As the next offering in Manhattan Theatre Club’s virtual Curtain Call series celebrating acclaimed past productions, two-time Obie Award winner and Tony nominee Charlayne Woodard (Ain’t Misbehavin’) returns to perform an online reading of her solo show Neat. Written by Woodard and originally presented at MTC in 1997, the inspiring coming-of-age story, based on real-life remembrances of her eponymous disabled aunt, paints a compelling portrait of a young woman’s journey through prejudice in the South to racial violence in the North. While reminiscing with honesty and wonder about teenage fashion, hairdos, and pop music, family relations, friendship, and religion, she masterfully voices all of the characters in her recollections, and comes to the uplifting realization that some of life’s most difficult times can also be the most fulfilling.
The production, featuring original music by acclaimed Rolling Stones bassist Darryl Jones, will stream on demand from Thursday, April 15-Sunday, April 25. Tickets are free and can be reserved online. Closed captioning is available.
On May 2, Titanique: The Maiden Voyage Concert, with a hilarious cast including stage and screen star Frankie Grande (Rock of Ages; Mamma Mia!), will livestream for one night only. Before that, you can get the historical facts and background of the real events parodied in the musical in a special digital conversation from the South Street Seaport Museum. April 15 is Titanic Remembrance Day, and the museum is observing the annual commemoration with Beyond Titanic: Travel and Immigration in the Era of Ocean Liners, beginning at 6 pm.
Author, travel writer, and lecturer Theodore W. Scull will explore the beginnings of transatlantic travel and the development of the steamship in the 19th century, and historian and educator William Roka (who served as Public Programs Manager at the museum from 2016-18) will introduce the great liners of the 1900s-1920s, the contexts in which the Titanic was built, and the legacies tied to the fatal sinking. Moderated by Director of Collections Martina Caruso, the program will be illustrated by materials from the institution’s collection and archives. The event is free, but registration is required. To RSVP, visit the Seaport Museum website. A brief Q&A with the guest speakers will follow the presentation.
