Pasadena Playhouse Announces Programming For PlayhouseLive

Pasadena Playhouse announces Fall Programming for PlayhouseLive, a first-of-its-kind nonprofit streaming platform to showcase theatrical productions to a national and international audience, launching online September 30. With the continuation of the Playhouse's efforts as the State Theater of California, PlayhouseLive productions will offer a broad range of voices and perspectives while ensuring that access to the programming will remain accessible to the widest possible audience.

Pay-per-view theatrical streaming events will include: poet, performance artist and professor Javon Johnson in Still., a timely one-man performance about the complexities of the Black experience, commissioned by Pasadena Playhouse; the premiere of Jerry Herman: You I Like, a new musical revue dedicated to the works of legendary Broadway composer/lyricist Jerry Herman; new works from Ojai Playwrights Conference; and family entertainment from the Bob Baker Marionette Theater.

In addition, the debut programming will feature the pilot episodes of four new series:
In Development gives an insiders' look at unproduced theatrical works as they are introduced to the world for the first time. The first episode will feature Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman performing excerpts from Iceboy!, a new musical by Mark Hollman, Jay Reiss and Erin Quinn Purcell.

Intermission with Hashtag Booked features celebrity interviews hosted by LaNisa Frederick and Danielle Pinnock, a comedic duo that started the web series Hashtag Booked. Their first guest will be acclaimed actor Alfred Molina.

Page to Stage takes you behind the curtain to explore the theatrical journey from conception to opening night. In Page to Stage: Little Shop of Horrors, the creative team at Pasadena Playhouse takes you from rehearsal to opening night of their groundbreaking revival; featuring interviews with George Salazar, MJ Rodriguez and Amber Riley. Page to Stage is free to the public.

From the Archives celebrates the unique impact regional theater has had across generations in shaping American culture. Initial episodes include a silent film featuring rare vintage footage of the Playhouse from the 1930s; a documentary short chronicling the years the Playhouse went dark (1968 through 1984) and the journey of the extraordinary woman who kept the hope alive to bring the historic theater back; and a fascinating look at the historic 1928 production of Eugene O'Neill's Lazarus Laughed which brought 151 actors together to perform 420 roles in a four-act play - this unforgettable production put Pasadena Playhouse on the map.

PlayhouseLive will also feature educational programming, including The Everyday Avant Garde in Black Theatre Making, led by award winning writer, composer, and performer Eisa Davis, Shakespeare Masterclass, led by internationally-recognized director and actor Rob Clare, Basics of Stage Management, led by Broadway stage managers Kathleen Purvis and Andrew Neal, and the return of Adam Epstein with The Contemporary Broadway Musical and Janet Fontaine with Playtime with Miss Janet.

To get more information about PlayhouseLive and its programming, including new announcements and pricing specials, sign up for the newsletter at www.playhouselive.org.

PlayhouseLive Membership is being launched with a free trial period through December 2020. Pay-per-view theatrical streaming events start at $14.99. Pasadena Playhouse Members will receive full access to the content on PlayhouseLive throughout the 20/21 season. Content release dates for PlayhouseLive may vary.

Producing Artistic Director Danny Feldman says, "PlayhouseLive is a new way for audiences and artists to connect during this pause of in-person programming. With a bold new commissioned work about the Black experience in America, a musical celebration of the great Jerry Herman, and a series of shows bringing theater lovers backstage, there is something for everyone. While PlayhouseLive is not a replacement of live theater, it is a high-quality alternative that harnesses the power of theater in an all new way.

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