From my work-from-home station!

Dearest Family and Friends,

     I hope this email finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe. It’s been a while since I last wrote, which was in the first days of the coronavirus shutdown. Since those initial hours, life has changed completely, though the days seem the same; I’m sure you can relate. I’ve experienced rollercoaster emotions—days when I feel joyful and positive and energized and days when I feel sad and hopeless and weary. In fact, just a few days ago, I came out of a pretty down week. A sadness—wondering when I’d get to see friends again, when I’d get to go out and dance in a bar again, when I’d get to sit in a theatre again—weighed me down. And then, on Wednesday night, theatre rescued me.

     The Public Theater presented a livestream of a brand new play by Richard Nelson. Nelson is the author of the Rhinebeck Plays about families in upstate New York: the Apples, the Gabriels, and the Michaels. The Apple Family plays first began in 2014. There were four dramas, all done in real time and set in their current moment. Well, Nelson wrote a new Apple family play What Do We Need to Talk About?. Let me tell you: That hour made me feel like theatre is not dead. Written as a Zoom call between the Apples, who, like us, are in the middle of the COVID-19 crises, it was a testament to the undeniable prowess of a group of actors and the inventiveness of a playwright who refuses to see our circumstance as a limitation. Though I cannot wait to sit together—close together—in a theatre again, this glimmer of creativity healed me in the way only theatre can. Amidst all the current content noise, examples of quality art have emerged. Michael Urie’s live solo performance of Buyer & Cellar, Jason Robert Brown’s 58th SubCulture Residency Concert, the Sondheim Concert. They’re happening.

     But I also want to hold space for the un-creation, if you will. As I wrote in my last email, this is an opportunity to pause—whatever that means to you. I personally feel as busy as ever (working, guesting on podcasts like The Ensemblist's Best of the Season, speaking for students, etc.), but I force myself to pause the work for at least one full day each week. I sleep, I read, I take Pilates with my dear friend Sarah (join us!), and I’ve gotten back to dancing for the first time in a decade!

     I am still in New York and I love being here. There is a camaraderie among us New Yorkers. Nothing makes me happier or more proud to be a New Yorker than the daily 7PM shoutout. As we literally hang out our windows, whooping and hollering and banging pots and pans and waving to each other in gratitude to our essential workers, healthcare professionals, and first responders, I beam. This is what it means to be New York tough. We weather the storm. We’re loud. We’re thoughtful. We’re caring. We’re creative. We're unstoppable.

     I know I am extremely fortunate to have my health and my job. To anyone who has lost a loved one, who has a sick relative or friend, who is sick themselves, I am sending you so much strength. Over the past weeks I’ve been stricken with fear over friends who’ve tested positive—most of whom have recovered. My friend Nick Cordero, who many of you have probably heard about, continues to battle for his life. That man is a fighter. Every day, I dance to his song “Live Your Life” along with thousands of people around the world as we send thoughts, prayers, and energy to #wakeupnick. If you feel compelled, I’d love for you to join us in the dancing and singing or just in the praying and thoughtfulness. (You can also donate to the GoFundMe for Nick and his family.) His wife Amanda is sheer inspiration. 

     This was certainly one of my longest emails (saying something), but if you’ve made it here, thank you for your love and continued support. I have LOTS of goodies for you this month including: ways you can help support communities in need; lists on lists on lists of the musicals, plays, movie musicals, musical TV shows, and more to stream right now; plus the usual fun interviews to take your mind off things, and my recommendations. Sending you so much love, Ruthie

Recommendations: 

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

To bide your time until theatre comes back…

1. Fake Doctors Real Friends. This is the number one thing that brings me joy these days. For those of you who don’t know, I’m a huge Scrubs fan. It is my favorite TV comedy ever. If you’ve never watched, time to start. (Full series on Hulu.) It’s the most amazing show about friendship and it is HILARIOUS. Turk and J.D. are the best friends ever written for TV. (I also dare you not to fall in love with Dr. Cox’s sarcasm and breathless rants.) J.D. is a daydreamer and the weirdo fantasy sequences just work. All this to say... Zach Braff (who played J.D.) and Donald Faison (who played Turk) have a new Scrubs re-watch podcast; each podcast episode covers one 22-minute Scrubs episode with the greatest banter and coolest behind-the-scenes secrets. The two bubble with charisma and kindness—and the fact that they love musicals doesn’t hurt. Listen to the Fake Doctors Real Friends theme song and tell me you don’t want to hear more.

