Lady Chatterley’s Lover – GBM Productions Click here for tickets A new musical adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s infamous literary classic, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, directed by the award-winning Sasha Regan with music and lyrics by John Robinson, was filmed this summer, and is now available to stream. Banned as scandalous erotica when first published in 1928, the novella, about an upper-class woman’s affair with her gamekeeper, went to trial for obscenity in Britain in 1960. Lawrence’s text caused outrage not just because of the expletives and explicit sexual relationship, but because it presented a physical relationship that traversed social class divides. Lady Chatterley’s pursuit of a life more than half-lived changed the literary landscape of Britain. Perhaps Georgia Lennon and Michael Pickering, as the illicit lovers, will generate enough steam to fog up a few glasses. Seems rather tame now but anyone old enough to remember the fuss surrounding the obscenity trial won’t soon forget it. Oct. 15-Nov. 21; £15 + £3 transaction charge. San Francisco Dance Film Festival Click here for tickets The San Francisco Dance Film Festival (SFDFF) includes a host of talented artists, artful visuals and outstanding performances. Purchase a single ticket, or a season pass, to start streaming from October 15. This full Festival pass £54.99. is available for US purchase only but each programme is available separately. Please see individual titles for any country restrictions. The Features and Short Programs will be available for viewing during the San Francisco Dance Film Festival Oct 15-24 and then a 48 hour grace period after the Festival to finish watching programs. 5 minutes to Make You Love Maria Callas Click here to read Regular readers know I love these clever New York Times articles that attempt to make you take a U-turn about a well-cherished prejudice or conviction. This one is about Maria Callas. Not everybody loved her voice or her performances but, for those of us who did, she was out there on her own, perhaps the greatest dramatic soprano of our lifetime. So next time someone asks you, So What’s So Great About Maria Callas?, you’ll know These tiny essays, each by someone who has wallowed in Callas' genius, and understood who and what she was, illuminates a different aspect of what made her great and what keeps her great even now, and forever. And the arias speak, or rather, sing for themselves. The Taming of the Shrew – Les Ballets de Monte Carlo Click here for tickets Very funny and lighthearted (and very well danced by the Monte Carlo company), choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot doesn’t deviate too far from Shakespeare’s story while finding some new things to say about the fractious relationships between men and women in which, contrary to Shakespeare’s vision, the women nearly always end up on top. Although largely humorous with a healthy sense of irony, the ballet tackles a fundamentally serious theme: the search for one’s better half. In a world where authenticity is eroded by convention, finding the perfect partner is no small feat, and Shakespeare’s play remains as relevant as ever. Rejecting male dominance within the couple unit, Jean-Christophe Maillot chose to focus on what’s vital in a romantic relationship. John Bucchino 20th Anniversary Virtual Concert Click here to rent or buy This is a highly enjoyable cabaret concert consisting of the songs of singer/songwriter/recording artist John Bucchino. Among the many brilliant Broadway and Cabaret singers performing on this special, with Bucchino at the piano, are: Leslie Odom Jr., Stephen Schwartz, Toni Tennille, Mykal Kilgore, Corey Cott, Ann Hampton Callaway, Andrea Marcovicci, David Campbell, Jessica Fishenfeld, Natalie Douglas, Alexander Sage Oyen, Lois Sage, Scott Joiner, Amanda McBroom, Anders Paulsson, and Will Reynolds. Oct. 8- Dec. 31 Rent $4.99 and purchase for $9.99. Fidelio – San Francisco Opera Click here for tickets San Francisco Opera has a brand new production of Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, starring Elza van den Heever, Russell Thomas and Greer Grimsley and it is going to be livestreamed. I’m burning to see it. A fantastic cast, conducted by their new Music Director Eun Sun Kim in her inaugural season, and directed by Matthew Ozawa, will break on our fortunate eyes and ears without our having to leave our armchairs. Lucky us? Well, lucky some of us. Look carefully. This only works if you live on the West Coast of the USA, in which case you may as well go hear it in person, because the livestreams are only available LIVE, in other words, on Pacific Time. Those of us in Europe or elsewhere in the world, must get up in the middle of the night to enjoy these performances. The first stream, on October 14 at 7:30pm PT is 3.30am here in London and half past midnight in New York. Leaving the streams on the SF Opera website for a mere 24 hours following the livestream would give the production, the singers, and the company worldwide exposure. What a wasted opportunity. Livestreams Oct 14/17/20. $25 Barnes People – Original Theatre Click here for tickets A series of four theatrical monologues starring Jon Culshaw, Matthew Kelly, Jemma Redgrave and Adrian Scarborough. From writer Peter Barnes (The Ruling Class) comes a selection of four exquisitely crafted monologues, performed by four of our leading actors, directed by Philip Franks and filmed on stage at the Theatre Royal Windsor.
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AuthorRuth Leon is a writer and critic specialising in music and theatre. Archives
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