Like most of us these days, the triple-threat Broadway icon is constantly looking for ways to keep herself busy during lockdown whilst observing social distancing guidelines.

I call on a quiet Friday afternoon and find Ms Rivera in good spirits at her home in Upstate New York. She cheerfully recalls her mother’s futile pleas for her to rest. ‘My mother, if she were alive, would be very happy that I’m taking naps in the afternoon. She tried to get me through my entire life to take a nap. And I would never ever do that. Well, now I’m taking naps and I’m not so sure I like that!’, she laughs.

CHITA RIVERA. PHOTO BY LAURA MARIE DUNCAN

Her daughter, the singer, dancer and choreographer Lisa Mordente is by her side during this period. Lisa is Ms Rivera’s ‘most treasured production’ and the only Shark/Jet baby in history. Despite director Jerome Robbins’ strict demand back in the day for the Sharks and the Jets [West Side Story’s two rival gangs] to refrain from associating with one another in order to create more tension on stage, Ms Rivera ended up marrying Tony Mordente – a Jet.

Chita Rivera is very fond of England and has returned to this country time and again throughout her impressive career. She has performed on numerous occasions including in ‘West Side Story’, ‘Bye Bye Birdie’, ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’, and most recently played two exclusive concerts at Cadogan Hall in 2019, as part of her solo tour.

When asked about her fondest memory of her time in England, she enthusiastically remembers having met HRM Queen Elizabeth ll, but that having ‘had a life as full as I’ve been blessed to have’, it’s difficult to choose only one. ‘I like the people of England and the theatre there. People go to the theatre. They sit and they listen and they really have an understanding of what they’re going to see. I appreciate that.’, she explains.

CHITA RIVERA IN ‘KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN’. PHOTO BY CATHERINE ASHMORE

Ms Rivera continues, ‘My daughter was a year old the first time we went there and the second time, with Birdie, she was three years old. Each one of those shows was a big hit and the audiences were wonderful. I’ve had the opportunity to not just work in England, but to live, have neighbours, and have a life there. We have many many friends in England.’

During the London production of ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ in 1992, she met Mr Harry Gabriel, Shaftesbury Theatre’s beloved stage doorkeeper, for whom a handful of distinguished artists, including Ms Rivera, will be performing an online concert on 15 July, to celebrate his 40-year career. ‘I love Harry! You walk through that door and the very first face you see is Harry’s face. It’s the most welcoming, the warmest and the sweetest introduction to your evening that you can possibly have. It does help when the first person you see is a welcoming sight. And he enables you to really do a wonderful show!’, she exclaims.

CHITA RIVERA IN ‘WEST SIDE STORY’. PHOTO BY MARTHA SWOPE. ©NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

Ms Rivera made history by originating and shaping the roles of Anita in ‘West Side Story’ (1957) and Velma Kelly in ‘Chicago’ (1975), both of which secured Oscars for Rita Moreno and Catherine Zeta-Jones, respectively, who went on to portray the characters on screen.

She landed the leading role in ‘West Side Story’, the ground-breaking musical by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents, back in 1957. Having brought ‘passion, motherly instinct and devilish humour’ to the role of Anita, she credits Leonard Bernstein, in no small part, for her singing abilities.

Bernstein had invited Ms Rivera to his apartment to help her inhabit the role of Anita musically. ‘He taught me to appreciate and understand the music itself. And he went through it with me, note for note. He actually, I can almost say, taught me how to sing. His personality was a warm and friendly one and he made me feel as though I could do this amazing music. I was very nervous at first, but he made me comfortable. He was not so superior that I felt as though I couldn’t do it. He put me on the same level as himself and I felt as though I was the right person for that music. So it was exciting to sit next to him and feel his energy and understand his music.’, she recalls.

CHITA RIVERA & COMPANY IN ‘THE VISIT‘ (2015). PHOTO BY THOM KAINE

Ms Rivera’s voice adopts a sad tone when asked about the great playwright Terrence McNally, whom we’ve lost to coronavirus earlier this year. She talks about him in the present tense, as if he’d never left us, and declares that, ‘Terrence McNally is a great playwright. He is brilliant. He taught me how to speak his language, how to have faith in myself, and how to play in this wonderful piece of theatre called ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ and get good reviews out of it. It was brilliantly written, therefore every night I went into that theatre was an exceptional evening for me.’

‘The Visit’, the final musical collaboration between Terrence McNally, composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb, added more awards to Chita Rivera’s impressive résumé. ‘The Visit was extraordinary! He writes very well for Kander and Ebb, and obviously he writes wonderfully for me. It was a very exciting time in my life. It was a complicated show, a very dark musical, but he made the audiences understand what the play was all about. Some people misunderstood it and thought it was a play about death. We thought the play was really about love. But that’s what’s so great about theatre. You go to the theatre and you have your own interpretation.’, she says.

CHITA RIVERA SOLO AT CADOGAN HALL, LONDON, 10 FEB 2019. PHOTO BY DARREN BELL

With her upcoming shows being postponed due to the pandemic, Ms Rivera keeps herself busy by doing virtual shows and interviews. Over the past few months, she has made a few online appearances to fundraise for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, The Actors Fund, recently raising over $100K for Broadway Cares’ COVID-19 Emergency Efforts during the stream of her October 2013 concert, ‘Chita: A Legendary Celebration’. The 2013 benefit concert for Broadway Cares, which took place at the August Wilson Theatre, originally raised around $500K at the time, bringing Chita: A Legendary Celebration’s performance total to over $600K.

Notwithstanding the technical difficulties that come with such endeavours, she accepts that, for now, this is the only way ‘you can express yourself and explain how your experience has been’.

