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 weekend, Friday through Sunday, October 23 to 25, for free or at low cost.

Friday, October 23

Broadway's Best Shows: This Is Our Youth
Broadway's Best Shows, which presented powerhouse readings of plays such as Love Letters and November in the spring, continues its virtual season with Kenneth Lonergan's This Is Our Youth about 48 emotional hours in the lives of three young Manhattanites in the early '80s. Originally produced Off Broadway in 1996 (with a then-unknown Mark Ruffalo!), the play was mounted on Broadway in 2014 with Michael Cera. This time around, Lucas Hedges (who appeared in Lonergan's Waverly Gallery on Broadway and his Oscar-winning movie Manchester by the Sea) headlines a cast that includes Paul Mescal and Grace Van Patten. Lila Neugebauer directs. Tickets start at $5 and proceeds go to The Actors Fund. The recording will remain viewable until Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

The Shows Must Go On!: Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
On Friday at 2 p.m. ET, the Shows Must Go On! streams Jeff Wayne's musical adaptation of The War of the Worlds. Originally a hit concept album in the '70s, Wayne's take on H.G. Wells' sci-fi classic about a Martian invasion spawned a high-tech touring iteration in the 21st century. This production was recorded at London's O2 Arena in 2012 and features a 3D hologram of Liam Neeson, flesh-and-blood performances by Jason Donovan, Ricky Wilson, Marti Pellow, Will Stapleton and Kerry Ellis, and a 35-foot tall spaceship that shoots flames above the audience. Watch for free until Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on YouTube though donations are encouraged.

First Date: The Musical
On Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET, if you're hankering for a funny, feel-good romance, swipe right on First Date: The Musical. The show played on Broadway in 2013, and this production was filmed on stage during quarantine at London's Crazy Coqs cabaret with the cast crooning to an empty house. Pretty Woman: The Musical's Samantha Barks and West End vet Simon Lipkin star as hate-at-first-sight singles who are destined to get together... they just need some external encouragement. Tickets are £12.50, approximately $17.

Atlantic Theater Company: Skeleton Crew Reunion Reading
On Friday at 7 p.m. ET, Off Broadway's Atlantic Theater Company presents a reunion reading of Dominique Morisseau's Obie-winning Skeleton Crew about Detroit factory workers facing the closure of their automobile parts plant and the erasure of their community. The show had its critically acclaimed world premiere at Atlantic's intimate Stage 2 in 2016, soon transferring to its larger Linda Gross Theater for an extended run. Ruben Santiago-Hudson once again directs original cast members Jason Dirden, Wendell B. Franklin, Nikiya Mathis and Adesola Osakulumi, with new addition Caroline Clay. Tickets are free but required to receive the viewing link; a $25 donation is suggested.

New Federal Theatre: Medal of Honor Rag
On Friday at 7 p.m. ET, New Federal Theatre, one of NYC's leading Black companies, continues its Friday night reading series of important plays from its past with Medal of Honor Rag. First produced by the company in 1976, Tom Cole's drama centers on a decorated Black veteran and an Army psychiatrist trying to work through the trauma they both experienced during the Vietnam War. Beethovan Oden, Micah Stock and Thomas Booker star; A. Dean Irby directs. Watch for free until Sunday on New Federal Theatre's website though donations are encouraged.

Stephen Petronio Company: Virtual Bloodlines Festival
On Friday at 7 p.m. ET, NYC choreographer Stephen Petronio continues his multi-year Bloodlines project exploring his modern dance influences with three programs of archival performances. The first features Yvonne Rainer's Diagonal (1963), Trio A with Flags (1966/1970) and Chair Pillow (1969); and Steve Paxton Jag Vill Gärna Telefonera (1964/1982). There will be a live post-screening conversation with Petrino, Rainer and dance critic Deborah Jowitt. Tickets are required to receive the free viewing link; donations are encouraged. The recording will be viewable until Friday, October 30.

St. Ann's Warehouse: The Tempest
On Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, throughout October, St. Ann's Warehouse presents director Phyllida Lloyd's acclaimed Donmar Warehouse Shakespeare Trilogy, starring Tony nominee Harriet Walter and an all-female ensemble as inmates mounting the Bard's plays in prison, a framing that provides a fresh perspective on familiar works. All three productions were filmed in front of live audiences in 2016, with handheld and GoPro footage edited in to give them a kinetic feel. The series wraps up with The Tempest featuring Walter as Prospero, the sorcerer whose quest for revenge softens when her daughter Miranda falls in love. Watch for free until Thursday on St. Ann's website though donations are encouraged.

