Odds & Ends: Stage & Screen Fave Krysta Rodriguez to Headline Live Concert & More

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

Krysta Rodriguez Returns to the Stage
Homebound binge-watchers have likely loved seeing Broadway alum Krysta Rodriguez play icon Liza Minnelli on Netflix's Halston. Now, the Broadway.com Audience Choice Award winner is heading to the stage for an exciting live performance. On July 10 beginning at 7PM ET, Rodriguez will be live in concert under The Big Tent outside at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Her Berkshires concert debut promises an evening of career highlights from such memorable turns as Broadway’s Spring Awakening, The Addams Family, In the Heights, First Date and her personal favorite songs and stories that have shaped her career. Head here for tickets and info.

Watch Christine Baranski & Stephen Colbert Sing 'Side By Side'
Now this is a day-maker. Two-time Tony winner and and Emmy winner Christine Baranski appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on June 23 to talk about the new season of The Good Fight, which begins on June 24 on Paramount+. In honor of Broadway reopening, the duo performed a sweet duet of Stephen Sondheim's "Side By Side By Side" from Company. Check out the adorable performance, which begins around 4:10, below!

Shakespeare in the Park's Merry Wives Expands Capacity
Audiences just got better chances of scoring a ticket to the Shakespeare in the Park production of Merry Wives! The previously announced production, adapted by Jocelyn Bioh, is set to begin performances on July 6. With the lifting of New York State’s COVID-19 restrictions, The Public Theater has announced that The Delacorte Theater’s seating capacity will be significantly increased to 1,468 seats, or approximately 80 percent, with both full-capacity and physically-distanced sections to allow for more attendees. "What better sign that New York is returning than our theater in Central Park full of laughter, applause and excitement?” said Artistic Director Oskar Eustis in a statement. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test is not required for entry; however, all patrons over the age of two must wear an approved mask to enter the theater in accordance with theatrical union requirements and under the guidance of health advisory consultants, who are monitoring vaccination and infection rates locally in New York City. Tickets to Merry Wives are free, continuing the Public Theater’s longstanding tradition of free programming and community engagement.

Sheryl Lee Ralph to Host Star-Studded Gala to Mark Broadway's Return
The Gracie Mansion Conservancy's 2021 gala, Raising the Curtain: Theater Is Back!, will be presented on June 30 at 6 PM ET. The evening will be hosted by Tony nominee and former vlogger Sheryl Lee Ralph and include premiere performances and appearances from the upcoming Thoughts of a Colored Man playwright Keenan Scott II and director Steve H. Broadnax III, David Henry Hwang, Company's Bobby Conte Thornton, Dear Evan Hansen's Jessica Phillips, Swept Away's John Gallagher, Jr. and Andrew Lloyd Webber. As part of this year’s gala, Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will be presented the Key to the City for his work as Chairman of The Actors Fund, which has raised over $22 million to support over 40,000 out-of-work theater and entertainment professionals during the COVID pandemic. Tickets, which will benefit both the Gracie Mansion Conservancy and The Actors Fund, are available here.

Cirque Berserk! Returns to London's West End in August
Step right up! Following the cancellation of its performances since March last year due to COVID-19, Britain’s biggest theater-circus spectacular Cirque Berserk! will brings its record-breaking show back to London’s West End at The Garrick Theatre from August 25 through September 11. Combining contemporary cirque-style artistry with adrenaline-fuelled stunt action, the 2021 show features audiences’ favorite Berserk! acts from around the world—plus some thrilling new ones. The show's international troupe features over 30 acrobats, aerialists and daredevil stuntmen, showcasing the finest in traditional circus thrills and skills. The company has performed throughout the U.K. and internationally and is a regular must-see at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it has established itself as the Fringe’s best-selling show of all time.