Look Out For These Stage Plays, Ballet, Opera, and Orchestra Concerts In July 2020

You can now watch and listen to timeless dramas and concerts from the comforts of your home.

Amid the quarantine, theater houses and centers for performing arts have started to broadcast our favorite plays and shows—and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Watch and sing along to iconic and spectacular performances on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and even Facebook. There is a limited time for streaming, so better mark your calendars starting this July.

Scroll below to see which shows you must not miss this month.

Philippe Sly, Christel Lötzsch, Ellie Dehn, Francesco Demuro, and Susannah Biller in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte at San Francisco Opera. (Photo from Cory Weaver)

Così fan tutte

A youthful cast stars in this sophisticated comedy of Mozart. Met Music director James Levine conducts the story of sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella whose fiancés disguised themselves to test the sisters’ fidelity to them. Watch how a scheming maid and a philosopher pull the strings behind this classic comic opera.

Stream it here on July 8.

(Photo from James Karas)

Francesca da Rimini

Taken from an episode of Dante’s Inferno, this four-act opera adapts the great tragic tale of star-crossed lovers Francesca and Paolo. Considered the best work of Riccardo Zandonai, the sensuous drama premiered in 1914 and since then staged occasionally so you must not miss this chance to watch it.

Stream it here on July 9.

Yasmine Naghdi in The Sleeping Beauty. (Photo from Foteini Christofilopoulou, The Royal Opera House)

The Royal Ballet

The Royal Opera House streams free online broadcasts on their Facebook page and YouTube channel every Friday at 7 PM BST. As part of their #OurHouseToYourHouse, they will air the stellar dance performances of Romeo and Juliet on July 10, Faust on July 17, and The Sleeping Beauty on July 25.

Stream the shows on Facebook or YouTube.

(Photo from MET Opera)

Madama Butterfly

Anthony Minghella stages the opera of Giacomo Puccini in bold colors and Bunraku or the traditional puppet theatre of Japan. The opera explores the story of the young geisha Cio-Cio-San, known as Madama Butterfly. She hopelessly falls for a visiting naval officer from the United States but it ultimately leads to heartbreak when he abandons her. A striking Met classic, this opera also has become a staple in the operatic repertoire.

Stream it here on July 11.

(Photo from MET Opera)

Tristan und Isolde

This timeless piece of Wagner is now streaming at Met Opera. A viewer’s choice, this three-act drama is heavily based on the 12th-century Middle High German romance Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg. It tells the all-consuming love of Tristan and Isolde that goes against the laws of society.

Stream it here on July 12.

BBC Scottish and London Symphony Orchestra tour in India. (Photo from The Economic Times)

London Symphony Orchestra

As performing venues around the world remain closed, you can still listen to these celebrated musicians through their LSO’s YouTube channel. Tune in every Thursday and Sunday for full-length concerts of masters like Stravinsky, Brahms, and Berlioz.

Listen to the #AlwaysPlaying playlist here.

Swan Lake. (Photo from Prague Classical Concerts)

Warner Classics

While nothing beats live performances, high audio quality versions of these online are the best options to rewatch your favorite or to finally see ones you’ve always had on your bucket list. Even before quarantine, Warner Classics have been uploading full opera concerts and ballet performances on their YouTube channel. From Puccini’s tragic opera Tosca, Rossini’s La Cenerentola, to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, you can enjoy these classic concerts from your home.

See the entire playlist here.

LEFT: Romeo and Juliet performance. RIGHT: Lisa Macuja-Elizalde. (Photos from Ballet Manila’s Instagram)

Ballet Manila’s Romeo and Juliet

Watch the final performance of Filipino prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde as Juliet in Ballet Manila’s Romeo and Juliet. Premiering on July 4, you can watch the memorable Shakespearean play until July 10 at 10 PM (PST).

Stream it on Facebook or YouTube.

Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis.

Jazz at Lincoln Center

If you miss visiting music venues and listening to the magic of live jazz, you can still do so through JLCO’s blog and the artists’ Facebook page. From Peter Martin to The Bob Boss and Marshall Hawkins Duo, relive all these swinging and captivating jazz performances.

See the schedule of the performances here.

Cultural Center of the Philippines

Good news for local theater fans, The Virgin Labfest 2020: Kapit extended its run until July 15. Experience 15 main features, revisited plays and staged readings–all with English subtitles. You can watch these shows here.

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