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12 Stage Performances to Watch This Weekend, April 4-5

By: RAVEN SNOOK
Date: Apr 04, 2020
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With in-person theatre out of commission for the foreseeable future, many Broadway performers are sharing their talents online. Below are performances (including some starry full-length productions) that you can watch this weekend, April 4 and 5, from the comfort of your couch for free (or at very low cost).

All Weekend

Catch James Corden in National Theatre's production of One Man, Two Guvnors, which was recorded for its NT Live series. It's available for free on the theatre's YouTube page through Wednesday, April 8.

Donny Osmond headlines the 1999 film version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which you can watch for free on Andrew Lloyd Webber's new The Shows Must Go On! YouTube channel anytime through Sunday at 2 p.m. EST. A different ALW musical starts streaming every Friday at 2 p.m. EST and stays up for 48 hours.

London's Hampstead Theatre shares its 2016 production of Mike Bartlett's Wild, a pitch-black comedy inspired by the Edward Snowden saga. It's available for free on the company's website anytime through Sunday at 5 p.m.

The U.K.'s award-winning Breach theatre posted a recording of It's True, It's True, It's True, which was scheduled to be presented as part of 59E59 Theaters' Brits Off Broadway festival before it was canceled. A devised piece about the 1612 trial of Agostino Tassi for the rape of Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi, it's available for free on YouTube through the end of April.

Saturday, April 4

On Saturday at 2 p.m. EST, Stars in the House presents a live reading of the Tony-nominated comedy The Tale of the Allergist's Wife. Playwright Charles Busch and Richard Kind take on the central roles of Marjorie and Ira, a middle-aged, middle-class couple whose lives are thrown into hilarious disarray by the arrival of the eccentric Lee, portrayed by Faith Prince. Andrea Martin plays Marjorie's disapproving mom, who gets all the best lines! This twice daily series hosted by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley supports The Actors Fund, and you can watch for free on the organization's YouTube channel.

On Saturday at 6:30 p.m. EST, cabaret haven Feinstein's/54 Below continues its #54BelowatHome series with a 2017 concert by Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 star Brittain Ashford, featuring covers as well as her own songs. Special guests include Great Comet creator Dave Malloy and effervescent singer-songwriter Shaina Taub. Watch for free on Feinstein's/54 Below's YouTube channel.

On Saturday at 7:30 p.m. EST, the Metropolitan Opera presents Verdi's Macbeth, starring Anna Netrebko, Joseph Calleja, Željko Lucic and René Pape, and conducted by Fabio Luisi. The 2014 production was filmed for the company's Live in HD series, and is available to watch for free for 23 hours after the start time at metopera.org. You can still stream Friday's opera, Les Pêcheurs de Perles, until 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

On Saturday at 8 p.m. EST, Kristin Chenoweth returns for the third consecutive Saturday night to Stars in the House. During this uncertain time, it's comforting to know we can count on the Tony-winning dynamo to always brighten our weekends. This twice daily series hosted by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley supports The Actors Fund, and you can watch for free on the organization's YouTube channel.

On Saturday at 8 p.m. EST, Metropolitan Playhouse, an Obie-winning company that revives forgotten gems, presents a live reading of Eugene O'Neill's little-known 1918 one-act The Rope. Watch for free on the company's YouTube channel.

Sunday, April 5

On Sunday, April 5 at 2 p.m. EST, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley welcome Gavin Creel to Stars in the House. The charming Hello, Dolly! Tony winner (a last-minute substitution for Brian Stokes Mitchell, who was scheduled to appear but is grappling with COVID-19) promises to bring along some special guests. Crossing our fingers his Waitress pal Sara Bareilles is one of them! This twice daily series supports The Actors Fund, and you can watch for free on the organization's YouTube channel.

On Sunday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. EST, the Metropolitan Opera presents Bellini's Norma, starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Joyce DiDonato, Joseph Calleja and Matthew Rose, and conducted by Carlo Rizzi. The 2017 production was filmed for the company's Live in HD series, and is available to watch for free for 23 hours after the start time at metopera.org. You can still stream Saturday's opera, Macbeth, until 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.

On Sunday, April 5 at 8 p.m. EST, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley welcome the original cast of the wonderfully meta-musical [title of show]. This twice daily series supports The Actors Fund, and you can watch for free on the organization's YouTube channel.

Remember to check out our roundup of performances you can watch online anytime.

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

Top image: Gavin Creel.

RAVEN SNOOK