two-hander about a pair of strangers who connect on their lunch break and experience the emotional ups and downs of an entire relationship in less than an hour. The company's co-artistic director, Richard Romagnoli, helms the one-act, which stars Bill Army and Jackie Sanders. Register to receive the free viewing link though donations are encouraged. The recording is viewable until Tuesday.

New Normal Rep: Lines in the Dust
New Normal Rep presents Lines in the Dust by Obie winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist Nikkole Salter. Set in Newark in 2010, this moving drama centers on a working-class single mother desperate to find an alternative to the underperforming zoned school for her bright young daughter. How much will she risk to give her kid a leg up? Awoye Timpo directs Lisa Rosetta Strum, Melissa Joyner and Jeffrey Bean. Tickets are $25 but if you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Sunday, August 8.

Broadway Our Way Live: On an Island in the River
Last month, Michael McElroy and his Broadway Inspirational Voices christened the outdoor amphitheatre at Little Island with a gospel-infused performance of beloved Broadway show tunes. Now you can stream a recording of that groundbreaking performance. Schele Williams helmed the uplifting evening, which features guest appearances by tap dancer Ayodele Casel, Tony nominee Norm Lewis and other stage favorites. Watch for free on Broadway.com's YouTube channel though donations to Broadway Inspirational Voices is encouraged.

Signature Theatre: After Midnight
Virginia's lauded Signature Theatre presents After Midnight, an enthralling celebration of the legendary Cotton Club that was nominated for seven 2014 Tony Awards. Recorded on stage during quarantine, this new production is headlined by Hamilton Tony nominee Christopher Jackson and Nova Y. Payton, and is directed and choreographed by Jared Grimes, who appeared in the show on Broadway. Evocative renditions of Langston Hughes poems provide the framework for eye-popping tap-dance numbers set to the swinging songs of Duke Ellington, Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields, Harold Arlen and other big band-era greats. Tickets are $35 but if you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Wednesday, August 4.

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Raven Snook is the Editor of TDF Stages. Follow her at @RavenSnook. Follow TDF at @TDFNYC.

Top image: Skylar Astin and Rachel Bloom in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Photo courtesy of The CW.