5 Things to Do This Weekend
Weekend, Yesterday
Our critics and writers have selected noteworthy cultural events to experience virtually.
Missing ‘The Nutcracker’? How to Get Your Holiday Fix at Home
Weekend, Yesterday
Many seasonal mainstays have been reimagined for online viewing this year. Here are some of our favorites, from “A Christmas Carol” to Handel’s “Messiah.”
This Lockdown, England’s Theaters Know What to Do Online
Culture, Yesterday
The first coronavirus shutdown caught playhouses unawares, but they learned lessons that stood them in good stead when the shutters came down again.
Dena Dietrich, Who Found TV Fame as Mother Nature, Dies at 91
Obits, November 25
In a long acting career she was best known for wreaking havoc in a series of margarine commercials, warning, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.”
Eat Up! Drama is Served at These Family Dinners
Culture, November 25
With fewer guests at the table this Thanksgiving, theatrical reminders that food, drink and reminiscence can unsettle as well as comfort.
Review ‘Emilia’: An Elizabethan Poet Takes Her Rightful Place Onstage
Culture, November 25
The life of Emilia Bassano Lanier is interwoven with Shakespeare’s in a boisterous British comedy.
Depending on the Kindness of Sound Engineers
Arts & Leisure, November 25
Williamstown Theater Festival’s summer season is now a winter experiment, all on audio. That includes “A Streetcar Named Desire,” recorded in actor’s closets.
Laura Benanti Says Goodbye to Melania and Watches ‘Ted Lasso’
Arts & Leisure, November 24
The actress may be nearing the end as Melania Trump on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” but she has plenty of other projects and passions to keep her busy.
Dinner Is No Longer Served: Theater That Built Careers Is Gone
Culture, November 23
The Westchester Broadway Theater was one of the last remaining professional dinner theaters in the country.
Cook an Indigenous Meal or Dance with Dua Lipa
At Home, November 21
Spend this holiday week experimenting with turkey bones, painting botanical art or running a virtual race.
Open Chat Windows and Closed Cases in ‘Citizen Detective’
Weekend, November 20
With its latest show, the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles has cornered the American market on long-running, agreeable online theater.
Are Streamed Plays Theater or TV? Unions Settle a Dispute
Theater, November 19
Actors’ Equity and SAG-AFTRA agreement clears the way for more entertainment during the pandemic winter.
Are Streamed Plays Theater or TV? Unions Settle a Dispute
Culture, November 19
Actors’ Equity and SAG-AFTRA’s agreement clears the way for more entertainment during the pandemic winter.
4 Characters in Search of a Big Moment in ‘A Day’
Culture, November 19
They’re attractive, young and tech savvy, but their 24 hours don’t add up to much.
Lockdowns Aren’t Funny. But You’ve Still Got to Laugh.
Culture, November 19
In theaters before the second shutdown, and online once playhouses were closed, actors and comedians have tried to cheer up France.
Theater to Stream: ‘Uncle Vanya’ and an Ayad Akhtar Revival
Culture, November 18
Constance Wu and Samira Wiley star in a Zoom-ified Chekhov play, and Ars Nova punches above its weight with a 24-hour telethon.
‘Remnant’ Review: A Digital Fog of War, and Its Aftermath
Culture, November 17
Drawing on interviews with soldiers and classical texts, Theater Mitu’s experimental collage is visually absorbing but thematically fuzzy.
The Director André Gregory Has Written a Memoir, but He Says He Hasn’t
Book Review, November 17
In “This Is Not My Memoir,” the co-star of “My Dinner With André” remembers his many theatrical provocations.
Alexander Vedernikov, Conductor and Bolshoi Veteran, Dies at 56
Obits, November 16
A kinetic podium presence, Mr. Vedernikov led performances at major opera houses and orchestras. He died of Covid-19.
When Political Theater Ditches the Disguises of Fiction
Culture, November 16
Four new shows are part of a movement to engage more directly in the debates of our times — sometimes even stealing the script.
When the Critic Is Also the Star. And the Audience.
Culture, November 15
Connection or isolation? Intensity or escape? This spate of shows that put the watcher to work are rewarding, but often in contrasting ways.
Cook Up Some Scallion Pancakes or Horror Stories
At Home, November 14
Spend the week getting swept up in classic dance, admiring a sloth or listening to Soccer Mommy.