Her advice to everyone who is struggling during ‘this time of confusion’ is to find ways to make their own lives interesting. ‘We find out more about ourselves by delving into our own conscience. It’s very hard but you have to look forward to waking up in the morning and finding something constructive about your life and about your work.’, Ms Rivera reflects. ‘This pandemic is making us aware of each other much more than we have been. I think it’s turning into a less selfish time and it’s making us realize how fortunate we have been in our lives by thinking about other people, not just ourselves.’

CHITA RIVERA, GWEN VERDON, CHICAGO, 1975. PHOTO BY MARTHA SWOPE. ©THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

Despite admitting that the business has changed drastically since she started her career, Ms Rivera is adamant that one thing did remain the same. ‘You have to accept the fact that times change but the wonderful thing about the theatre is that it’s alive. Audiences are very smart and very aware of when you’re being truthful and when you’re being phoney. So I think the theatre forces us to be honest.’, she elaborates. ‘This pandemic is a whole ‘nother bag of beans. We have to wait until this is over to find out how our theatre is going to be done. We’re not in charge and, in a way, that’s good.’

For any individuals who are looking to pursue this career, Ms Rivera has one simple piece of advice: ‘They have to have patience with themselves and get to learn as much as they can about the business and about other people. But most of all, I think they have to have faith in themselves, in what they want to do and how they want to express themselves.’

One of Broadway’s greatest legends, with numerous iconic roles under her belt, Chita Rivera is one of the most nominated performers in Tony Award history having earned ten nominations, won twice and received the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. In 2009, she was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and in 2002, the coveted Kennedy Center Honor. In 2018, Ms Rivera was honoured as a Living Landmark by the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

CHITA RIVERA & DICK VAN DYKE IN ‘BYE BYE BIRDIE’. PHOTO BY FRIEDMAN-ABELES

Looking back at her illustrious career, Chita Rivera proudly declares that if she had the opportunity to go back in time and do it all over again, she wouldn’t change a thing. She explains, ‘This is what I tell the kids: “Your eyes are meant to see, your ears are meant to listen and your mouth is made to speak. You’ve got to use them all.” Hopefully, you use them in the best of ways. But you must see, listen and speak. And I think I did all of that. I was extremely obedient as a performer, and by listening and seeing I learned so much not just about the theatre, but about my life. So I don’t think I would do things differently. And I think that’s a blessing.’

She continues, ‘I can honestly say I’m one of the luckiest performers in the world because I came at a very full time, The Golden Age, when the theatre was alive and well and there was a piece of good theatre in most theatres. I worked with some of the greatest and most creative people: Jerome Robbins, Jerry Herman, Michael Kidd, Jack Cole. And they’re a part of my being now.’

Ms Rivera was interviewed, together with her long-time friend and colleague, Graciela Daniele, for Khadifa Wong’s upcoming documentary ‘Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance’, which is a cinematic exploration of the art form of jazz dance. ‘Graciela is a great gift and a great talent. She is a great director and this is a girl that has been through much in her life and she has now put it back into the theatre. She is like my soul sister. We’re hoping this piece will be successful.’, she concludes.

‘Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance’ is set to be released on 20 July.

Chita Rivera will make a guest appearance on the online training platform, Bridge to Broadway, on Wednesday, 1 July, at 6pm BST/1pm EDT. Her fans, as well as up and coming industry professionals, will get the unique chance to learn more about her career and ask her questions during the Q&A segment of the masterclass.

Broadway veteran Erik Liberman, noted for his impressive career on Broadway and off, as well as on the small screen (‘War Paint’, ‘The Band’s Visit’, ‘LoveMusik’, ‘Modern Family’, ‘Vinyl’), talked with The Cinematic Journal about the way he approaches each role, how he deals with stage fright and some of his most memorable roles in productions such as ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, and the musical finale of the hit TV series ‘Transparent’.

The actor, director, author, and educator has been keeping busy during the lockdown, having decided to give something back to the community during these challenging times. Together with producer Marissa Lynn Daniel, he launched Bridge to Broadway, an online training platform that connects young industry professionals with a star-studded line-up of seasoned mentors.

ERIK LIBERMAN. PHOTO BY MARK ODGERS

Do you remember your first encounter with the performing arts, that precise moment when you thought, ‘I belong in this world’?

Two things come to mind. The first is that my mother, on my sixth or seventh birthday, took me to the Riverboat Playhouse where they performed children’s shows. That filled me with wonder and ignited my imagination.

Then there was a commercial for The Coconut Grove Children’s Theatre which featured a bunch of kids my age in costumes. I remember turning to my grandmother when she asked, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ and I said, ‘In there!’ pointing to the television [laughs].

I remember calling the Children’s Theatre many times and when they picked up, I hung up because I was afraid. Finally, my father got me an audition through a friend of his who knew the Artistic Director, Corky Dozier, and I got in. It changed my life.

Before that, I typed a letter to the producers of ‘The Sunday Funnies Show’ because I wanted to read comics to kids on TV and ended up doing that… So it was very much a confluence of events at around five or six years old, I would say.

ERIK LIBERMAN IN ‘THE BAND’S VISIT’. PHOTO BY AHRON R. FOSTER

Did that period foreshadow the genres you’d end up gravitating towards? 

I don’t think at five or six there is an awareness of ‘genre,’ per se. There’s just a question of wanting to be part of something larger than yourself and seeing if you have something to offer. It’s an investigative time.

When you are offered a role, which boxes does it need to tick in order for you to say, ‘This is for me’?

I would say that when a role coincides with my humanity in a way that will help me grow, I go for it. And hopefully, there are collaborators involved who have a commitment to cutting edge work and to telling a story that hasn’t been told before, at least not in the way they’re imagining it.

In terms of musicals, you’ve portrayed quite a few memorable roles in ‘War Paint,’ ‘The Band’s Visit,’ ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame,’ and ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ to name a few. How did you find the connection with them? Did you identify with any of those characters in real life?

