TDF Stages

With in-person theatre out of commission for the foreseeable future, many companies and performers from Broadway and beyond are showcasing their work online. Below are performances you can watch this Monday, February 8 and Tuesday, February 9, from the comfort of your couch for free or at low cost.

Monday, February 8

The Metropolitan Opera: Das Rheingold
On Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Robert Lepage's landmark staging of Das Rheingold, the first installment in Wagner's iconic "Ring" cycle. Bryn Terfel, Stephanie Blythe and Eric Owens star in this 2010 production. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera's website. You can still stream yesterday's opera, Tosca, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.

Haley at Therapy
On Monday at 8 p.m. ET, Tony nominees Lilli Cooper and Denée Benton headline Haley at Therapy, a one-act musical comedy about a woman's first session on an analyst's couch. Written by Josh Canfield, who appeared on Broadway in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 with Benton, the show costars Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Grace McLean and James Scully. Watch for free on Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS' YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.

Theatre Forward 2021 Virtual Gala
On Monday at 8 p.m. ET, Broadway vet Carly Hughes hosts a virtual gala for Theatre Forward, a nonprofit organization supporting 19 lauded regional theatres, including the Actors Theatre of Louisville, Chicago's Goodman Theatre, Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater and Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group. In addition to presentations from the member institutions, the lineup of special guest performers includes Tony winner Anika Noni Rose, two-time Tony nominee Kate Baldwin, Be More Chill's George Salazar, and singer-songwriters The Bengsons and Shaina Taub. Watch for free on Theatre Forward's website though donations are encouraged.

Primary Stages: Solo Train
On Monday at 8 p.m. ET, Off Broadway's Primary Stages presents Solo Train, an evening of short autobiographical solo works by emerging performers mentored by celebrated stand-up comic and actor Judy Gold. Take a chance! You may be viewing the beginnings of the next big thing. Reservations are required to receive the free viewing link.

The Seth Concert Series: Christy Altomare
On Monday at 8 p.m. ET, apparently, hosting a daily online talk show and a Sirius XM Satellite Radio series isn't enough for the multitalented Seth Rudetsky. Well-known for his skills as a pianist, musical director and interviewer, he's hosted a series of intimate live concerts with Broadway stars for the past decade. This year he brings the show online. Yesterday's headliner was Christy Altomare and you can watch a recording tonight. A Broadway star beloved for her belt and her stage door interactions, she's best known for playing the title role in the musical Anastasia. She's also a singer-songwriter in her own right, so expect numbers from her indie albums as well as her theatre roles. Tickets are $25.

Jim Caruso's Pajama Cast Party
On Monday at 8 p.m. ET, cabaret maven Jim Caruso welcomes renowned singers and up-and-comers at Pajama Cast Party, a live-streamed version of his popular weekly Cast Party gatherings that have taken place at Birdland for years. Tonight's lineup includes country star Billy Gilman, Broadway vets Arielle Jacobs and Rachel Ulanet, and singer-songwriter Will Lockhart. Watch for free on YouTube though tips via the Venmo app are appreciated.

Bindlestiff Family Cirkus: Open Stage Variety Show: Quarantine Edition
On Monday at 8 p.m. ET, the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus continues its live weekly variety show hosted by adorkable ringmaster Keith Nelson. Tonight's awe-inspiring lineup includes acrobat Simon Peter, magician Felice Ling, clown Jon Deline and juggling unicycle duo Anna and Daniella Jack. Watch for free on Bindlestiff's YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.

Tuesday, February 9

Irish Repertory Theatre: The Weir
On Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, this winter, the venerable Irish Rep is presenting encore streams of its entire digital season. Tonight, catch The Weir, Conor McPherson's haunting 1997 drama about a quartet of Irishmen sharing ghost stories at a pub in order to impress a comely lass. The Off-Broadway company originally mounted the play in 2013; this virtual adaptation reunites director Ciarán O'Reilly with three cast members from that production, Dan Butler, Sean Gormley and John Keating, along with Amanda Quaid and Tim Ruddy, who appeared in its 2015 encore run. Tickets are free but required to receive the viewing link; donations are encouraged.

