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 online this weekend, Friday, August 6 to Sunday, August 8, for free or at low cost.

Friday, August 6

Christopher Lloyd in King Lear
On Friday at 10 a.m. ET, Obie and Emmy Award-winning actor Christopher Lloyd (Taxi, Back to the Future) is currently headlining King Lear at Shakespeare & Company in the Berkshires, but you can also stream the show at home. Directed by Nicole Ricciardi, the production was filmed live on stage earlier in the run. Tickets are $25 and you have 72 hours from the start time to watch.

Iphigenia in Splott
On Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Shedinburgh Fringe Festival, an online festival showcasing cutting-edge shows, presents Iphigenia in Splott, Gary Owen's critically acclaimed one-woman tragedy inspired by Greek myth about the high price individuals pay for society's shortcomings. The show was well reviewed in both the UK and NYC a few years back. For this special one-off performance, Sophie Melville reprises her searing turn as a doomed young woman. Tickets start at £7.50, approximately $10.50.

Cris Groenendaal in Concert
On Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, original Phantom of the Opera star Cris Groenendaal and his musical director wife Sue Anderson perform a live concert online featuring an eclectic array of songs from their careers as well as personal favorites. The duo have been doing cabaret together for decades and boast more then a dozen Broadway credits between them. Tickets start at $5 and the recording is available afterward on demand.

Saturday, August 7

Christopher Lloyd in King Lear
On Saturday at 10 a.m. ET, Obie and Emmy Award-winning actor Christopher Lloyd (Taxi, Back to the Future) is currently headlining King Lear at Shakespeare & Company in the Berkshires, but you can also stream the show at home. Directed by Nicole Ricciardi, the production was filmed live on stage earlier in the run. Tickets are $25 and you have 72 hours from the start time to watch.

NY PopsUp Finale
On Saturday at 4 p.m. ET, after 25 weeks and 300 performances, the NY PopsUp series of free, often unannounced performances comes to a close. Happily, the organizers are revealing the exact time and location for the final event: a concert at Pier 76 in Hudson River Park featuring Tony winner Gavin Creel; Broadway vets Amber Iman and Sasha Allen; Joan of Arc: Into the Fire star Jo Lampert; Obie-winning director-performer Whitney White; and acclaimed tap dancer and choreographer Ayodele Casel. Watch from home for free on NY PopsUp's Instagram or fill out this GoogleForm to attend in person.

Live from Feinstein's/54 Below: André De Shields: Black By Popular Demand
On Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, even though Feinstein's/54 Below has reopened for in-person performances, the swanky cabaret club is continuing to stream select shows live from its stage. Tonight, Hadestown Tony winner André De Shields makes his solo concert debut at the venue with Black By Popular Demand. Subtitled "A Musical Meditation on How Not to Be Eaten by the Sphinx," the show is inspired by De Shields' pandemic diary and draws on Greek mythology, songs from his career and his wealth of stories—the endlessly energetic septuagenarian is quite the raconteur. Tickets are $25. If you prefer to attend in person, click here for info.

Mike Daisey: There Will Be No Miracles Here
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, performer-playwright Mike Daisey (The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, If You See Something Say Something) continues his monthly residency at The Kraine Theater with his fifth solo piece in as many months: There Will Be No Miracles Here. Performed live on stage but also streamed to at-home viewers, this new work is a meditation on chosen families intertwined with a heist story. Daisey's no-holds-barred shows are frequently funny and always insightful in unexpected ways. Tickets start at $5. 

Sunday, August 8

SummerStage: Met Opera Summer Recital
On Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, SummerStage in Central Park presents an in-person recital by Metropolitan Opera stars that will also be streamed to at-home audiences. Leah Hawkins, Paul Appleby and Will Liverman will perform popular arias and duets from beloved operas, accompanied by Bryan Wagorn on piano. Watch for free online or arrive at Rumsey Playfield early to watch in person. Entry is first come, first served; vaccines and masks are encouraged.

All Weekend

Putting It Together: An Evening with James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim
Earlier this week, in honor of the release of James Lapine's book Putting It Together: How Stephen Sondheim and I Created 'Sunday in the Park with George', the creators of that Pulitzer Prize-winning musical came together on Zoom to talk about their brilliant collaboration. Now you can watch a recording of that fabulous event. Christine Baranski, who appeared in the original Off-Broadway production of Sunday in the Park with George, moderates the discussion between Lapine and Stephen Sondheim as they share behind-the-scenes stories about the making of their masterpiece and their fruitful friendship. Original Sunday stars Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters also appear. Tickets start at $25 and the recording is viewable until Thursday, August 12.

Together Apart
It's a collaboration that could only come out of the pandemic. After attending a Brown University musical theatre department reunion on Zoom, Grammy-winning songwriter Lisa Loeb decided to write a mini-musical about the experience. She then invited other talented alumni to pen their own short tuners. The result is an evening of 10 pieces written, composed, produced, directed and performed by Brown grads, including Broadway vets Josh Hamilton, Ann Harada and JoBeth Williams, and Julie Bowen from Modern Family. Watch for free online though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged. The recording is viewable until Friday, August 20.