All of them. If I can’t identify with a character, I can’t play it.

In the case of ‘The Band’s Visit,’ it was the character’s longing — reaching for something larger than himself — with which I connected. I think that’s an urge we all contain.

‘War Paint’ was tougher because the man I played was quite destructive. I had to work backwards from those behaviours, considering his early misfortunes and how those can colour the roads we take.

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ I avoided for a long time because it was a world my grandparents lived through which I wasn’t eager to revisit. Once I took the part, however, I felt the presence of my beloved grandfather every night, particularly during the exodus.

‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ — absolutely. That was a human who learned to entertain the masses in order to deal with the pain of being marginalized, as the Romani people were and continue to be.

ERIK LIBERMAN AND RENA STROBER IN ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’. PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

Going back to Fiddler, having eventually played in it, did the experience help you come to terms with your grandparents’ history?

Yes.

I feel that as actors, our job is to play characters as far from ourselves as possible in order to widen our purview of the human experience — so for a while, I avoided roles that were close to my history. But Fiddler forced me to embrace that history— and in fact I grew stronger for it.

Then again, you can’t help but feel embraced by such a brilliantly constructed show. We were held in the sturdy palms of Jerome Robbins, Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Joseph Stein, three of whom I had the privilege of meeting.

Do you have a dream role that perhaps you are afraid of taking on?

 Not afraid, no, because I think there’s universal design to which parts find us and when. But I do have a particular affinity for two characters: Georges Seurat in ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ and Shakespeare’s ‘Richard II.’

I’ve also written a lot lately which has been fun because as actors, we tend to look toward other creators to ascribe the secrets of our hearts and liberate us. At the moment, I am enjoying unlocking those doors myself.

How do you combat stage fright?

Before I go on stage, I summon everyone on whose shoulders I stand: my teachers, living and passed, my family, my role models. I thank them and say a blessing asking that everyone in the theatre be met with whatever it is they came to receive at that performance. When I feel ensconced in that matrix of appreciation, there’s less fear. Another means of combating fear is meditation — connecting with something larger than ourselves which transcends our individual concern as to whether or not people approve of us.

“The best thing we can do is gather the courage to step aside and be borrowed. That’s vulnerability.”

As a performer, how do you feel the ego and vulnerability intersect?

I think of the ego as this tender membrane designed to protect a finite instrument — the mind — from feeling obsolete in the face of the infinite. And what are things that render the mind obsolete? Love, nature and art, because we can’t quantify the magnitude of these phenomena.

For example, singing ‘Answer Me’ at the end of ‘The Band’s Visit’ was terrifying because it was everything that I am – my heart and soul laid bare. But once you hitch a ride on that material, something larger takes over and, much as our ego would like to take credit for it, we can’t. The best thing we can do is gather the courage to step aside and be borrowed. That’s vulnerability.

ERIK LIBERMAN IN ‘WAR PAINT’. PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

Do you find getting into character on stage similar or different to getting into character in front of the camera?

On stage, there’s more time for research and I love that — deep-diving into a character then testing that homework in rehearsal. And, in a few weeks’ time, we all test our work before audiences.

On television, it’s a faster process. The prep is compressed, but you’re ready because the fast-twitch muscles required for TV are borne of the marathon muscles developed onstage.

MICHAEL ARDEN AS QUASIMODO AND ERIK LIBERMAN AS CLOPIN TROUILLEFOU IN ‘THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME’. PHOTO BY JERRY DALIA

A little bird told me you love to sing. Having worked on ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame,’ which features gorgeous music by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, how was that experience for you from a singing perspective and do you have a favourite musical moment?

The majesty of that music washes over you in such an oceanic way, you can’t not be affected by Alan and Stephen’s exquisite creation!

That said, it was a tricky show for me because that’s when I was diagnosed with a hearing disorder — which was frightening but allowed me to understand why I had learned to work in certain unorthodox ways before and how I could navigate more effectively going forward.

“I’ve travelled in groups where none of us spoke the same language but we all sang around a fire. We taught each other a tune, we may not have understood the words but we felt the connectivity… that’s one reason I love music and musicals.”

As for favourite moments, near the end of the show, Michael Arden [the actor who played Quasimodo] recites a passage drawn from the novel about the hunchback ‘spooning’ the body of Esmeralda and their bodies turning to dust.

After that passage, Clopin’s theme is reprised and I had this idea — I think it was my idea — to ask our director, Scott Schwartz, if I could [exhales deeply] exhale with the company to sort of blow the dust, the star-stuff, of Quasimodo and Esmeralda into the ether.

It was then that we invited the audience to open themselves to the deeper meaning of the story… a near-silent moment in the midst of all this magnificent music that allowed us to step back from what had been invoked and reflect.

Hunchback is filled with such moments… There’s a lyric, ‘Could there be a country kinder to our race?’ which always touched me and there’s a song called ‘Someday,’ which is an anthem for anyone who has felt ostracised, marginalized, excluded…

I was in the car the other day when Erik Satie’s ‘Gymnopédie No. 1’ came on and I was unexpectedly moved. I thought, ‘How amazing that humans can assign notes to a page so long ago and we can still connect with them today!’

 I’ve travelled in groups where none of us spoke the same language but we all sang around a fire. We taught each other a tune, we may not have understood the words but we felt the connectivity… that’s one reason I love music and musicals.

ERIK LIBERMAN, LESLI MARGHERITA, JUDITH LIGHT AND JO LAMPERT IN ‘TRANSPARENT: MUSICALE FINALE’. PHOTO BY NICOLE WILDER

You appeared in the unexpected musical finale of Amazon’s ground-breaking series ‘Transparent’. What attracted you to this show?

