Plum Viewing
Welcome to the latest edition of Plum Viewing, my weekly roundup of arts and culture to view online.
It is the start of a glorious long weekend in my part of the world and boy, is it needed. This was a busy week indeed! So, as we sip our rosé in our back gardens, cottages, rooftops or parks, here are a few treats to enjoy.
Harvey is a Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy by Mary Chase, and it tells the story of a perfect gentleman, Elwood P. Dowd, and his best friend, Harvey, a pooka, who is a six-foot tall, invisible rabbit. Honestly, after more than a year in lockdown where I have spent way more time than is healthy to admit talking to the imagery people in my head, this story is now completely believable to me! But I digress…
It is a sweet, touching story of acceptance, love and family. This production, brought to us by the very talented folks at Roundabout Theatre, stars none other than Jim Parsons (Sheldon to fans of the Big Bang Theory) as our main character. It was performed in 2012 at the famed Studio 54 (where I was lucky enough to see my boyfriend Alan Cumming in Cabaret. Yep, still dining out on that one). This is the first time this production has aired and you can stream it on Broadway.com here.
Jazz at Lincoln Center is hosting a powerful tribute to Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer, social justice activist, founder/executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative. If you haven’t already done so, please do read his beautiful book, Just Mercy. I truly can not, in words, articulate both the beauty and the humanity of this book and Stevenson’s work. Thank God for people like Mr. Stevenson.
This concert titled, Freedom, Justice and Hope, brings Stevenson’s words to life with music and we could be in no better hands for this than Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra under the direction of Wynton Marsalis. It premieres tonight at 7:30 pm ET and is streaming until May 26. You can reserve your ticket here.
Next, we have a right royal treat: One Knight Only. Listen to this for an evening: An intimate Q&A with British acting legends Dame Judi Dench, Sir Derek Jacobi, Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Maggie Smith hosted by Sir Kenneth Branagh. Ladies, time to get your fascinators on and men, dust off those morning suits because this is an occasion to celebrate and of course, show respect!
The evening, which is being held in support of the Royal Theatrical Fund, is live streaming tonight until Sunday, May 23 and then available on demand Friday, May 23 — Sunday, May 30. You can learn more here.
The Joyce, one of New York’s premier dance venues, is presenting Neo, a world premiere from American Ballet Theatre. It stars principal dancers James Whiteside and Isabella Boylston who take on their first post-quarantine collaboration. It is described as “a joyous reunion of great artists honoring the ability to create — and celebrate each other.” It is streaming for free until June 16. You can find it here.
Let’s take a short jaunt from The Joyce to The Whitney Museum (we’re staying in the Meatpacking District and if we were really doing this, we could pop over to Tipsy Parson for brunch — one day soon!)
The Whitney Museum is hosting a wonderful series of online talks and this one in particular caught my eye. Titled, Art and Social Change, it is a conversation with Ayanna Dozier, an artist, lecturer, curator, and scholar, who happens to be a Montrealer. Here’s the description: “Art exists in relation to its particular social moment. Whether representing the current reality or leveraging its power to challenge cultural narratives, it can inspire emotional responses and critical thinking in a way distinct from traditional political methods. Through work in the Whitney’s collection, we will explore the different roles art has played during the twentieth century, addressing issues from immigration to economic justice to sexism and racism.”
The sessions are 30 minutes and are held live at 6 pm ET. This session is taking place on Tuesday, May 25 and you can register here.
Enjoy your lovely long weekend and see you next week my lovely readers!
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.