Dear Family and Friends,

     My July newsletter coming in just under the wire. I hope everyone is enjoying summer! I’ve been taking a big bite out of life however I can. I’ve regularly gone to the theatre! I’ve attended concerts! I caught the tail end of a Monday night drag show! I jumped waves at the beach! Still, I want so much more. It’s time to indulge in life.

     My latest indulgence: Adrienne Warren & Friends at Bryant Park Picnic Performances last night. There is simply no one like her—vocally and in spirit. A Tony nominee for the title role in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Adrienne let it rip last night. Her first song was Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” But as incredible a solo artist as she is, the power of the concert was the “& Friends.” Adrienne invited Jhardon Milton and Matthew Griffin (who play her sons in Tina) to share the stage with her in a R&B rendition of “Before the Parade Passes By” and later yielded the stage to them for the only version of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend” I ever want to hear again. I cried during her duet of “Hallelujah” with her friend Ashley Loren. My jaw hit the floor when Amber Iman threw down with the solo “Be My Husband” (never in my life have I heard anything like that), but my heart filled to the sky watching Adrienne beam at her friend. The inspiration for her concert was doing “what I couldn’t in quarantine: sing with my friends.” Her solo numbers slayed, but when her voice fused with friends’, that’s what moved us. (Check out videos from the concert on my Instagram.)

     The entire experience re-invigorated my gratitude for my own deep friendships. The people who keep me and my dreams afloat. The people who join me on my metaphorical stage. Who are your “& Friends”? Keep them close. Thank them and shine the spotlight on them, too.

     Thinking of Adrienne also always makes me think of the Covenant House. She and I slept out together a couple years ago (as you can see in the photo above). What is a Sleep Out, you ask? It’s an annual event to raise awareness and funds to help homeless youth. We sleep out on the street as an act of solidarity and so they don’t have to. This is my fourth Sleep Out (you can read about my past ones here and here) and I would love to have your support. Covenant House has saved more than 1 million homeless youth since its inception; they offering housing and support services to 50,000 kids and adolescents each year. Please consider donating any amount here. If you are unable to donate, spread the word! Re-gram my posts (@ruthiefierceberg) and pass this letter along to someone who might be able to donate. I know this is a trying time.

     As cases rates rise once more and anxiety looms, I want to remind everyone that research shows going to the theatre is as safe as flying and safer than eating at a restaurant—if we wear masks and increase airflow. The reason I wrote my magnum opus and published it one year into the pandemic is because I knew that this information would still apply for months and years to come. As I wrote: “Even the most effective inoculations don’t eradicate the risk of all illness—not to mention uncertainties regarding variants, spikes, and future pandemics experts say are on the way. Now is the time to prepare.” If you didn’t read the article when I first published in March, absolutely read it now or listen to the new audio version I released this past month as a bonus episode of Why We Theater! You can hear all of my sources in their own voices—very This American Life. Listen wherever you listen to podcasts.

     I also recently published a follow-up to my feature; this piece delves into Broadway Advocacy Coalition’s new program, Reimagining Equitable Productions. If you want to understand the concrete details about how the program will sow anti-racism backstage (and how you can apply it to your own non-theatre workplace), read it here. On the subject of Why We Theater, thank you all for your abundant patience as I create Season 2. I am halfway through recording this season’s episodes, so you will have more ear candy/thinking fodder soon. As always, my monthly recommendations and the calendar of events is below. Make the most of the dog days of summer. Love and all that jazz, Ruthie

Brian Stokes Mitchell sings "Make Them Hear You" from Ragtime at Lincoln Center.

August Mark Your Calendar

Here's a curated look at what's on tap in New York this August:

Pass Over

Beginning August 4; Tickets here

Though Springsteen on Broadway has been running, Pass Over marks the first traditional show to open on Broadway. The new play from Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu debuted Off-Broadway at Lincoln Center Theater. I wasn’t able to catch it then, but the buzz had been strong. I’m most excited about this cast: Gabriel Ebert, who won the Tony for his spot-on outlandishness in Matilda the Musical but who has also played beautifully subdued characters in Gently Down the Stream opposite Harvey Fierstein and Time and the Conways; Jon Michael Hill, who I loved in this little indie film No Pay Nudity where he held is own alongside Gabriel Byrne, Boyd Gaines, Patricia Clarkson, and Nathan Lane; and Namir Smallwood, with whom I have been obsessed since seeing him in Pipeline. Namir is one of the finest actors I’ve ever seen and soon the world will know! Performances begin August 4 and opening night is officially September 12.