From the moment I saw ‘Transparent’, I thought, ‘This is a show I have to be on because this is addressing something I haven’t seen before.’ At the same time, I thought, ‘I’ll never be on that show because Jay Duplass already is and we sort of cancel each other out visually [laughs].’ But something inside me knew that I had to be on it – just like when I was a kid – and I kept saying, ‘I’m going to be on “Transparent”’ and people would ask, ‘When?’ and I’d say, ‘Don’t know, but soon!’ [laughs]

In the end, it all came together magically. I met Faith Soloway, the composer and a producer on the show, at a concert of her work at Joe’s Pub in New York. We kept in touch and eventually, she asked if I’d be interested in participating in the workshop of a Transparent musical. We weren’t sure if it would make it to the stage or screen but blessedly, it did.

In April 2018, we played musical versions of the Pfeffermans in a concert at Joe’s Pub. Then, in early 2019, we shot the finale. Judith Light’s character casts us as doppelgangers of her kids, which helps heal her relationship with her actual kids… It was very ‘meta’!

Like holding a mirror up to nature.

Yes! Exactly.

Jay [Duplass] was so wonderful in that — and I was very sensitive to him, because I didn’t want to step on his toes in any way. But he could not have been more magnanimous. For a moment, though, it did feel like the Sharks and the Jets during ‘West Side Story’ rehearsals, when Jerome Robbins didn’t want them to talk to each other so there was tension in the air! In our case, I think that led to a lot of comedy.

ERIK LIBERMAN AND JAY DUPLASS TRANSPARENT LOS ANGELES PREMIERE PHOTO BY JEREMY BOROS

You recently launched Bridge to Broadway, an online training platform connecting young professionals with Broadway mentors. Can you tell me more about the initiative?

They say, ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’ and that was very much the case! Bridge to Broadway was sparked by a need to pivot in the face of the pandemic, which we thought would last a week or two. I had concerts and classes scheduled in New York, all of which were cancelled, so I reached out to a few friends and asked, ‘Do you want to teach?’ Then we realized that this was going to last longer than any of us expected and the program grew from there.

We offered the first 48 classes as ‘pay what you can, if you can,’ and began donating a portion of proceeds to The Actors Fund and Black Lives Matter… The most powerful thing I’ve observed over the last four months is the sense of global citizenship that has emerged as a result of these exchanges. There are students who wake up in the dead of night from all over the world to meet their mentors — and for most participants, they’ve never had face-to-face contact with artists like these before. It’s been a joy to facilitate.

Are you currently working on any projects that we should be on the lookout for?

I’ve spent much of the last two years writing a pilot and a book and am now producing a documentary.

The spiritual density of everything happening right now can sometimes just force me – and I don’t think I’m alone in this – into submission. And then I come out and say, ‘Hey, wait a moment, you’ve got something to offer.’

“The planet has been brought to its knees in a way. I feel that this inability to go out and shine as performers onstage and on set forces us to shine as human beings in real life and ask ourselves, ‘Why am I here?’ — then align with that deeper mission.”

Bridge to Broadway has been a real lifesaver because it’s a place to show up every day and engage in larger conversations — and a lot of opportunities have sprung from that.

It feels like a new world right now, or maybe it’s the same world with a lot of buried truths coming to light. Either way, the narrative is being rewritten and appropriately so.

Perhaps, similarly to what you did with ‘Transparent,’ this pandemic is raising a mirror.

I think that’s perfectly put.

It’s all a mirror that allows us to ask, ‘How can I be of service?’ When I coach someone, the first thing I ask is, ‘How can I best support you?’ because I really don’t know. I don’t know if any of us knows what it truly means to support each other — but maybe, finally, we’ve become humble enough to ask.

The planet has been brought to its knees in a way. I feel that this inability to go out and shine as performers on stage and set forces us to shine as human beings in real life and ask ourselves, ‘Why am I here?’ — then align with that deeper mission.

Bridge to Broadway has announced their next line-up of industry superstars who will mentor students and young professionals during the June masterclasses.

TONYA PINKINS, DONNA MURPHY, CHUCK COOPER AND LILLI COOPER

Actress Ciara Renée (‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, ‘Frozen’, ‘Big Fish’) will join Tony winners Tonya Pinkins and Donna Murphy who will lead a joint master class (available as a bonus class for June ClassPass holders only), Tony winner Chuck Cooper and nominee Lilli Cooper who will lead a father-daughter master class, Two-time Tony-winning composer and lyricist Adam Guettel (who is also the grandson of legendary musical theatre composer Richard Rodgers), Emmy winning casting director Jeff Greenberg (‘Modern Family’, ‘Frasier’, ‘Cheers’), Tony, Drama Desk and Grammy nominee Joshua Henry, Drama Desk Nominee Stephanie Hsu (‘Be More Chill’, ‘The Marvelous Mrs Maisel’, ‘The Path’), internationally acclaimed audiobook narrator Edoardo Ballerini (‘The Sopranos’, ‘Boardwalk Empire’, ‘Dinner Rush’), and master on-camera acting teacher Gary Perez (‘When They See Us’, ‘13 Reasons Why’, ‘The Blacklist’). Mickey Rowe of ‘Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’, who is the founder and Artistic Director of National Disability Theatre, will also be among the guests on Bridge to Broadway in the following weeks.

JOSHUA HENRY AND ADAM GUETTEL

Bridge to Broadway matches emerging artists with seasoned pros in live conversations and Q&As supporting The Actors Fund. Actor and author Erik Liberman teaches master classes around the country and is a recent inductee into the National Alliance of Acting Teachers. Marissa Lynn Daniel produces this series. Director Dan Fishbach associate produces.

Readers of The Cinematic Journal receive 25% off all classes and class passes in May and June. Just use the code TTEP74GF during checkout.

For more information, visit www.bridgetobroadwayonline.com/.

