this week in (live)streaming

SONGS FOR OUR CITY

A wide ranger of performers will participate in “Songs for Our City” coronavirus response challenge online in June

Who: Alice Ripley, Ethan Slater, Rob Rokicki, Drew Gasparini, Molly and the Memphis Thunder, Starbird & the Phoenix, many more
What: Specially commissioned songs performed live online
Where: Times Square Alliance Facebook and YouTube
When: Tuesdays & Wednesdays through June 17, final concert June 21, free, 7:05
Why: Shortly after recovering from a serious bout with Covid-19, Broadway superstar Brian Stokes Mitchell started sticking his head out the window of his apartment at Ninety-Eighth and Broadway at 7:05, following the 7:00 clap honoring health-care and other essential workers, and singing “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha — he played Cervantes/Quixote in the 2002 Great White Way revival. He began doing it to strengthen his voice but eventually had to stop because he was creating too large a crowd that was not social distancing and not paying attention to vehicular traffic. The Times Square Alliance has combined the idea behind that popular tribute with its annual Broadway Buskers outdoor concert series to inaugurate “Songs for Our City,” a virtual songwriting challenge in which performers will sing original commissions responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The event will take place at 7:05 on the first three Tuesdays and Wednesdays in June, culminating in a grand finale on June 21 as part of the Make Music New York festival.

Both a competitive challenge in which winners will receive cash prizes (everyone is invited to vote online) and a benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund, “Songs for Our City” features an impressive lineup of guest singer-songwriters, who will be focusing on the theme of community: Lauren Elder, Donnie Kehr, Anthony Norman, Rob Rokicki, and Starbird & the Phoenix on June 2, Leslie Becker, Max Sangerman, Heath Saunders, and Ethan Slater on June 3, Jaime Cepero, F. Michael Haynie, Alice Ripley, Will Van Dyke & Jeff Talbott, and Tim Young on June 9, Drew Gasparini, Molly and the Memphis Thunder, Will Taylor, and Joel Waggoner on June 10, John Arthur Greene, Marcus Paul James, Janet Krupin, and Alexander Sage Oyen on June 16, and John Krause, Jennifer Sánchez, Dru Serkes, and Mike Wartella on June 17. “As the entity responsible for taking care of and celebrating the Theater District, this is a symbolic and simple way for us to continue to showcase and support Broadway performers who create their own original work throughout June,” Times Square Alliance president Tim Tompkins said in a statement.

PARKLAND RISING LIVESTREAMING PREMIERE AND PANEL CONVERSATIONS

parkland rising

Who: The Black Eyed Peas, Pearl Jam, Katie Couric, will.i.am, Manuel Oliver, Greg Kahn, Cheryl Horner McDonough, Manju Bangalore, Rebecca Boldrick Hogg, Kevin Hogg, Jammal Lemy, John E. Rosenthal, Meghna Chakrabarti
What: Livestreamed movie premieres and panel discussions
Where: Parkland Rising YouTube and Facebook
When: Tuesday, June 2, free with RSVP, 8:00, and Wednesday, June 5, free with RSVP, 7:00
Why: June 2 marks the sixth National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which started in 2015 to call attention to the rash of school shootings and do something about it; just because there is no in-person school across the country right now, resulting in no recent mass murders at educational institutions, doesn’t mean we still don’t have a horrific problem in America. And what happens when schools reopen? This June 2, the day will be honored and the victims remembered with the livestream premiere of Cheryl Horner McDonough’s 2019 documentary Parkland Rising, which examines the February 14, 2018, shooting that killed seventeen students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. The film features interviews with David Hogg, Jaclyn Corin, Matt and Ryan Deitsch, Emma Gonzalez, Fred Guttenberg, Cameron Kasky, Patricia Padauy-Oliver, and Manuel Oliver. “We are grieving, we are furious, and we are using our words fiercely and desperately because that’s the only thing standing between us and this happening again,” Gonzalez says in the film. The event is hosted by the Black Eyed Peas and Pearl Jam; executive producer Katie Couric will introduce the film and moderate a postscreening conversation, which brings together executive producer will.i.am, Change the Ref founder Manuel Oliver, Gun Safety Alliance co-lead Greg Kahn, former March for Our Lives LA chapter co-lead Manju Bangalore, and two-time Emmy winner McDonough.

