Bay Area arts companies continue to offer intriguing online options. Here are three you should know about.
National Theatre Live
The streaming series that presents past hits from London’s esteemed National Theatre is back with a new lineup at San Jose’s Hammer Theatre Center running through July 23. On tap is Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” starring “Game of Throne’s” Gwendoline Christie (today through July 2); “Les Blancs,” Lorraine Hansberry’s final play, about a African country preparing to rebel against its colonial rulers (July 2-9); “Deep Blue Sea,” the acclaimed drama about the shocking demise of a British power couple (July 9-16); and “Amadeus,” Peter Shaffer’s beloved hit play about the feud between Mozart and Antonio Salieri (July 16-23).
Details: Productions are free but donations to Hammer Theatre are appreciated; hammertheatre.com.
Smuin Contemporary Ballet
Since early on in the pandemic, the Bay Area dance troupe has been offering a new “Hump Day” production online each week. The latest performance is of Stanton Welch’s love-obsessed “Indigo,” which follows four couples as they embrace, fight, break up and even exchange partners. The production will be introduced by Smuin dancer Erica Chipp-Adams, who performed in the company’s 2016 West Coast premiere of the work.
Details: Available for streaming through Friday on facebook.com/SmuinBallet, instagram.com/smuinballet; more information is at smuinballet.org.
Ragazzi Boys Chorus
The South Bay choir can’t perform live or even rehearse together, but has released a trio a videos recorded in the coronavirus-chorus style. Members of the choir — which has more than 250 singers ages 6-18 — appear in individual squares as the chorus in unison dispenses its glorious sound. The newly recorded songs include “We Are the Day,” “Shenandoah” and the Bruno Mars hit “Count on Me.”
Details: All three videos available for free viewing on the choir’s YouTube channel.
