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 Friday, January 22 to Sunday, January 24, for free or at low cost.

Friday, January 22

Old Vic: Michael Sheen in Faith Healer
On Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET, last year, London's Old Vic presented a series of starry shows performed live on stage to an empty auditorium; now the theatre is offering encore streams. Today, catch Brian Friel's Faith Healer, a powerful play about the dramatic life of Hardy, portrayed by Michael Sheen. This story about faith and fragility unfolds through a series of monologues delivered by Hardy, his wife (Indira Varma) and his longtime manager (David Threlfall). Tickets start at £10, approximately $14. Audio description and closed captions are available.

Virtual Halston: Brooks Ashmanskas
On Friday at 5 p.m. ET, Broadway funny lady Julie Halston welcomes two-time Tony nominee Brooks Ashmanskas to her weekly chatfest. The two costarred together in the 2003 Broadway revival of Gypsy and they're truly the most uproarious second bananas on Broadway. Watch for free on YouTube.

African Caribbean MixFest: Mixfest Double Bill
On Friday at 6 p.m. ET, throughout the month, Off Broadway's invaluable Atlantic Theater Company is presenting African Caribbean MixFest, a series of free readings by African Caribbean dramatists. Tonight, catch a double bill of one-acts: playwright-performer Jasmine Lee-Jones's solo show I Used to Love H.E.R. parsing the language of love from 1476 to the present, and Whitney White's two-hander Abduction about how easily idle chitchat can turn tense. Register to receive the free viewing link.

MBDance's Desire: A Sankofa Dream Part I
On Friday at 7 p.m. ET, MBDance's founder Maria Bauman-Morales presents Desire: A Sankofa Dream, a two-part multimedia piece fusing dance, text, visuals and audience interaction. Inspired by Black queer survival techniques, the performance features Audrey Elaine Hailes, Angie Pittman, Courtney Cook, Johnnie Mercer, Ziiomi Law and Wendell Gray II. Tonight is part I and the experience wraps up on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets start at $5.

The Metropolitan Opera: Tosca
On Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera shares a gem from its vaults: Franco Zeffirelli's 1985 mounting of Puccini's Tosca, starring Hildegard Behrens as the title diva, Plácido Domingo as her artist lover and Cornell MacNeil as the man who stands in the way of their happiness. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera's website. You can still stream yesterday's opera, La Traviata, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.

Stars in the House: the Best of Concerts for America
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, for the past few years, Stars in the House hosts Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley have been producing benefit concerts to raise much-needed funds for a variety of nonprofit organizations. Titled Concerts for America, these performances feature their Broadway BFFs singing for great causes. Tonight, they look back on some of their favorite Concerts for America clips with Jessie Mueller, Bebe Neuwirth and Keala Settle. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.

Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival: Stay Home and Stay Safe
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, since 2008, Origin Theatre Company has presented the annual Origin 1st Irish Festival featuring readings, productions and panels. This year the event goes virtual with daily offerings through the end of the month. Tonight, catch a quartet of brand-new playlets exploring domestic violence during the pandemic written by Irish dramatists Geraldine Aron, Honor Molloy, Derek Murphy and Ursula Rani Sarma. Tickets are free but required to receive the viewing link.

La MaMa: Downtown Variety: Brazil Edition
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, go avant-garde with East Village mainstay La MaMa with this special international edition of Downtown Variety showcasing the experimental work underground artists are doing in Brazil. Lenerson Polonini curates and hosts this evening of performances by Wilson Sukorski, Otavio Donasci, Rui Moreira, Christina Fornaciari, Pedro Granato, Neville D’almeida, Marcus Galina, Jurandy Valença and Gabriela Leite. Watch for free on the company's website though donations are encouraged.

Saving Wonderland: A Seize the Show Experience
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, go down the rabbit hole with Seize the Show's interactive adventure featuring Lewis Carroll's iconic Alice in Wonderland characters. This family show takes place live on Zoom as audiences solve puzzles to move the story forward. Multiple endings are possible, so log on ready to participate. Tickets start at $13.

The Exponential Festival: Double Bill
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, every January since 2016, The Exponential Festival has showcased cutting-edge stage works mostly on Brooklyn stages. For its sixth annual edition, the event goes virtual with performances by some of the most exciting theatre-makers in the digital space. Tonight, catch Chris Ignacio's How to Sing: A Survival Guide about crooning through COVID, and excerpts from Darian Dauchan's sci-fi rom-com Lift Off. Watch for free on the fest's YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.

Saturday, January 23

Metropolitan Opera Stars Live in Concert: Piotr Beczala and Sondra Radvanovsky
On Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera continues its series of live recitals with frequent costars Piotr Beczala and Sondra Radvanovsky performing from Germany's Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal. This is the first time the duo has sung together for Met audiences since 2015, and the lineup includes beloved arias and duets from Giordano's Andrea Chénier, Dvorák's Rusalka and Verdi's La Forza del Destino. Tickets are $20 and a recording is viewable until Friday, February 6.

