this week in (live)streaming

CLASSIC CONVERSATIONS: ASSASSINS

assassins

Who: Eddie Cooper, Ethan Slater, Steven Pasquale, Bianca Horn, John Doyle
What: Online conversations and performances
Where: Classic Stage Company Facebook and YouTube pages
When: Thursdays at 6:00, free but donations accepted
Why: This spring, Classic Stage Company was all set for a highly anticipated all-star revival of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins when the coronavirus shut down theaters. To keep audiences connected and raise much-needed funds, CSC has started Classic Conversations, a series of talks on Thursday nights at 6:00 with artistic director John Doyle and members of the cast of Assassins; the program is streamed for free on Facebook and YouTube. It began on April 16 with Brandon Uranowitz and continued April 23 with Will Swenson, April 30 with Adam Chanler-Berat, and May 7 with Tavi Gevinson. On May 14, Doyle speaks with Eddie Cooper, followed by Ethan Slater on May 21, Steven Pasquale on May 28, Bianca Horn on June 4, Wesley Taylor on June 11, Andy Grotelueschen on June 18, Brad Giovanine, Katrina Yaukey, Whit K. Lee, and Rob Morrison on June 25, and Judy Kuhn on July 2. CSC plans to mount Assassins onstage once it is safe for everyone to return to theaters, but in the meantime this is a great way to keep in touch.

GIFTS OF LIFE: PROFILES IN COURAGE FROM THE TRANSPLANT COMMUNITY (online premiere and live Q&A)

Gifts of Life documentary highlights the stories of three organ transplant recipients

Who: Shelby Caban, Jack Cloonan, Jennifer Lentini, Doug Housman, John Redican, Joy Oppedisano, Michael David Drucker
What: Online film premiere and live discussion/Q&A
Where: Zoom link available here
When: Wednesday, May 13, free (donations accepted), 8:00
Why: After being selected for the Queens World Film Festival, the SR Socially Relevant Film Festival New York, the Hell’s Kitchen NYC Festival, the Point Lookout Film Festival, and many others and being named Best Documentary Short at the Big Apple Film Festival, Michael David Drucker’s Gifts of Life: Profiles in Courage from the Transplant Community is having its online premiere May 13 at 8:00 over Zoom, where the thirteen-minute film will be screened, followed by a live discussion and Q&A. The beautifully photographed work shares the stories of two women and one man who are alive today because of organ donations: Shelby Caban, Jack Cloonan, and Jennifer Lentini, who all feel an obligation to live life to the fullest in tribute to the people who donated their organs upon their tragic deaths. “There’s an uncommon level of gratitude among organ recipients. They have the utmost appreciation for their donors and for every moment of their extended life. It’s an inspiration to hear their stories of struggle and resilience,” Drucker says in his director’s statement.

They also are all giving back to society in their own ways. In making the film, writer-director Drucker (The Copper Cowboy, Inside My Life on the Spectrum) teamed up with LI TRIO and Hearts for Russ, two organizations leading the fight to increase awareness and funding for organ transplants. “The numbers for New York are horrific compared to any other state for registered organ donors,” Lentini says in the documentary, a poignant fact especially now that we’re in lockdown because of the coronavirus. The live Q&A will feature Caban, Cloonan, Lentini, Drucker [ed. note: Drucker is a close childhood friend of mine], executive producers Doug Housman and John Redican, and producer Joy Oppedisano. The event is free, but donations are accepted, pun intended.