The Old Vic just launched Your Old Vic, a programme of creative, fun and inspiring events, projects and educational content to keep the theatre connected with audiences, and audiences connected with each other during these unprecedented times.

‘Today I’m very happy to announce this array of free online content which we aim to be fun, engaging, useful and supportive to our various audiences during this difficult time. We are facing a tough and even perilous year ahead, fighting for our survival like so many others in the cultural sector. But whilst our building is dormant, its heart is still beating and our sense of purpose – as an artistic powerhouse, fuelled by a spirit of fun and adventure, with an equally strong social mission – is stronger than ever.’, Matthew Warchus, the Artistic Director of The Old Vic, explained.

MATT SMITH AND CLAIRE FOY IN LUNGS © HELEN MAYBANKS

As they were rehearsing Lungs last year, Claire Foy and Matt Smith took the play on a couple of occasions to local schools in order to try it out in front of an audience before bringing it to The Old Vic’s stage. This experience gave them a chance to observe first-hand how taking theatre into schools can have a hugely positive impact.

As theatres were forced to close their doors, The Old Vic, with support from their newly-appointed Hub Ambassadors Claire Foy and Matt Smith, saw this as an opportunity to bring theatre into everyone’s homes and schools, for free. It is a resource for teachers, students, parents and guardians homeschooling, emerging talent, and anyone interested in theatre wanting to learn new skills.

The Education Hub gives audiences behind-the-scenes access to hear from artists and performers, and provides invaluable career advice, as well as resource packs for teachers, employability tips and inside guides.

‘Now The Old Vic, along with other theatres, is closed. But there is still good work we can do. Mostly through the social mission of the theatre – whilst the art on stage is on hold, we can bring our work to you at home, and in your schools. That’s the idea behind the Education Hub – a resource for teachers, students, parents homeschooling, young creatives of the future at home wanting to learn new skills; this is something that everyone can have access to, for free.’ – Claire Foy and Matt Smit

GEORGE MACKAY AND SHEILA ATIM

The Old Vic has also launched Playcrush Podcast, a brand new weekly podcast in collaboration with Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, hosted by the Sherman’s Artistic Director (and previous Old Vic Baylis Director) Joe Murphy. The first episode will air on Acast on Mon 25 May at 10am and will feature George MacKay (1917), with the second episode on Mon 01 Jun featuring Sheila Atim.

Follow the hashtag #YourOldVic for The Old Vic’s latest announcements on new content.

Bridge to Broadway continues to quickly fill up its masterclass calendar for May and June with industry superstar guests.

The newly-announced mentors who will join Erik Liberman over the next few weeks are three-time Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, Tony and Olivier winner and ‘Disney Legend’ Lea Salonga, Tony-winning master voice teacher Joan Lader, two-time Tony-nominated composer Craig Carnelia, Emmy-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones (‘This Is Us’), TV star Yara Martinez (‘The Deputy’, ‘The Tick’, ‘Jane the Virgin’), animation voice-over director, producer, casting director Ned Lott (Miyazaki films, ‘Cars’, ‘Monsters, Inc.’, ‘The Incredibles’, ‘Lord of the Rings’), and Lucille Lortel Award winner Larry Owens, who starred in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical ‘A Strange Loop’.

RON CEPHAS JONES in ‘THIS IS US’. © 2017 NBCUNIVERSAL MEDIA, LLC

Previously announced guests on Bridge to Broadway include Tony-winning actors Andrea Martin, Ben Vereen and Christine Ebersole, nominee Austin Pendleton, showrunner Joshua Safran (‘Gossip Girl’, ‘Smash’), Vincent Rodriguez (‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’), and ‘Wicked’ star Alexandra Billings, among many others.

Bridge to Broadway connects theatre students and emerging artists around the world with their role models and supports artists by donating a percentage of net proceeds to The Actors Fund.

Bridge to Broadway is now offering payment plans for those in financial distress and 25% off discount codes for students/alumni/teachers at any performing arts training centres who would like to enhance their educations with Bridge to Broadway’s offerings.

For more details about Bridge to Broadway and their previous guests, check out this article or visit Bridge to Broadway’s website, where you will find the complete masterclass calendar.

One of the few good things to come out of the coronavirus lockdown is a plethora of high-quality theatre, musicals and opera productions that are streamed for free by some of the most reputable arts venues in the world.

One such initiative came from the National Theatre, which has used its Youtube channel to stream some of the most memorable past theatre productions in the NT Live portfolio. Streaming a new play every Thursday at 7.00pm GMT, the productions are then available to watch on demand for seven days.

After kicking off their streaming programme on 2 April with Richard Bean’s ‘One Man Two Guvnors’, on 30 April came the turn of Danny Boyle’s critically acclaimed 2011 production of Mary Shelley’s iconic Gothic tale, Frankenstein. The play was streamed on two consecutive nights, highlighting stellar performances by Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller who exchanged the roles of the Creature and Victor Frankenstein on each successive evening.

The writer, Nick Dear, and the director, Danny Boyle, moulded the play around the Creature’s point of view, stripping away the various thematic structures present in the book. They preserved a more linear form, choosing to focus on philosophical themes of existentialism, human tendencies and limitations. Perhaps a reflection of the Creature himself, whose sole desire in life is to be a good man and to have a mate to share his earthly existence with.

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH AS THE CREATURE. © CATHERINE ASHMORE

Notwithstanding the reduced size of the story, it is still quite difficult to fathom how such darkness managed to come out of the mind of an eighteen-year-old young woman, at a time when science was just beginning to make significant strides and when unspoken of gruesome experimentations would take place behind closed doors.

However, galvanism was indeed a popular topic at the time and it must have been difficult to ignore the increasing popularity of mortsafes, which were invented to prevent body snatchers from desecrating graves in exchanges for a few quid from anatomists who would always be looking for fresh cadavers for their scientific observations and experiments.