St. Ann's Warehouse: The Approach
On Saturday at 2:15 p.m. ET, Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse continues bringing some of the UK's best theatre to US audiences with The Approach, Mark O'Rowe's enigmatic play about three women (Cathy Belton, Derbhle Crotty and Aisling O’Sullivan) telling different but interconnected tales. The production will be performed live on stage at Dublin's Project Arts Centre and broadcast to international audiences. Tickets start at €15, approximately $18.

Casita Maria Center: Where You From? What You Be About?
On Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, one of TDF's wonderful community partners, the Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education in the Bronx, presents Where You From? What You Be About?, Eric Avilés' autobiographical solo show about growing up on the mean streets of Chicago. A meditation on life, death and redemption, the play examines the far-reaching effects of gun and gang violence. Edward Torres directs. Watch for free on the Casita Maria Center's Facebook page.

MBDance's Desire: A Sankofa Dream Part II
On Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, MBDance's founder Maria Bauman-Morales presents Desire: A Sankofa Dream, a two-part multimedia piece fusing dance, text, visuals and audience interaction. Inspired by Black queer survival techniques, the performance features Audrey Elaine Hailes, Angie Pittman, Courtney Cook, Johnnie Mercer, Ziiomi Law and Wendell Gray II. Part I premiered Friday evening; this is the climactic installment. Tickets start at $5 and include both parts.

The Metropolitan Opera: Manon
On Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Massenet's Manon, based on Antoine François Prévost's controversial 18th-century novel about a tragic romance. Filmed for the company's Live in HD series in 2018, the production stars Lisette Oropesa, Michael Fabiano, Carlo Bosi, Artur Rucinski, Brett Polegato and Kwangchul Youn. 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 noon ET today.

Stars in the House: Chita Rivera's Birthday Bash
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley fete theatre legend Chita Rivera on her 87th birthday! Expect exciting special guests to drop by for the virtual festivities, including lots of Broadway stars. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.

The Reading Series: Rabbit Hole
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, The Reading Series presents David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Rabbit Hole, about a once-happy family reeling from an unfathomable loss. To Kill a Mockingbird Tony winner Celia Keenan-Bolger leads an impressive cast, including Ain't Too Proud's Jawan M. Jackson, three-time Tony nominee Mary Testa and former Evan Hansen Andrew Barth Feldman. Alison Tanney directs. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.

Metropolitan Playhouse: The Sleeping Car
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, Metropolitan Playhouse, an Obie-winning company that revives forgotten plays, presents a reading of The Sleeping Car, William Dean Howells' 1883 farce about a chatty woman traveling to see her long-lost brother on an overnight train. Alex Roe directs Dylan Brown, Kelly Cooper, Ken Ferrigni, Andrew Firda, Sidney Fortner, Ben Gougeon, Michael A. Jones, Bex Odorisio and Peter Tedeschi. Watch for free on the company's YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.

Saving Wonderland: A Seize the Show Experience
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, go down the rabbit hole with Seize the Show's interactive adventure featuring Lewis Carroll's iconic Alice in Wonderland characters. This family show takes place live on Zoom as audiences solve puzzles to move the story forward. Multiple endings are possible, so log on ready to participate. Tickets start at $13.

The Exponential Festival: Double Bill
On Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET, every January since 2016, The Exponential Festival has showcased cutting-edge stage works mostly on Brooklyn stages. For its sixth annual edition, the event goes virtual with performances by some of the most exciting theatre-makers in the digital space. Tonight, catch Yeujia Low's musical Animal Empire about creatures fighting for their civil rights, and the ritual sound experiment Yackez Love for the New World Paradigm. Watch for free on the fest's YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.

Sunday, January 24

St. Ann's Warehouse: The Approach
On Sunday at 3:45 p.m. ET, Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse continues bringing some of the UK's best theatre to US audiences with The Approach, Mark O'Rowe's enigmatic play about three women (Cathy Belton, Derbhle Crotty and Aisling O’Sullivan) telling different but interconnected tales. The production will be performed live on stage at Dublin's Project Arts Centre and broadcast to international audiences. Tickets start at €15, approximately $18.

Save Birdland Benefit Concert
On Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, ever since Birdland opened in 1949, its been a hot spot for cool jazz and cabaret. Even during the shutdown, many Broadway stars have streamed sets from the storied venue. Unfortunately, it's not enough to keep the iconic venue afloat, which is why cabaret maven Jim Caruso and theatre producer Tom D'Angora are presenting a benefit concert featuring a jaw-dropping lineup of singers and musicians. Clive Davis, Wynton Marsalis, The Manhattan Transfer, John Pizzarelli, former President Bill Clinton, Norm Lewis, Chita Rivera, Jeff Goldblum, Christine Ebersole, Jeff Daniels, Giancarlo Esposito, Martha Plimpton, Mandy Patinkin, Matthew Broderick, Wendell Pierce, Mercedes Ruehl, Billy Stritch and Leslie Odom, Jr. are just some of the Birdland fans scheduled to pop by, and there will undoubtedly be many last-minute surprise guests. Watch for free on YouTube though donations are encouraged.

