Today Features: The Queens Gambit (new musical) – Women’s History Month – X The Experience – Seth Sikes (Home) – Louis Armstrong Legacy Virtual Jazz Jam – Patti Smith (NYPopsUp) – Theater Breaking Thru Barriers (Trans(4)mission) – Houses on the Moon Podcast – Mint Theater (Yours Unfaithfully) – Rebecca Luker (TargetALS) . . .
Level Forward, the story-driven, impact-minded entertainment company, has acquired the theatrical stage rights to Walter Tevis’ The Queen’s Gambit, and is developing the novel as a musical. The Queen’s Gambit tells the story of Beth Harmon, an orphan turned chess prodigy. The novel, published in 1983, depicts Beth’s journey from Kentucky to Paris to Moscow and beyond. It is a chronicle of a young woman’s struggle to overcome a broken past and the demons of addiction, set against the practices and prejudices of a male-centered world. Recently adapted into a Netflix miniseries, “The Queen’s Gambit” received two Critics’ Choice Awards; Best Limited Series and Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for Anya Taylor-Joy’s portrayal of Beth Harmon. It received two Golden Globe Awards: Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television. After just four weeks, “The Queen’s Gambit” became Netflix’s most-watched scripted miniseries with over 62 million viewers in the first month.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, three female-led documentaries are now available on Broadway On Demand, the industry-leading streaming platform, including the one and only Kaye Ballard’s self-titled, Kaye Ballard – The Show Must Go On, a history of the groundbreaking all-girl jazz and big band instrumentalists, The Girls in the Band, and Olympia, the fascinating life story of Academy Award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis. www.broadwayondemand.com
The Mint Theater cordially invites you to stream the HD recording of the World Premiere of Yours Unfaithfully by Miles Malleson, an “un-Romantic Comedy” about the price of free love, part of Mint’s Silver Lining Streaming Series. Currently, Mint is offering six months of broadcasts on demand: Days To Come by Lillian Hellman (which recently concluded its “run”); Katie Roche by Teresa Deevy (now through 3/28); Women Without Men by Hazel Ellis (now through 3/21); Yours Unfaithfully by Miles Malleson (3/22 to 5/16); A Picture of Autumnby N.C Hunter (3/29 to 5/23); and The Fatal Weakness by George Kelly (5/17 to 6/13), all for FREE at Mint’s virtual theater, MintTheater.org.
Houses on the Moon Theater Company, in association with theBroadway Podcast Network, is pleased to announce the release of HOUSES ON THE MOON PODCAST, an original eight episode storytelling series dedicated to amplifying the unheard voice. These stories, adapted for audio, will be followed by in-depth conversations with host Jeffrey Solomon, the storytellers, and featured community partners. The podcast also features original music by multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator Raleigh Neal II. The podcast will be available March 8, 2021 exclusively from the Broadway Podcast Network and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Find it now at BPN.FM/housesonthemoon.
X the Experience is a groundbreaking interactive event, starring Broadway’s Cheech Manohar (Mean Girls) and Kim Exum (Book of Mormon) with Gillian Saker (The River at the Royal Court Theatre) and Meaghan Sands (Metropolitan Opera), about racial assimilation where equity is turned on its head. March 12, 13, 19, 26, 27 and runs thru May 22. Visit: XtheExperience.com.
To mark the one-year closure of Broadway due to Covid, singer Seth Sikes has collaborated with director David Cromer and Choreographer Eamon Foley to release his latest music video. Home is a love letter to the theater. The tune was written by Charles Strouse with lyrics by Susan Birkenhead for the musical Minsky’s and will serve as a fundraiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Fundraising link:
https://54below.com/events/seth-sikes-sings-the-20s/
Flushing Town Hall presents Louis Armstrong Legacy Virtual Jazz Jam, Wed. March 10, 7 pm est, streaming on Zoom and FacebookLive. Virtual Jazz Jam! March’s theme is ‘Luck Be a Lady or Irish!,’ where musicians will play tunes about luck, or by Irish composers! Led by Carol Sudhalter and the wonderful house band, the jam welcomes musicians including jazz jammers from Queens/Long Island, as well as newcomers from around the world, to share their music, lift our spirits and honor those we have lost. www.flushingtownhall.org
The legendary artist Patti Smith will perform an afternoon of poetry and music as part of the ongoing statewide NY PopsUp festival currently taking place all over New York State. This special event will take place on Tuesday, March 9 at 12:30 PM ET at The Brooklyn Museum, with Ms. Smith honoring the memory of artist Robert Mapplethorpe on the anniversary of his death, March 9, 1989, and performing as a personal thank you to the museum’s workers. The event can be seen on the festival’s Instagram page at @NYPopsUp. Patti Smith, the legendary singer-songwriter, author, and poet, first came to prominence during the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album, “Horses.” Her memoir, “Just Kids,” documenting her partnership with artist Robert Mapplethorpe, earned her the National Book Award for Nonfiction and was on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Theater Breaking Through Barriers Artistic Director Nicholas Viselli announced the 4th Virtual Playmakers’ Intensive: TRANS(4)MISSIONS, ten short new plays, Friday March 12th through Sunday March 21st, on YouTube nightly at 7:30pm or Facebook at 8:30pm, FREE via ZOOM. For more information about any of Theater Breaking Through Barriers’ productions and upcoming programs, visit tbtb.org.
Look for a May 4th, 7:30 pm fundraiser for TargetALS entitled “Becca” – a tribute to Broadway’s Rebecca Luker, who passed away in December 2020 from ALS. Tickets are $20. Performers/creatives to include: Laura Benanti, Sierra Boggess, Michael Cerveris, Victoria Clark, Santino Fontana, Judy Kuhn, Howard McGillin, Norm Lewis, Kelli O’Hara, and Sally Wilfert. Mary-Mitchell Campbell and Joseph Thalken will serve as co-music directors, with David Mahoney acting as creative producer. Lucy Simon, composer of The Secret Garden (Luker’s first Broadway show) will aid in song selection. Sarah Rebell and Steve Schonberg will write the show. https://www.momenthouse.com/targetals
Some Upbeat News: Broadway shows are currently closed through May 30, 2021, but many producers see the fall as a likely return. All subject to the effectiveness of the vaccines. Look for staggered production openings. Fingers crossed!