La MaMA: Enchanted Origins
On Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, La MaMa presents Enchanted Origins, a live sci-fi puppet fairy tale for all ages written and directed by Charlotte Lily Gaspard. Go on an out-of-this-world adventure with cats Puccini and Princess as they wander worlds in search of each other. Watch for free on La MaMa's website though donations are encouraged.

The Metropolitan Opera: Ernani
On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera shares a gem from its vaults: Pier Luigi Samaritani's 1983 mounting of Verdi's Ernani, starring Luciano Pavarotti in the title role of the wronged nobleman turned bandit, and Leona Mitchell as his lady love. Watch for FREE for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera's website. You can still stream yesterday's opera, Das Rheingold, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.

Stars in the House: Lillias White
On Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, Tony-winning diva and Black Theatre United cofounder Lillias White guest hosts Stars in the House with some as-yet-to-be-announced pals. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.

Available to Watch Both Days

Play-PerView: While I Yet Live
On Saturday, Play-PerView presented a live reading of While I Yet Live and you can watch a recording until Wednesday. Written by Kinky Boots Tony winner Billy Porter, this semiautobiographical family drama marked his playwrighting debut and examines growing up gay in a devout Pentecostal household. This event reunites the powerhouse cast of Primary Stages' 2014 production, including Tony winner Lillias White, S. Epatha Merkerson and Larry Powell as Porter's onstage alter ego. Sheryl Kaller once again directs. Tickets are $20 and proceeds go to The Actors Fund.

Urban Stages: The Heroes and Villains Monologues
Off-Off Broadway's Urban Stages presents The Heroes and Villains Monologues, eight fresh solos inspired by famous figures real and fictional, virtuous and evil. Nelson Mandela, Black Panther, Charles Manson and the Evil Queen from Snow White are just some of the icons getting the dramatic treatment from playwrights Jenny Lyn Bader, Sandra Daley-Sharif, John Minigan, Eric Percival, Scott C. Sickles, Frank Tangredi, Catherine Weingarten and Ruth Zamoyta. Watch for free until Friday on Urban Stages' YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.

Metropolitan Opera Stars Live in Concert: Anna Netrebko
On Saturday, the Metropolitan Opera presented superstar soprano Anna Netrebko in a live concert and you can watch a recording until Friday, February 19. Filmed at Vienna's gorgeous Spanish Riding School, the performance includes enchanting Russian songs by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Rimsky-Korsakov, along with selections by Strauss, Debussy and Fauré, plus a pair of duets with special guest Elena Maximova. Tickets are $20.

New York City Center: Honoring Black History Month
To celebrate Black History Month, New York City Center shares three dance solos by Black artists that premiered as part of its digital Fall for Dance 2020 festival: legendary tap dancer Dormeshia in Lady Swings the Blues; Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Jamar Roberts in Morani/Mungu (Black Warrior/Black God); and American Ballet Theatre principal Calvin Royal III in to be seen, choreographed by Kyle Abraham. All three were recorded live on stage at City Center last October. Watch for free until Sunday, February 28 on the venue's website.

French Institute Alliance Française: Melissa Errico & Adam Gopnik: Love, Desire & Mystery
Tony-nominated chanteuse Melissa Errico and New Yorker essayist Adam Gopnik continue their three-part concert and conversation series exploring what the French call l'amour fou, all-consuming love. In part II, Desire, they delve into sensual pairings such as sex and food, seduction and fashion. Filmed on stage at the French Institute Alliance Française's Florence Gould Theatre, the performance includes songs from Gopnik's musical Our Table, Stephen Schwartz's The Baker's Wife, Funny Face, Coco and the hits of Edith Piaf. Tickets are $15 but you can buy the three-concert package for $30.

Syracuse Stage: Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
Syracuse Stage presents Anna Deavere Smith's Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, about the uprising sparked by the acquittal of white police officers who beat a Black man named Rodney King almost to death. After interviewing more than 350 people both directly and tangentially connected to the unrest, Smith created a collage of disparate voices and perspectives, channeling citizens who were there alongside LAPD chief Daryl Gates, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and activist and scholar Cornel West. Patrese D. McClain stars in this new digital production, which was filmed on stage at the venue without an audience. Steve H. Broadnax III directs. Tickets start at $30 and the recording is viewable until Sunday.

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

Top image: Lilli Cooper, who stars in the new musical Haley at Therapy on Monday evening.