The play opens with the Creature coming out of a metaphorical womb made out of skin in Frankenstein’s quarters, under Bruno Poet’s a thousand suspended bulbs. As he stumbles and struggles to stand up and keep his balance, he is carefully discovering his physical capabilities. His moves and trajectories seem to have been accurately directed.

SET LIGHTING BY BRUNO POET. © BRUNO POET

The contrast in Cumberbatch’s and Miller’s interpretations of the Creature is swiftly becoming apparent. While Cumberbatch’s Creature makes us root for him as he is rediscovering the world with the innocence of a child, Miller’s rebirth is raw and animalistic, almost having us expect evil doings on his part.

We see the Creature enthuse as he observes the sun, the grass, the birds around him with great curiosity. Nothing seems to await him on his journey but pure discovery and wonder.

The industrial theme of the times is introduced onto the stage by means of a steampunk train full of workers, a décor detail masterfully put together by the production’s set designer, Mark Tildesley.

Doomed to be abhorred by everyone who would set eyes on him, the Creature is quickly introduced to the harsh reality of human cruelness, as he is abused mentally and physically at every step.

He does, however, experience kindness for a brief period of time, as he comes across blind old De Lacey in his path, whose condition doesn’t discriminate against the Creature’s rough appearance. Wonderfully and warmly portrayed by Karl Johnson, the old man welcomes the Creature into his home and over the course of a year educates him on all things philosophy, history and the four seasons.

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH AS THE CREATURE. © CATHERINE ASHMORE

One key moment in the play is when De Lacey teaches the Creature about the original sin. He says, ‘There are two schools of thought: one says that we’re all made imperfect and require the assistance of a higher authority, a deity to overcome the sin of being born. The other school of thought, to which I subscribe, insists that when we leave the womb we are pure. That a babe in arms is untainted by sin, that evil is the product of social forces and that God has nothing to do with how a man turns out; be it good or be it bad.’

In other words, if the Creature is a monster, it is only because he is met with cruelty and discrimination again and again till his patience runs out and he is forced to exercise vengeance. A monster on the outside, society shapes him into a monster on the inside.

This second school of thought is perhaps a clever mechanism to raise a mirror to our own society and show how each of our actions can prompt even greater reactions, should we be careless.

The play is not all gloomy though. Between the Creature’s sarcastic remarks, Frankenstein’s cluelessness vis-à-vis mundane matters and De Lacey’s witty remarks, the creators have managed to sprinkle this dark tale with unexpected humorous bits.

The main protagonists’ clever role-switching further accentuates the question that nearly every reader of Mary Shelley’s book has asked themselves over the past two centuries: ‘Who is the man and who is the monster?’ Perhaps their distinct interpretations of the Creature reflect the two contrasting schools of thought: one is born pure and the other a sinner. Miller’s Creature seems to subscribe to the latter, while Cumberbatch’s to the former.

Upon meeting the old man’s family, he is once again abused, which prompts him to burn down their house and kill everyone, including his benefactor. The Creature flees to find Frankenstein, having found clues as to his whereabouts in the diary he stole when he fled the scientist’s home.

JONNY LEE MILLER AND BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH. © CATHERINE ASHMORE

As he locates the Frankenstein family, the Creature’s twisted logic dictates that he murders William, Victor’s younger brother, in order to lure his mad maker to him. His plan works like a charm.

As Victor finds him, the Creature asks Frankenstein to build a mate for him, with the promise that once he does, the couple will leave Europe and no one will hear from them again.

Frankenstein obliges and travels to Scotland, leaving behind his patient betrothed Elizabeth (a most gentle Naomie Harris) and his father (a stern yet warm George Harris).

As Victor manages to construct a new creature, female in form this time, his firstborn is promptly besmitten with her and begs Frankenstein to bring her fully to life, explaining that he already loves her.

Another key moment is Victor’s reaction upon hearing the Creature’s detailed account of the physical symptoms of love. Both Frankenstein, and the audience, realise that the scientist himself is incapable of love, having spent his entire life obsessing over his work. He remarks that love is ‘anarchic, volatile, vertiginous, mad. Above all it is uncontrollable!’, perhaps also drawing a parallel between love and the Creature himself.

NAOMIE HARRIS AND JONNY LEE MILLER. © CATHERINE ASHMORE

As the Creature starts to realize that he’s been tricked, Victor hacks the girl’s body, ensuring she would never see the light of day.

Mad with anger, the Creature flees the small hut, only to return a while later on Victor’s wedding day. Managing to avoid a paranoid Frankenstein, who had been expecting his vengeful reappearance ever since, he sneaks into the couple’s bedroom where he meets Elizabeth. She is only the second person to show him understanding and kindness. However, the Creature is only interested in revenge at this point and pays Frankenstein back with the same coin by abusing and murdering his new wife.

Victor Frankenstein leaves his home once more in pursuit of the Creature, following him across continents. When he finally catches up with his creation in the Arctic Circle, they realize they are bound to one another and disappear together into the icy darkness.

National Theatre’s weekly streams are free to watch. However, if you can, please consider supporting the theatre through the coronavirus crisis by donating at nationaltheatre.org.uk or text NTATHOME 10 to 70085 to give £10.

National Theatre has just announced the next collection of plays to be streamed on their Youtube channel for free over the next few weeks.

Following the coronavirus lockdown that has seen theatres around the world lower their curtains indefinitely, National Theatre has launched a Youtube channel dedicated to streaming productions that had been previously screened in cinemas globally as a part of National Theatre Live.

They kicked off their exciting programme on 2 April with Richard Bean’s ‘One Man Two Guvnors’ featuring a Tony Award-winning performance from James Corden, followed by Sally Cookson’s stage adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s ‘Jane Eyre’, Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’, and ‘Twelfth Night’ featuring Tamsin Greig as Malvolia in Shakespeare’s classic comedy.

