A Thread for Live Performances Happening in NY

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/9/20 at 1:11pm

In the past few months, there have been a few scattered live performances being done around the NY area - with social distancing measures in place, obviously. And yet I keep finding out about them AFTER they've already happened (the most recent example being the Open Jar concert that Jordan posted about).

I know there was also the outdoor show that The Team (Rachel Chavkin's company) did in Bushwick - again, I found out about it just a few days after it ended. And then there was that immersive show that Michael Arden did upstate, though I know that was by invite only.

I think part of the reason I keep missing the announcements is that there's so much online theatre content right now, that my brain doesn't sift out the scattered live performance when glancing through the headlines. I just see "performance happening" and assume it's online. And because I haven't really been watching much online performance either, I especially can't keep track of when the live ones are happening.

So I'm starting this thread in the hopes that it can become a place to give a heads up about any and all live (socially distanced) performances that are happening in NY, and also to discuss them after the fact, if we so choose. 

So, does anyone know of anything coming up? Did anyone see Quince (the show from The Team) or the Michael Arden show? 

Updated On: 9/9/20 at 01:11 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/9/20 at 2:57pm

Awesome idea for a thread!!!

[mcsquared]

Posted: 9/9/20 at 4:03pm

I've been getting email updates from TimeOut and TDF

[Anakela]

Posted: 9/9/20 at 5:13pm

https://www.westsiderag.com/2020/09/06/enjoy-some-little-bites-of-theater-in-central-park-free-and-live

https://www.playbill.com/article/the-great-comets-gelsey-bell-creates-a-fresh-immersive-theatre-piece-in-green-wood-cemetery

https://www.unmakinglautrecplay.com/voyeur Updated On: 9/9/20 at 05:13 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/10/20 at 11:29am

Thanks Anakela!! I think I might end up doing the Gelsey Bell thing! 

The Toulouse-Latrec one is a bit out of my price-range. Does anyone know if it's on TDF? I let my subscription expire. 

[ImAProphet]

Posted: 9/10/20 at 11:42am

Just checked TDF, all the offerings are streaming only.

[Anakela]

Posted: 9/12/20 at 12:27am

I thought this one was going to be just a streaming performance, then caught this part in this article. [Also why can't I post clickable links here anymore?]


"To adhere to social-distancing practices, a small, invited group of folks from the community and friends of the theater will be able to watch the production in person."


https://www.nydailynews.com/snyde/ny-wendell-pierce-12-angry-men-black-lives-matter-brooklyn-restoration-20200912-inbksx4st5b7zljp3d43qvtqya-story.html

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 9/12/20 at 2:36pm

Am I understanding the Gelsey Bell/Greenwood Cemetery one correctly? You can just explore at your own leisure? If so, it's a great way to avoid a lot of the problems with having people packed together in a confined space for 1-2 hours.

[Fan123]

Posted: 9/13/20 at 6:00am

I happened across this Threepenny Opera production in late October through mid-November, for which you can buy tickets either for a live performance or for a livestream. Don't know anything else about it, but... it could be good? https://www.citylyricopera.org/threepenny-opera

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/15/20 at 7:28pm

This past weekend I went to experience Gelsey Bell's piece "Cairns" (which I found out about through this thread! Already so helpful!) 

I thought it was a beautiful piece: insightful, creative, and unique. It blended personal musings with interesting facts, themes of nature and history, and a fascinating use of music and vocalization. All woven into a brilliant sound design.

Definitely pushing the limits of what can be considered theatre, but when doing it, I felt like I was in a site-specific immersive show, even though there were no live actors. In a way, it sort of felt like I was an actor in the show, as well as the audience, because I was responsible for carrying out the demands of the piece. 

I highly recommend doing this; even if you don't consider it "theatre," strictly speaking, it's still a cool experience. Plus it was only $7, which you can even split with a friend if you want, and you can do it at any time that the cemetery is open. Technically, you could do this at any time in the future, maybe even years down the line. In fact, going back years later to see what things have changed and what haven't, might add a whole new layer to the experience.

But there's also something so magical about hearing her talk about the surroundings, and to find that they matched what I was seeing almost exactly. So in that sense, I would recommend doing it sooner rather than later. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/16/20 at 12:02pm

Bill Irwin will be doing 18 performances of an 8-minute solo piece performed on the street. Unfortunately (for me), it's only available to Vineyard Theatre members. 

https://www.vineyardtheatre.org/the-busking-project/

[Anakela]

Posted: 9/16/20 at 4:23pm

This one isn't a live performance, but if you're looking for something a bit more active than just watching Zoom, Experimental Bitch Presents just sent out a link for preorders (regular access opens 9/23) for IN THE KITCHEN, which is an audio play + recipe box. It was originally supposed to be a theatrical event that used live cooking on stage, now it's an audio play that you listen to while cooking in your home. 

https://experimentalbitchpresents.com/archive-events/2019/in-the-kitchen

[Anakela]

Posted: 9/18/20 at 10:32pm

This is along the lines of the Gelsey Bell piece - you download an app ahead of time, then listen/walk on your own - with the NY Phil, in Central Park. 

https://nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/explore/series-and-festivals/soundwalk

[Pashacar]

Posted: 9/22/20 at 11:58am

https://everythingimmersive.com/events/intralia-the-weird-park

Saw this mentioned as another curated theatrical walk thing. Sounds similar to the Gelsey Bell piece, which I absolutely loved, but in Prospect Park.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/27/20 at 11:53pm

I managed to get a spot for Bill Irwin's performance on the street ("The Busking Project," produced by Vineyard, see the link in my post above). 

