TODAY’S THEATRE TALK

 

 

 

Tonight, the cast of “Scandal” will reunite for a very special episode of “Stars In The House,” hosted by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, which will livestream on PEOPLE’s social platforms at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.  For one night only, the White House, Olivia Pope & Associates, and B613 will set aside their differences and come together to reminisce about their time in Shondaland.  Emmy Award-nominated star Kerry Washington (Olivia Pope), will be joined by Tony Goldwyn (President Fitzgerald Grant), Bellamy Young (President Mellie Grant), Jeff Perry (Cyrus Beene), Emmy Award nominee Kate Burton (Vice President Sally Langston), Emmy Award winner Dan Bucatinsky (James Novak), Norm Lewis (Edison Davis), Katie Lowes (Quinn Perkins), Guillermo Díaz (Huck), Cornelius Smith (Marcus Walker), George Newburn (Charlie), Emmy Award winner Joe Morton (Rowan Pope), and Executive Producer/Director Tom Verica.  Fans tuning in can ask questions in real time and donate to The Actors Fund for the chance to have their names read on air by a member of the cast!

Seth and James have partnered with PEOPLE to bring this special reunion to viewers.  The episode will livestream on PEOPLE’s social platforms including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, as well as PeopleTV’s Facebook and Twitter.  As always, additional information and all episodes can be found on the Stars In The House YouTube channel, and StarsInTheHouse.com.

The world premiere musical now available to view online, a Black family grapples with decades of inequality, violence, and suppression in the South. This unique piece, spanning nearly half a century and three generations, asks us to contemplate the cycle of violence in this country and how we will find hope and create change against the backdrop of hate that plagues America. BROADBEND, ARKANSAS was originally staged in Fall 2019 at The Duke on 42nd Street and produced in association with The Public Theater.

Arts Hero: Pose’ Star and Emmy Nominee Billy Porter Urges Senate to Pass Relief Package for Arts Workers” by The Hollywood Reporter’s   – “The actor … appeared virtually on ‘Late Night With Seth Meyers‘ to discuss his grassroots campaign Be An Arts Hero. … His volunteer-run campaign, Be an Arts Hero, is currently pushing the Senate to allocate a relief package to arts workers who have lost income due to the pandemic. “There’s so much funding that is necessary in this crisis in particular,” said Porter, who described the Broadway arts community as working class people who live hand to mouth — as he did for 30 years — and 2-5 paychecks away from poverty.” http://bway.ly/7jfv7g

REGIONAL:
“Alliance Theatre Announces its 2020-21 Season, Featuring World Premiere Musical Accidental Heroes and More” by BroadwayWorld – “The new season will include a mix of streaming, outdoor, and on-stage productions as well as a new streaming platform.” http://bway.ly/ofn5g5

“Seattle Rep Postpones 2020-21 Season” by American Theatre – “With no set date to return to the stage, Seattle Rep shifts its focus to its virtual programming.” http://bway.ly/mi0ccw

ACROSS THE POND:
“Grants of up to £3 million revealed under government support package” by The Stage’s Giverny Masso – “In this first round of funding, grants totalling £622 million will be distributed to cultural organisations.” http://bway.ly/0piali

“Phantom of the Opera’ Closes in West End After 34 Years Due to Coronavirus Impact” by Variety’s Naman Ramachandran – “… according to producer Cameron Mackintosh.” http://bway.ly/kxje1d
— Andrew Lloyd Webber (@OfficialALW) – “As far as I’m concerned Phantom will reopen as soon as is possible” http://bway.ly/g6zdb9

“Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge appointed Vice President of Acting For Others” by London Theatre Direct’s Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels – http://bway.ly/5dpgel

FESTIVAL: “Harlem9 Will Present 48Hours in…Harlem Digitally Due to Coronavirus” by Playbill’s Dan Meyer – “Harlem9 … will present its annual theatre festival online this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. 48Hours in…™Harlem will stream August 20–24 … ” http://bway.ly/onvj1m

AWARD: The Dramatists Guild Foundation has awarded Bess Wohl with the inaugural Georgia Engel Comedy Playwriting Prize, which honors the life and legacy of actress and comedian Georgia Engel.