Three days later, June 5, is Wear Orange Day, a tribute to Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed in a Chicago park in 2013 at the age of fifteen, a week after performing at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration parade. At 7:00, Parkland Rising will have an encore Wear Orange screening, followed by a discussion with Marjory Stoneman Douglas student and parent activists Corin, Oliver, Padauy-Oliver, Rebecca Boldrick Hogg, Kevin Hogg, Jammal Lemy, and Stop Handgun Violence cofounder John E. Rosenthal, moderated by WBUR host Meghna Chakrabarti. Guttenberg, the father of shooting victim Jaime Guttenberg, said in a statement, “Since the coronavirus outbreak began, gun sales have skyrocketed to an all-time high in the US, potentially putting millions of new deadly weapons into unlicensed, untrained, unsafe hands. Now more than ever, we must take action on the issue of gun violence to prevent the kind of tragedy my family experienced in Parkland. I’m glad this powerful film will be available for all American voters to learn what we went through and to inspire more people to join the fight for change.”

TUESDAYS IN JUNE 2020: RAPPING WITH THE ARTISTS & PLAY READINGS

S. Epatha Merkerson, Barbara Montgomery, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson will inaugurate New Federal Theatre online initiative

Who: S. Epatha Merkerson, Barbara Montgomery, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Howard Craft, Petronia Paley, Larry Muhammad, Tyler Fauntleroy, Kim Sullivan, André DeShields, Chuck Smith, Ron Bobb-Semple, Joyce Sylvester, Clinton Turner Davis
What: Live play readings and theater discussions
Where: New Federal Theatre Facebook page
When: Tuesdays in June, June 2-30, free with advance registration, 3:00 and/or 7:00
Why: Woodie King Jr. founded the New Federal Theatre in 1970 to highlight and focus on minority drama. Its fiftieth anniversary is being celebrated virtually, the latest initiative being “Tuesdays in June 2020: Rapping with the Artists & Play Readings.” The five-week program brings together actors, directors, and playwrights to continue NFT’s mission: “to integrate artists of color and women into the mainstream of American theatre by training artists for the profession, and by presenting plays by writers of color and women to integrated, multicultural audiences — plays which evoke the truth through beautiful and artistic re-creations of ourselves.” The schedule is below; admission is free (although donations are welcome) with advance registration here.

Tuesday, June 2
Rapping with the Artists: S. Epatha Merkerson, Barbara Montgomery, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson discuss their artistic journeys, 3:00

Tuesday, June 9
Rapping with the Artists: Actor J. Alphonse Nicholson and book writer Howard L. Craft discuss the theatrical realization of the play Freight: the Five Incarnations of Abel Green, which ran at the Castillo Theatre in fall 2017, 3:00

Tuesday, June 16
Rapping with the Artists: Director Petronia Paley and playwright Larry Muhammad on the birth of the production Looking for Leroy, which ran at the Castillo Theatre in March 2019, 3:00

Play Reading: Looking for Leroy, featuring Tyler Fauntleroy and Kim Sullivan, directed by Petronia Paley, 7:00

Tuesday, June 23
Rapping with the Artists: Playwright Bill Harris, actor Denise Burse-Fernandez, and bluesman Guy Davis discuss their collaboration on the play Trick the Devil and more, 3:00

Tuesday, June 30
Rapping with the Artists: Actor André DeShields and director Chuck Smith talk about creating theater centered around historical figures, including Knock Me a Kiss about W. E. B. Du Bois and The Gospel According to James about James Cameron and Mary Ball, 3:00