BROADWAY’S BEST SHOWS: SIGNIFICANT OTHER LIVESTREAM READING

significant other

Who: Gideon Glick, John Behlmann, Sas Goldberg, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Lindsay Mendez, Luke Smith, Barbara Barrie
What: One-night-only livestreamed reading benefiting the Actors Fund
Where: Broadway’s Best Shows, the Actors Fund YouTube page
When: Thursday, May 14, free (donations accepted), 8:00
Why: Joshua Harmon’s Significant Other seems tailor made for the coronavirus pandemic: a brilliant show about a group of friends who are seeking romantic partners, with varying degrees of success, while focusing on Jordan Berman, a twentysomething gay man who thinks he might be doomed to spend his life alone. I first saw the play — and loved it — in 2015 at the Roundabout, then fell in love with it all over again when it moved to the Booth on Broadway in 2017. On May 14, the original Broadway cast will reunite for a one-time-only Zoom reading benefiting the Actors Fund. Participating from wherever they are sheltering in place — either by themselves or with significant others — are Gideon Glick as Jordan, Sas Goldberg as Kiki, Rebecca Naomi Jones as Vanessa, Lindsay Mendez as Laura, Barbara Barrie as Helen, and John Behlmann and Luke Smith as various potential partners, with Trip Cullman directing. The show is sponsored by Broadway’s Best Shows, which previously presented David Mamet’s November on May 8 with John Malkovich, Patti LuPone, Dylan Baker, Ethan Phillips, and Michael Nichols and will next stream A. R. Gurney’s Love Letters, starring Bryan Cranston and Sally Field, directed by Jerry Zaks, on May 21. “Seeing Significant Other for the second time was like reconnecting with old friends,” I wrote back in 2017. I can’t wait to see how I feel when I see it for the third time, from the comfort of my chair in front of my desktop computer, a friendly cat on my lap.

PLAYS IN THE HOUSE: THE CONFESSION OF LILY DARE

The cast of Charles Busch’s The Confessions of Lily Dare will reunite for one-time-only livestreamed benefit reading on May 13 (photo by Carol Rosegg)

Who: Nancy Anderson, Christopher Borg, Charles Busch, Howard McGillin, Kendal Sparks, Jennifer Van Dyck
What: One-time-only livestream reading benefiting the Actors Fund
Where: Stars in the House Facebook page
When: Wednesday, May 13, free (donations accepted), 2:00
Why: Plays in the House is an offshoot of Stars in the House, which is livestreaming discussions, cast reunions, and play readings to benefit the Actors Fund. Among the plays they’ve previously brought back are The Heidi Chronicles (original 1989 cast), Fully Committed, Blithe Spirit, and Charles Busch’s The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife. The packed two-a-day schedule continues May 13 at 2:00 with Busch’s The Confession of Lily Dare. When it ran at the Cherry Lane a few months ago, I called it “a sinfully seductive treat” and wrote that “Busch is at his diva best as Lily, all dolled up in outrageously funny costumes by Jessica Jahn and wigs by Katherine Carr.” At the reading, the original cast, which features Nancy Anderson, Christopher Borg, Howard McGillin, Kendal Sparks, Jennifer Van Dyck, and Busch, will appear from wherever they’re sheltering in place, so it should be interesting to see how the actors and director Carl Andress deal with that aspect of the work, so central to Busch’s oeuvre. Up next for Plays in the House is Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days on May 16 with Brooke Adams and Tony Shalhoub, the husband-and-wife duo who appeared in Andrei Belgrader’s 2015 production at the Flea.