BRIC: DEBATE: Baldwin vs. Buckley
On Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, in the wake of nationwide protests sparked by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans, theatre artists have been parsing our country's recent racist past by acting out historical speeches, trials and conversations. There's The Vineyard Theatre's Lessons in Survival series and Rattlestick Playwright Theater's Why Would I Dare?: The Trial of Crystal Mason. Now Brooklyn's BRIC partners with the american vicarious for DEBATE: Baldwin vs Buckley, a recreation of the legendary 1965 debate between author and civil rights activist James Baldwin and conservative intellectual William F. Buckley Jr. around the subject, "Has the American Dream been achieved at the expense of the American Negro?" Christopher McElroen directs Teagle F. Bougere as Baldwin and Eric T. Miller as Buckley, though this is less about impersonation, more about how Baldwin's words still ring true. Watch for free on BRIC's YouTube channel.

The Metropolitan Opera: Falstaff
On Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera's week of operatic comedies continues with Franco Zeffirelli's classic 1992 staging of Verdi's Falstaff. Paul Plishka is the lascivious and louche title character, who's outwitted by the clever ladies around him, played by Marilyn Horne, Mirella Freni and Susan Graham. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera's website. You can still stream yesterday's opera, La Cenerentola, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.

With Love, Now and Forever! CATS4COVIDRELIEF
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS presents With Love, Now and Forever! CATS4COVIDRELIEF, a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jellicle juggernaut. More than 30 former Cats cast members reunite for new takes on some of the musical's numbers, including "Memory" performed by Grammy-winner Leslie Ellis and Christine Toy Johnson, who both performed in the musical's third national tour. Watch for free until Tuesday on Broadway Cares' YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.

Heroes of the Fourth Turning
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, when Will Arbery's drama Heroes of the Fourth Turning about a Catholic college reunion of conservative intellectuals premiered at Playwrights Horizons last fall, it felt incredibly timely. As Election Day approaches in an increasingly polarized nation, its fly-on-a-Red-State-wall perspective feels even more urgent. Perhaps that's why Slave Play playwright Jeremy O. Harris has decided to produce this virtual remount of the original Off-Broadway production, once again directed by Danya Taymor and performed live by Zoë Winters, Julia McDermott, John Zdrojeski, Jeb Kreager and Michele Pawk. If you missed this unforgettable and eye-opening Pulitzer finalist play, don't make that mistake again. Tickets are free but required to receive the viewing link; donations are encouraged with all proceeds going to NYC theatre workers.

WP Theater: Ole White Sugah Daddy
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, WP Theater, formerly known as The Women's Project, kicks off its virtual season with a live reading of Ole White Sugah Daddy, written by and starring Obehi Janice as a Black woman coder trying to get her start-up off the ground while staying true to herself. Presented in partnership with Aye Defy, which debuted the work online back in July, the play is directed by Caitlin Sullivan and costars Alex Esola, Andy Lucien, Natalie Paul, Taji Senior, Greg Stuhr and Madeline Wise. Tickets are free but required to receive the viewing link; donations are suggested. A recording will be viewable until Tuesday.

Shoshana Bean: Broadway My Way
On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, Broadway leading lady Shoshana Bean, a former Elphaba in Wicked and Jenna in Waitress, belts out some of her favorite show tunes in this virtual concert. Expect repertoire from parts she's played as well as dream roles. Tickets are $20.

Saturday, October 24

Metropolitan Opera Stars Live in Concert: Diana Damrau and Joseph Calleja
On Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera continues its series of live recitals with soprano Diana Damrau and tenor Joseph Calleja performing from Italy's Cappella Palatina of the Royal Palace of Caserta. The duo will sing a selection of classic arias and duets from Puccini's Tosca, Bizet's Carmen and other operas. Roberto Moreschi accompanies on piano. Tickets cost $20 and a recording will remain viewable until Thursday, November 5.

New York City Ballet Family Matinee: Short Stories
On Saturday at 2 p.m. ET, every Tuesday throughout October, New York City Ballet has been presenting hour-long programs of archival performances. But for this special Saturday matinee, the lauded dance troupe is sharing kid-friendly repertoire: George Balanchine's The Steadfast Tin Soldier based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale; the opening of Jerome Robbins' Fanfare, and a pair of excerpts from Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Dancers include Sara Mearns, Anthony Huxley, Claire Von Enck and David Aaron Baker. Watch for free until next Saturday, October 31 at 2 p.m. ET on NYCB's YouTube channel though donations are encouraged.

