TDF Stages

With in-person theatre still a rarity, many companies and performers from Broadway and beyond are showcasing their work online. Below are performances you can watch online this weekend, Friday, August 13 to Sunday, August 15, for free or at low cost.

Friday, August 13

Christopher Lloyd in King Lear
On Friday at 10 a.m. ET, Obie and Emmy Award-winning actor Christopher Lloyd (Taxi, Back to the Future) is currently headlining King Lear at Shakespeare & Company in the Berkshires, but you can also stream the show at home. Directed by Nicole Ricciardi, the production was filmed live on stage earlier in the run. Tickets are $25 and the recording is viewable for 72 hours from the start time.

Battery Dance Festival: International Dance Film Festival
On Friday at 7 p.m. ET, after going completely virtual last year, downtown's Battery Dance Festival returns as a hybrid event, with both in-person and online performances. The nine-day fest kicks off with the three-day International Dance Film Festival featuring shorts from around the globe. Tonight's virtual program includes a South Korean troupe doing the Lindy Hop; a Teatro Colon ballet prodigy dancing across an Argentinian ecological reserve; Swiss dancers frolicking in a river; athletes scaling the façade of a Vietnamese dance center; and an outdoor performance in South Australia. Watch for free on YouTube—the link will be posted on the fest's website at showtime. The recording is viewable until Monday, August 23.

PTP/NYC: A Small Handful
On Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, PTP/NYC wraps up its digital season with A Small Handful, a trio of poems by Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Sexton in speech and song. Jim Petosa directs actor Paula Langton and soprano Kaileigh Riess in this performance of the controversial writer's searing work. Register to receive the free viewing link though donations are encouraged. The recording is viewable until Tuesday.

Saturday, August 14

Chichester Festival Theatre: South Pacific
On Saturday at 9:30 a.m. ET, the UK's Chichester Festival Theatre presents Rodgers and Hammerstein's beloved musical South Pacific. Filmed live on stage last month, this new production of the Tony-winning classic about romance and racism during World War II features British stage stars Gina Beck and Julian Ovenden as Navy nurse Nellie Forbush and Emile de Becque, the dashing Frenchman with a secret; Joanna Ampil as Bloody Mary; Keir Charles as Luther Billis and Rob Houchen as Lt. Joseph Cable. Tickets start at £20, approximately $28, and the recording is viewable for 24 hours from the start time. Closed captions are available.

Christopher Lloyd in King Lear
On Saturday at 10 a.m. ET, Obie and Emmy Award-winning actor Christopher Lloyd (Taxi, Back to the Future) is currently headlining King Lear at Shakespeare & Company in the Berkshires, but you can also stream the show at home. Directed by Nicole Ricciardi, the production was filmed live on stage earlier in the run. Tickets are $25 and the recording is viewable for 72 hours from the start time. 

PBS Great Performances: Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age
On Saturday at noon ET, PBS Great Performances presents Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age, the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning 2003 documentary Broadway: The Golden Age, By the Legends Who Were There, written, directed and produced by the late Rick McKay. Hosted by two-time Tony nominee Jonathan Groff, this new movie focuses on Broadway musicals between 1959 and 1980, and features a starry lineup of artists sharing remembrances about the original productions of Once Upon a Mattress, Bye Bye Birdie, Pippin, A Chorus Line, Ain't Misbehavin' and other beloved shows. Enjoy interviews with Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Glenn Close, André De Shields, Jane Fonda, Robert Goulet, Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Dick Van Dyke and Ben Vereen alongside rare vintage footage. Watch for free until Saturday, September 11 on PBS Thirteen's website.

PBS Thirteen: Liza with a Z
On Saturday at 4:30 and 8:30 p.m. ET, PBS Thirteen presents Liza with a Z, the celebrated 1972 concert special directed by Bob Fosse and featuring Liza Minnelli belting, hoofing and wowing in an array of outfits designed by Halston. Filmed on stage at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre, the program was an award-winning smash in its day, but was lost in the vaults for decades before being rereleased 15 years ago. This is Minnelli in her heyday, performing highlights from Cabaret, of-the-era pop songs and special material written by John Kander and Fred Ebb, including the title tune. Watch for free on PBS  Thirteen.