LOVE FROM BAM: BAM Virtual Gala 2020

bam virtual gala

Who: Cate Blanchett, Jeanne Donovan Fisher, Zadie Smith, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Julie Anne Stanzak, Hope Boykin, St. Vincent, DJ Eli Escobar
What: BAM Virtual Gala
Where: BAM website
When: Wednesday, May 13, free (donations accepted), 8:00
Why: BAM’s annual gala cannot be held in person this year in Brooklyn, so it will instead take place virtually, and everyone is invited; it’s free to watch live, although donations are accepted, with 10% of the proceeds going to the Brooklyn Hospital Center. The 2020 honorees are two-time Oscar winner and Tony nominee Cate Blanchett, producer, investor, and philanthropist Jeanne Donovan Fisher, and award-winning novelist Zadie Smith. Paying tribute to the trio are Grammy winners Brooklyn Youth Chorus (who will sing a Philip Glass composition dedicated to Fisher), Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch’s Julie Anne Stanzak (who will dance a solo that will be filmed by Nathalie Larquet in tribute to Blanchett), Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Hope Boykin (who will present a short film for Smith), St. Vincent (whose appearance can only be seen live; it will not be rebroadcast), and DJ Eli Escobar (who will host a living room dance party), all of whom have previously performed at BAM. “Moving to an online, virtual format gives BAM an exciting opportunity to open its gala experience to a wider audience, pay tribute to our amazing honorees in new ways, and gather the arts community in a challenging time. We are excited to share this unique experience as part of our current digital Love from BAM programming,” BAM president Katy Clark said in a statement. The gala also marks the beginning of BAM’s annual online art auction.

SIGNATURE THEATRE: ARTS LUNCHES / SigSpace SUMMITS

sigspace

Who: Anna Deavere Smith, Michael Urie, Michael Benjamin Washington, Arthur A. Gianelli, more
What: Live online conversations on Wednesdays and virtual lunch discussions on Fridays
Where: Signature Theatre Instagram Live, Facebook Live, Zoom
When: Wednesdays at 5:00 (advance RSVP required for Zoom link), Fridays at noon, free
Why: With arts venues dark, the Signature Theatre is hosting a series of livestreamed events during the pandemic. On Wednesdays at 5:00, SigSpace Summits features a pair of experts discussing life in the age of coronavirus; the program got under way May 6 with two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage and author and meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg discussing art and mindfulness and continues May 13 with Pulitzer- and Tony-nominated playwright and actress Anna Deavere Smith — who played a hospital administrator on Nurse Jackie — talking about public health matters with Mount Sinai Morningside president Arthur A. Gianelli; advance RSVP is required for the Zoom link if you are interested in asking questions. Friday Arts Lunches kicked off April 17 with director Saheem Ali and Lupita Nyong’o, followed by members of the cast of Octet on April 24, Francis Jue with David Henry Hwang on May 1, and Crystal Dickinson, Brandon Dirden, and Jason Dirden on May 8. For the May 15 edition, the inimitable Michael Urie (Angels in America) will interview Michael Benjamin Washington, who starred in Smith’s Fires in the Mirror this past fall at the Signature. “Since our lives are currently upended by isolation, we are eager to get a head start on SigSpace by reimagining how to connect with our artists and audiences online,” Signature artistic director Paige Evans said in a statement. “Until we can interact again in our beloved physical space, come interact with us in our virtual space – as we navigate this difficult moment in history together as a community. Once we can gather again in person, we’ll be thrilled for SigSpace to activate our lobby in unique ways for the Signature family while also giving new artists and communities a home with us.” You can catch all the previous shows here.

OVID-19: THE INTERSECTION OF RACE, ART, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND MEDICINE

Who: Bill T. Jones, Khary Lazarre-White, Carrie Mae Weems, Dr. Aletha Maybank, Jamilah Lemieux
What: Panel discussion sponsored by NewsOne and the Brotherhood/Sister Sol (Bro/Sis)
Where: NewsOne Facebook page
When: Wednesday, May 13, free, 3:00
Why: NewsOne, which focuses on “current events and their impact on black lives,” will be hosting a live discussion on May 13 at 3:00 titled “Covid-19: The Intersection of Race, Art, Social Justice, and Medicine.” The free event features legendary dancer-choreographer and New York Live Arts artistic director Bill T. Jones, social entrepreneur, writer, activist, and attorney Khary Lazarre-White, visual artist Carrie Mae Weems, and American Medical Association chief health equity officer Dr. Aletha Maybank discussing Covid-19 and its effect on black life in America; the conversation will be moderated by writer, speaker, and communications consultant Jamilah Lemieux.