Much Ado About Nothing in Central Park

Christopher Abbott

Below are a selection of the exciting starry theater that’s launching today through Sunday, as well as a big Broadway bash to celebrate Mothers Day.

Shows I recommend that opened earlier this week and you can still see: Love, Loss and What I Wore; The Homebound Project; Tiny Beautiful Things; and Antony and Cleopatra

For more listings check out my Calendar of May 2020 Theater Openings.
and my overview of ongoing series and platforms, Where To Get Your Theater Fix Online

Friday

By Jeeves
The Shows Must Go On
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alan Ayckbourn’s musical comedy based on the Jeeves and Wooster stories by P.G. Woodhouse, in which young gentleman Bertie Wooster is frequently rescued by his manservant Jeeves.  Starting at 2pm ET and for 48 hours after that.

The King and I
BroadwayHD
The subscription service is offering the Lincoln Center Theater production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical for free starting at 8 p.m. and for 48 hours after that. It stars Kelli O’Hara, Ken Watanabe and Ruthie Ann Miles, and it’s lush.

The Shape of Things
Reading of The Shape of Things, a play by Neil LaBute that’s a twisty tale of manipulation involving two couples, benefitting The Actors Fund.
Starring Lena Hall, Jonah Platt, Katie Rose Clarke, and Tim Realbuto
Featuring a Q&A with the cast and Neil LaBute. Begins at 7 p.m. on Youtube. One-time only.

How To Load a Musket
Play Per View
Drawing on a series of interviews begun by playwright Talene Monahon in 2015, the play weaves together verbatim conversations with Revolutionary and Civil War re-enactors. Live, one-time only. $5-$50

Gruesome Playground Injuries
Redline Productions
A one-time-only live reading on YouTube of Rajiv Joseph’s play about dysfunctional friendship starring Rose Byrne and Ewen Leslie with music by John Butler, as a benefit for this Australian theater company.

Saturday

Blithe Spirit
Plays in the House
A reading of Noel Coward’s play starring Leslie Uggams. To view, go to Stars in the House YouTube channel at 2 p.m. One-time live only. (does not stay up on site)

Sunday

Broadway Does Mothers Day
What’s a weekend during lockdown without a big Broadway bash?
Sketches and performances from Broadway shows including “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” and “Jagged Little Pill” and by Broadway stars including Bernadette Peters, Harvey Fierstein, Lea DeLaria, Jennifer Holliday, Vanessa Williams and Beanie Feldstein. The event begins at 3 p.m. and will benefit the Broadway Cares Covid-19 Emergency Assistance Fund.

Much Ado About Nothing
All Arts
The Public Theater production in Central Park starring Danielle Brooks!

Human Resources
Playing on Air
In this audio play by by Jason Gray Platt, tech start-up Diddly has a problem: their staff is whiter than a Coldplay concert in Vermont. Fortunately, Human Resources has a plan to “improve” Diddly’s corporate culture —at least in theory.

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin
A one-time live stream from Florence, Italy to benefit 13 U.S. theaters, including the Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York,, where you’ll be able to purchase a ticket for $50.
My review of the solo show when it was Off-Broadway in 2018.