“Walking: A Confession for a Museum Beginner”
Stream on YouTube.
At age 48, he left an artistic and emotional hole when Gavin Creel died of a rare cancer last fall. He was a beloved figure on stage, especially in musical theatres, with simple wit, a sure talent for physical comedy, and old-fashioned elegance. One of his last major efforts was the musical “Walk On Stos: Confessions of the Museum Novice.” He wrote books and scores and ran at the MCC Theater in 2023. Michael Paulson of the New York Times was described as a “passion project” in his adventure, and the actor paid tribute to Metpolit. Fortunately, the institution that commissioned the project continues to capture its October 2021 performance on YouTube.
'(Untitled Miniature)'
Stream here.
As a theatre maker, Joshua William Gelb became his own completely in his theatre in quarantine productions. From Tuesday until March 25th, he continues to explore live digital hybrids with a new project that will push the boundaries of his own durability as he is closer to experimenting with artists like Marina Abramovich than traditional theatres. In “(Untitled Miniatures)”, Gelb spends 24 hours (45-minute segments) naked in a box that is about 3 feet wide and less than 2 feet tall. Despite the limited space (or perhaps because of that), his movements are choreographed. Viewers can purchase tickets for either physical performances, held here, or live feeds.
Stream from League of Live Stream Theater.
Ireland's Repertoire Theatre is one of the most active New York companies when it comes to making production available online. It will be available for several more weeks from Sunday until March 30th, shortly after Omnibus' “Beckett Briefs” finishes the live run. It costs $39 (20% off for Ireland representative members). Directed by Ciaran O'Reilly, the 75-minute show consists of three relatively short titles, “Not I,” “Play,” and “Krapp's Last Tape,” as Laura Collins-Hughes wrote in the New York Times. The final one, in particular, starring in “The modestly stunning F. Murray Abraham.” When making some of your running available online, more companies can hope to follow the example of Irish representatives.
“Who is this time?”
Stream with Foopla and Plex.
Now it's a good time to check out this film, which director Jonathan Dem made for the 1982 American Playhouse for the American Playhouse on Public Television, as “A Streetcar named Desire” pays for one of his regular visits to the New York stage (this time starring Paul Mezcal and Patsy Ferran from Brooklyn Academy). But with him on stage, he comes to a charismatic life. He needs to play a role in fully expressing himself. Sparks Fly flies when the new town Helen (Susan Sarandon) is cast as Stella on the other side of Harry's Stanley in the production of the amateur company “The Tram.” But what happens when you need to interact outside, or when you're in another role? Based on the story of Kurt Vonnegut, “Who is this time?” is a lovely, very perceptive miniature about the transformational power of acting. Walken and Sarandon are surprisingly sympathetic, as two lonely people who flower on stage, and John Kale of Velvet Underground wrote the original score.
“ground”
On March 21st, at 9pm, the long-term PBS series' incredible performance premieres Tony Award-winning composer Johnny Ne Tesori (“Fun Home”, “Kimbury Aquimbo”) and George Brandt's “Ground” on the Plateau, filmed at Metropolitan Opera. Based on a play of the same name by Brandt himself, the opera follows the emotional and psychological tragedy of Jess, a former fighter pilot who engages in wars in the distance by operating drones. One Woman's Original (Broadway off-Broadway production in 2015) is strengthened to feature more characters, but Jess is at the heart of it, and the show weighs on Emily D'Angelo's shoulders. In a New York Times review, Zachary Wolf praised her as “the best of “grounding”” and also noted Ben Bliss' “melted gold tenor and easygoing charm” as Jess' husband. Another Broadway regular, Michael Mayer (more recently behind “Sweep Away”) handles the staging, played by Yannick Nezzet Seguin.