Fabulous Fanny: The Songs and Stories of Fanny Brice
On Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, if you only know Fanny Brice as Barbra Streisand's character in Funny Girl, time to get schooled. Kimberly Faye Greenberg portrays the legendary Jewish singer, comedian and Ziegfeld Follies star in this solo show, which delves into her incredible career and dramatic life. Expect torch songs, old-school shtick and Baby Snooks! (No relation to yours truly.) Tickets are $10.

The Exponential Festival: How to Wake Up!
On Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, every January since 2016, The Exponential Festival has showcased cutting-edge stage works mostly on Brooklyn stages. For its sixth annual edition, the event goes virtual with performances by some of the most exciting theatre-makers in the digital space. Tonight, catch How to Wake Up!, a grab bag of poems and performances assembled by Tessa Barlow-Ochshorn. Watch for free on the fest's YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.

The Metropolitan Opera: Die Walküre
On Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Die Walküre, the second opera in Wagner's "Ring" cycle, with Brünnhilde defying her god father Wotan. Deborah Voigt, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Stephanie Blythe, Jonas Kaufmann, Bryn Terfel and Hans-Peter König star in Robert Lepage's landmark 2011 mounting. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera's website. You can still stream yesterday's opera, Manon, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.

The Seth Concert Series: Jessica Vosk
On Sunday 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, and tonight's headliner is Jessica Vosk, a Broadway vet with powerhouse pipes best known for playing Elphaba in Wicked on tour and in NYC. Tickets are $25.

All Weekend

The Vineyard Theatre: Gloria Original Cast Benefit Reading
Off Broadway's Vineyard Theatre presents a reading of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' pitch-black comedy Gloria, which was a huge hit for the company in 2015 and went on to be short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize. While Jacobs-Jenkins is best known for his searing plays about race (An Octoroon, Appropriate), Gloria starts out as an office comedy about editorial peons with big literary dreams and then goes in a shockingly dark direction. Ultimately, it's a biting exploration of who gets to tell their own story. This performance reunites the original Vineyard cast, Kyle Beltran, Catherine Combs, Michael Crane, Jennifer Kim, Jeanine Serralles and the invaluable Ryan Spahn, with director Evan Cabnet. Tickets start at $25 but if you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount.

San Francisco Ballet: George Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream
San Francisco Ballet kicks off its new digital season with a recording of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which had its run cut short due to the pandemic last year. Based on Shakespeare's enchanting comedy of love, magic and manipulation, the ballet features a lovely score by Felix Mendelssohn and was the first full-length work choreographed by George Balanchine. Tickets are $29 and the recording is viewable until Wednesday, February 10.

Opéra-Comique in Paris: Titon et l'Aurore
Here's something you don't see every day, a brand-new production streamed directly from Opéra-Comique in Paris! Award-winning puppet master Basil Twist (Symphonie Fantastique) directs Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville's rarely staged 1753 fable Titon et l'Aurore, about the relationship between a shepherd (Reinoud Van Mechelen) and a goddess (Gwendoline Blondeel). Although the opera's in-person run this month was canceled due to COVID, the venue produced it live on stage to an empty house and recorded the performance. Watch for free until Monday, April 19 on Medici TV though you need to create an account.

New York Theatre Workshop: The Wright Stuff
New York Theatre Workshop presents The Wright Stuff, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Doug Wright's new interview series of one-on-one talks with some of the most insightful and hilarious political commentators of our time: comedians. The five-episode series features chats with New Yorker satirist Andy Borowitz, Daily Show alum Aasif Mandvi, CBS Sunday Morning special correspondent Nancy Giles, irreverent stage and screen scribe Paul Rudnick, and Late Night with Seth Meyers' writer Jenny Hagel. Watch the series for free on NYTW's YouTube channel.

In & Of Itself
Illusionist Derek DelGaudio's long-running Off-Broadway solo show In & Of Itself comes to Hulu. Directed by Frank Oz of Muppets fame and reimagined for the screen, the performance art-style experience is more mind-bending than eye-popping, yet totally unforgettable. DelGaudio makes audiences gasp as he uses tricks and tales to delve into the concept of identity. Not a Hulu subscriber? You can watch for free by signing up for a one-month trial.

---

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

Top image: Chita Rivera, who's celebrating her birthday on Stars in the House on Saturday night. Photo by Laura Marie Duncan.