TOM HIDDLESTON IN CORIOLANUS. © JOHAN PERSSON

Following stellar performances by Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller who exchanged the roles of the Creature and Victor Frankenstein on two consecutive nights (30 April and 1 May, respectively) in Danny Boyle-directed ‘Frankenstein’, Gillian Anderson and Tom Hiddleston are now headlining the next carefully-curated selection of plays.

The streaming schedule for the following weeks is as follows:

7 May – ‘Antony & Cleopatra’, starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo, and directed by Simon Godwin.

14 May – Inua Ellams’ ’Barber Shop Chronicles’, with Fisayo Akinade, Hammed Animashaun, Cyril Nri and Sule Rimi.

21 May – Tennessee Williams’ ’A Streetcar Named Desire’, directed by Benedict Andrews and starring Gillian Anderson as Blanche, Ben Foster as Stanley and Vanessa Kirby as Stella. Fun fact: this is the fastest-selling show in Young Vic history.

28 May – James Graham’s ‘This House’, directed by Jeremy Herrin, and featuring Phil Daniels, Reece Dinsdale, Charles Edwards and Vincent Franklin.

4 June – the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Coriolanus, staged by former Artistic Director Josie Rourke and starring Tom Hiddleston, Alfred Enoch, Deborah Findlay and Mark Gatiss.

Each production will be screened live every Thursday at 7.00pm GMT, and will then be available on demand for seven days.

GILLIAN ANDERSON IN A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. © JOHAN PERSSON

Even though all productions will be streamed for free, National Theatre encourages viewers to donate what they can via Youtube. The money donated will be shared with the co-producing theatre organisations of each stream, including the Donmar Warehouse, Fuel, Leeds Playhouse and the Young Vic, which will help support them during this difficult period of closure.

Lisa Burger, Executive Director and Joint Chief Executive said, ‘I’m delighted that in this next collection of titles to be streamed as part of National Theatre at Home we are including productions from our NT Live partner theatres. When we launched National Theatre at Home last month, we wanted to offer audiences the opportunity to engage with theatre during this time of isolation while we were unable to welcome them to the South Bank or into cinemas.

‘This initiative wouldn’t have been possible without the support of a great number of artists for which we are incredibly grateful. We have been absolutely thrilled by the response from viewers enjoying the productions from right across the globe, and we have also been surprised and delighted at the generous donations we’ve received since closure. Whilst the National Theatre continues to face a precarious financial future, we now feel able to make a payment to all artists involved, as we recognise a great many are also experiencing a particularly challenging time at this moment. While theatres across the world remain closed, we’re pleased that we can continue to bring the best of British theatre directly into people’s homes every Thursday evening.’

Actor Erik Liberman (‘War Paint’, ‘The Band’s Visit’, ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’) has recently launched Bridge to Broadway, an online training platform that connects young professionals with Broadway actors, directors, music directors, composers, lyricists, casting directors, and vocal coaches in behind-the-scenes conversations.

As social distancing seems to force everyone to adapt to the ‘new normal’, Bridge to Broadway came as a swift and welcome solution to help keep theatre students and emerging artists around the world connected with their role models. Furthermore, the initiative supports artists by donating a percentage of all proceeds to The Actors Fund.

The star-studded line-up recently included Tony winners Judith Light, Alan Menken, Harvey Fierstein, Joe Mantello, Victoria Clark, Christopher Gattelli, Joan Lader, Ali Stroker, Michael McElroy, as well as Hamilton’s Javier Muñoz and composer-lyricist Steven Lutvak, to name a few.

JAY DUPLASS

Prominent actor, author, writer, producer and filmmaker Jay Duplass (‘Transparent’, ‘Room 104’, ‘Togetherness’, ‘Wild Wild Country’) will make his guest appearance on Bridge to Broadway on Saturday, 2 May, at 01:00 p.m. EDT.

Jay, together with his brother Mark, recently executive produced the documentary ‘Not Going Quietly’, which was scheduled to premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, but unfortunately missed a Tribeca launch.

The documentary chronicles the life of Ady Barkan, a political activist, lawyer and Be a Hero PAC co-founder diagnosed with ALS who embarks on a nationwide campaign for healthcare reform. Over the course of his career, politicians like Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and others have acknowledged and supported his work.

The perfectly timed documentary comes at a critical time, as the novel coronavirus pandemic keeps highlighting the importance of a solid healthcare system.

NOT GOING QUIETLY. © DUPLASS BROTHERS PRODUCTIONS

According to IndieWire, Jay recently stated that he and his brother had been preparing, unintentionally, for the global crisis brought forth by the pandemic with their ‘epically small’ approach to filmmaking. Their glass-half-full perspective might bring some comfort to filmmakers working on small productions during these difficult times.

Duplass explained, ‘We could be among the first people back on track and shooting. For us to make a small movie, we could take 17 people to a special rural location. We didn’t invent this model, but we’ve gotten good at it, knowing where to spend our time, energy, and resources. Actors can do their own hair and makeup and socially distance, not stacked on top of each other. That isn’t a big incubation risk.’

Jay is also scheduled to star in Amanda Peet’s six-episode series ‘The Chair’, co-starring Killing Eve‘s Sandra Oh. The show, which is executive produced by David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Amanda Peet and Sandra Oh, is set to start shooting in late summer, if the current global situation permits it.

Other notable upcoming guests on Bridge to Broadway in the next few weeks will include Tony-winning actors Andrea Martin, Ben Vereen, and Christine Ebersole, Tony winners André de Shields, Ted Sperling, Michael Cerveris and Ann Reinking, nominees Arian Moyaed, Michele Shay, Michael Berresse, and Austin Pendleton, casting director and AMPAS Board Member Bernie Telsey, showrunner Joshua Safran (‘Gossip Girl’, ‘Smash’), trans-advocate and Broadway/TV actress Alexandra Billings, and Vincent Rodriguez (‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’), among many others.

