Don’t Miss It! Online Only Briefly Events

With our doors closed, you may be missing the Gene Siskel Film Center -- but we don't want you to miss out on the latest art house films! We're partnering with our favorite distributors to present new and noteworthy independent and international cinema on a screen (very!) near you.

Keep checking in for our updated streaming schedule, noting that new films will continue to be added as they're confirmed. Please also note that each film has its own streaming procedures, pricing, and availability--but none cost more than the price of a movie ticket!

A portion of all proceeds--from streaming films through the Film Center or contributing to our ongoing fundraising initiatives--will help keep the Film Center operating during this time and help ensure we will all watch movies together again at our theaters.

To stay connected in the meantime, we invite you to share your thoughts in the Facebook events we’ve created for each film we’re streaming and to tune in to our “Screen to Screen” discussions, where you can enjoy interactive, virtual Q&As with filmmakers, cast, crew, and other special guests all from the comfort of your sofa (and sweatpants).

Thank you for your generous support during this time. Stay well, stay at home--and we hope to "see you" at the movies!

Screen to Screen
https://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/screentoscreen
It may seem hard to believe, but other people are still out there. With Film Center: Screen to Screen, we're bringing them to you...from the safe distance of your screen. Enjoy interactive, virtual Q&As with filmmakers, cast, and crew, as well as film critics and other community leaders...all from the comfort of your sofa (and sweatpants). We know that our community of film lovers is just that--a community--and even if we can't watch films together, we can come together to discuss them, screen to screen.

Theatres might currently be on shutdown with us all cooped up at home, but our guide will keep you up-to-date on accessing amazing theatre online (often for free) along with fun stagey features and interviews to keep you entertained - from the comfort of your own sofa! We'll make sure you don't miss a thing.

Festpocalypse! A Virtual Variety Show Fundraiser for SF Sketchfest
A virtual variety show fundraiser for SF Sketchfest featuring all NEW performances from some of the most heralded names in comedy, film and television.
January 30, 2021 3h 33m TV-MA

Trailer:

SF Sketchfest is San Francisco’s premier comedy festival showcasing improv, sketch, podcasts, films and more.

Virtual Cinema with the Music Box

While the Music Box doors will remain closed, we’re proud to be able to team up with our frequent partners to provide viewing-at-home options for our amazing audience! All sales will help support the Music Box during our closure, and you can watch powerful new films that would otherwise be playing on our screen.

And to create a true Music Box experience, cue up Dennis Scott on the Music Box Organ before you watch your film!

Please note, these screening links are set up & moderated by their respective film distributors, not the Music Box Theatre. If you encounter any issues while streaming these films, please email BoxOffice@MusicBoxTheatre, and we will connect you with their support staff.

ALSO SEE NEW PLATFORM at https://musicboxathome.com/

[From Jan 5 2021: I was this many days old when I found out that the gorgeous man in the photo above illustrating the Alvin Ailey Company online... is none other than founder Alvin Ailey, from an old black-and-white photo digitally texturized for skin color. Oh.]

Ailey is thrilled to share full length videos of the Company performing on stage, streaming free online, directly to your living room!

We know you can’t see the Ailey dancers perform in a theater, so we wanted to make sure you can still find comfort and joy in the beauty of dance by virtually connecting with their performances. For a limited time, Ailey is thrilled to share videos of the Company performing on stage. Watch along with the Ailey community and please consider making a special gift today to help us continue Alvin Ailey’s mission to deliver dance back to the people.

CURRENT VIDEO:
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in performance at Lincoln Center: this program includes Wayne McGregor's Chroma, Ronald K. Brown's Grace, Robert Battle's Takademe, and Alvin Ailey's Revelations:

An audio description version of the film is available here:

Also see AlvinAiley.org/VirtualSeason

THE ORIGINAL, GERMAN-LANGUAGE VERSION OF MOZART’S BELOVED WORK

The video will be available starting at 5:00PM ET on Wednesday, March 31. In the meantime, please enjoy the remote learning resources available on our main landing page.

During this extraordinary and difficult time, the Met hopes to brighten the lives of our audience members even while our stage is dark. Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free streaming on the Met website, with each performance available for a period of 23 hours, from 7:30 p.m. EDT until 6:30 p.m. the following day. The schedule will include outstanding complete performances from the past 14 years of cinema transmissions, starring all of opera’s greatest singers.

