Read on for some recent theatre headlines and videos you may have missed.
A Killer Cast Album
Broadway Records will release a cast recording of A Killer Party: A Murder Mystery Musical digitally August 21. The nine-episode, remotely recorded project, featuring music by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, premiered August 5 with a cast including Jeremy Jordan, Alex Newell, Carolee Carmello, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Krystina Alabado, Michael James Scott, Jackie Burns, Drew Gehling, Laura Osnes, Jarrod Spector, and Miguel Cervantes. The album, featuring the stars of the podcast, is produced by Howland and Billy Jay Stein.
Fitness Marathon for Black Lives Matter
Core Rhythm Fitness, run by Broadway alum Rodrick Covington (Once On This Island), is hosting an eight-hour virtual fundraising fitness marathon August 8. The donation-based live stream will feature a variety of workout classes including HIIT, restorative yoga, and meditation—all taught by Covington. "This Fitness Marathon will be all about donating our energy and resources to the Black Lives Matter Movement so that we can globally shift the energy from racism to radical love," says the actor. Participants can join as many or as few sessions as they would like throughout the day with proceeds donated to UniteNY2020 to support travel to a planned march on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. later this month.
NPC Benefit With Blythe Danner, Joy Behar
The Neo-Political Cowgirls collective, founded to amplify female voices in theatre-driven storytelling, presents its annual “Andromeda’s Sisters” fundraiser virtually this fall with two separate events. First up is a reading of monologues by female writers, including Lucy Boyle (writing a piece written for and to be performed by Blythe Danner), Joy Behar (writing for Catherine Curtin), and more, taking place August 14. A September 3 event will feature Kerry Kennedy as she speaks about the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization (for which she serves as president) and hosts a reading of selections from her book Speak Truth to Power. For more information about both events, visit NPCowgirls.org.
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
Although the 2020 AIDS Walk New York went virtual this year due to the ongoing pandemic, the tradition of kicking off with “You’ll Never Walk Alone”—from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year—continued. Watch Porgy & Bess Tony nominee Norm Lewis' soaring rendition of the anthem below.
Broadway for All
Broadway for All's 2020 New Plays and Digital Media Festivals, streaming live August 7 and 8, respectively, will showcase work from students of the Broadway for All Virtual Conservatory. The 90-minute New Plays Fest will feature readings of short works by students of the Dramatic Writing Division, featuring Hamilton’s Camden Gonzales; Hadestown’s Adam Hyndman; Sing Street’s Jakeim Hart, Sam Poon, and Skyler Volpe; and Clara Wong from Amazon’s Goliath. The 60-minute Digital Media Fest will showcase works created by Content Creation students. Tickets to both events are available at BroadwayforAll.org.
36 Questions Movie
Netflix is developing a film adaptation of the musical podcast 36 Questions. According to Deadline, Brett Haley will direct the project from Chernin Entertainment, Automatic, and Endeavor Content. While there’s no word yet on casting for the movie, the audio version stars Hamilton Tony nominee Jonathan Groff and Jessie Shelton.
READ: How Two Unknown Composers Got Jonathan Groff to Star in Their Podcast Musical
New York Stage and Film Awards
New York Stage and Film has awarded Kirya Traber the 2020 Founders’ Award, a recently expanded summer residency that financially and administratively supports artists. Traber will work with healer Adaku Utah on Chrysalis—A Black Healing Project, which helps theatre artists be a transformative and generative force in their lives and in Black communities. Traber will also work on her play Lucky through readings, dramaturgical consultation, and expanded writing time. In addition, NYSAF announced its inaugural Pfaelzer Award, created in honor of producing director Johanna Pfaelzer’s 20-year commitment to nurturing artists and their developing stories. Estefanía Fadul, whose work includes Agent 355 and Carla’s Quince, has been named this year’s recipient.
Goodspeed By the River Concerts
Connecticut's Goodspeed will offer Goodspeed by the River, an outdoor concert series August 20–September 6 presented Thursday through Sunday evenings at 6 PM ET. The concerts, to be held on the Goodspeed lawn overlooking the Connecticut River, will launch with the Broadway-inspired bluegrass quartet The Playbillies, featuring Andrew Crowe, Matt Cusack, Mike Rosengarten, and Sam Sherwood. Concerts will have designated seating areas—each area has space for up to six people (from the same party) and will be a minimum of 15 feet from other designated seating areas. Tickets are only available by calling (860) 873-8668.
