Plum Viewing
Welcome to the latest edition of Plum Viewing, my weekly roundup of arts and culture to view online. Happy viewing!
This week’s edition is a tad theatre heavy and for good reason, well my mind at least. I am so missing live theatre right now (and I suspect I’m not alone). I miss the whole experience. I miss getting ready to go to the theatre. I miss reading everything about the production in advance (yes, I am one of those people). I miss going for dinner or a drink afterwards to talk through every detail of the play or show. Oh, those were the days… But, fear not because it will happen again! Until that lovely, joyous moment when we will collectively see ALL the productions, here are a few wonderful performances to enjoy now.
This one really caught my eye. Set in a public bathroom, Overflow tells the story of Rosie, who we meet when she is isolating herself in a club bathroom away from outsiders seemingly intent on thumping against the door to her stall with relentless frequency. We stay with Rosie for 70 minutes as she reflects on her life and experiences she’s had in similar settings.
Overflow is a look into the experience of transgendered people in today’s world where using the bathroom has become a political issue. It opened in December at London’s Bush Theatre but was forced to close one week later because of COVID. But, thankfully, not before it was filmed and then reviewed by The Guardian, who gave it 4 stars and described it as “powerful, thought provoking and full of snark.” It’s streaming live from January 18–23. Tickets are 10 GBP (about $15 Cdn) and can be purchased here.
Let’s move now to something that feels appropriate for our times, Sunset Boulevard. Here we have Leicester’s Curve Theatre concert version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, based on Billy Wilder’s classic movie. This version is described as “the tale of a flat tyre, a faded idol and a body in the pool is told with a 16-piece orchestra.” It stars Ria Jones and Danny Mac and it’s online medium (aka our computer) truly gives a whole new meaning to Norma Desmond’s famous line, “I am big, it’s the pictures that got smaller.” Bless her. It’s available until January 17. You can see the full schedule here.
This is the final weekend for The Public’s Under the Radar festival. Known for its edgy and boundary-pushing performances, the 2021 edition remains true to form. It includes everything from online cooking classes to a live Instagram feed focused on the global wealth gap told through a production called: Rich Kids: A history of shopping malls in Tehran. It’s a fun rabbit hole to dive into at the moment. You can check out the schedule here.
Okay. Now this is a real treat. Confession: I have already watched this four times. Yep, and you’ll soon understand why. First performed at BAM, it is a musical written by and starring a then up and coming Broadway performer you MAY have heard of, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Gee, I wonder what happened to him :)
21 Chump Street (see, it just gets better!) is Miranda’s treatment of a story first featured on an episode of This American LIfe. In a way only he can, he turns a series of conversations into a Broadway worthy musical. Joining Miranda is Anthony Ramos, who we will soon see again in the lead role of the movie version of Miranda’s musical, In the Heights. Believe me when I say it is 18 minutes of pure gold. You can see for yourself here.
Let’s move from one Broadway great to really the grandfather of Broadway himself, Mr. Stephen Sondheim. The wonderful company at NYC landmark 54 Below brings us their award-winning Sondheim Unplugged. A celebrated New York event since 2010, it features some of Broadway and cabaret’s most dynamic voices, accompanied by piano only, delving into the musical world of Sondheim. Now this is what we all need right now! It’s playing on demand until January 23. Tickets are $25 and can be reserved here.
Okay, let’s finish with a gorgeous performance courtesy of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and their National Arts Centre Orchestra Live series. There are so many beautiful concerts to be enjoyed but I’d suggest starting with James Ehnes Plays Beethoven and working your way through. A wonderful way to while away an evening.
And, one final video to properly send you into the weekend. This is a 2 minute clip from the Our Planet series on Netflix. It is a bird of paradise engaging in a mating dance to get the attention of his lady and man oh man, is he going for it!! I promise that this will make your day. It is simply glorious.
Enjoy!
And, and ask: While we’re enjoying these wonderful performances, let’s remember that for the arts organizations producing this incredible content, this is their livelihood; not a hobby. If we can, now is our time to continue to support our incredible arts community!
And, if you’d like to receive Plum Viewing weekly, send me a note at maggiefairs@gmail.com and I will add you to my mailing list.