The Breath Project Festival
On Saturday at 2 and 5 p.m. ET, The Breath Project Festival showcases short works created by BIPOC artists that are eight minutes and 46 seconds long—the length of time George Floyd gasped in vain for air under his killer's knee. The playlets respond to our current moment and come from a wide array of creators, including choreographers and theatres for young audiences. Tickets are required to receive the free viewing link; donations are encouraged. All videos will be archived on The Breath Project's website.

Atlantic Theater Company: Skeleton Crew Reunion Reading
On Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m. ET, Off Broadway's Atlantic Theater Company presents a reunion reading of Dominique Morisseau's Obie-winning Skeleton Crew about Detroit factory workers facing the closure of their automobile parts plant and the erasure of their community. The show had its critically acclaimed world premiere at Atlantic's intimate Stage 2 in 2016, soon transferring to its larger Linda Gross Theater for an extended run. Ruben Santiago-Hudson once again directs original cast members Jason Dirden, Wendell B. Franklin, Nikiya Mathis and Adesola Osakulumi, with new addition Caroline Clay. Tickets are free but required to receive the viewing link; a $25 donation is suggested.

Molière in the Park: Tonya Pinkins in The School For Wives
On Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m. ET, Molière in the Park, which usually mounts productions in Prospect Park, presents The School for Wives about a lascivious old man who wants to wed his naïve young ward. Tony winner Tonya Pinkins plays the letch and is supported by an all-women cast, upending the power dynamics of this 1662 satire. Kaliswa Brewster, Cristina Pitter, Tamara Sevunts, Mirirai Sithole, Carolyn Michelle Smith and Corey Tazmania costar, Lucie Tiberghien directs. Tickets are required to receive the free viewing link; donations are encouraged. A recording will remain viewable until Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET.

Heroes of the Fourth Turning
On Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. ET, when Will Arbery's drama Heroes of the Fourth Turning about a Catholic college reunion of conservative intellectuals premiered at Playwrights Horizons last fall, it felt incredibly timely. As Election Day approaches in an increasingly polarized nation, its fly-on-a-Red-State-wall perspective feels even more urgent. Perhaps that's why Slave Play playwright Jeremy O. Harris has decided to produce this virtual remount of the original Off-Broadway production, once again directed by Danya Taymor and performed live by Zoë Winters, Julia McDermott, John Zdrojeski, Jeb Kreager and Michele Pawk. If you missed this unforgettable and eye-opening Pulitzer finalist play, don't make that mistake again. Tickets are free but required to receive the viewing link; donations are encouraged with all proceeds going to NYC theatre workers.

First Date: The Musical
On Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET, if you're hankering for a funny, feel-good romance, swipe right on First Date: The Musical. The show played on Broadway in 2013, and this production was filmed on stage during quarantine at London's Crazy Coqs cabaret with the cast crooning to an empty house. Pretty Woman: The Musical's Samantha Barks and West End vet Simon Lipkin star as hate-at-first-sight singles who are destined to get together... they just need some external encouragement. Tickets are £12.50, approximately $17.

The Joyce Theater: State of Darkness
On Saturday at 5 and 8 p.m. ET, The Joyce Theater welcomes dancers to its stage for the first time since the shutdown for seven live-streamed performances of choreographer Molissa Fenley's celebrated solo State of Darkness. Set to Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, Fenley's new adaptation of her 1988 tour de force will be interpreted by different acclaimed dancers each time. At 5 p.m. ET, see Paul Taylor Dance Company principal Michael Trusnovec; at 8 p.m. ET 2020 Juilliard graduate Jared Brown tackles the half-hour piece. Tickets are $13 and a recording will remain viewable until Saturday, November 7.

BRIC: DEBATE: Baldwin vs. Buckley
On Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, in the wake of nationwide protests sparked by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans, theatre artists have been parsing our country's recent racist past by acting out historical speeches, trials and conversations. There's The Vineyard Theatre's Lessons in Survival series and Rattlestick Playwright Theater's Why Would I Dare?: The Trial of Crystal Mason. Now BRIC partners with the american vicarious for DEBATE: Baldwin vs Buckley, a recreation of the legendary 1965 debate between author and civil rights activist James Baldwin and conservative intellectual William F. Buckley Jr. around the subject, "Has the American Dream been achieved at the expense of the American Negro?" Christopher McElroen directs Teagle F. Bougere as Baldwin and Eric T. Miller as Buckley, though this is less about impersonation, more about how Baldwin's words still ring true. Watch for free on BRIC's YouTube channel.