Play Reading: Trevor Rhone’s Two Can Play, which was running at the Castillo Theatre when the lockdown came, with Ron Bobb-Semple and Joyce Sylvester, directed by Clinton Turner Davis, 7:00

LIFE ANEW: WRITERS IMAGINE THE WORLD AFTER THE PANDEMIC

life anew

Who: Gabriela Adameșteanu, Ioana Nicolaie, T. O. Bobe, Simona Popescu, Robert Șerban, Andreea Răsuceanu, Carmen Firan, Ioana Ieronim, Ioana Es. Pop, Andrew K. Davidson, Carrie Hooper, Andreea Scridon
What: Weekly online literary performances
Where: Romanian Cultural Institute Facebook page
When: Tuesdays from June 2 to August 4, free with RSVP, 2:00
Why: The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York (ICR New York) is a small gem in Murray Hill, for decades offering unique arts events while serving the needs of Romanians and Romanian Americans here in New York City. The organization has been busy during the Covid-19 crisis, hosting daily online sociopolitical talks, concerts, film screenings, theater presentations, and more. Its latest initiative, held in conjunction with the National Museum of the Romanian Literature, is “Life Anew: Writers Imagine the World after the Pandemic,” taking place every Tuesday at 2:00 through August 4. Each week, authors, some with translators, will share their thoughts through poetry and prose about what the world might be like once we get back to normal, if normal is ever possible again. The lineup features authors Gabriela Adameșteanu, Ioana Nicolaie, T. O. Bobe, Simona Popescu, Robert Șerban, Andreea Răsuceanu, Carmen Firan, Ioana Ieronim, and Ioana Es. Pop and translators Andrew K. Davidson, Carrie Hooper, and Andreea Scridon. Admission is free with advance RSVP here.

WE ARE ONE PUBLIC

Who: Todd Almond, Troy Anthony, Antonio Banderas, Laura Benanti, Kim Blanck, Ally Bonino, Danielle Brooks, Michael Cerveris, Glenn Close, Jenn Colella, Elvis Costello, Daniel Craig, Claire Danes, Danaya Esperanza, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jane Fonda, Nanya-Akuki Goodrich, Holly Gould, Danai Gurira, Anne Hathaway, Stephanie Hsu, David Henry Hwang, Oscar Isaac, Brian d’Arcy James, Nikki M. James, Alicia Keys, John Leguizamo, John Lithgow, Audra McDonald, Grace McLean, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Margaret Odette, Sandra Oh, Kelli O’Hara, Mia Pak, Suzan-Lori Parks, David Hyde Pierce, Jay O. Sanders, Liev Schreiber, Deandre Sevon, Martin Sheen, Philippa Soo, Meryl Streep, Trudie Styler, Sting, Will Swenson, Shaina Taub, Kuhoo Verma, Ada Westfall, Kate Wetherhead, more
What: Virtual gala celebrating the Public Theater and special honorees
Where: Public Theater website, Facebook, YouTube
When: Monday, June 1, free with RSVP (donations accepted), 8:00
Why: Among the cultural institutions I miss the most during the pandemic is the Public Theater. Founded by Joseph Papp in 1954 as the Shakespeare Workshop and located on Lafayette St. since 1967, the Public features six spaces for theatrical productions including Joe’s Pub, home to cabaret, comedy, and concerts as well. In addition, the Public has been offering us Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte for nearly sixty years; this summer’s scheduled shows were Richard II and As You Like It in addition to Cymbeline from the Mobile Unit.

