‘Six’ to reopen in London
The musical “Six,” which was slated to open on Broadway the night that the shutdown began approximately six months ago, will reopen in London’s West End (with social distancing measures in place) in November. A plan was previously in place for “Six” to be staged at drive-ins in the U.K. over the summer but got scrapped due to logistical problems. Given its compact size and considerable buzz, I suspect that “Six” may be the first musical to reopen on Broadway in 2021.
Canceled shows will be eligible for Pulitzer
The Pulitzer Prize Board has announced that it will expand eligibility for next year’s Pulitzer Prize for Drama to include new American works whose runs got canceled or postponed due to the pandemic or that were streamed instead of produced live. “In this year, of all years, we wanted to honor the work that is being done. The shows are going on, even if the audience is remote,” the Pulitzer co-chairs said in a statement. This year’s Pulitzer Prize for Drama went to Michael R. Jackson for the Off-Broadway musical “A Strange Loop,” which is looking to transfer to Broadway in the near future.
Fauci clarifies comments on return on live theater
In an email conversation between national infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and “Wicked” music director Evan Roider regarding recent comments made by Dr. Fauci in which he suggested that it may not be possible to return to the theater for another year, Dr. Fauci clarified to explain that he was referring to attending shows without any social distancing measures, and he did not mean to imply that theaters will need to remain shut down for another year. “Depending on the level of infection in a state/city/community, I can see opening of theaters with attention to varying levels of masking, reduced capacity and attention to other public health issues. As vaccines control the virus more and more, we can foresee a significant lessening of restrictive public health measures so that we gradually approach true ‘normal’ as we get through 2021,” Fauci wrote.
‘The Prom’ set for Dec. Netflix release
Ryan Murphy’s film adaptation of the recent Broadway musical comedy “The Prom” will hit Netflix on Dec. 11. The starry cast includes Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, James Corden, Andrew Rannells, Keegan-Michael Key, Kerry Washington, Awkwafina, Ariana DeBose and Tracey Ullman. In similar news, the Murphy-produced screen adaptation of the Broadway revival of Mart Crowley’s “The Boys in the Band” will premiere on Netflix on Sept. 30.
NYC Ballet presenting digital fall season
New York City Ballet, which was forced to cancel its annual run of “The Nutcracker” at Lincoln Center due to the pandemic, is moving forward with a digital fall season that includes more than 25 ballets from the company’s repertory and five original ballets filmed around the Lincoln Center campus and throughout New York City. The company is also producing a podcast series and digital workshops and classes.
This week’s streaming recommendations:
”Gregory Harrington” (concert of traditional Irish and Celtic-influenced songs from the stage of the Irish Repertory Theatre), Thurs. Sept. 17, irishrep.org… “The Humans” (digital presentation of Stephen Karam’s acclaimed 2015 drama, presented by Maryland’s Olney Theatre Center), through Oct. 4, olneytheatre.org.
