TDF Stages

While in-person theatre is back in NYC, there are still wonderful shows to stream at home. Below are performances you can watch online this weekend, Friday, February 25 to Sunday, February 27, for free or at low cost.

Friday, February 25

92Y: Baye & Asa and Passion Fruit Dance Company
On Friday at noon, 92Y's famed Harkness Dance Center shares a recording of new works by two different troupes: artists in residence Baye & Asa, who were finalists at the inaugural Future Dance Festival in 2021, and Passion Fruit Dance Company. Both companies fuse hip-hop, street and African dance to create new vocabularies. Tickets are $15.

FRIGID New York: FRIGID Festival
FRIGID New York is known for its theatre festivals, but this 16th annual event is its flagship and often the launchpad for bigger things—Broadway's Thoughts of a Colored Man made its NYC debut at FRIGID 2015. Over two and a half weeks, almost two dozen eclectic shows (all short, many comedic) will be presented at two East Village venues, the Kraine Theater and Under St. Marks, and most performances are also being live-streamed to at-home audiences for $5 to $15. On Friday, you can watch:

• At 4:45 p.m. ET, And Toto, Too, Megan Quick's canine career retrospective about a diva dog in Hollywood
• At 5:15 p.m. ET, Brian Schiller's autobiographical dark comedy Three Funerals and a Chimp about navigating illness and death in his family
• At 6:30 p.m. ET, A Public Private Prayer, a meditation on whether God exists
• At 7 p.m. ET, My Grandmother's Eye Patch, Julia VanderVeen's wacky comic tribute to her nana
• At 8:15 p.m. ET, Tomatoes Tried To Kill Me But Banjos Saved My Life, Keith Alessi's inspiring journey of finding his passion after a devastating diagnosis
• At 8:45 p.m. ET, storyteller Jean Ann Le Bec's autobiographical The Last to Know about discovering her four-decade marriage was built on lies
• At 10:30 p.m. ET, Portly Lutheran Know-It-All, a solo comedy of faith and rebellion

Stars in the House: Billy Porter
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, during the shutdown, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley's online gabfest Stars in the House served as a lifeline for theatre artists and audiences, as Broadway's best gathered virtually to chat and sing while raising money for The Actors Fund. Even though theatres have reopened, the talk show must go on (if, admittedly, sporadically). Tonight, the married hosts welcome Tony and Emmy winner Billy Porter, who'll be discussing his new memoir Unprotected. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.

Saturday, February 26

FRIGID New York: FRIGID Festival
FRIGID New York is known for its theatre festivals, but this 16th annual event is its flagship and often the launchpad for bigger things—Broadway's Thoughts of a Colored Man made its NYC debut at FRIGID 2015. Over two and a half weeks, almost two dozen eclectic shows (all short, many comedic) will be presented at two East Village venues, the Kraine Theater and Under St. Marks, and most performances are also being live-streamed to at-home audiences for $5 to $15. On Saturday, you can watch:

• At 1:45 p.m. ET, Brian Schiller's autobiographical dark comedy Three Funerals and a Chimp about navigating illness and death in his family
• At 3:30 p.m. ET, The Story of Falling Don, the real-life tale of playwright-performer Daniel Kinch's first day on the job across from the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001
• At 4:45 p.m. ET, Are you lovin' it?, a surreal comedy from Japan's Theatre Group GUMBO featuring dancing businessmen, Krazy Kitty and tasty WacDonalds
• At 6:30 p.m. ET, Tomatoes Tried To Kill Me But Banjos Saved My Life, Keith Alessi's inspiring journey of finding his passion after a devastating diagnosis
• At 7 p.m. ET, Pueblo Revolt, the tale of two brothers set against the backdrop of the 1680 the Pueblo Revolt
• At 8:15 p.m. ET, And Toto, Too, Megan Quick's canine career retrospective about a diva dog in Hollywood
• At 8:45 p.m. ET, Bathroom of a Bar on Bleecker, a raunchy romp about recording the final episode of America's No. 1 comedy podcast