Support the Met and Protect its Future
Hundreds of thousands of people have been tuning in daily to our free performance streams, and many of them have kindly been asking how they can help the Met during this economically perilous time. In response, we have added a “Donate Now” button below. We thank you for your help.

Donate Now
https://www.metopera.org/link/9866ae100a524f68a492d92ad738c6b3.aspx

Or, donate by text message: Text METOPERA to 44321 in the U.S. or 1-917-999-0700 for other countries. Standard text messaging rates apply.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

*Week 54
Myths and Legends *

Monday, March 22
Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice
Starring Danielle de Niese, Heidi Grant Murphy, and Stephanie Blythe, conducted by James Levine. Production by Mark Morris. From January 24, 2009.

Tuesday, March 23
Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust
Starring Susan Graham, Marcello Giordani, and John Relyea, conducted by James Levine. Production by Robert Lepage. From November 22, 2008.

Wednesday, March 24
Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride
Starring Susan Graham, Plácido Domingo, Paul Groves, and Gordon Hawkins, conducted by Patrick Summers. Production by Stephen Wadsworth. From February 26, 2011.

Thursday, March 25
Strauss’s Elektra
Starring Nina Stemme, Adrianne Pieczonka, Waltraud Meier, and Eric Owens, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. Production by Patrice Chéreau. From April 30, 2016.

Friday, March 26
Mozart’s Idomeneo
Starring Hildegard Behrens, Ileana Cotrubas, Frederica von Stade, Luciano Pavarotti, and John Alexander, conducted by James Levine. Production by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. From November 6, 1982.

Saturday, March 27
Mozart’s Don Giovanni
Starring Renée Fleming, Solveig Kringelborn, Hei-Kyung Hong, Paul Groves, Bryn Terfel, Ferruccio Furlanetto, and Sergei Koptchak, conducted by James Levine. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From October 14, 2000.

Sunday, March 28
Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer
Starring Anja Kampe, Mihoko Fujimura, Sergey Skorokhodov, David Portillo, Evgeny Nikitin, and Franz-Josef Selig, conducted by Valery Gergiev. Production by François Girard. From March 10, 2020.

Week 55
Love Triangles

Monday, March 29
Bellini’s Norma
Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Joyce DiDonato, Joseph Calleja, and Matthew Rose, conducted by Carlo Rizzi. Production by Sir David McVicar. From October 7, 2017.

Tuesday, March 30
Strauss’s Capriccio
Starring Renée Fleming, Sarah Connolly, Joseph Kaiser, Russell Braun, Morten Frank Larsen, and Peter Rose, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. Production by John Cox. From April 23, 2011.

Wednesday, March 31
Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux
Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Elīna Garanča, Matthew Polenzani, and Mariusz Kwiecień, conducted by Maurizio Benini. Production by Sir David McVicar. From April 16, 2016.

Thursday, April 1
Verdi’s Il Trovatore
Starring Eva Marton, Dolora Zajick, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, and Jeffrey Wells, conducted by James Levine. Production by Fabrizio Melano. From October 15, 1988.

Friday, April 2
Massenet’s Werther
Starring Lisette Oropesa, Sophie Koch, Jonas Kaufmann, and David Bizic, conducted by Alain Altinoglu. Production by Sir Richard Eyre. From March 15, 2013.

Saturday, April 3
Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore
Starring Anna Netrebko, Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecień, and Ambrogio Maestri, conducted by Maurizio Benini. Production by Bartlett Sher. From October 13, 2012.

Sunday, April 4
Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde
Starring Nina Stemme, Ekaterina Gubanova, Stuart Skelton, Evgeny Nikitin, and René Pape, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Production by Mariusz Treliński. From October 8, 2016.

@valsadie’s List: Special Livestreams - Events available online for short window of time-Movies, Plays, Opera, Ballet https://twitter.com/i/lists/1283603992392667136

Thought these special events were over - but they're not because #COVID19 isn't!

Sadler's Wells presents a programme of full-length dance performances and workshops online, to keep you entertained and connected through dance — wherever you are in the world — while our live stages are dark.

https://www.sadlerswells.com/digitalstage

We’ve transformed the Kirk Douglas Theatre into a TV studio soundstage to bring you exciting performances from our home to yours!

Upcoming events include staged readings of Center Theatre Group projects, performances from our favorite artists, and more!

