Plum Viewing
Welcome to the latest edition of Plum Viewing, my weekly roundup of arts and culture to enjoy online.
Hello lovely readers. I hope everyone has enjoyed a great week. I am happy to report that Mr Fairs and I had a glorious time away last weekend. My goodness, the joy of actually seeing people in real life will never be taken for granted again! It is just good for the soul. And, here’s what else is good for the soul: all of the lovely photos posted on social media of audiences enjoying live performances at Stratford this week. Amazing!!
So, on that happy note, here are this week’s picks. Enjoy!
Mr Fairs and I spent many happy years enjoying beautiful Prince Edward County (the county to the locals). It truly is a gorgeous part of the world. We get bragging rights for being able to say “we knew it when” because it is no longer our little hidden gem. Now, it is the go to destination for anyone wanting to get out of the city and enjoy time at Sandbanks or wine tasting (you can guess the camp to which we belonged!). Well, one not so hidden gem is the Drake Devonshire, which has certainly positioned itself as the place for all things arts and culture locally. Every Saturday, the Drake hosts a DJ session, which is live streamed and the playlist is available on Spotify. This Saturday, we have DJ Cozmic Cat, whose style is described as a mix of old world and new. So, we can all pretend we’re enjoying beautiful PEC and grove along at home.
We’ve talked about Lincoln Center Theater’s wonderful online series, Private Reels before and this week, it’s worth mentioning again. The latest archival production made available is Sarah DeLappe’s “The Wolves,” which follows high school girls on a soccer team as they warm up before games. The play has been something of a success story, having been a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2017. And, Toronto readers might remember its recording breaking run at Crow’s Theatre in 2019. If you missed it then, here’s your chance. It is streaming until August 15 and you can watch it for free here.
Despite being open for live performances, the UK’s National Theatre is still going strong with its Theatre At Home streaming — thank the gods!! This week, we have a very special treat indeed: Ivo van Hove’s stunning revival of the Arthur Miller drama “A View From the Bridge,” which came to Broadway in 2015. Mr Fairs and I were lucky enough to see this live and honestly, it was spellbinding. Hove is known for his very stark set designs and this was no exception which made the ending all the more powerful. This is definitely one to check out. You can reserve your ticket here.
Okay, if you’re a longtime reader of Plum Viewing, you know that I have a soft spot for gospel music. It radiates such joy and just makes me happy. Well, imagine my delight to learn that THE Billy Porter has written the book for a new gospel musical called Sanctuary. The show, which is due to have its premiere later this year, is getting a virtual outing as part of the New York Stage and Film season, which runs from July 29 to Aug 2. It stars Deborah Cox, Bryan Terrell Clark, Ledisi, Virginia Woodruff and the choir Broadway Inspirational Voices. Pure joy!!! Tickets start at $10 and you can reserve yours here.
And, to end, as we’re all hopefully spending less time in front of our computers and more time outside in cottages, gardens and rooftops, we all need a good soundtrack.
Here’s one from none other than the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. I have to say it, Obama’s taste in music is SO much more hip than mine! Here’s his list to help get us all inspired.
Enjoy!!
See you next week my lovely readers!
And, an 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.