Live from Feinstein's/54 Below: George Salazar and Joe Iconis: Two-Player Game: 2.0 Upgraded Edition
On Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, even though Feinstein's/54 Below has reopened for in-person performances, the swanky cabaret club continues to stream select shows live from its stage. Tonight, Broadway BFFs George Salazar and Joe Iconis reunite for an updated edition of their popular cabaret Two-Player Game. Expect lots of numbers from their most high-profile project, Be More Chill, which Iconis wrote and Salazar starred in, as well as tunes from other Iconis musicals such as Broadway Bounty Hunter, Love In Hate Nation and The Black Suits. Tickets are $25. If you prefer to attend in person, click here for info.

Stars in the House: Master Voices: Anyone Can Whistle
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, during the shutdown, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley's online gabfest Stars in the House served as a lifeline for theatre artists and audiences, as Broadway's best gathered virtually to chat and sing while raising money for The Actors Fund. Even though theatres have reopened, the talk show must go on (if, admittedly, sporadically). Tonight, MasterVoices shares a sneak peek at its upcoming one-night-only Carnegie Hall concert of Stephen Sondheim's rarely produced Anyone Can Whistle. Stars Vanessa Williams, Santino Fontana and Elizabeth Stanley will be on hand to discuss the project along with MasterVoices' artistic director Ted Sperling. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.

Sunday, February 27

FRIGID New York: FRIGID Festival
FRIGID New York is known for its theatre festivals, but this 16th annual event is its flagship and often the launchpad for bigger things—Broadway's Thoughts of a Colored Man made its NYC debut at FRIGID 2015. Over two and a half weeks, almost two dozen eclectic shows (all short, many comedic) will be presented at two East Village venues, the Kraine Theater and Under St. Marks, and most performances are also being live-streamed to at-home audiences for $5 to $15. On Sunday, you can watch:

• At 1:15 p.m. ET, Tomatoes Tried To Kill Me But Banjos Saved My Life, Keith Alessi's inspiring journey of finding his passion after a devastating diagnosis
• At 1:45 and 8:45 p.m. ET, Ellie Brelis' autobiographical solo show Driver's Seat about her darkest moments, including living with a disability and a mental health breakdown
• At 3 p.m. ET, The Lonely Road, Will Clegg's multimedia storytelling adventure about an epic road trip
• At 3:30 p.m. ET, Bathroom of a Bar on Bleecker, a raunchy romp about recording the final episode of America's No. 1 comedy podcast
• At 4:45 p.m. ET, Vaxxed & Waxxed, UK comedian Eleanor Conway makes her US debut with this Edinburgh Festival favorite about her no-holds-barred dating escapades
• At 5:15 p.m. ET, Smile All the Time, Amanda Erin Miller's romp about a teenage boy recounting the wild evening that landed him in jail
• At 6:30 p.m. ET, Human Flailings, psychotherapist and storyteller Jude Treder-Wolff's self-analysis about destructive relationship patterns
• At 7 p.m. ET, the atypical rom-com Love & Sex on the Spectrum
• At 8:15 p.m. ET, StarSweeper, a solo show exploring humanity, humor and reaching out to the universe for connection

Live from Feinstein's/54 Below: Sondheim Unplugged
On Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, even though Feinstein's/54 Below has reopened for in-person performances, the swanky cabaret club continues to stream select shows live from its stage. Tonight, enjoy the latest installment of Sondheim Unplugged, cabaret impresario Phil Geoffrey Bond's stripped-down concert series celebrating the late songwriting legend. Broadway regulars Evan Harrington, Lucia Spina and Alton Fitzgerald White plus special guests Karen Mason and Sweeney Todd's original Johanna Sarah Rice will croon Sondheim tunes accompanied solely by piano. Tickets are $25. If you prefer to attend in person, click here for info.

