TDF Stages

With in-person theatre a rarity for the foreseeable future, many companies and performers from Broadway and beyond are showcasing their work online. Below are performances you can watch this weekend, Friday, April 9 to Sunday, April 11, for free or at low cost.

Friday, April 9

92nd Street Y: The Future Dance Festival
On Friday at noon ET, the 92nd Street Y presents its inaugural Future Dance Festival showcasing new works from emerging choreographers selected by a panel of pros from the Martha Graham Dance Company, Ballet Hispánico and other lauded troupes. The first weekend features Annie Rigney's Galithea, Max Levy's Silent Bell, Madison Elliott's Empty Vessel, Leonardo Sandoval's All You Gotta Do Is Ask, Burr Johnson's Untitled, Nicole von Arx's NINE and Brian Josiah Martinez's breaking mundane. See tomorrow's big names in dance today! Tickets are $12 and the recording is viewable until Sunday.

The Shows Must Go On!: Julius Caesar
On Friday at 2 p.m. ET, The Shows Must Go On! presents a powerful mounting of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar about a political assassination with deadly consequences. Based on the Royal Shakespeare Company's acclaimed stage production and set in post-colonial Africa, this film is directed by Gregory Doran and stars Paterson Joseph, Jeffry Kissoon, Cyril Nri and Ray Fearon. Watch for free until Friday, April 16 at 2 p.m. ET on YouTube.

Virtual Halston: Best-Of Episode
On Friday at 5 p.m. ET, Broadway funny lady Julie Halston and her producers Ruby Locknar and Jim Caruso share their favorites clips from her chatfest in honor of its 40th episode. Lots of big stars have come on to dish so expect lots of tasty tidbits! Watch for free on YouTube.

The York Theatre Company: Ute Lemper: Rendezvous with Marlene
On Friday at 7 p.m. ET, The York Theatre Company presents internationally renowned German chanteuse Ute Lemper in Rendezvous with Marlene, a celebration of Marlene Dietrich inspired by a three-hour conversation she had with the Hollywood icon back in 1988. Directed by Daniel Nardicio as a cinematic cabaret, the performance features some of Dietrich's signature numbers as well as secrets divulged during that long-ago chat. Tickets are $20.

Lena Hall: Obsessed: Heart
On Friday at 7 p.m. ET, Lena Hall adores the women-led rock group Heart. So much so, the Hedwig Tony winner is doing an evening of the band's songs as part of her Obsessed concert series. The set list includes "Barracuda," "Alone," "What About Love" and "Magic Man," all belted out by Hall in an intimate Zoom concert. Tickets are $20.

The Metropolitan Opera: The Nose
On Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Shostakovich's The Nose, based on Nikolai Gogol's 1836 satirical short story about a bureaucrat who loses his schnoz. Directed and designed by celebrated South African artist William Kentridge, the 2013 production stars Andrey Popov, Alexander Lewis and Tony winner Paulo Szot. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera's website. You can still stream yesterday's opera, Francesca da Rimini, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.

Stars in the House: Celebrating the BC/EFA Easter Bonnet Competition
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley celebrate Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS' fabulous Easter Bonnet Competition. Since 1987, Broadway shows have concocted jaw-dropping headgear for this annual fundraiser, complemented by snazzy performances. Enjoy archival clips and hear from stars who've donned dapper hats! Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.

Saturday, April 10

Lincoln Center: By One Route, and By Another: A Performance by Anna Deavere Smith
On Saturday at 4 p.m. ET, Lincoln Center presents Anna Deavere Smith in a reading of By One Route, and By Another, her meditation on kindness and hope. The playwright-performer will channel cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, playwright and poet Ntozake Shange, Buddhist monk and author Matthieu Ricard and other real-life figures. A live Q&A follows the show. Register for the free Zoom link.