Razzle Dazzle, Part 2: Broadway Triumphs Again
Book Review, November 14
Michael Riedel’s “Singular Sensation” tracks the blockbuster successes of the 1990s.
Lynn Kellogg, Who Found the Spotlight in ‘Hair,’ Dies at 77
Obits, November 13
She had a leading role as an uptight debutante-turned-hippie in the original Broadway production. She died of Covid-19.
Stagehand Falls to His Death at the Winter Garden Theater
Culture, November 12
The 54-year-old man fell from a ladder above the stage at the theater that most recently hosted “Beetlejuice.”
7 Things to Do This Weekend
Weekend, November 12
Our critics and writers have selected noteworthy cultural events to experience virtually.
For Germany’s Theaters, a Reluctant Intermission
Culture, November 12
A second lockdown has put productions on hold and added extra drama to an already fraught theater season.
Israel Horovitz, Playwright Tarnished by Abuse Allegations, Dies at 81
Obits, November 11
Mr. Horovitz found success Off Broadway, working with actors who later became household names. But his life took a downturn when women came forward to describe a pattern of sexual misconduct and assault.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Revives Broadway for a Day
Culture, November 11
Among the things to be thankful for: Turkey is on the menu, your Uncle Charlie is not coming and, after a long absence, Broadway casts will be back onstage.
Strangers on a Phone, Theatrically Speaking
Arts & Leisure, November 11
Social distance has left us rusty when it comes to connecting with strangers. The latest piece by 600 Highwaymen aims to help us practice — starting with a call.
‘Who’s Your Baghdaddy’ Review: The Iraq War Set to Backpack Rap
Culture, November 10
A musical satire reframes the origins of the invasion of Iraq as a story of bureaucratic bungles and spy games gone catastrophically wrong.
‘Readymade Cabaret 2.0’ Brings Randomness to Virtual Theater
Culture, November 9
With nods to Duchamp and Dada, this interactive production raises questions about fate, narrative convention and the process of making art.
Gigi Proietti, Actor Who Embodied the Roman Spirit, Dies at 80
Obits, November 6
Beloved in Italy, he was best known as the star of a TV series playing a small-town police chief. He also had a long film career and a popular one-man stage show.
7 Things to Do This Weekend
Weekend, November 5
Our critics and writers have selected noteworthy cultural events to experience virtually or in person in New York City.
Escape Rooms in an At-Home Era? Here’s the Key
Weekend, November 5
The immersive games are reinventing for online, at-home play — which is no surprise, an industry expert said: “These folks are deeply creative, and they’re scrappy.”
For the Arts in Europe, Lockdown Feels Different This Time
Culture, November 5
Many of the continent’s museums, theaters, concert halls and bookshops have been forced to close again, and now, people’s reactions have changed.
Partying Like It’s 1925 as London’s Theaters Go Dark (Again)
Culture, November 5
Two long-running immersive theater productions — “The Murdér Express” and “The Great Gatsby”— offered some much-needed merriment just before a new lockdown hit England.
Patti LuPone Was a Constant. The Other Ingredients Never Cooked.
Culture, November 4
With a marquee creative team, this romantic musical should have been a sure bet. One great song survived the out-of-town turmoil.
Voters in Jersey City Embrace a New Tax to Finance the Arts
Culture, November 4
Officials had worried that a new arts tax may be too much to ask in a place still reeling financially from the pandemic, but 64 percent of New Jersey voters approved of the idea.
‘Crave’ Is a Timely Ticket for a World on Fire
Culture, November 4
Sarah Kane’s 1999 play, performed live at the Chichester Festival Theater and available to stream this week, meditates on power and powerlessness, and makes specific devastation feel universal.
Theater to Stream: Kristina Wong Runs for Office and ‘Oedipus El Rey’
Culture, November 4
Watch a theater maker’s story of becoming an elected official, Greek tragedies transposed to Chicano America and Daniel Kitson’s tour of the ghostly empty theaters of Britain.
From Stage to Screen: 5 Shows That Got It Right (And 5 That Didn’t)
Arts & Leisure, November 4
Our theater experts provide a guide to some of the successful (and failed) cinematic adaptations of plays and musicals — all for your streaming pleasure.
‘Hamilton’ Was Just the Beginning. Hollywood Loves Broadway, Again.
Arts & Leisure, November 4
Theaters may be closed, but streamers and studios are flocking to the stage to meet the insatiable demand for content.
