Odds & Ends: National Geographic Postpones Cynthia Erivo-Led Genius: Aretha & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you might have missed recently.

National Geographic Postpones Cynthia Erivo-Led Genius: Aretha
Theater fans will have to wait a little longer to see Tony winner and two-time Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo as the Queen of Soul. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, National Geographic has announced the postponement of Genius: Aretha, its upcoming third edition of the Genius anthology series, an authorized account of Aretha Franklin's life and music. In addition to Erivo, the series was set to star Broadway's Rebecca Naomi Jones and Patrice Covington, as well as Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Malcolm Barrett and Sanai Victoria. Pulitzer-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks had been announced as the series showrunner.

Brian Stokes Mitchell to Help Launch New Variety-Show Webseries
A new showbizzy webseries is headed to your computer screen. Creators and co-hosts Howie Michael Smith (Avenue Q) and Andy Truschinski (The Heidi Chronicles) have announced The Show Must Go On...Show, a new webseries slated to air on YouTube every Tuesday at 7:00pm ET beginning on April 7; Tony winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will be the first guest. Framed as a 15-minute variety special, the series features performers and notables from across fields showing off their talent from inside their homes. Joining Mitchell on the first episode will be Dr. Anthony Weiner MD, artists and curators Bob and Jill Whitney Armstrong and meditation expert Minita Gandhi. Each episode will feature a charity, with an option for viewers to donate. The April 7 episode will benefit The Actors Fund.

Theater Journalist William Wolf, Former Drama Desk President, Has Died
William Wolf, a well-respected journalist who covered theater and film for decades, passed away on March 28 due to complications from coronavirus. An author, critic and educator, Wolf's contributions include serving as a film critic for Cue Magazine, which was later absorbed into New York Magazine, where he became a critic and editor. His contributions as an author include The Marx Brothers as well as an edition of Pyramid Illustrated History of the Movies and Landmark Films: The Cinema and Our Century, the latter of which he penned with his wife, Lillian Kramer Wolf. Wolf also taught about film at New York University and served as the 22nd president of the Drama Desk. Many interviews that Wolf conducted with artists are archived at the New York Library of the Performing Arts.

Edinburgh's Summer 2020 Festivals Are Canceled
For the first time in over 70 years, the five festivals that transform Edinburgh, Scotland into the world's leading cultural destination every August will not going ahead this year due to concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic. The Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Festival and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo are not happening as planned in 2020. Together, the five August festivals comprise more than 5,000 events across Scotland's capital each summer, welcoming audiences of 4.4 million and more than 25,000 artists, writers and performers from 70 countries, making them the second biggest cultural event in the world after the Olympics.

Beth Leavel & Julie James to Host Streaming of Pride and Prejudice Musical
A filmed performance of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's celebrated 2019 Pride and Prejudice musical will streamed online next week. Tony winner Beth Leavel and Sirius/XM's Julie James will host the event curated by the two-year-old company Streaming Musicals. The new tuner based on the Jane Austen classic, featuring a book, music and lyrics by Tony nominee Paul Gordon (Jane Eyre) and helmed by TheatreWorks Artistic Director Robert Kelley, starred Mary Mattison (Grease) as Elizabeth Bennet and Justin Mortelliti (Escape to Margaritaville) as Mr. Darcy. For information on how to watch the streamed performance, click here.