Play-PerView: Babette in Retreat
On Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, Play-PerView presents a live reading of Babette in Retreat, Justin Sayre's glorious farce about a 50-year-old courtesan looking to retire in peace at her country house... if only her old friends and clients would stop bothering her. The cast includes the playwright, who's also a fabulous performer, along with three-time Tony nominee Mary Testa, Becca Blackwell, Nathan Lee Graham, Randy Harrison, Auden Thornton and Jack Wetherall. Ellie Heyman directs. Tickets start at $5 and net proceeds go to the Ali Forney Center. Can't make the live performance? For $20, you can watch a recording until Wednesday, April 14.

The York Theatre Company: Ute Lemper: Rendezvous with Marlene
On Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, The York Theatre Company presents internationally renowned German chanteuse Ute Lemper in Rendezvous with Marlene, a celebration of Marlene Dietrich inspired by a three-hour conversation she had with the Hollywood icon back in 1988. Directed by Daniel Nardicio as a cinematic cabaret, the performance features some of Dietrich's signature numbers as well as secrets divulged during that long-ago chat. Tickets are $20.

The Metropolitan Opera: Roméo et Juliette
On Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Roméo et Juliette, Charles Gounod's adaptation of Shakespeare's romantic tragedy about ill-fated teenage lovers. Roberto Alagna and Anna Netrebko play the star-crossed couple in this 2007 production, which costars Nathan Gunn and Robert Lloyd. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera's website. You can still stream yesterday's opera, The Nose, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.

Metropolitan Playhouse: The Chipwoman's Fortune
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, Metropolitan Playhouse, an Obie-winning company that revives forgotten works, presents a reading of The Chipwoman's Fortune, Willis Richardson's 1923 drama about an older woman taken in by family who suspect she may be rich. This milestone one-act was the first play by an African American to make it to Broadway. Linda Kuriloff directs China Colston, Brenda Crawley, S.J. Hannah and Roland Lane. Watch for free on the company's YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.

Stars in the House: The Kids Are All Right Reunion
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley welcome cast members from the Oscar-nominated 2010 movie The Kids Are All Right, including Broadway vets Mark Ruffalo, Annette Bening and Julianne Moore. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.

East West Players: From Number to Name
On Saturday at 10 p.m. ET, LA's lauded East West Players presents From Number to Name featuring real-life stories from individuals of Asian Pacific Islander descent who spent time in prison. Kristina Wong directed and devised this powerful piece in collaboration with the formerly incarcerated members of API RISE, their families and supporters. After the live Zoom performance, there will be a Q&A. Tickets start at $5.

Sunday, April 11

POSTPONED UNTIL APRIL 18 iHeartDance NYC
On Sunday at 11 a.m., 1, 3 and 5 p.m. ET, iHeartDance NYC presents four live in-person performances on the roof of the Empire Hotel that will also be streamed to at-home viewers. The lineup includes American Ballet Theatre principals Skylar Brandt, Herman Cornejo and Christine Shevchenko; tap master Ayodele Casel; An American in Paris Tony nominee Robbie Fairchild; and New York City Ballet's Christopher Grant and Spartak Hoxha. Tickets are $50 but if you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. Proceeds benefit dancers in need. In the event of rain, the performances will take place on Sunday, April 18.

The Seth Concert Series: Ali Stroker
On Sunday at 3 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 and today's headliner is Ali Stroker. After competing on The Glee Project and landing a guest spot on the namesake TV series, the Paper Mill Playhouse-trained performer returned to her first love, the stage, making her Broadway debut in Deaf West Theatre's revival of Spring Awakening in 2015. But it was her fabulous and flirtatious turn as Ado Annie in the 2019 revival of Oklahoma! that turned her into a star and earned her a Tony Award. Expect songs from her career as well as personal favorites. Tickets are $25. The 3 p.m. performance is live; 8 p.m. is the replay.

Joe Iconis and Family in Concert
On Sunday at 5 p.m. ET, Adelphi University presents a live online concert by Tony-nominated songwriter Joe Iconis and some of talented pals, including Will Roland, Jason SweetTooth and Lauren Marcus who all starred in his cult hit Be More Chill. Iconis' other work includes Broadway Bounty Hunter, Love in Hate Nation and dozens of stand-alone songs. Expect this performance to feel like a music-filled party full of creative friends. Tickets are $20.

