Top 5 Stage Performances to Stream This Weekend October 30-November 1
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 curated list spotlights the five best options to stream this Halloween weekend, Friday, October 30 to Sunday, November 1, for free or at low cost.
I Put a Spell On You: A Sanderson Sister Act
Streaming Friday, October 30 until Monday, November 2 for $47.
Earlier this month, Broadway scene-stealer Jay Armstrong Johnson (On the Town, Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody) and his pals resurrected the bewitching Sanderson sisters from the cult classic Hocus Pocus for their annual high-camp Halloween performance. Starting on Friday, you can watch the spooky show online. Cackle at the holiday high jinks of Johnson (in the Bette Midler role) and his sorceress siblings played by Allison Godleski and Sydnie Roy as they welcome ghoulish guest stars including Bowen Yang, Jasmine Amy Rogers, Anania, Isabelle McCalla, Jimin Moon, Hannah Solow, Jeanna de Waal and other fabulous folks. There will also be virtual appearances by Eva Noblezada and original Hocus Pocus star Kathy Najimy! Proceeds benefit the Ali Forney Center, which serves unhoused LGBTQ+ youth.
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Live from 54 Below: The 3rd Annual Spooky Spectacular
Live-streaming Saturday, October 31 at 9:45 p.m. ET for $33.50.
This fearfully festive Halloween concert returns with scary songs performed by eerie up-and-comers. Enjoy Halloween hits and spooky celebrations! Streaming live from the cabaret hub’s swanky stage. If you prefer to attend in person, click here for info.
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McCarter Theatre: A Beat of Our Own
Streaming until Tuesday, November 10 at noon for $25.
New Jersey’s acclaimed McCarter Theatre recently presented the new musical A Beat of Our Own and you can now watch a recording at home. An exuberant celebration of South Asian music, dance and identity featuring songs by Sam Willmott and a book by Rehana Lew Mirza and Mike Lew, the show follows two college students and erstwhile collaborators leading separate troupes in a national Indian bhangra dance competition. While one leans into tradition, the other embraces a more multicultural aesthetic. With 18 performers and 10 musicians, this was McCarter’s most ambitious production to date.
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Stratford Festival: The Tempest Starring Christopher Plummer
Streaming on All Arts for FREE.
The late great Tony- and Oscar-winning Christopher Plummer stars as Prospero in Stratford’s 2010 mounting of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, a tale of revenge, forgiveness, magic and love. Tony winner Des McAnuff, then Stratford’s artistic director, helmed this well-received production.
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Macbeth Starring Patrick Stewart
Streaming on Amazon Prime for $9
In honor of the Halloween season, we recommend you (re)watch Patrick Stewart’s thrilling Macbeth, which was seen on Broadway in 2008 and nominated for six Tony Awards. Rupert Goold directs this cinematic adaptation of Shakespeare’s bloody tragedy, shot on location in the eerie Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire.
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