The Metropolitan Opera: Le Comte Ory
On Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera's week of operatic comedies continues with Rossini's rarely staged Le Comte Ory. Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher helmed this charming 2011 production starring Juan Diego Flórez as the title character, a philandering count whose lust life is complicated by Diana Damrau's virtuous Countess Adèle and his page, played by Joyce DiDonato. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera's website. You can still stream yesterday's opera, Falstaff, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.

Live from the West Side: Women of Broadway: Patti LuPone
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, catch Broadway legend Patti LuPone in a live concert. Need we say more? Probably not, but just for your information, this event kicks off the three-part Women of Broadway series benefiting 20 nonprofit theatres across the country. Direct from Shubert Virtual Studios in Midtown Manhattan, the two-time Tony winner will sing, well, whatever she wants, hopefully numbers from some of her signature roles in Evita, Anything Goes, Sweeney Todd and from the cut-short-by-COVID Company. Tickets are $30 and a recording will remain viewable until Tuesday. If you want to see Laura Benanti on November 14 and Vanessa Williams on December 5, too, you can opt for the three-concert package for $75.

Stars in the House: Sneak Peek of We the People: America Rocks!
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, Stars in the House presents a sneak peek at We the People: America Rocks!, TheaterWorksUSA's uplifting musical for all ages about a teenager running for class president who gets a little help from a rock band featuring four of our Founding Fathers. The show premiered in 2008, a very different election year, but its message about doing our civic duty is more important than ever. Directed by Gordon Greenberg, this production was shot live on stage at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse earlier this month. Tonight, watch numbers from the show and hear from the cast and Tony-nominated book writer Joe Iconis. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.

Colt Coeur: Hatef**k
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, Off-Off Broadway's intrepid Colt Coeur presents a reunion reading of Hatef**k, Rehana Lew Mirza's steamy and insightful two-hander about the tumultuous relationship between a Muslim professor and a novelist who makes his living writing stories about Muslim terrorists. A hit for the theatre last year, this event reunites director Adrienne Campbell-Holt with stars Kavi Ladnier and Sendhil Ramamurthy. Tickets start at $5 and the recording will be viewable until Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET.

Sunday, October 25

Lockdown Theatre: Derek Jacobi and Jennifer Saunders in The Real Inspector Hound
On Sunday at 2 p.m. ET, UK's Lockdown Theatre presents a live reading of Tom Stoppard's absurd farce The Real Inspector Hound about a pair of theatre critics who get tangled up in the murder mystery they're reviewing. The all-star British cast includes Derek Jacobi, Simon Callow, Jennifer Saunders and Emilia Clarke. Tickets are £35, approximately $46, and proceeds go to UK arts workers.

2020 Olivier Awards
On Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET, we still don't know when or how the Tonys are happening, but if you're longing for a theatre awards show, check out London's 2020 Olivier Awards online, honoring West End productions. The ceremony will be broadcast from different areas within the London Palladium, and there will also be prerecorded performances and interviews with UK stage stars. Watch for free on YouTube.

The Breath Project Festival
On Sunday at 5 p.m. ET, The Breath Project Festival showcases short works created by BIPOC artists that are eight minutes and 46 seconds long—the length of time George Floyd gasped in vain for air under his killer's knee. The playlets respond to our current moment and come from a wide array of creators, including choreographers and theatres for young audiences. Tickets are required to receive the free viewing link; donations are encouraged. All videos will be archived on The Breath Project's website.

The Joyce Theater: State of Darkness
On Sunday at 5 and 8 p.m. ET, The Joyce Theater welcomes dancers to its stage for the first time since the shutdown for seven live-streamed performances of choreographer Molissa Fenley's celebrated solo State of Darkness. Set to Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, Fenley's new adaptation of her 1988 tour de force will be interpreted by different acclaimed dancers each time. At 5 p.m. ET, see Annique Roberts from Ronald K. Brown/Evidence; at 8 p.m. ET former Batsheva Dance Company member Shamel Pitts tackles the half-hour piece. Tickets are $13 and a recording will remain viewable until Saturday, November 7.

The Doo Wop Project
On Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, get ready for some catchy harmonies when The Doo Wop Project performs a live concert from Shubert Virtual Studios. The singing group consists of Broadway vets from Jersey Boys and Motown: The Musical who trace the evolution of Doo Wop from five guys on a street corner to the The Temptations and The Four Seasons to modern-day artists who've been influenced by the genre. Tickets are $25 but TDF members get a discount.