Play-PerView: Marie Antoinette
On Thursday, Play-PerView presented a live reading of Marie Antoinette and you can watch a recording this weekend. David Adjmi's history-inspired comedy had an acclaimed run at Soho Rep in 2013, and this event reunites the cast of that production, led by Tony nominee Marin Ireland as the quirky queen, alongside Steven Rattazzi, Karl Miller, Chris Stack, Jennifer Ikeda, David Greenspan and Will Pullen. Indecent Tony winner Rebecca Taichman once again directs. Tickets are $20 and net proceeds benefit the Cultural Solidarity Fund. The recording is viewable until Monday.

Signature Theatre: Detroit '67
Virginia's lauded Signature Theatre presents Detroit '67, the first installment in Tony-nominated playwright Dominique Morisseau's Detroit Project exploring different periods in her beloved hometown's history. This powerful family drama about two Black siblings squabbling over how to move forward takes place against the backdrop of the Detroit Rebellion, as tensions rise indoors and outside. Directed by Candis C. Jones, this production was filmed live on stage. Tickets are $35 and the recording is viewable until Thursday, September 16.

Jacob's Pillow: Ballet Hispánico
The Berkshires' lauded Jacob's Pillow dance festival resumed in-person performances this summer, but some are also being streamed to at-home audiences. Catch a 50th anniversary program by Ballet Hispánico, featuring highlights from its rich repertoire, including Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Tiburones; Batucada Fantástica, composed of three solos by Vicente Nebrada; and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano's 18+1. RSVP to receive the free viewing link though donations are encouraged. The recording is viewable until Thursday, August 12.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The world's largest arts festival, Scotland's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, is back in person this year, but many offerings are also being streamed to adventurous at-home audiences. Check out performances from artists around the world, including cutting-edge comedy, experimental theatre, wacky musicals and the indefinable. Some shows cost money, others are free; some are available on demand, others have specific start times. Browse the options to see what piques your interest. The fest ends on Monday, August 30.

ZooTV
Starting on Sunday, enjoy Fringe-y performances courtesy of ZooTV, a platform showcasing cutting-edge dance and theatre artists. During its three weeks of streaming, you can catch performances by established artists such as British experimental theatre-maker Tim Crouch and NYC solo artist Peter Michael Marino or discover exciting emerging talents. Browse the options to see what piques your interest.

Jacob's Pillow: Brian Brooks / Moving Company
The Berkshires' lauded Jacob's Pillow dance festival resumed in-person performances this summer, but some are also being streamed to at-home audiences. Catch a program by Brian Brooks' troupe The Moving Company, which was filmed live on stage last month. The lineup features Flight Study, a new work set to a string quartet by Bryce Dessner; an untitled solo piece performed by Brooks himself; and Closing Distance set to music by Caroline Shaw. RSVP to receive the free viewing link though donations are encouraged. The recording is viewable until Thursday, August 19.

Mabou Mines: Vs.
On Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. ET, venerable avant-garde theatre company Mabou Mines brings its experimentation to Zoom with Vs., an interactive experience in which viewers join a philosophical tribunal to acquit or prosecute crimes against humanity. Mallory Catlett directs Becca Blackwell, Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, David Thomson and Perry Yung in Carl Hancock Rux's brainteaser. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish though a $10 donation is suggested.

Irish Repertory Theatre: The Cordelia Dream
On Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 2 p.m. ET, NYC's venerable Irish Rep presents The Cordelia Dream, Marina Carr's psychologically complex two-hander about the fraught interactions between a Woman and a Man that recall the dysfunctional relationship between Cordelia and King Lear. Director Joe O'Byrne's production was filmed live on stage at Dublin's New Theatre and stars Stephen Brennan and Danielle Ryan. Tickets are required to receive the free viewing link; a $25 donation is suggested.

Baltimore Center Stage: A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction
On Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. ET, Baltimore Center Stage presents A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction, a dark comedy by Miranda Rose Hall about a theatre company putting on a show about climate change that goes awry. So the stage manager/light board operator/dramaturg comes up with some unexpected ways to engage the audience. Log on ready to participate in this communal experience. Tickets start at $25 but if you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount.

The Tank: The Lesbian Play
On Friday and Saturday at 9:30 p.m., and Sunday at 9 p.m. ET, indie theatre incubator The Tank presents The Lesbian Play, Riley Elton McCarthy's exploration of 21st century queer identity as the members of Boston University's Women Loving Women Club come together on the night of the 2016 Presidential election to celebrate the birthday of one of their own. Will they end the evening torn apart? Tickets start at $15.

Lincoln Center Theater: The Wolves
Lincoln Center Theater shares a never-before-seen treat: a recording of The Wolves, Sarah DeLappe's Pulitzer finalist play about nine high school juniors on a soccer field exchanging ideas, thoughts and confidences as they pass the ball back and forth. The chatter is incessant but insightful, offering a glimpse into the insular and messy world of American teenage girls as they candidly discuss everything from periods to politics. Directed by Lila Neugebauer, this Obie-winning production stars Lauren Patten, Sarah Mezzanotte, Susannah Perkins, Tedra Millan and other up-and-comers, and was filmed live on stage at Lincoln Center's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in 2017. Register on Broadway on Demand to receive the free viewing link; the recording is viewable until Sunday, August 15.

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 and closed captions are available.

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

Top image: André De Shields, who's performing an in-person concert at Feinstein's/54 Below on Saturday that will also be streamed to at-home viewers . Photo by Lia Chang.