New York Classical Theatre holds its first read-through of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, which they will bring to multiple parks this summer (photo courtesy of New York Classical Theatre)
What can compare to free open-air Shakespeare in a New York park on a midsummer night? The annual season celebrating the Bard all around the city has just begun, with presentations from such companies and organizations as New York Classical Theatre, Smith Street Stage, Boomerang, the all-female Manhattan Shakespeare Project, Hudson Warehouse, Hip to Hip, the Public Theater, and SummerStage. All of the below events are free, but, as always, Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte requires same-day ticketing. Don’t miss out on this city tradition; otherwise, as Will wrote in Sonnet 65: “O, how shall summer’s honey breath hold out / Against the wreckful siege of batt’ring days, / When rocks impregnable are not so stout, / Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays?”
Friday, May 15
through
Saturday, May 31
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot: Two Gentlemen of Verona, by the Drilling Company, directed by Hamilton Clancy, Bryant Park, Fridays & Saturdays at 6:30, Sundays at 2:00
Tuesday, May 26
Wednesday, May 27
Thursday, May 28
through
Sunday, June 28
New York Classical Theatre: The Taming of the Shrew, Central Park, 103rd St. & Central Park West, Thursday – Sunday at 7:00
Wednesday, May 27
through
Sunday, July 5
Shakespeare in the Park: The Tempest, starring Jordan Barrow, Louis Cancelmi, Francesca Carpanini, Nicholas Christopher, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Chloe Fox, Rosharra Francis, Thomas Gibbons, Frank Harts, Sunny Hitt, Brandon Kalm, Olga Karmansky, Tamika Sonja Lawrence, Rico Lebron, Danny Mastrogiorgio, Tim Nicolai, Matthew Oaks, Charles Parnell, Chris Perfetti, Rodney Richardson, Laura Shoop, Cotter Smith, Sam Waterston, and Bernard White, directed by Michael Greif, Delacorte Theater, Central Park, 8:00
Wednesday, June 3
through
Saturday, June 20
Inwood Shakespeare Festival: Hamlet, by the Moose Hall Theatre Company, Inwood Hill Park Peninsula, 7:30
Wednesday, June 3
through
Sunday, July 26
Manhattan Shakespeare Project: The Taming of the Shrew, directed by Kate Holland, Central Park Summit Rock (June 3, 11, 25, 26, 28), Astoria Park (TBA), St. Nicholas Park (June 18, 20), Sunset Park (June 19, 21, 27), Morningside Park (July 9, 10, 11, 12, 23, 24, 25, 26), 6:00
Thursday, June 4
through
Sunday, June 28
Hudson Warehouse: Henry IV Part I, with Steve Guttenberg, directed by Nicholas Martin-Smith, Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, Riverside Park, Thursday – Sunday at 6:30
Friday, June 5
SummerStage: Lemon Anderson ToasT, plus #LoveHustle with DJ Reborn and J. Keys, Red Hook Park, 7:00
The Nuyorican Poets Cafe will feature Elaine Del Valle’s BROWNSVILLE BRED in Betsy Head Park on June 13 (photo by Ron Marotta)
Saturday, June 13
SummerStage: Nuyorican Poets Cafe featuring Elaine Del Valle’s Brownsville Bred, Betsy Head Park, 7:00
Saturday, June 20
through
Sunday, July 19
Boomerang Theatre Company: Cymbeline, Central Park (69th St. & Central Park West), Saturdays & Sundays at 2:00
Tuesday, June 23, 30
Wednesday, June 24 & July 1
New York Classical Theatre: The Taming of the Shrew, Prospect Park, enter at Grand Army Plaza, 7:00
Thursday, June 25, 4:00 (open dress rehearsal)
Friday, June 26, 4:00
Saturday, June 27, 2:00
Sunday, June 28, 2:00
River to River: Love of a Poet, by John Kelly, Arts Center, Governors Island, advance RSVP required
Tuesday, June 30
through
Sunday, July 19
Shakespeare in Carroll Park: Henry IV (Parts 1 & 2) by Smith Street Stage, directed by Joby Earle, bring your own seating, Carroll Park, 6:30 or 8:00
Thursday, July 2
through
Sunday, July 26
Hudson Warehouse: She Stoops to Conquer, directed by Ian Harkins, Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, Riverside Park, Thursday – Sunday at 6:30
Thursday, July 2
through
Friday, August 7
Theatreworks USA: Skippyjon Jones Snow What (& the 7 Chihuahuas), Lucille Lortel Theatre, Sunday – Friday, times vary
Sunday, July 5
through
Sunday, July 26