“This is a time of isolation and financial contraction for many, so we want to engender a spirit of community, accessibility, belonging and above all, service, among participants.”

In addition to actors, directors, writers, producers, casting directors, composers, lyricists, music directors, choreographers, Bridge to Broadway’s roster includes writing coaches, nutritionists, photographers, mental wellness experts, dyslexia specialists, diversity advocates etc., so that conversations transcend the world of acting.

The sessions are structured into a 30-minute interview between Erik and his guest, where they touch upon topics such as the guest’s creative process, pivotal personal and professional junctures and underlying missions, followed by a 30-minute Q&A with the participants. Each session runs for a minimum of one hour, although a few past guests have graciously shared their time and knowledge with the students for up to two hours.

Apart from being packed with invaluable behind-the-scenes tips from industry giants, these mentorship classes also come at a bargain price, so that as many students and industry professionals can join in. Additionally, those who enroll in Class Pass (granting them unlimited access to classes in May) by the end of May 1 will receive a half-hour 1-2-1 coaching session with Erik, who is a seasoned mentor and teaches all over the US.

‘Our sessions are affordable because we don’t believe students should be denied education at any age. This is a time of isolation and financial contraction for many, so we want to engender a spirit of community, accessibility, belonging and above all, service, among participants. We believe that every participant should be able to identify a role model within our roster of guest artists and should feel empowered to give something richer back to their communities after spending time with us!’, Erik explained.

ERIK LIBERMAN. © PETER KONERKO

Chameleonic actor Erik Liberman is recognized for originating roles in several productions on Broadway and off, including ‘War Paint’ with Patti LuPone, ‘The Band’s Visit’ with Tony Shalhoub, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, and Hal Prince’s ‘LoveMusik’. Television work includes ‘Transparent’, ‘Modern Family’, and Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger’s ‘Vinyl’. Liberman has also performed in Carol Burnett’s ‘Hollywood Arms’, portrayed Groucho Marx at the Obama White House, appeared in acclaimed Stephen Sondheim revivals, as well as opposite Topol and Harvey Fierstein in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, later leading the show’s all-star 50th anniversary celebration at New York City’s Town Hall with Chita Rivera.

The Bridge to Broadway series is produced by performer and producer Marissa Lynn Daniel.

For more information and to sign up for classes, head over to https://bridgetobroadwayonline.com/

When TV’s Emmy-winning ‘Fleabag’ ended in April 2019, the show’s loyal followers weren’t quite ready to accept that its eponymous heroine’s journey would end with season 2.

However, Phoebe Waller-Bridge surprised her fans last summer when she announced the play upon which the TV show is based would be back in theatres for a limited run in August. Unsurprisingly, the show was immediately sold out.

In light of the coronavirus crisis which has largely affected the industry, Waller-Bridge has decided to revive the play which will be available to view online for two weeks. All proceeds will go towards four charities dedicated to supporting those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including National Emergency Trust, NHS Charities Together, Acting For Others and Fleabag Support Fund, an initiative which will provide grants of £2500 to freelancers working in the theatre industry.

In the UK you can watch the show via Soho Theatre On Demand right now and it costs £4 (or more, if you wish to further support the causes). ‘Fleabag’ will also be made available to US audiences via Amazon Prime, starting Friday, 10 April.

PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE © JASON HETHERINGTON

Directed by Vicky Jones, the play, which originally premiered in 2013, was staged at the Edinburgh Fringe, at the Soho Theatre, off-Broadway and at the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End.

On the streaming initiative, Waller-Bridge commented: ‘I hope this filmed performance of “Fleabag” can help raise money while providing a little theatrical entertainment in these isolated times. Thank you to all our partners and to the creative team who have waived their royalties from this production to raise money for such vital causes in this unbelievably challenging situation.

‘All money raised will support the people throughout our society who are fighting for us on the frontlines and those financially devastated by the crisis, including those in the theatre community. Thank you in advance to those who donate. Now go get into bed with Fleabag! It’s for charity! Px’

As West End and Broadway theatres closed their doors to the public in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, musical theatre giant Andrew Lloyd Webber teamed up with Universal to stream some of the filmed versions of his shows on the newly-created and aptly named Youtube channel, ‘The Shows Must Go On!’.

According to the composer: ‘Universal have come up with the idea of a whole series called The Shows Must Go On, which is about musicals going from stage to screen.’

DONNY OSMOND IN JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT

The first musical in this series to air will be the 2000 version of ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’, starring Donny Osmond, Maria Friedman, Sir Richard Attenborough and Dame Joan Collins. The full-length show will be available to watch for 48 hours, starting on Friday, 3 April at 7pm GMT.

Next week’s musical will be ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, recorded in 2012 and starring Ben Forster as Jesus, Tim Minchin as Judas, Spice Girl Melanie C as Mary Magdalene and Chris Moyles as King Herod.

TIM MINCHIN AS JUDAS

The series will continue every Friday for the next few weeks.

While it is unclear at this time for how long musical theatre enthusiasts will be treated to the famous performances, what we do know so far is that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1975 show ‘By Jeeves’ is on the cards sometime in the near future and that the channel will also feature behind-the-scene footage and other short clips.

Although the service is free, the composer does encourage anyone who is able to help the theatre industry to make a donation through one of the charities listed on the channel’s page, including Acting For Others, Broadway Cares and the Actors Benevolent Fund.

Earlier this week, Andrew Lloyd Webber has recorded a beautiful virtual performance of ‘All I Ask of You’ together with the West End’s ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ orchestra, proving that the composer has swiftly adapted to the global crisis we all suddenly found ourselves in and that he will be making sure we all stay connected through the wonder of music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o04ECIpQFi0