The Watering Hole

Through August 8; Tickets here

From two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage (Intimate Apparel, Sweat) and director Miranda Haymon present an immersive installation experience. I haven't seen this one myself, but I've never seen a Lynn Nottage work I haven't liked. Also, Francis Jue and Kenita Miller are in the cast. There is a pay-what-you-choose option, if needed.

Merry Wives of Windsor

July 6–September 18; Free tickets via lottery

Looking for those Jocelyn Bioh fans out there! The School Girls; Or the African Mean Girls Play writer (a.k.a. the inspiration behind the debut episode of Why We Theater) adapts this Shakespearean classic for The Public Theater's outdoor Delacorte stage. The entire cast is fire, with standout names that include Gbenga Akinnagbe (To Kill a Mockingbird), Pascale Armand (Eclipsed), Kyle Scatliffe (The Color Purple), and Susan Kalechi Watson (This Is Us).

The Show Must Go On Premiere

August 9; Majestic Theatre on Broadway; $27-57 Tickets here

My dear friend and director extraordinaire Sammi Cannold (Evita at City Center) made this documentary about the companies of Cats and The Phantom of the Opera that continued to perform theatre in Seoul, South Korea as the pandemic raged in the summer of 2020. You may recall my mention of the doc in my magnum opus. The film premieres at the Majestic Theatre as a benefit for The Actors Fund. Live performances will precede the screening.

Bryant Park Picnic Performances

Throughout August; Free; Register here

Looking for outdoor entertainment? Bryant Park’s stage is up and running. If Adrienne Warren & Friends was any indication, this will all be fantastic. Check out August programming here, which includes The Limón Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance, and more.

Little Island opened earlier this summer at Pier 55 on the Hudson River. Because of COVID, you do need to register for an entry time slot, but it is free. The public space offers an oasis of nature and art. I went last month to Marcus Paul James’ show in The Glade. I had one of those moments when I felt ridiculously lucky as I sat on the water, under the stars, amidst the lush greenery of this new park, listening to music for free. Find the full event calendar here.

Thursdays at The Sanctuary

As I mentioned in my last letter, my cousin Jonah Bobo is a stellar musician. He and his band play live music every Thursday night from 7-10pm at The Sanctuary on Roosevelt Island. Grab a drink or a wood-fired flatbread in the open air by the water and listen to them riff. No cover. No minimum.

Feinstein’s/54 Below is back with a vengeance. They’ve got a full calendar in August, with at least one act each night. Allow me to flag for you: André De Shields (August 3-7), Amber Iman (August 10-14), Anastacia McCleskey (August 12), and Norbert Leo Butz (August 19-21). Tickets here.

Recommendations: 

*If these recommendations inspire you to check out something new, I’d love to know! Tag your post about it with #ruthierecommends.

1. Raya and the Last Dragon. I know I sang the praises of Luca last month (and I stand by that rec), but Disney Animation’s Raya is even better. Written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim and directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, Raya begins with some serious Coco vibes, though this time illustrating the ancestral lore of the land of Kumandra rather than a single family’s lore. Kumandra was a land where dragons and humans thrived amongst one another. But when a plague (known as the Druun) attacks Kumandra, a sacrifice causes the land to fracture into five colonies: Heart, Spine, Talon, Fang, and Tail. The movie follows Raya’s epic quest to reunite the five regions and it gives some serious Xena Warrior Princess vibes. Raya is a badass, and she faces off against other badass women. The fight sequences are charged and physical, but the characters also possess cunning and care. Awkwafina should win an Oscar for voice acting (can that category be a thing?) as Sisu the dragon. She is the voice of wisdom we all need to hear—adults, especially. The animation is stunning. The humor from a mountain of sidekicks really got me. I laughed, I cried, and decided I want to live in Kumandra. Who’s coming with?

2. Schmigadoon. As your resident link to theatre, I feel it is my duty to report on the new musical comedy series from Apple TV+. A total spoof of Brigadoon, Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong play a couple whose relationship just isn’t working. While on a couples bonding trip, they get lost on a hike and stumble into the town of Schmigadoon, where everything is a musical. The cast is UNREAL. Alan Cumming as the closeted mayor and Ann Harada as his naive wife, Kristin Chenoweth as the pastor’s wife (a.k.a. puritanical watchdog), Fred Armison as her leashed pastor husband, Aaron Tveit as the carnival barker, Dove Cameron as the country maiden, Jaime Camil as the town’s handsome doctor, Martin Short as a random leprechaun… Spot. On. The musical numbers are fantastically executed—expertly sung and danced to technical perfection. Every number pokes fun at the Oklahoma!s and Carousels of the world. It’s very Rodgers & Hammerstein. If you want that nostalgia, this is for you. I will say that it is a little too self-aware. Key and Strong, as the grounded “real world” characters, often comment aloud about the problematic lines and themes that ran through classic musicals. The fact that it’s a parody could (and should) speak for itself. But, it’s only been four episodes so we’ll see how it goes. It is most certainly worth watching the half-hour episodes to watch these Broadway magnates NAIL and these ensemblists WERK.