Digital Stage+ ($10 or free for members). Available on demand beginning October 30.
The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro: 'Oedipus El Rey'

Digital Stage (free). Available on demand beginning November 13.
The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro: 'Mojada'

Digital Stage (free). Available on demand beginning November 20.
The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro: 'Electricidad'

Digital Stage (free). Available on demand beginning November 22.
L.A. Writers' Workshop Festival: 'Christa McAuliffe’s Eyes Were Blue'

Digital Stage+ ($10 or free for members). On demand beginning Jan 21 at 5pm PT
Not a Moment but a Movement

Over the coming weeks each of the 36 plays in Complete Works: Table Top Shakespeare: At Home will be able to view on demand free of charge. Once each play has premiered it will be added to the top of the list here and be available until the 30th November.

For more information please visit https://www.forcedentertainment.com/projects/complete-works-table-top-shakespeare-at-home/

The Making of Complete Works: Table Top Shakespeare: At Home

Forced Entertainment present
Complete Works: Table Top Shakespeare: At Home
17 September - 15 November 2020
17 September - 15 November 2020 on www.forcedentertainment.com and our YouTube channel.

A salt and pepper pot for the king and queen. A vase for the prince. A matchbox for the
servant. A kitchen table for a stage.
In this ‘At Home’ edition of Complete Works – Forced Entertainment’s audacious project to
retell all 36 of Shakespeare’s plays using everyday items on a table top - the dramatis
personae of household objects return to a domestic setting in a unique staging directly from
the performers’ homes to yours.

COMPLETE WORKS: TABLE TOP SHAKESPEARE: AT HOME
is a Forced Entertainment production.
Financially supported by the following partners: Kanuti Gildi SAAL; KunstFestSpiele Herrenhausen; Künstlerhaus Mousonturm; The Mondavi Center, UC Davis; PACT Zollverein; Romaeuropa Festival; Shakespeare Festival Neuss; Stanford Live at Stanford University; UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance and UC Santa Barbara Arts & Lectures. Also presented as part of Portland Institute for Contemporary Art’s 2020 Time-Based Art Festival and Temporada Alta 2020.

Patrick Stewart and Kate Fleetwood star in a gripping production of Shakepeare's Macbeth. Their Tony-nominated performances were filmed for television.

See https://twitter.com/valsadie/status/1328541743441178624

Those Were The Days

Tune in to our weekly program of vintage radio shows, with producer/host Steve Darnall, broadcast live every Saturday from 1 to 5 pm (Central time) on WDCB 90.9 FM in the Chicago area and world-wide on the Internet at www.wdcb.org.

Listen Now to Our Most Recent Broadcast

Each Saturday's program is available on demand for two weeks beginning the following Tuesday. See schedule below.

Listen to the Previous Week's Broadcast

With shows cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19, many theatres are streaming their productions or posting archived recordings of past performances. Here is a current list of those streaming options.

Welcome to this special archive film of some of our favourite ever performances of incredible letters, taken from the beautiful Freemasons' Hall.

You can watch for free - it's our early Christmas present to you - but, if you can, please do hit the donate button. All donations will support the incredible work of our friends at Choose Love.

Across 2015 and 2016, Letters Live produced 15 shows at the Freemasons' Hall, London. With no two shows being the same. Here is just a small selection of some of our favourite readings from those shows.

Through this run of shows and this video we have chosen to support Choose Love (previously known as Help Refugees) whose vital work provides aid to people fleeing war, persecution and climate change.

Choose Love goes where the need is greatest, filling the gaps and acting where others won’t. Sometimes that means Search & Rescue boats. Sometimes it means providing food or safe, secure long-term housing. Since 2015, they’ve supported over 150 incredible projects in 15 countries and reached over one million people.

In February 2016, Choose Love and The Good Chance Theatre worked with Letters Live to create a very special event in the "Jungle" refugee camp on the outskirts of Calais.

We were honoured to be a part of this extraordinary event and it served to strengthen our conviction that as humans sharing space on the same planet, we have a duty to help in this ever-evolving humanitarian crisis. If you enjoy this video please do donate whatever you can. Your generosity will help ensure that families living in refugee camps this winter have everything from warm blankets and winter clothes, to nutritious food and essential medical care.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the Letters Live YouTube channel, we’ll be bringing you another special film of some of our favourite performances from another beautiful venue - the Union Chapel - available from Sunday 20th December, 7pm GMT.

