A private reading of Steve Aoki’s Mozart² The New Musical, about the legendary composing family, will take place this month ahead of presentations at Carnegie Hall in 2021. The cast will feature Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde) as Leopold, Grace Field as Aloysia, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer (Hadestown) as Constanze, Ruby Lewis (Paramour) as Nan, Anthony Rapp (Rent) as Salieri, and Justin Matthew Sargent (Rock of Ages) as Mozart. The musical has a book and lyrics by Tegan Summer, a score by Gregory Nabours, a story by Summer and Colette Freedman, and choreography by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson with Ferly Prado.
The streaming service BroadwayHD has expanded its library with two dramas: Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Sam Shepard’s True West. A Doll’s House, which premieres August 6, was directed by Carrie Cracknell and captured by Digital Theatre live at London’s Young Vic Theatre in 2012. Hattie Morahan is Nora Helmer with Nick Fletcher as Nils Krogstad, Yolanda Kettle as Helene, Dominic Rowan as Torvald Helmer, and Steve Toussaint as Dr. Rank. True West, arriving August 11, was directed by Phillip Breen and captured by Digital Theatre in 2014 at London's Tricycle Theatre. Steven Elliott is Saul Kimmer with Alex Ferns as Lee.
Concert for Cooper, a free, one-night-only virtual celebration of the legacy, mission, and spirit of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, will be presented August 12 at 7:30 PM ET. The evening will feature musical performances, celebrities sharing words from those who have taken the stage at Cooper's historic Great Hall, and more. Those set for the event include Tony winners Brian Stokes Mitchell and Alan Cumming as well as Kathleen Chalfant, Margaret Cho, Tokala Clifford, Kimberly Guerrero, Michael Kelly, Jodi Long, Arian Moayed, Tracey Ullman, Alfre Woodard, Ben Folds, Dona Oxford, The Broadcast, David Wain, Amy Engelhardt, Jen Malenke, Kimberly Marable, Aléna Watters, Daniel Arsham, Patty Jenkins, Julian Laverdiere, Dick Schwartz, and Lee Skolnick. Click here for more information.
The Guthrie Theater will present its first digital gala August 1 to raise funds that ensure its stages return in 2021. The evening will kick off with a digital short featuring Guthrie alumni Don Cheadle, David Hyde Pierce, Courtney B. Vance, Mark Rylance, Laila Robins, Ricardo Chavira, Brenda Wehle, John Carroll Lynch, Emily Swallow, and Ryan Michelle Bathe performing Shakespeare’s “Oh for a Muse of Fire” speech from Henry V. The piece is directed by Jessica Ryan and produced by Broadway Unlocked. Guthrie Theater Virtual Benefit will be available for viewing on YouTube; click here to register.
The Costume Industry Coalition—50 small, independent businesses and artisans that create and supply costumes for the entertainment industry—is introducing its members with a new video series entitled CIC Features. The weekly series, hosted by Edwin Schiff, includes member interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and archival content and launches with Sally Ann Parsons of Parsons-Meares, Ltd. An industry veteran whose shop is celebrating its 40th year, Parsons' career was celebrated in 2016 with a special Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre; her shop has built costumes for Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton, The Lion King as well as other costumes for stage, dance, opera, and film. Click here to watch the first video.
Vanguard Theater Company’s Broadway Buddy Mentorship Cabaret will stream August 13 at 8 PM ET on BroadwayHD as a benefit for The Actors Fund. Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Lin-Manuel Miranda will introduce the evening celebrating the Broadway Buddy Mentorship Program, which pairs young artists from Essex County, New Jersey, with established Broadway professionals. The concert will feature student mentees performing virtual duets with mentors from Broadway's Frozen, Hamilton, Hadestown, Dear Evan Hansen, Ain’t Too Proud, Waitress, The Lion King, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Aladdin. Scheduled performers include Ciara Renée, Robert Creighton, Rachel Zatcoff, Tamar Greene, Kimberly Marable, Jewelle Blackman, and Jelani Remy with guest appearances by Tony winner Betty Buckley, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, Loren Lott, Michael James Leslie, and Gabrielle Ruiz. And, the late Tony nominee Nick Cordero, who was a mentor in Vanguard’s 2019 Broadway Buddy program, will be remembered by his former mentee, Joe Nalieth. In his tribute, Nalieth will reflect on his time with Cordero and what the loss has meant to the theatre community.