The Metropolitan Opera: Der Rosenkavalier
On Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera's week of operatic comedies wraps up with a 2017 mounting of Der Rosenkavalier, Strauss' romp of love and errors starring Elina Garanca, Erin Morley, Matthew Polenzani, Marcus Brück, Günther Groissböck and Renée Fleming. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera's website. You can still stream yesterday's opera, Le Comte Ory, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.

The Seth Concert Series: LaChanze
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 LaChanze. A Tony winner for her powerful performance as Celie in the original Broadway production of The Color Purple, LaChanze has also lent her soaring voice and empathetic presence to Once on This Island, Summer, and Disney's animated movie and TV series of Hercules. She's also welcoming a special guest, Jagged Little Pill star Celia Rose Gooding, who happens to be her daughter! Tickets are $25.

Vineyard Theatre: Lessons in Survival Episode 6
On Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET, Off Broadway's invaluable Vineyard Theatre drops the latest installment of Lessons in Survival, an intriguing project featuring a collective of 40 theatre artists sharing historic conversations, interviews and speeches about race by listening to the original speakers in an earpiece while repeating their words verbatim. Conceived by actors Marin Ireland, Peter Mark Kendall and Reggie D. White and director Tyler Thomas, this singular series continues tonight with an episode titled "This Country's My Problem and Your Problem," featuring Dan Butler, Yonatan Gebeyehu, Nana Mensah and Ryan Spahn channeling Charlie Rose's 1993 interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, and R.H. Darden's 1968 interview with author and activist James Baldwin. Tickets start at $5.

All Weekend

Goodman Theatre: Death of a Salesman
Attention must be paid when the Goodman Theatre streams its production of Death of a Salesman, which originated at the lauded Chicago venue before transferring to Broadway where it won the 1999 Tony Award for best revival of a play. The always compelling Brian Dennehy won a Tony for his performance as Willy Loman, the hapless never-was at the center of Arthur Miller's American tragedy. Director Richard Falls and Elizabeth Franz as Loman's devoted wife also won statuettes, and the mounting was preserved on film for Showtime. Watch for free until Sunday on the Goodman's website though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.

New York City Ballet: Classic NYCB
New York City Ballet continues its virtual fall season with excerpts from some of the troupe's most prolific dance-makers: Everywhere We Go, Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes and Year of the Rabbit by current NYCB resident choreographer Justin Peck; Pictures at an Exhibition and Russian Seasons by Alexei Ratmansky; and Mercurial Manoeuvres and Polyphonia by former NYCB resident choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. Dancers include Justin Peck, Tiler Peck, Sara Mearns, Abi Stafford, Gonzalo Garcia, Lauren Lovette, Megan Fairchild and Silas Farley. Watch for free until Tuesday on NYCB's YouTube channel.

City Center: 2020 Fall for Dance Festival
Every autumn, City Center welcomes famous movers and shakers for its Fall for Dance Festival. Of course this 17th annual edition looks a little different: the dancers are still on the venue's storied stage but audiences stream the performances at home. The first program includes a pair of world-premiere commissions: the solo Morani/Mungu (Black Warrior/Black God) by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's resident choreographer Jamar Roberts examining his identity as a Black man; and Christopher Wheeldon's The Two of Us starring New York City Ballet principal Sara Mearns and American Ballet Theatre principal David Hallberg. Excerpts from Ballet Hispánico's mambo-driven 18+1 and Martha Graham Dance Company's Lamentation round out the program. Tickets are $15 and the recording will be viewable until Sunday, November 1.

Baruch Performing Arts Center: dwb (driving while black)
Baruch Performing Arts Center presents dwb (driving while black), a solo opera written by and starring Roberta Gumbel as a Black mother concerned her teenage son's license to drive may lead him down a dangerous road. Composer Susan Kander's minimalist score is played by the duo New Morse Codes. Tickets are required to receive the free viewing link; donations are encouraged.

Black Lives, Black Words International Project: Plays for the People: Call for the Wailing Women
Friday through Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, Black Lives, Black Words International Project presents Call for the Wailing Women, Katrina D. RiChard's searing Afro-Centric adaptation of Euripides' The Suppliants about two mothers at odds as they desperately fight for their respective sons. Valerie Curtis-Newton directs Bianca Laverne Jones and Allyson Lee Brown. Tickets start at $10.

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

Top image: Patti LuPone.