The Public, which has been streaming previous performances from Joe’s Pub and presented the best new Zoom play about the pandemic, Richard Nelson’s What Do We Need to Talk About?, available on demand through June 28, will hold its annual fundraising gala online on June 1 at 8:00, a virtual ninety-minute, one-time-only cavalcade of stars honoring actor Sam Waterston and philanthropists Audrey Wilf and Zygi Wilf. Cochairs Kwame Anthony Appiah, Candia Fisher, Joanna Fisher, Laure Sudreau, and Lynne Wheat have amassed quite a lineup, with appearances by Glenn Close, Elvis Costello, Daniel Craig, Claire Danes, Jane Fonda, Anne Hathaway, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Keys, John Leguizamo, John Lithgow, Audra McDonald, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Sandra Oh, Kelli O’Hara, David Hyde Pierce, Liev Schreiber, Martin Sheen, Meryl Streep, Sting, and many more. (The full lineup is above.) The evening will be directed by Kenny Leon and hosted by Jesse Tyler Ferguson, with music direction by Ted Sperling; the event is free, but donations are accepted to support the Public, one of New York City’s genuine treasures.

RENDEZ-VOUS LIVE: CONVERSATION WITH FRÉDÉRIC FEKKAI

Frédéric Fekkai will share beauty tips with Melissa Ceria at FIAF virtual event

Who: Frédéric Fekkai, Melissa Ceria
What: June edition of Rendez-Vous LIVE
Where: FIAF Facebook and Zoom
When: Tuesday, June 2, free with RSVP, 5:00
Why: One of the biggest issues of the pandemic has been beauty care; when will men, women, and children be allowed to go back to hair and nail salons? Being bald, it’s not one of my main concerns, but I have seen many people sharing on social media the state of their roots, the length of their hair, their thickening eyebrows, and their deep-seated need for a mani-pedi. FIAF’s Rendez-Vous LIVE series is here to help. On June 2 at 5:00, French celebrity hairstylist and beauty entrepreneur Frédéric Fekkai will speak with journalist and communications agency Studio Ceria founder Melissa Ceria, discussing how the Provence-born Fekkai revolutionized the salon experience here in New York City and offering self-care tips to use while sheltering in place so you can look your best for that Zoom meeting with your old high school friends. The talk will be followed by an audience Q&A. Up next for FIAF is Love, Sex & Confinement: Conversation with Maïa Mazaurette on June 4, where you can learn how to put those beauty secrets to good use.

PROJECT PRIDE: VIRTUAL CONCERT AND TIME CAPSULE

project pride

Who: Ari Shapiro, Alex the Astronaut, Big Freedia, Bright Light Bright Light, Cameron Esposito, Courtney Barnett, Claud, Dorian Electra, Girl in Red, Jake Shears, Joy Oladokun, Kat Cunning, Madame Gandhi, mxmtoon, Nakhane, Pabllo Vittar, Pet Shop Boys, Roxane Gay, Indigo Girls, SOKO, Tig Notaro & Stephanie Allynne, Tunde Olaniran, Rufus Wainwright, VINCINT, more
What: Virtual Pride celebration
Where: Smithsonian Pride Alliance YouTube page
When: Sunday, May 31, free with advance RSVP, 8:00
Why: June is Pride Month, and the festivities honoring the LGBTQIA+ community, especially here in New York City, have grown exponentially, particularly over the last few years with the fiftieth anniversary of Stonewall and, in 2020, the fiftieth anniversary of the parade itself. Among the parties that will not be held during the pandemic are the Pride Luminaries Brunch, the Rooftop Party, the March, Teaze, Pride Island, and PrideFest, although NYC Pride is planning such virtual gatherings as the Criminal Queerness Festival June 9-29, Savor Pride, a Garden Party on June 22, the Human Rights Conference on June 25, the Rally on June 26, Pride 2020 Dragfest June 19-21, a Runstreet Virtual Pride 5K Art Run June 20-28, and more. Everything kicks off May 31 at 8:00 with the Smithsonian Pride Alliance’s “Project Pride,” a free, livestreamed concert and time capsule, a collaboration with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and others. Hosted by NPR’s Ari Shapiro, the event will feature appearances by Courtney Barnett, Jake Shears, Pet Shop Boys, Roxane Gay, Indigo Girls, Rufus Wainwright, Tig Notaro & Stephanie Allynne, and many more, accompanied by art and historical artifacts from the Smithsonian collections.