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Top 5 Stage Performances to Stream This Weekend June 9-11 Including the Tony Awards

By: Raven Snook
Date: Jun 07, 2023

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Even though in-person theatre and dance are back in full swing, in the name of accessibility, we're continuing to round up performances to watch online from the comfort of home. Our carefully curated list spotlights the five best options to stream this weekend, Friday, June 9 to Sunday, June 11, for free or at low cost.

The 2023 Tony Awards

Live-streaming Sunday, June 11 starting at 6:30 p.m. for FREE

The winners won't be the only surprises at this year's Tony Awards ceremony, which is being held at the United Palace in Washington Heights. Because of the ongoing WGA strike, we aren't sure what to expect beyond the doling out of prizes. The script and the opening number were scrapped; West Side Story Oscar winner Ariana DeBose is still billed as host though reportedly she will only be doing the intro. In truth, we're excited for an off-the-cuff ceremony... anything can happen! We do know there will be numbers from the Tony-nominated productions of Camelot, Into The Woods, & Juliet, Kimberly Akimbo, New York, New York, Parade, Shucked, Some Like It Hot and Sweeney Todd, as well as performances by Tony winner Joaquina Kalukango (Paradise Square), the cast of A Beautiful Noise, Lea Michele and the company of Funny Girl, and a special presentation honoring Lifetime Achievement winners Joel Grey and John Kander. Note that you probably won't see any WGA members in attendance as the union asked them to stay home out of solidarity, so we suspect Tom Stoppard, David West Read, Amber Ruffin, Amy Herzog, Cameron Crowe, Martyna Majok, Jordan E. Cooper and Sara Bareilles will be MIA. As in recent years, the broadcast will be split in two. From 6:30 to 8 p.m. ET, Julianne Hough and Skylar Astin will host The Tony Awards: Act One, which streams for free on Pluto TV and includes the presentation of statuettes in several categories. The main event airs from 8 to 11 p.m. ET on CBS, although if you subscribe to Paramount+ you can watch there as well. We'll be updating the winners in real time here on TDF Stages, and sharing photos and videos from the event live on Instagram and TikTok.

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Arlekin Players Theatre: The Gaaga

Live-streaming on Friday, June 9 at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 10 at 3 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. for $25
The always innovative Arlekin Players, who mounted a fascinating, high-tech reimagining of The Cherry Orchard last year, present the US premiere of The Gaaga, a multimedia meditation on displacement from Ukrainian documentary playwright-director Sasha Denisova. Performed live on stage in Cambridge, Massachusetts but also live-streamed to at-home audiences, it's a harrowing exploration of the impact of war on individuals inspired by first-person interviews with refugees and officials, as a Ukrainian girl hiding in a bomb shelter fantasizes about putting Vladimir Putin and his collaborators on trial.

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National Theatre at Home: Phaedra

Streaming for $10

In 2020, London's lauded National Theatre launched its own streaming service featuring professional stage captures of its productions. While you can buy a subscription, shows are also available to rent individually. New to the roster is the polarizing 2023 production of Phaedra, a reimagining of the ancient Greek tragedy by Simon Stone featuring Tony-winning powerhouse Janet McTeer as a passionate politician whose life and career are upended by a mysterious young man from her past. A 72-hour rental costs $10 and captions are available. It's just one of many fantastic National Theatre shows you can stream, so be sure to browse the entire list.

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American Songbook at NJPAC: Jim Dale

Streaming on All Arts for FREE
NJ PBS' American Songbook at NJPAC series presents British stage star Jim Dale in concert. Recorded last fall live on stage, the hour-long performance features the Tony winner (Barnum, Candide) and beloved audiobook narrator (the entire Harry Potter series) sharing excerpts from his autobiographical solo cabaret Just Jim Dale. Expect lots of stories and songs from his 70-year career, including "I Gotta Be Me," "Me and My Girl," "The Colors of My Life" and "Georgy Girl."

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PBS Great Performances: Richard III

Streaming until Friday, June 16 for FREE.
It's your last week to catch Danai Gurira in Robert O'Hara's radically inclusive Richard III, which was filmed live on stage last summer at The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park. The Black Panther star is riveting as the power-hungry and ruthless title villain, who's determined to become king at all costs. The diverse ensemble also includes Oklahoma! Tony winner Ali Stroker as Richard's conquest Anne, Heather Alicia Simms as Queen Elizabeth, Tina Tony nominee Daniel J. Watts, Gregg Mozgala and Michael Potts.

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