For more about Letters Live and our shows celebrating the enduring power of literary correspondence through outstanding performances: www.letterslive.com

For more about the work of Choose Love: https://choose.love/

Celebrate music of the Spanish-speaking world with a free virtual concert starring and hosted by renowned soprano and Lyric favorite Ana María Martínez.

The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center presents Pasión Latina
Celebrating music from the Spanish-speaking world with Ana María Martínez & Friends

Celebrate music of the Spanish-speaking world with a free virtual concert starring and hosted by renowned soprano and Lyric favorite Ana María Martínez.

Presented by The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, Pasión Latina also features prominent Ryan Opera Center alumni—Mexican-American tenor René Barbera, Mexican-American tenor David Portillo, Mexican tenor Mario Rojas, and Mexican-American bass-baritone Richard Ollarsaba—and two current 2020/21 Ryan Opera Center Ensemble members—Mexican soprano Denis Vélez and Puerto Rican baritone Ricardo José Rivera. Members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra will also appear in the concert finale.

These engaging artists will perform a dynamic selection of some of their favorite music from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, Argentina, and Spain, with piano accompaniment by Ryan Opera Center music director Craig Terry and current Ensemble pianist Chris Reynolds.

Premiering December 13, 2020, at 6:00 pm CT on Lyric's YouTube and Facebook channels.

Watch on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lyricopera/posts/10158827083759161

Language: Performed in Spanish and English with Spanish and English closed captions.

Founded in 1975, Facets is a non-profit cinema arts organization that transforms lives through the power of world, classic, and independent film.

Photo: Still from arcade videogame history documentary, INSERT COIN: https://www.facets.org/cinematheque/films/nov2020/insert-coin.php

Virtual Cinema Screenings
Continue to support FACETS through our Virtual Cinema

While our theater is closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, you can still watch newly released independent and international films at FACETS.

By purchasing a "ticket" to one of our Virtual Cinema screenings, you help support FACETS mission and filmmakers from around the world who do so much to enrich our shared film culture.

Need help? Check out our FAQs
https://www.facets.org/cinematheque/films/nov2020/insert-coin.php#faq

Voiceover by Noma Dumezweni.

Welcome to this special archive film of some of our favourite ever performances of incredible letters, taken from the beautiful Union Chapel in London.

You can watch for free - it's our early Christmas present to you - but, if you can, please do hit the donate button. All donations will support the incredible work of our friends at Choose Love.

Since 2017, Letters Live has produced 11 shows at the Union Chapel, with no two shows being the same. Here is just a small selection of some of our favourite ever perfomances of letters
from those shows.

Through these shows and this video we have chosen to support Choose Love (previously known as Help Refugees) whose vital work provides aid to people fleeing war, persecution and climate change.

Choose Love goes where the need is greatest, filling the gaps and acting where others won’t. Sometimes that means Search & Rescue boats. Sometimes it means providing food or safe, secure long-term housing. Since 2015, they’ve supported over 150 incredible projects in 15 countries and reached over one million people.

In February 2016, Choose Love and The Good Chance Theatre worked with Letters Live to create a very special event in the "Jungle" refugee camp on the outskirts of Calais.

We were honoured to be a part of this extraordinary event and it served to strengthen our conviction that as humans sharing space on the same planet, we have a duty to help in this ever-evolving humanitarian crisis. If you enjoy this video please do donate whatever you can. Your generosity will help ensure that families living in refugee camps this winter have everything from warm blankets and winter clothes, to nutritious food and essential medical care.

For more about Letters Live and our shows celebrating the enduring power of literary correspondence through outstanding performances: www.letterslive.com

For more about the work of Choose Love: https://choose.love/

https://www.paleycenter.org/paleyathome/

Donate to Paley Education@Home
Give students great content for remote learning

Paley Education@Home reimagines how to engage students, parents, and educators with resources, strategies, and tips for remote learning. Our usual funding sources have been impacted by COVID-19, and so we are asking the Paley community for donations to help us continue this important outreach. Help us bring inspiring programs to kids at home.

The Paley Center for Media, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with programming in New York and Los Angeles, leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public.