Untitled Theater Company #61: Alma Baya
On Saturday at 6 and 9 p.m. ET, Untitled Theater Company #61 presents an in-person performance of Alma Baya that will also be streamed to at-home audiences. In this absurdist sci-fi drama, Alma and Baya are struggling to survive on a hostile planet. But when a refugee arrives begging for shelter, they face a moral dilemma. Two different casts perform this thought-provoking play, written and directed by Edward Einhorn. Tickets are $25 for both streamed and in-person performances at A.R.T./New York in Midtown. If you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets to the show, whether you want to watch it online or in person.

Battery Dance Festival: International Dance Film Festival
On Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, after going completely virtual last year, downtown's Battery Dance Festival returns as a hybrid event, with both in-person and online performances. The nine-day fest kicks off with the three-day International Dance Film Festival featuring shorts from across the globe. Tonight's virtual program includes dance films from China and Luxembourg; a solo in Taipei and a group number in India; a vogueing shaman on a mountaintop in Lebanon; Indigenous dancers performing a sunrise ceremony on Alcatraz Island; and a rhymical entry from the Massala Company. Watch for free on YouTube—the link will be posted on the fest's website at showtime. The recording is viewable until Tuesday, August 24.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater: Ni Mi Madre
On Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, NYC's acclaimed Rattlestick Playwrights Theater is presenting a hybrid season, with its productions performed in person but also streamed to at-home audiences. First up is Arturo Luís Soria's autobiographically inspired solo show Ni Mi Madre, about the complex relationship between an over-the-top Brazilian woman and her queer son as they grapple with identity and what it means to be an immigrant family in America. Tickets are $35 for both streamed and in-person performances at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater.

Sunday, August 15

TADA! Youth Theater: Heroes
Starting on Sunday, TADA!, NYC's 36-year-old, Drama Desk Award-winning youth company whose alums include Jordan Peele and Kerry Washington, presents Heroes, an original musical for all ages that was recorded live on stage earlier this summer. A fantastical tale of bickering kids who need to band together to save the world after the sun disappears, the song-filled fable celebrates teamwork and stars members of TADA!'s Resident Youth Ensemble, talented tykes ages 8 to 18 (including, full disclosure, my daughter). Tickets are $10 and the recording is viewable until Monday, September 6.

Untitled Theater Company #61: Alma Baya
On Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. ET, Untitled Theater Company #61 presents an in-person performance of Alma Baya that will also be streamed to at-home audiences. In this absurdist sci-fi drama, Alma and Baya are struggling to survive on a hostile planet. But when a refugee arrives begging for shelter, they face a moral dilemma. Two different casts perform this thought-provoking play, written and directed by Edward Einhorn. Tickets are $25 for both streamed and in-person performances at A.R.T./New York in Midtown. If you're a TDF member, log in to your account and you can purchase discount tickets to the show, whether you want to watch it online or in person.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater: Ni Mi Madre
On Sunday at 4 p.m. ET, NYC's acclaimed Rattlestick Playwrights Theater is presenting a hybrid season, with its productions performed in person but also streamed to at-home audiences. First up is Arturo Luís Soria's autobiographically inspired solo show Ni Mi Madre, about the complex relationship between an over-the-top Brazilian woman and her queer son as they grapple with identity and what it means to be an immigrant family in America. Tickets are $35 for both streamed and in-person performances at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater.

Battery Dance Festival: Day of Indian Dance
On Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, after going completely virtual last year, downtown's Battery Dance Festival returns as a hybrid event, with all in-person performances also streamed to at-home audiences. Tonight, in honor of India's Independence Day, enjoy a Day of Indian Dance featuring Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and other classical forms along with live musical interludes by Eventually Epic. Rajika Purit hosts the evening. Attend in person at Robert F. Wagner Park or watch for free on YouTube—the link will be posted on the fest's website at showtime. The recording is viewable until Wednesday, August 25.

