Anna Daniels
With at least another month of self-quarantine in place as the United States attempts to slow the spread of coronavirus, entertainment companies are doing their part to help people stuck at home pass the time with a variety of content. HBO just opened up a bunch of their premium shows and movies for free, J.K. Rowling created a Harry Potter hub for kids and teachers at home, and a new batch of fun opportunities just became available for your home entertainment pleasure.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge‘s live theater performance of Fleabag, which inspired the Emmy-winning series of the same name, and Disney’s 25th anniversary Broadway benefit concert will both be streamed online to help support a number of charities helping people during the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, David Harbour is getting more personal with fans by offering up a phone number for fans to text in an attempt to connect with people when they need it most. Get the details on all of that below.
Fleabag Stage Performance Streaming on Amazon This Week
Phoebe Waller-Bridge won plenty of Emmys for the Amazon original series Fleabag, but before her story became a streaming sensation, it was a one-woman theater performance. Now you can see the staged version of Fleabag as it was performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre in 2019.
The recorded performance of Fleabag will first be available in the United Kingdom and Ireland through Soho Theatre’s On Demand streaming site starting today, April 6. Later this week on April 10, Fleabag will start streaming on Amazon Prime in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. But it won’t be free.
In order to watch the Fleabag live performance, you’ll have to pay $5. Fees will be going to The National Emergencies Trust, NHS Charities Together, Acting For Others, and the Fleabag Support Fund. There will also be an unnamed charity in the United States that will receive money collected for this donation drive. Here’s Waller-Bridge’s statement (via Deadline) on the live performance being streamed:
“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.”
Disney’s Broadway Anniversary Concert Streaming on April 13
Since there’s a lot less Disney magic in the world right now thanks to theme parks being closed and movies like Mulan being pushed back to later in 2020, Disney is trying to offer other forms of entertainment at home while also helping in the fight against coronavirus. The House of Mouse will be streaming a one-night-only, sold out benefit concert which featured 79 stage performers paying tribute to 25 years of Disney on Broadway.
On April 13, in conjunction with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund, Disney will be streaming the concert Celebrating 25 Magical Years of Disney on Broadway, as it was performed on November 4 last year at the New Amsterdam Theatre. It appears the stream will be free, but donations will be accepted throughout the broadcast, which will be hosted live by Ryan McCartan (Frozen, TV’s Liv and Maddie), and will include interviews with Disney stars from their homes.
You’ll be able to watch the Disney Broadway anniversary concert over at BroadwayCares.org, the BCEFA YouTube channel, the BCEFA Facebook page, Playbill.com, ABC7NY.com, and several other sites from the ABC Owned Television Stations around the United States. The show starts at 7:oo P.M. EST on April 13.
For all you Broadway fans out there, here’s the list of performers you’ll see on the show:
Jelani Alladin (Hercules), Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid, School of Rock – The Musical), Christian Borle (Little Shop of Horrors, Mary Poppins), Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Kerry Butler (Beetlejuice, Beauty and the Beast), Lauryn Ciardullo (Aladdin), Gavin Creel (Hello, Dolly!, Waitress), Merle Dandridge (Tarzan, Aida), Lindiwe Dlamini (The Lion King), Bongi Duma (The Lion King), Susan Egan (Beauty and the Beast), Andrew Barth Feldman (Dear Evan Hansen), Bradley Gibson (The Lion King), Whoopi Goldberg (TV’s The View), Mandy Gonzalez (Hamilton, Aida), April Holloway (Aladdin), James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin, Hamilton), Adam Jacobs (Aladdin), Ramona Keller (Hercules), Nina LaFarga (Frozen), Tamika Lawrence (Hercules, Come From Away), Norm Lewis (Once on This Island, The Little Mermaid), Kara Lindsay (Newsies, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical), Tshidi Manye (The Lion King), Sbusiso Ngema (The Lion King), Ashley Park (Mean Girls, Grand Horizons), Adam Pascal (Rent), Krysta Rodriguez (Hercules), Michael James Scott (Aladdin), Sherie Rene Scott (The Little Mermaid), Kissy Simmons (The Lion King), Josh Strickland (Tarzan), Katie Terza (Aladdin), Marisha Wallace (Aladdin, Something Rotten!), Rema Webb (Hercules, The Lion King), Alton Fitzgerald White (The Lion King) and Syndee Winters (Hamilton, The Lion King).
David Harbour Posts Phone Number for Fans to Text Him
Like most of us, David Harbour appears to be really bored while sitting at home. That’s why he’s signed up for an app called Community that allows celebrities to set up a phone number where fans can text them and hopfeully get a real response. There’s no guarantee that he’ll get to all of the messages, but it’s a fun way that fans can connect with the Stranger Things star, possibly getting a nice pick-me-up during this difficult time.
In the Instagram video above, Harbour has posted the phone number fans can text, but he doesn’t just want to hear that you love his movies and TV shows. Harbour says that he actually wants to know about who you are, what you do, how you’re feeling in the time of coronavirus, and he teases the possibility of maybe rounding up some fans to do some kind of project or just connect easier in the future, especially those who might need help.
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