SummerStage: The Tempest by Classical Theatre of Harlem, directed by Carl Cofield, Marcus Garvey Park, Tuesday – Sunday at 7:00
Wednesday, July 8
Friday, July 10
through
Sunday, July 12
New York Classical Theatre: The Taming of the Shrew, Teardrop Park, 7:00
Thursday, July 9
through
Saturday, July 26
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot: As You Like It, by the Drilling Company, directed by Hamilton Clancy, Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center, 114 Norfolk St., 8:00
Thursday, July 9
through
Thursday, August 13
Broadway in Bryant Park, Bryant Park Lawn, Thursdays at 12:30
Tuesday, July 14
through
Sunday, August 9
New York Classical Theatre: Measure for Measure, Battery Park by Castle Clinton, 7:00
Wednesday, July 15
through
Saturday, August 1
Inwood Shakespeare Festival: Henry IV, by the Moose Hall Theatre Company, Inwood Hill Park Peninsula, 7:30
Friday, July 17
through
Sunday, August 2
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot: Romeo and Juliet, by the Drilling Company, directed by Dave Marantz, Bryant Park, Fridays & Saturdays at 6:30, Sundays at 2:00
Wednesday, July 22
through
Saturday, August 15
Hip to Hip Theatre Company: The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Merchant of Venice, performed in repertory in parks across the city, including Agawam Park, Crocheron Park, Cunningham Park, Forest Park, Gantry Plaza State Park, Socrates Sculpture Park, Sunnyside Gardens Park, and Van Cortlandt Park, preceded by Kids & the Classics, Wednesday – Sunday at different times
Thursday, July 23
through
Sunday, August 23
Shakespeare in the Park: Cymbeline, starring Hamish Linklater, Lily Rabe, Teagle F. Bougere, Kate Burton, Raúl Esparza, David Furr, Jacob Ming-Trent, Patrick Page, and Steven Skybell, directed by Daniel Sullivan, Delacorte Theater, Central Park, 8:00
Thursday, July 30
through
Sunday, August 23
Hudson Warehouse: Titus Andronicus, directed by Nicholas Martin-Smith, Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, Riverside Park, Thursday – Sunday at 6:30
Friday, July 31
SummerStage: Mr. Joy by Daniel Beaty featuring Tangela Large, Clove Lakes Park, 7:00
Tuesday, August 11
Wednesday, August 12
Thursday, August 14
through
Sunday, August 16
New York Classical Theatre: Measure for Measure, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 7:00
Wednesday, August 12
SummerStage: The Wiz: A Celebration in Dance and Music, Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, 7:00
Thursday, August 13
and
Friday, August 14
SummerStage: The Wiz: A Celebration in Dance and Music, preceded by a Master Class led by Darrin Henson, Marcus Garvey Park, 7:00
Friday, September 4
through
Sunday, September 20
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot: The Taming of the Shrew, by the Drilling Company, directed by Alessandro Colla, Bryant Park, Fridays & Saturdays at 6:30, Sundays at 2:00
It’s easy to see why Morgan Neville’s Twenty Feet from Stardom was such a critical and popular success, raking in more than five million dollars at the box office and winning an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. Yes, it tells the story of a fabulous group of remarkably talented backup singers, including Darlene Love, Judith Hill, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Táta Vega, Claudia Lennear, Jo Lawry, Lynn Mabry, and David Lasley. Yes, there are some big-time superstars singing their praises, including Bette Midler, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Chris Botti, and Mick Jagger. And the music and inside tales are simply phenomenal, particularly the behind-the-scenes scoop on “Gimme Shelter,” which featured Clayton on the original record, while Fischer’s been singing it live onstage with the Stones for the last twenty-five years; surprising looks at Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” and David Bowie’s “Young Americans”; Love discussing Phil Spector, “He’s a Rebel,” and cleaning houses; and Hill’s attempt to be both a background vocalist and the lead singer playing her own songs. (Sadly, Clayton was involved in a serious car accident this June and “has a long road of recovery ahead,” according to her website.)