All Weekend

Jacob's Pillow: Life Encounters: Archie Burnett
The Berkshires' lauded Jacob's Pillow dance festival resumed in-person performances this summer, but select events are also being streamed to at-home audiences. Catch Life Encounters, a celebration of the evolution of NYC's underground dance scene choreographed by ballroom legend Archie Burnett. Guest performers include former Martha Graham Dance Company principal Abdiel, performance artist Princess Lockerooo and Bessie Award winner Ephrat Asherie. RSVP to receive the free viewing link though donations are encouraged. The recording is viewable until Thursday, August 26.

Together Apart
It's a collaboration that could only come out of the pandemic. After attending a Brown University musical theatre department reunion on Zoom, Grammy-winning songwriter Lisa Loeb decided to write a mini-musical about the experience. She then invited other talented alumni to pen their own short tuners. The result is an evening of 10 pieces written, composed, produced, directed and performed by Brown grads, including Broadway vets Josh Hamilton, Ann Harada and JoBeth Williams, and Julie Bowen from Modern Family. Watch for free online though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged. The recording is viewable until Friday, August 20.

Signature Theatre: Detroit '67
Virginia's lauded Signature Theatre presents Detroit '67, the first installment in Tony-nominated playwright Dominique Morisseau's Detroit Project exploring different periods in her beloved hometown's history. This powerful family drama about two Black siblings squabbling over how to move forward takes place against the backdrop of the Detroit Rebellion, as tensions rise indoors and outside. Directed by Candis C. Jones, this production was filmed live on stage. Tickets are $35 but if you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Thursday, September 16.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The world's largest arts festival, Scotland's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, is back in person this year, but many offerings are also being streamed to adventurous at-home audiences. Check out performances from artists around the world, including cutting-edge comedy, experimental theatre, wacky musicals and the indefinable. Some shows cost money, others are free; some are available on demand, others have specific start times. Browse the options to see what piques your interest. The fest ends on Monday, August 30.

ZooTV
Enjoy Fringe-y performances courtesy of ZooTV, a platform showcasing cutting-edge dance and theatre artists. During its three weeks of streaming, you can catch performances by established artists such as British experimental theatre-maker Tim Crouch and NYC solo artist Peter Michael Marino or discover exciting emerging talents. Browse the options to see what piques your interest.

Jacob's Pillow: Brian Brooks / Moving Company
The Berkshires' lauded Jacob's Pillow dance festival resumed in-person performances this summer, but some are also being streamed to at-home audiences. Catch a program by Brian Brooks' troupe The Moving Company, which was filmed live on stage last month. The lineup features Flight Study, a new work set to a string quartet by Bryce Dessner; an untitled solo piece performed by Brooks himself; and Closing Distance set to music by Caroline Shaw. RSVP to receive the free viewing link though donations are encouraged. The recording is viewable until Thursday, August 19 at 6 p.m. ET.

The Muse Collective: The Karens
On Friday at 8 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday at 3 and 8 p.m. ET, The Muse Collective presents The Karens, about a trio of former mean girls turned online activists who decide to hold the privileged white women of America accountable for their actions in the summer of 2020. Peter Gray penned this satirical virtual comedy, which is directed by Michael Alvarez. Tickets are $12.

Lincoln Center Theater: The Wolves
It's your last chance to watch Lincoln Center Theater's production of The Wolves, Sarah DeLappe's Pulitzer finalist play about nine high school juniors on a soccer field exchanging ideas, thoughts and confidences as they pass the ball back and forth. The chatter is incessant but insightful, offering a glimpse into the insular and messy world of American teenage girls as they candidly discuss everything from periods to politics. Directed by Lila Neugebauer, this Obie-winning production stars Lauren Patten, Sarah Mezzanotte, Susannah Perkins, Tedra Millan and other up-and-comers, and was filmed live on stage at Lincoln Center's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in 2017. Register on Broadway on Demand to receive the free viewing link; the recording is viewable until Sunday.

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

Top image: Carol Burnett, one of the many stars featured in the new documentary Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age, which streams this weekend.