SONGWRITING: “Kirsten Childs, Alex Lacamoire, More Set for Online Musical Theatre Songwriting Program” by Playbill’s Logan Culwell-Block – “The program from New York Youth Symphony will culminate in a performance at Joe’s Pub.” http://bway.ly/ao1yo8

 

CONCERTS:
“Stephanie J. Block, Rachel Bay Jones & Liz Callaway Join Virtual Summer Concert Series” by Broadway.com‘s Lindsey Sullivan – “Hosted by SiriusXM On Broadway personality and Stars in the House co-host Rudetsky, Stephanie J. Block, Rachel Bay Jones and Liz Callaway have joined the lineup … ” http://bway.ly/cypkka

“Alice Ripley, Christina Sajous and More Join Speak Up, Sing Out Concert at Weathervane” by BroadwayWorld – http://bway.ly/0wt4s4

FILM:
“Universal’s Theatrical Releases Will Quickly Be Available in Homes” by The New York Times’ Brooks Barnes and Nicole Sperling – “The deal, announced on Tuesday, gives Universal the right to make its movies available in homes through premium video-on-demand after just 17 days of play in AMC theaters — down from roughly 90 days, long the industry norm.” http://bway.ly/55t8xc

“‘In the Heights’ Writer Quiara Alegría Hudes to Pen Latin Music-Infused Film ‘Life Is a Carnival’” by Variety’s Marc Malkin – “The movie will mark her second collaboration with “In the Heights” producers Scott Sanders and Mara Jacobs … ” http://bway.ly/u88d0i

 

TV:
“John Leguizamo Feature Directorial Debut ‘Critical Thinking’ Picked Up By Vertical Entertainment” by Deadline’s Anthony D’Alessandro – “Rachel Bay Jones and Michael Kenneth Williams also star in the feature.” http://bway.ly/0mxklf

“Starz Series P-Valley, Based on Katori Hall Play, Renewed for 2nd Season” by Playbill’s Andrew Gans – http://bway.ly/e79s44

ONLINE:
“Dulé Hill in Dutchman, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity Reunion Coming to Play-PerView” by Playbill’s Dan Meyer – “The streamer’s talk show The Debrief will also return with Tony nominee Marin Ireland.” http://bway.ly/mrav2d

“Songs From An Unmade Bed To Stream On August 10, Benefitting BC/EFA” by BroadwayWorld – “BD Wong and Richert Schnorr are re-conceiving the theatrical song cycle as a collection of music videos, reflecting life during the COVID-19 pandemic.” http://bway.ly/3qcowe

— “New Episode of The Receipts w/ Davon Williams to Feature Tonya Pinkins and More” by BroadwayWorld – http://bway.ly/bvueaw
— “Stars in the House Welcomes Annette Bening, Alex Brightman, Kenny Leon, Rosie Perez to #SaveTheArts” by Playbill’s Andrew Gans – http://bway.ly/acs7v5
— “Megan Hilty & Karen Mason Headline Jim Caruso’s Pajama Cast Party Next Week” by BroadwayWorld – http://bway.ly/uzsbwv

JONES: “Theater box seats are poised to become fashionable again during the COVID-19 era” by The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones – “Plague was an issue back in the 16th century, too. The most desirable seats were in the tiered boxes to the sides and the rear, not down front in the pit with the rowdy folk and the orange sellers. Why? Those seats were away from other people, and all the attendant possibility of disease and infection. Social distancing in the arts is not as new as some people think.” http://bway.ly/2dgkid

NEWSWEEK: “‘Playbill’ Brings Broadway Into a New Era With COVID-19, Black Lives Matter Stories” by Newsweek’s Kelly Wynne – “The general need for change at Playbill started when coronavirus pandemic struck. … Alex Birsh … told Newsweek it began with an immediate push to cover the trending topics of COVID-19 closures digitally, both quickly and uniquely. From then on, though, Playbill altered its content to reflect the state of the world, both under the influence of a pandemic and a giant racial justice movement.” http://bway.ly/ld5u9x

THE GUARDIAN: “The real ‘crown jewels’ of the arts? An unprotected freelance workforce” by The Guardian’s Tosin Thompson – “The government bailout promises to help the big institutions, but the individuals who set the stage alight are largely self-employed and have been hung out to dry” http://bway.ly/x0hirr