George Takei in the musical 'Allegiance': Your quarantine must-watch of the day
Long before he was Mr. Sulu on “Star Trek” or the social media star that he is today, George Takei was a Japanese American kid growing up here in California.
Then came World War II, when Takei, his family and tens of thousands of other Americans of Japanese ancestry were stripped of their rights by the U.S. government and forced into internment camps. A lifetime later, Takei's childhood experiences served as inspiration for the historical musical “Allegiance.”
Broadway on Demand will stream a performance from the show’s 2015 Broadway run, headlined by Takei and Tony winner Lea Salonga (“Miss Saigon”). The event starts at 4:30 p.m. Friday with a virtual red carpet featuring the cast and creative team, followed by the premiere at 5 p.m. Both can be streamed for 48 hours for $14.99 at broadwayondemand.com. The production, minus the preshow, will be available on demand thereafter for $8.99.
Looking for other ways to engage with culture during your coronavirus quarantine? We'll continue to share picks for streaming concerts, online musicals, virtual art exhibitions and more. Here's Friday's list, all times Pacific.
“Breaking the Waves”
Opera Philadelphia’s Digital Festival O concludes with a 2016 performance of composer Missy Mazzoli’s dark musical drama based on the 1998 Lars von Trier film (in English with English subtitles). 5 p.m. Friday, with a preshow conversation with the creative team at 4 p.m.; on demand through Aug. 31. Free; donations accepted for the company. operaphila.org and youtube.com/operaphila
“Undercover Episode 018: Home Video”
Company members from Hubbard Street Dance Chicago come together virtually for a live performance of this new installment in choreographer Robyn Mineko Williams’ site-specific dance series. 4:30 p.m. Friday. Free; donations accepted for the artists. undercoverepisodes.com, robynminekowilliams.com/see, hubbardstreetdance.com or vimeo.com
“Hairspray Live!”
Watch the star-studded 2016 TV adaptation of the stage musical based on John Waters' 1988 indie comedy about a dance-crazy, plus-sized teen in 1960s Baltimore. It stars Maddie Baillio, Dove Cameron, Kristin Chenoweth, Harvey Fierstein, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson and Rosie O’Donnell. 11 a.m. Friday; available for 48 hours. Free. youtube.com
Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra
The L.A.-based conductor-less orchestra streams a full-length 2015 performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 4 featuring soprano Janai Brugger. Available anytime. Free. youtube.com
“21st Century Choreographers”
New York City Ballet wraps its digital spring season with a program featuring recent work by Kyle Abraham, Alexei Ratmanksy and others. 5 p.m. Friday. Free. nycballet.com, facebook.com/nycballet and youtube.com
“maɬni — towards the ocean, towards the shore”
Film at LACMA, the Autry Museum of the American West and Los Angeles Nomadic Division copresent a screening of this allegorical, feature-length 2020 work from Native American filmmaker Sky Hopinka. A live Q&A follows. 6 p.m. Friday. Free. lacma.org
WE Improv Comedy Festival
This two-day laughfest features more than 60 acts from all over the country. 4 to 11:30 p.m. Friday, 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Free; donations accepted for the charities No Us Without You and National Bail Out. twitch.tv/weimprov
And an early heads-up for Saturday ...
From a studio in Berlin, the pianist Igor Levit attempts a live 20-hour marathon performance of composer Erik Satie's epic 19th-century work “Vexations.” It starts at 5 a.m. Saturday, which is why you get the warning on Friday. Free. thegilmore.org and youtube.com
Our recurring coronavirus-era recommendations are indexed in the same place arts event listings (sigh) used to post.
