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Good Night, and Good Luck
Here is that rarest of opportunities: a live stream for a hit Broadway show (whose tickets are now selling for up to $849). The penultimate performance of the play, co-written by and starring George Clooney, will be broadcast on CNN and CNN International and also available online on 7 June. “Live TV. No net. Buckle up everyone,” said Clooney, who is up for a Tony for his performance as journalist Edward R Murrow. It’s an apposite move for a drama about the broadcaster’s on-air challenges to Senator Joseph McCarthy. Should be a night to remember.
Stephen Rea: The Fire in Me Now
The title is from Krapp’s Last Tape and this insightful documentary is framed by Stephen Rea’s preparations to play Beckett’s reflective, banana-munching protagonist on tour. Like Krapp, he reflects on his younger years while also assessing the actor as truth-teller: “It’s not about showing off and telling lies.” On BBC iPlayer.
Frozen
Disney’s Hercules moves into Theatre Royal Drury Lane this month. But anyone missing the magical kingdom of Arendelle can finally see a summer breeze: the heroically ambitious Frozen musical, recorded at the same theatre last year, arrives on Disney+ on 20 June. All eyes on how they pull off that costume change.
Pippin: 50th Anniversary Concert
More magic from Drury Lane: Alex Newell takes the role of the Leading Player in a birthday bash for Stephen Schwartz’s quirky musical. The cast includes Jac Yarrow, Lucie Jones, Cedric Neal and Zizi Strallen, with Patricia Hodge – who starred in Pippin’s West End run in 1973 – returning to the show 50 years on to sing No Time at All. On BroadwayHD.
Girl from the North Country
If you’re pledging your time for the return of Conor McPherson’s Depression-era Bob Dylan musical to the Old Vic this summer, why not whet your appetite with the New York staging? Mare Winningham and Jeanette Bayardelle were both nominated for Tony awards in 2022 for their performances. On Marquee TV.
Passing
Ballet BC are now on tour with a double bill and you can see one of those pieces, Passing by Johan Inger, on Arte, as performed at Théâtre National du Luxembourg last year. The Guardian’s Lyndsey Winship found the choreography’s “snippets of life’s landmarks and seasons” pleasingly wry if overstretched.
Red
John Logan’s portrait of the great abstract artist Mark Rothko, filmed in the West End in 2018, boasts vibrant performances from two Alfreds: Molina in the lead role and Enoch as the painter’s assistant. Few plays analyse artistry as sharply. Michael Grandage’s production is available on National Theatre at Home from 12 June.
Lovestuck
A taster for a new musical romcom opening this month at Stratford East, London, with music and lyrics by Bryn Christopher (co-written with Martin Batchelar and James Cooper respectively). This EP comprises four songs from the show, including the title number and, true enough, Everybody’s Got Their Shit. On Apple Music and Spotify.