3. You’re Wrong About: "Cancel Culture." Hosted by Michael Hobbes (a reporter for the Huffington Post) and Sarah Marshall (who is working on a book about the Satanic Panic), this podcast resurrects widely held beliefs and stories that we think we know, but were “wrong about.” Michael and Sarah are both heavy researchers—which I love. They bring in passages from relevant books, do table-reads of interview transcripts, play the audio of related clips, etc. I started with their five-part series on Princess Diana (highly recommend as a supplement to The Crown) and have listened to 10 out of we-don’t-yet-know-how-many parts of The OJ Simpson Trial. But today I want to recommend the episode “Cancel Culture.” (If you’re feeling ambitious, you might want to first listen to their episode on “The Chicks vs The Iraq War” and then “Cancel Culture.”) Michael and Sarah do a phenomenal job of explaining where the term came from, what it actually applies to, the factual effects of “being canceled,” and more. Another great one about misinformation, social media, and generational differences is “Losing Relatives to Fox News.” There isn’t actually all that much about Fox News—more a discussion of the liberal media, conservative media, and social media.

4. Atonement. The novel by Ian McEwan debuted in 2003. You might know it better as the Kiera Knightly starrer and Siaorse Ronan star-maker. Well, I finally read the book and it is superb. McEwan writes from multiple perspectives throughout, but his genius shines most through precocious Briony in Part 1 as he captures her simultaneously innocent and sinister nature. He’s also a master of plot. Books of gorgeous prose and plot twists are rare, so I have to recommend them when I can.

5. Resort to Love. If you’re in the mood for a great chick-flick, Netflix will provide. Christina Milian puts her voice to good use as Erica, a singer whose fiancé left her in New York (where the music is) for a job in Charleston. Her professional prospects bomb when a major recording artist scraps the album she was about to debut on. So, Erica flies off to work as the singer at a resort on Mauritius. She’s a mess because she has to sing a lot of weddings, but it all becomes way more complicated when her ex-fiancé Jason (Jay Pharoah) shows up for his own destination wedding. His fianceé Beverly is oh so excited to meet a New York “friend” of Jason’s and begins inviting Erica everywhere. There’s a bit of My Best Friend’s Wedding in here, but without the women actually hating each other. There’s also a love triangle going on with Jason’s brother. In a moment when we all need to believe in love, female bonding, and watch sexy men on a beach (No? Just me?) this is our my answer.

6. Ted Lasso Season 2. The wait is over. The second season of Jason Sudeikis’ Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated series is back on Apple TV+. This is the pinnacle of sweet yet smart television. If you didn’t watch Season 1, WHAT ARE YOU DOING READING THIS? Catch up on the ten half-hour episodes and then dive right in to Season 2.

Keep an eye out for…

These are pre-recommendations, works that have not yet begun performances but are on my radar. In order of excitement: The Lehman Trilogy begins performances on Broadway September 25 after a COVID delay from 2020. The story of the Lehman brothers, the drama received absolute raves in London and from its Park Avenue Armory run. Jocelyn Bioh’s Nollywood Dreams opens Off-Broadway this October (exact date TBD) at MCC Theater after its COVID delay. The playwright of School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play next tackles the scene of Nigerian Hollywood. Finally, Lackawana Blues hits MTC on Broadway September 15. Written, directed, and performed by Tony-winning director Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Jitney), the story of Santiago-Hudson's own upbringing by Miss Rachel. Now, it comes to New York with original music by Bill Sims Jr. (also Jitney) and Blues Hall of Fame guitarist Junior Mack. 

My Philosophy

I believe in art's power to create change. Art—particularly theatre—can help us reflect, determine, and, sometimes, change our beliefs. I hope that you all continue to engage with the storytelling and art around you—wherever you are and whatever level—and that you entertain different points of view. Advocate for your principles while always leaving room to hear others and evolve. Let's stay engaged, thoughtful, and active. 

As always, if you need show recommendations or if you have theatre questions, please get in touch! I LOVE to answer. Keep tabs on RuthieFierberg.com. 

Thank you for your enduring support.