The general public can access the Paley Center’s permanent media collection, which contains over 160,000 television and radio programs and advertisements, and participate in programs that explore and celebrate the creativity, innovations, personalities, and leaders who are shaping media. Through the global programs of its Media Council and International Council, the Paley Center also serves as a neutral setting where media professionals engage in discussion about the evolving media landscape. Previously known as The Museum of Television & Radio, the Paley Center was founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, a pioneering innovator in the industry. For more information, please visit paleycenter.org

Discover unforgettable British theatre – any time, anywhere. More fantastic plays are added every month, so there’s always something new to look forward to.

Lyric’s Ryan Opera Center presents a free virtual concert celebrating the depth and breadth of Black artistry, hosted by world-renowned tenor Lawrence Brownlee, who also serves as artistic advisor for the event.

The concert will also feature prominent Ryan Opera Center alumni — soprano Whitney Morrison, mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges, and baritone Will Liverman — and three current 2020/21 Ryan Opera Center Ensemble members — tenors Martin Luther Clark and Lunga Eric Hallam, and baritone Leroy Davis.

Performances will be accompanied by Craig Terry, the Grammy-Award winning music director of the Ryan Opera Center, and Chris Reynolds, current Ensemble pianist. Members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra will also appear in a special selection, performing from their homes.

Each of the performers has selected some of their favorite repertoire to share, resulting in a dynamic combination of arias, songs, and spirituals, showcasing the virtuosic range of the artists.

The event title recognizes the event as an expanded "next chapter" to a wonderfully successful, sold-out community concert event that was held in Fall 2019.

Lyric's Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center proudly presents “Lawrence Brownlee and Friends: The Next Chapter,” a virtual concert celebrating the depth and breadth of Black artistry.

For information on the artists and repertoire, please visit our Program Notes at https://www.lyricopera.org/thenextchapter

For live English translations, we recommend turning on closed captions. For more tips and tricks to improve your viewing experience, visit our streaming guide: http://www.lyricopera.org/streamingguide​

Featuring:
Lawrence Brownlee, Host and Artistic Advisor
Craig Terry, Pianist and Ryan Opera Center Music Director
Whitney Morrison, soprano
J’Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano
Will Liverman, baritone
Martin Luther Clark, tenor
Lunga Eric Hallam, tenor
Leroy Davis, baritone
Chris Reynolds, pianist
Members of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra

The Consul
Composed by Gian Carlo Menotti
Used by Permission of G. Schirmer, Inc. (ASCAP)

International Women’s Day on March 8th provides an opportunity to shine a light on the continuing global fight for gender equality, whilst also celebrating the innumerable achievements of this vast, marginalised percentage of the population.

In the years since Letters Live began, talented performers have been breathing life into countless pieces of correspondence by women, to women, about women - letters overflowing with wisdom, fury, love, and humour. These are some of our favourites.

Letters Live have produced 3 shows on International Women’s Day over the years. In fact, the last Letters Live production shortly before the pandemic hit took place on March 8th, 2020 to close the 10th anniversary of the Women of the World Festival at the Southbank Centre, London.

This video is available for free but, if you can, please consider making a donation to our nominated charity for this release - The Women of the World Foundation. All donations will support their incredible work in the continued global fight for gender equality.

The WOW Foundation was created by Jude Kelly CBE in 2018 to run the global movement that is WOW - Women of the World Festivals. The Festivals began in the UK in 2010 to celebrate women and girls, taking a frank look at what prevents them from achieving their potential, raising awareness globally of the issues they face, and discussing solutions together. It is the biggest, most comprehensive and most significant festival dedicated to presenting work by women and promoting equality for women and girls.

To date, WOW has reached over 2 million people in 17 countries on six continents, providing a platform for people of all kinds, to change attitudes, bring communities together and provide a unique space for people to work together towards gender equality in their own communities.

If you enjoy this video, please do donate whatever you can. Your generosity will help further the work of The WOW Foundation ensuring gender equality garners the spotlight it requires.
Donate to The WOW Foundation here: https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/16077​

Find out more about the valuable work of The WOW Foundation here: https://thewowfoundation.com/​

And don’t forget to hit subscribe oo our channel where you can find two other films of some of our most loved letters performed at two of our favourite London venues – the Freemasons’ Hall and Union Chapel.

Voiceover – Louise Brealey.

For more about Letters Live and our shows celebrating the enduring power of literary correspondence through outstanding performances: www.letterslive.com