“Theatre stands on the brink of ruin” by Sonia Friedman for The Telegraph – “British theatre is on the brink of total collapse. … Without an urgent government rescue package, 70 per cent of our performing arts companies will be out of business before the end of this year. More than 1,000 theatres around the country will be insolvent and might shut down for good. The loss is inconceivable. What we take for granted has taken generations to create. It would be irrecoverable. We need our government to step up and step in – sharpish. There is no time to waste.” http://bway.ly/p0wcz3

“National Theatre preparing for ‘substantial’ staff redundancies” by The Stage’s Georgia Snow – “The National Theatre is preparing for a “substantial level of staff redundancy” … with union BECTU claiming this could be as much as 30% of its workforce. … The organisation … has cancelled all performances until September at the earliest, with director and joint chief executive Rufus Norris warning that it may not be able to survive beyond the end of this year without government support.” http://bway.ly/7oao58

“Society of London Theatre Announces Coalition to Explore Reopening Solutions” by Broadway.com‘s Lindsey Sullivan – “The coalition will include SOLT, UK Theatre, Arts Council England, … and other organizations … ” … to find an alternative model to social distancing,” said Julian Bird, chief executive of SOLT and UK Theatre. “The formation of this taskforce is critical.”” http://bway.ly/p5tex

 

NEWS AND NOTES

THE PUBLIC: “‘Hamilton’-Endowed Public Theater Delays Furloughs with $4 million of U.S. aid” by Broadway Journal’s Philip Boroff – “The Public borrowed roughly $4 million through the Paycheck Protection Program … On May 1, the company delayed previously-announced furloughs for 160 staffers. In covering two months of the organization’s operating costs and salary for 70 percent of staff, the loan is a “temporary reprieve,” [spokeswoman Shareeza] Bhola said, that doesn’t “resolve the structural issues the performing arts sector faces moving forward.”” http://bway.ly/qy6xti

SHUTDOWN: “SiriusXM Town Hall Addresses Devastation Of COVID-19 Shutdown And Hopes For Re-Opening NYC” by Deadline’s David Robb – “Hamilton Producer Jeffrey Seller noted that, … “So now what do I need to do? Which is completely pivot and figure out how can I use that digital technology to still connect with my audience, and to still give them experiences that are rich and satisfying and rewarding and no doubt that’s what the EduHam program’s doing.”” http://bway.ly/ovda72

PLAYWRIGHTS REALM: “The Playwrights Realm Puts Productions on Hold for 2020–2021 Season; Shifts to Supporting Playwrights Full Time” by Playbill’s Olivia Clement – “The shift towards being a full-time playwrights service organization will include the convening of a new cohort of playwrights … as well as exploring new ways to support early-career writers artistically, financially, and emotionally.” http://bway.ly/z2z0rv

IRISH REP: “Off Broadway’s Irish Repertory Theatre Sets First-Ever Online Season, Including World Premiere Of COVID-19 Drama” by Deadline’s Greg Evans – “New York’s Irish Repertory Theatre has announced an upcoming online run of four plays … Included in the line-up is the world premiere of Darren Murphy’s short play The Gifts You Gave to the Dark, with characters affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.” http://bway.ly/vasnl0

REGIONAL: “Eugene O’Neill Theater Center Receives $600,000 Gift from John Gore” by Broadway.com‘s Lindsey Sullivan – “The ​Eugene O’Neill Theater Center has ​announced the receipt of a $600,000 gift from ​John Gore to the ​National Theater Institute ​scholarship endowment.” http://bway.ly/aiift0

ONLINE:
— “Original Cast Album: Company Documentary to Stream in June on Criterion Channel” by TheaterMania’s David Gordon – “The release will include a new conversation with the stars and creative team behind Original Cast Album: Co-Op, the recent Documentary Now! parody of the Pennebaker film. Scheduled to take part are John Mulaney, … Richard Kind, … Alex Brightman and Renée Elise Goldsberry … ” http://bway.ly/n1dxc5
— “BritBox to Make Complete BBC Shakespeare Collection Available for Streaming” by Playbill’s Logan Culwell-Block – http://bway.ly/h95pmf
— “In Lieu of Provincetown, Kelli O’Hara, Jeremy Jordan, and Jessie Mueller Will Offer Virtual Concerts This Summer” by Playbill’s Dan Meyer – http://bway.ly/e48rbm
— “Lincoln Center at Home Announces Upcoming Calendar of Events Featuring Act One Starring Santino Fontana & More” by BroadwayWorld – http://bway.ly/h8839s