Live from Feinstein's/54 Below: Jessie Hooker-Bailey and Gilbert L. Bailey II: Popular in High School: Songs We Grew Up On
On Sunday at 9:45 p.m. ET, even though Feinstein's/54 Below has reopened for in-person performances, the swanky cabaret club continues to stream select shows live from its stage. Tonight, spouses Jessie Hooker-Bailey and Gilbert L. Bailey II have performed together on Broadway but this is their first time collaborating at Feinstein's/54 Below. Enjoy a nostalgia trip to their adolescent years of the '90s and early '00s with beloved R&B, pop and hip-hop classics, plus a show tune or two. Tickets are $25. If you prefer to attend in person, click here for info.

All Weekend

The Huntington: The Bluest Eye
Boston's The Huntington is currently presenting an in-person theatricalization of Toni Morrison's celebrated debut novel The Bluest Eye, but you can also stream a recording of the production online. Adapted for the stage by award-winning dramatist Lydia Diamond, the play centers on Pecola, a young Black girl who believes the world would be wonderful if she could have blue eyes. Awoye Timpo directs. Tickets start at $20 and the recording is viewable until Saturday, April 9.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Unfold & Fandango
Last chance! Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater presents a pair of romantic pieces: artistic director Robert Battle's Unfold, a duet set to opera diva Leontyne Price's lush rendition of an aria from Gustave Charpentier's Louise about the first day of love; and Lar Lubovitch's sensual and athletic Fandango set to Maurice Ravel's Bolero. Watch for free until Sunday on Ailey's YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.

Mosaic Theater Company: Dear Mapel
Washington, DC's Mosaic Theater Company presents Dear Mapel, an autobiographical solo show by hip-hop theatre-maker Psalmayene 24 about how growing up with an absent father impacted his life. Through correspondence real and imagined, he examines the power of the written word to connect us with our loved ones, our past and our future. Tickets are $40 and the recording is available until Sunday, February 27. Closed captions are available.

New Victory Theater: Air Play
NYC's premiere family theatre, the New Victory, is presenting an in-person production of Air Play featuring married clowns the Acrobuffos exploring the power of air in a series of entertaining experiments. But this science-themed circus spectacle is also streaming online. Tickets are $25 and the recording is viewable until Sunday, March 6. Prefer to attend in person? Click here for info or, if you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets.

Project Y Theatre: Women in Theatre Festival
Off-Off Broadway's venerable Project Y Theatre presents its seventh annual Women in Theatre Festival online, with a quintet of commissioned two-handers by women playwrights, including Amina Henry, Erin Mallon and TDF Stages contributor Eliza Bent, alongside a collection of fresh, female-forward monologues. All of the pieces were filmed live on stage and a streaming pass allows you to watch the program anytime on demand for a week. Tickets are $25 but if you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets.

Pasadena Playhouse: Teenage Dick
Last chance! Although California's Pasadena Playhouse was forced to cancel its in-person run of Teenage Dick due to COVID-19, the good news is the production was captured on film. Mike Lew's modern-day, darkly comic take on Richard III is set in a high-pressure high school, where a bullied adolescent with cerebral palsy mounts a ruthless campaign to become student body president. How far will he go to win? Tony nominee Moritz von Stuelpnagel (Hand to God) directs and Gregg Mozgala and Shannon DeVido reprise the roles they originated Off Broadway in the play's critically acclaimed world premiere. Tickets start at $25 and the recording is viewable until Sunday.

Hypokrit Productions: Running
Last chance! Hypokrit Productions presents Running, an autobiographical cinema-stage hybrid by sitcom star Danny Pudi (Community) about his quest to learn about the father he never knew. With some scenes filmed in a theatre, others in the real world, this is a moving documentary journey of self-discovery. Arpita Mukherjee directs. Tickets are $20 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: Billy Porter, who will be discussing his new memoir on Stars in the House on Friday evening. Photo by Shavonne Wong.