Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Tom again today with updates on the nation's pandemic-era theater community, leading off with the 74th Annual Tony Award nominations announced Oct. 15th. Judy talks about some of the major contenders for theater's most prestigious honor, including the musical Jagged Little Pill, which garnered the most Tony nominations this season -- 15 - including Best Musical; and Slave Play, which was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, including Best Play -- a record-breaking number for a non-musical. The awards will be presented in a virtual ceremony later this year.
And as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep the nation's theaters dark, Judy spotlights some of the continuing efforts by local and national companies to present inspiring performances in filmed and live online streaming productions...
Among these is the new film production of musician David Byrne's American Utopia, a cinematic rendition of the currently suspended hit Broadway musical (recorded during its late 2019 to early 2020 run at Broadway’s Hudson Theatre) that was, in turn, based on Byrne's album and concert concepts. The Scottish-born Byrne, a former Baltimorean and Talking Heads band leader, teamed with director Spike Lee on the new film, which is now streaming on HBO.
Judy also describes Baltimore Center Stage's announcement that it's partnering on an hour-long streaming production next Thursday designed to encourage voter engagement in the crucial November 3rd elections. An evening of spoken word, song and dance that's been written, directed, and performed by some of the most important voices in the American theatre, Act Out: Vote 2020 will be available to stream on You Tube on October 29 at 9:00pm ET.
Here are links to all the productions Judy and Tom discussed today:
American Utopia https://www.hbo.com/specials/american-utopia
Act Out: Vote 2020 www.ActOutVote2020.com
The Discourse Project https://www.quarrytheatre.com/the-discourse-project
Cabaret Macabre https://www.theatreproject.org/upcoming-shows/
Death of a Salesman https://playbill.com/playbillplayback/salesman