2. Beach Read. Got this one as part of my Book of the Month deal. It is exactly what I wanted. Joyful without being frivolous, easy yet well-crafted, the romance by Emily Henry is the read you need. The story follows two authors—one a writer of romance, one a writer of literary fiction—who wind up living next door to each other. It’s a Harry Met Sally kind of story as the two take on a bet: She will write the next “Great American novel” and get all Holden Caufield and he will write a juicy relationship tale. Whoever sells their book first, wins. Nothing like competition to light a spark. I devoured it in four days. You should, too.

3. The Starless Sea. I am newly in love with Erin Morgenstern. I didn’t read The Night Circus (it’s now on my list), but this is her second novel. Not gonna lie, it took me longer than usual to get into it, but once I did—my goodness. Her style is completely different from anything I’ve ever read. The novel is like the adult version of The Phantom Tollbooth, a fantasy about books and stories, why we tell them, who they’re meant for. There are a lot of layers here, it’s not linear—but I kind of love that. Her imagery alone is worth the read, if for no other reason than the provision of stunning mental pictures to dream in.

4. RuPaul’s Drag Race. My sister is going to be the most happy to see this on my list. After one previous failed attempt to get into Drag Race, I have given it another shot with the current Season 12 and I am officially obsessed. Yes, I have started from the beginning with Season 1—which is, itself, a time capsule. We’re in quarantine, why not take it from the top? (Watch on Hulu, Sling, Prime.) The reality competition to crown the next drag superstar is a guaranteed cheer-up. The glitter and wigs alone should slap a smile on your face. The brightness and vibrancy of the show makes my heart happy. To watch the glamour and high fashion fuse with comedy, music, and dance… it’s an embarrassment of “uniqueness, charisma, nerve, and talent.” But the best part is that RuPaul feels, in her own way, like a kind of Oprah. He is a beacon of light teaching us all to love ourselves, to look inside and embrace the crazy and the confident. As Ru always says: Drag isn’t about hiding, it actually reveals who you are. And Drag Race feels like one big celebration.

5. Legally Blonde: The Musical. You guys. I have learned there are people who never saw Legally Blonde: The Musical and I am stunned. This musical actually fell prey to the Legally Blonde problem itself—people saw “movie musical” and a pink marquee and dismissed it. But what did we learn if nothing else from Elle Woods? You can be pretty and powerful. The book by Heather Hach is heartfelt, laugh-out-loud, charming, and honest. Music should not be allowed to be this catchy (shoutout to Laurence O’Keefe) and the lyrics by Nell Benjamin are just too clever. Combine that with Jerry Mitchell flash-and-splash and next level performances by Laura Bell Bundy, Annaleigh Ashford, and Christian Borle (all before they were simply Laura Bell, Annaleigh, and Christian) and the entire cast. (I am obsessed with Gaelen Gilliland and Kevin Pariseau to this day.) There are some not-totally-kosher ways to watch if you don’t know someone with a copy of the MTV filmed performance; but I also have a feeling that with all of the theatrical streams, archival releases, and whatnot, we might get a fully kosher release soon. Keep your eyes peeled.

6. Singin' in the Rain. I feel I should include at least one musical I know you can watch. If you have never watched this Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor masterpiece GET ON IT. I don't feel like I should have to say more but, in case I do: epic tap dancing, Gene Kelly soft-shoeing and singing in milk (just so that the camera could pick up the droplets of rain), tap dancing, that feel of old Hollywood glamour, and tap dancing. 

BONUS: I am only two epsiodes in to the new Netflix original series Never Have I Ever, so too soon for an official verdict/recommdation, but so far it's a perfectly "now" high school comedy, John McEnroe narrates it, and my friend Adam Shapiro is NAILING as the woke high school history teacher.

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 Playbill.com and RuthieFierberg.com, and thank you for your enduring support.