It was 9 minutes of Bill Irwin doing what he does best. It's very silly and deliberately nonsensical, but with a bit of a timely twist at the end, connecting the piece to the current protests for Black lives. It was cool to see a more "traditional" live performance for the first time in over 6 months months (obviously it was nontraditional in many ways, but compared to say, the Gelsey Bell piece, it's more obviously an example of live performance: there's a live actor, an audience, etc.). 

It's not life-changing theatre, nor is it meant to be. If getting to Flatiron is a real pain in the ass for where you live, and if it doesn't seem worth it for a 9-minute show, I wouldn't necessarily say it's a must-see experience. But if it's an easy subway ride, and if you're looking for some free, live theatre to see, I definitely recommend it. Especially if you're a fan of Bill Irwin's work. 

There are 9 performances left, this coming Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It looked like they had some spots reserved for walk-ups - you just have to wear a mask and give your info for contact tracing. I guess they technically don't want to publicly post the exact location, so that they can save room for members of the public, but I wouldn't mind DM-ing the location to anyone who asks. 

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 9/28/20 at 11:34pm

Dutch Kills is doing a "Theatre For One" Interactive piece at The Wild Project called "Temping" seems if you go earlier in the run/earlier slots it in the day it is as low as $10

https://dutchkillstheater.com/temping

[ImAProphet]

Posted: 10/7/20 at 9:02am

I just found out about this and it only has two more dates, but the one-woman show Bette Davis Ain't For Sissies has been playing live performances in Central Park.

http://www.bettedavisaintforsissies.com/

Tickets are $20 but the October 11 show is currently on TDF for $11.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/7/20 at 10:58am

There are still a few more performances of Phantom at Radial Park in Astoria! I went to the first preview and it was a lot of fun. Some tech issues, but I assume they've ironed them out at this point.

You get the 25th anniversary concert on the big screen, and live performers for the major songs. Ali Ewoldt and Derrick Davis are both great. It's a nice evening out, but if you're not in a car, be sure to bring a blanket and/or a hot drink now!

https://www.radialpark.com/tickets

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 10/9/20 at 12:22pm

The Darryl Roth Theatre is producing the New York transfer of Blindness: http://www.darylroththeatre.com/productions/blindness/

tbh not too sure what exactly this is, but it sounds pretty interesting

[Anakela]

Posted: 10/10/20 at 4:48am

chrishuyen said: "The Darryl Roth Theatre is producing the New York transfer of Blindness:http://www.darylroththeatre.com/productions/blindness/

tbh not too sure what exactly this is, but it sounds pretty interesting"

 

They still have to get New York state permission to stage this. The NYT article about it - Blindness is also trying to come to DC and Toronto - had some interesting info about the process:

"...Roth plans to stage the show at a 499-seat theater she owns, the Daryl Roth Theater, in Union Square, before audiences of 50 people (she would expand to as many as 84 if allowed). Currently, New York’s pandemic protocols bar theaters from presenting work to in-person audiences, but Roth, arguing that this work is “a sound and light experience,” and not a play, said she is working with city and state officials to get permission to proceed..."

Dystopian Sound Show, Fresh From London, Heads to North America

 

Also, Helen Shaw at Vulture had a piece this week (last week? what is time?) about two in-person NY shows she attended recently:
Mortality Plays: Two Live Performances in New York Look Steadily at Death

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 10/26/20 at 4:31pm

Last night I went to to see the piece "Temping" at the Wild Project (which, again, I discovered from this thread!)

It was a fun experience - a great idea for an immersive, interactive piece, and it was executed well in many ways. I do wish it had been longer. I understand the logistical reasons why it needs to be only 60 minutes long, but from an artistic standpoint, I think the experience would have benefited from being at least an hour longer. Or actually, I could imagine a version of it that lasts all day. 

I also wish the story involved interaction with a greater variety of set elements. You're free to look around the office set as much as you want, and there are some fun easter eggs, but the story mostly just has you using the computer, the phone, and the printer. 

Still, I really enjoyed it! It was a smart piece to bring back at a time like this. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 10/28/20 at 11:43am

The Tank announced "Mañanaland" - an augmented reality scavenger hunt with a theatrical storytelling component, taking place over the next few months.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/regional/Mananaland-2802708

[Anakela]

Posted: 10/28/20 at 2:26pm

For those in Brooklyn, live music tonight (5pm - 7pm) from the roof at St. Ann's Warehouse.

https://mailer.stannswarehouse.org/63KQ-CEL1-8C1F4F903DEAE5965JIXR3A5248E06338E1DE4/cr.aspx

[jdrye222]

Posted: 11/9/20 at 2:29am

Updated On: 11/9/20 at 02:29 AM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/9/21 at 3:01pm

I figured it's about time to bring this thread back.

In the fall, I had a great time getting to experience live theatre (in some form or another) again in New York, and then it seemed to calm down once the cold weather started. But Spring is around the corner, restrictions are loosening, and we've got some performances coming up! 

Obviously there is already a thread discussing "Blindness" (also linked by another user above), coming next month.

And we've also got a project from Bill T. Jones at the Armory in just a few weeks, followed by a project by David Byrne, Steven Hoggett, and Christine Jones with dates TBA. 

As discussed in some other recent threads, it's no coincidence that The Armory and the Daryl Roth are the first ones to open - these are both large, flexible spaces that can accommodate socially distanced seating. I hope we see a similar announcement soon from St. Ann's - a similarly flexible space. Maybe The Shed too?