Bob Dylan’s First Musical Had a Devil of a Time
Culture, November 3
The task: write songs for Archibald MacLeish’s adaptation of a classic New England morality tale. What audiences saw (briefly): A play without music.
A ‘Wicked’ Challenge and Other Tough Questions for Ben Brantley
Theater, November 3
The New York Times theater critic, who stepped down after 27 years, recently responded to readers, including one hungry for a do-over on his review of a blockbuster musical.
A Golden Team, a Terrible Title and a Show That Vanished
Culture, November 2
Would you like to see a new musical from the people who brought you “West Side Story”? For better or worse, you probably never will.
A Poet’s Urgent Questions Fuel ‘November’
Culture, November 2
Five Black women narrate a filmed rendition of Claudia Rankine’s heady play, which was rethought after an initial version was shut down by the pandemic.
A Poet’s Urgent Questions Fuel ‘November’
Culture, November 2
Five Black women narrate a filmed rendition of Claudia Rankine’s heady play, which was rethought after an initial version was shut down by the pandemic.
‘What a Carve Up!’ Is Wonderful. But Is It Theater?
Culture, November 2
Three British companies reimagine a murder mystery for the virtual stage. Except there’s no stage, and no part of it is live.
Don’t Eat the Breakfast Cereal. It’s Made of Plastic.
Culture, November 1
Robin Frohardt has turned a vacant space in Times Square into a colorful installation that slyly doubles as an eco-warning. Puppets have their moment, too.
David Henry Hwang’s ‘M. Butterfly’ Followup: ‘M. Turkey’
Culture, November 1
The goal: a comedy about mistaken racial identity inspired by protests over “Miss Saigon.” The result: a backstage farce that never got to opening night.
This Election Week, Revisit the Constitution, Then Soothe Your Stressed Mind
At Home, October 31
Calm your nerves with a meditation guide, a night at the Seattle Symphony and a day among the sea otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
‘Touch of the Poet’ is a Powerful Study in Toxic Pride
Culture, October 30
Irish Repertory Theater’s ambitious virtual rendition of the O’Neill drama finds a family trapped by a father’s grandiose illusions.
The Sound in Their Ears? Black Thinkers Sharing ‘Lessons in Survival’
Culture, October 30
A Vineyard Theater streaming project re-enacts verbatim interviews with James Baldwin, Toni Morrison and others to explore echoes between the past and the present.
In Avignon, Snatching Theater From the Jaws of New Lockdowns
Culture, October 30
Delayed from the summer, France’s biggest stage celebration was further curtailed as restrictions again hit the country. That made the moments of grace that were possible all the more powerful.
8 Things to Do This Halloween Weekend
Weekend, October 29
Our critics and writers have selected noteworthy cultural events to experience virtually or in person in New York City.
Yes, We Liked the Berkshires Shows. Here’s $2 Million.
Culture, October 29
This summer, a woman went to outdoor shows at two beloved theaters in Massachusetts. She and her brother are now helping them to cover their costs and survive this winter.
A Not-So-Merry Mix: Shakespeare, Bluegrass and Randy Quaid
Arts & Leisure, October 29
The Broadway marquee was up, but this crowd-pleasing musical never made it out of Seattle. Among the creative differences: How fat should Falstaff be?
Four Wasted Years Thinking About Donald Trump
Op Ed, October 29
How this president invaded our brains and destroyed American culture.
From Neil LaBute, a Case of He Said, She Said, No One Said
Culture, October 28
The story of a marriage saved by the pandemic, “True Love Will Find You in the End” features a live audience but recorded actors.
Miss Live Theater? You’re Not Alone.
Interactive, October 15
We miss theater. And we know you do too. So we asked you to share some memories with us.
Performing in a Pandemic
Interactive, September 23
Most professional theater in America has been shut down since March. So how did this production of “Godspell” come together?
The Creative Circles Defining the Culture
Interactive, April 13
Whether united by outlook or identity, happenstance or choice, these communities have shaped the worlds of art, fashion, film and more.
How the 2005 Revival of ‘Sweeney Todd’ Inspired a New Wave in Theater
Interactive, April 13
A minimalist staging by John Doyle of the tale of the barber of Fleet Street emphasized the raw talents of its cast.
Why ‘Hair’ Has Endured
Interactive, April 13
An appreciation of the 1967 love-rock musical, which, against the odds, won over audiences across the world.