East West Players: From Number to Name
On Sunday at 5 p.m. ET, LA's lauded East West Players presents From Number to Name featuring real-life stories from individuals of Asian Pacific Islander descent who spent time in prison. Kristina Wong directed and devised this powerful piece in collaboration with the formerly incarcerated members of API RISE, their families and supporters. After the live Zoom performance, there will be a Q&A. Tickets start at $5.

The Metropolitan Opera: Luisa Miller
On Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Verdi's Luisa Miller, featuring Sonya Yoncheva as the title character and Plácido Domingo as her father. Olesya Petrova, Piotr Beczala, Alexander Vinogradov and Dmitry Belosselskiy costar in this 2018 mounting. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera's website. You can still stream yesterday's opera, Roméo et Juliette, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.

All Weekend

Broadway's Best Shows Spotlight on Plays: Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous
Since spring of 2020, Broadway's Best Shows has presented performances of important plays featuring big stars acting from their respective homes. The series continues with Pearl Cleage's comedy Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous headlined by real-life sisters and Broadway icons Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad. Decades ago, Anna and her director Betty sparked outrage when the former bared it all on stage in an iconic drama. Now a theatre festival wants to restage that incendiary production with a younger performer in Anna's role. Can these women from different generations learn anything from each other? Heather Alicia Simms and Alicia Stith costar, and Tony nominee Camille A. Brown directs. Tickets are $15 and the recording is viewable until Monday. Proceeds benefit The Actors Fund.

John Cullum: An Accidental Star
Two-time Tony winner John Cullum reflects on his 65-year career in An Accidental Star. He'll croon songs from the shows he's known for, such as Shenandoah, On the Twentieth Century, The Scottsboro Boys and Urinetown, and share never-before-heard stories about working with stars like Julie Andrews, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Coproduced by three theatres he has longstanding relationships with—The Vineyard Theatre, Goodspeed Opera House and Irish Rep where it was filmed—this intimate and inspiring solo show is a must-see for theatre history buffs. Tickets start at $28.75 but if you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Thursday, April 22.

Asolo Repertory Theatre: Camelot in Concert
Florida's Asolo Repertory Theatre presents a virtual concert of Camelot, the classic 1960 musical about the love triangle between King Arthur, his beloved Queen Guenevere and Lancelot. Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's celebrated score includes "If Ever I Would Leave You," "I Loved You Once in Silence" and the title number. Tickets start at $20.

The Joyce Theater: Ayodele Casel: Chasing Magic
Chelsea dance haven The Joyce continues its digital season with tap master Ayodele Casel's Chasing Magic, an evening of works about the power of reconnecting. The program features a new collaboration with choreographer Ronald K. Brown as well as "Fly Me to the Moon" and "Cheek to Cheek," both co-choreographed by Anthony Morigerato. Casel is joined on the Joyce stage by Morigerato, Naomi Funaki, Amanda Castro and John Manzari. 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 Wednesday, April 21.

Barrington Stage Company: Mother's Day
Massachusettes' acclaimed Barrington Stage Company presents Mother's Day, a heartfelt comedy by Bekah Brunstetter (This Is Us, The Cake) about the trials, tribulations and triumphs of in vitro fertilization. Virginia Kull and Andy Lucien play the couple grappling with infertility, and Broadway vet/That '70s Show star Debra Jo Rupp is their doctor. Jennifer Chambers directs. Tickets are $25 and the recording is viewable all weekend.