CONCERT: “Krystal Joy Brown to Perform Live Concert at The Residences at Worldwide Plaza to Benefit Food Bank For New York City” by BroadwayWorld – “Krystal will perform two live concerts for the residents of Worldwide Plaza and the neighboring buildings … Residents and surrounding neighbors are invited to attend via their windows … ” http://bway.ly/8iozy7

READING:
— Bedlam will present a Memorial Day benefit reading of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing to help support their Veteran Outreach programming. The reading will take place on Zoom and Facebook Live May 25 at 6 PM.
— “Emily Skinner Joins Tim Realbuto, Erika Henningsen, and Nick Rehberger In The Glass Menagerie Benefit Reading” by BroadwayWorld – http://bway.ly/x3dlou

CORONAVIRUS:
“How Edward Pierce, Broadway ‘Wicked’ Designer, Fought COVID-19—and Made Medical History” by The Daily Beast’s Tim Teeman – “After a marathon 46-day stay at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey, critically ill with COVID-19, [Edward] Pierce … is recovering at home, having made medical history as the first American to receive injected placental cells as a treatment for severely ill coronavirus patients.” http://bway.ly/uu7gq4

“Laura Bell Bundy Shares Her Experience With Coronavirus, Credits Eastern Medicine Practices” by Variety’s Mackenzie Nichols – “The doctor at Universal Family Wellness Clinic gave her “harmonizing herbs,” and Bundy said she thinks this Eastern method saved her life.” http://bway.ly/5p1lax

TV:
“David Tennant, Michael Sheen to Star in BBC Lockdown Comedy ‘Staged'” by The Hollywood Reporter’s George Szalai – “The six-episode 15-minute show features “the cast of a play – the cream of the crop of British acting talent – who are furloughed when their upcoming West End production is suddenly brought to a halt.”” http://bway.ly/0ftexh

“Katori Hall, Martyna Majok Creating TV Shows Based on Plays P*ssy Valley and Queens” by TheaterMania’s David Gordon – “Starz will air P-Valley, a series based on Hall’s play P*ssy Valley beginning Sunday, July 12. … Majok will serve as writer and executive producer of the HBO drama Queens … ” http://bway.ly/5vdhif

AWARDS: “Dramatists Guild Foundation Announces 2020 Stephen Schwartz Award Honoree and Multiple Thom Thomas Award Recipients” by Playbill’s Ryan McPhee – “Khiyon Hursey receives the [annual Stephen Schwartz Award] … Erika Dickerson-Despenza, Julia Meinwald, and Benjamin Velez … share the Thom Thomas honor … ” http://bway.ly/37ovco

PRIDE:
— “Pride Plays Announces the 4 Works Streaming Live on Playbill in June” by Playbill’s Ruthie Fierberg – “Playbill and Pride Plays will present four live streamed readings of plays by and about the LGBTQIA+ community at 7 PM every Friday in June in support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.” http://bway.ly/6ev5wj
— “Tituss Burgess, Alex Newell and More to Appear On Beyond the Shelter A Virtual Pride Party And Benefit Concert” by BroadwayWorld – http://bway.ly/icjt35
— “Billy Porter, Todrick Hall, and More Join Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s Second Annual Pride Summit” by BroadwayWorld – http://bway.ly/h2ifti

GONZALEZ: “‘Hamilton’ Star Mandy Gonzalez Receives Emotional Tribute During Breast Cancer Research Foundation Virtual Benefit” by Variety’s Angelique Jackson – “Gonzalez performed a stirring rendition of “Breathe” from “In The Heights” … alongside a virtually assembled company that included the show’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and  fellow original cast members Andrea Burns, Janet Dacal.” http://bway.ly/ptyyaa

NY TIMES:
“A Season to celebrate Asian-American Theater is Lost to Pandemic” by The New York Times’ Cathy Park Hong – “[Hansol] Jung’s “Wolf Play” was one of eight productions of works by playwrights of Asian descent that were cut short or canceled in New York City this spring because of Covid-19. Just as these playwrights were finally ascendant in downtown theater, the pandemic not only aborted their moment but unleashed a wave of anti-Asian discrimination across the country.” http://bway.ly/nudu7k

“Andrew Lloyd Webber: Now, Yesterday and Tomorrow” by The New York Times’ Matt Wolf – “But one of the unexpected pleasures of life in lockdown has been the availability, onscreen at least, of some people you might not expect to pop up in real time on YouTube. That explained the cheerful, even touching presence online one recent Friday of Andrew Lloyd Webber … ” http://bway.ly/o8lea2