Roundabout Theatre Company: Reverb Theatre Arts Festival
Roundabout Theatre Company presents its inaugural Reverb Theatre Arts Festival showcasing artists with disabilities. A few months ago, the venerable nonprofit put out a call inviting artists with disabilities to submit original monologues, dance pieces, spoken word and musical works. The result is 24 short collaborations between emerging artists and pros, including Tony-winning performer Ali Stroker, Tony-nominated director Scott Ellis, Tony-nominated performer Lauren Ridloff, choreographer Chase Brock and songwriter Adam Gwon. Watch for free until Thursday, May 20 on Roundabout's website. ASL interpretation, closed captioning and audio description are available.

American Repertory Theater: Hype Man
On Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday at 4 p.m. ET, American Repertory Theater at Harvard University presents Idris Goodwin's Hype Man, about a multicultural hip-hop trio whose members face identity and political crises in the wake of the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager. John Oluwole ADEkoje and Shawn LaCount direct Kadahj Bennett, Rachel Cognata and Michael Knowlton star. Tickets start at $10.

Disenchanted!
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET, iconic princesses indulge in gleefully evil behavior in Disenchanted!, Dennis T. Giacino's satirical musical about how Cinderella, Snow White, Pocahontas, Sleeping Beauty and their ilk really feel about their royal lives. A hit Off Broadway, this online incarnation stars a quintet of queens from West End's production of Six: Jodie Steele, Sophie Isaacs, Grace Mouat, Millie O'Connell and Courtney Bowman. Tickets are £18, approximately $25.

Manhattan Theatre Club: Please Welcome Our Guest
On Friday at 4 and 6 p.m.; Saturday at 8 a.m., 12:30, 7:30 and 11 p.m.; and Sunday at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. ET, Manhattan Theatre Club presents Please Welcome Our Guest, a live interactive experience with emerging playwright Liza Birkenmeier. Log in to Zoom and, with the help of a surprise guest, an experimental survey and guidance from the dramatist, you just may gain surprising insights into yourself. Camera shy? Don't worry, your face is not needed and off-camera participation is voluntary. Not sure what to expect? That's the point! Reservations are required to receive the free Zoom link for this 20-minute performance. Captions are available.

The Tank: Islands of Contentment
On Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.; and Sunday at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET, indie theatre incubator The Tank presents Islands of Contentment, Dipti Bramhandkar's collection of 13 monologues examining the challenges of modern-day romance. Viewers can choose different experiences: a streaming-only version of the show, or two separate interactive journeys. Tickets range $20-$60 depending on what you pick.

Hindsight 2020: A Theatrical Time Capsule
On Friday at 10:30 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 9 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 8 p.m. ET, theatre artists from around the globe come together to devise a virtual time capsule seeking to answer the question, which parts of 2020 should we take with us, and what should be left behind? This unique performance is meant to inspire reflection on our personal pandemic experiences and how we want to move forward as individuals and as a community. Come ready to contemplate! Tickets are pay-what-you-wish.

Lincoln Center Theater: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
It's your last chance to watch Lincoln Center Theater's recording of Christopher Durang's hilarious Anton Chekhov parody Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. The comedy stars Kristine Nielsen, David Hyde Pierce and Sigourney Weaver as three squabbling siblings and Billy Magnussen as the latter's young squeeze. The Nicholas Martin-directed production was filmed live on stage at Lincoln Center's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in 2012 before the show transferred to Broadway. Register on Broadway on Demand to receive the free viewing link. The recording is viewable until Sunday.

George Street Playhouse: Fully Committed
It's your last chance to watch George Street Playhouse's online production of Becky Mode's Fully Committed, a satire of NYC's haute cuisine scene. 30 Rock star Maulik Pancholy plays more than 40 characters in this one-man comedy, including an aspiring actor/harried restaurant reservationist who's having a really bad day, along with all of his demanding patrons. The 1999 play was initially a smash Off Broadway, and was revamped and revived on Broadway in 2016. With sitcom and stage vet Pancholy as the main ingredient, this digital reimagining is a delicious tour de farce. Tickets are $33 but if you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Sunday. Closed captions and audio description are available.

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

Top image: John Cullum, who's starring in the autobiographical solo show An Accidental Star. Photo by Tristan Fuge.