Purlie Victorious Leslie Odom Jr and cast

Great Performances

Arts and Music Series / 6 Seasons

Great Performances brings the best in the performing arts from across America and around the world to a US television audience. It presents a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.

Watch Latest: S52 E7

1h 30m / TV-G

Changing Bobby to Bobbie in Broadway's "Company"

2m 36s

Listen to Katrina Lenk (Bobbie), Cynthia Nixon and the Company cast discuss switching the gender of the character of Bobbie, and how it opened the door to switch other roles in the cast as well.

Sondheim and The Character of Bobby

2m 20s

Composer Stephen Sondheim, actress Cynthia Nixon and theatre critic Hilton Als discuss the character of Bobby, and how Sondheim's own relationship to his heterosexual, married friends may have influenced the character.

Changing Amy to Jamie in Broadway's "Company"

2m 43s

Matt Doyle, Patti LuPone and Etai Benson discuss what went into gender-bending "I'm Not Getting Married Today," and how the added anxiety surrounding gay marriage added to the overall anxiety of the scene. Includes clips of the cast of Company performing the iconic song by Sondheim.

Great Performances: Merry Wives Preview

30s

Experience Shakespeare’s comedic masterpiece from the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park. Set in South Harlem, the play tells the story of the trickster Falstaff and the wily wives who outwit him in a celebration of Black joy, laughter and vitality.

The Merry Wives' Revenge on Falstaff

4m 8s

Madame Ford (Susan Kelechi Watson) and Madam Page (Pascale Armand) trick Falstaff (Jacob Ming-Trent) into thinking that he is about to be discovered by Mr. Ford. Meanwhile, Mr. Ford, thinking his wife has been unfaithful, arrives with his friends to try and catch her in the act.

Falstaff's Plan and Pistol's Revenge

3m 1s

Falstaff (Jacob Ming-Trent) tells Pistol (Joshua Echebiri) about his plan to woo Madam Ford and Madam Page by sending them identical love letters. Pistol, feeling long overlooked by Falstaff, sees his opportunity to enact his revenge.

Anything Goes Preview

30s

Enjoy this London production of Cole Porter’s classic musical led by Sutton Foster who reprises her Tony-winning role as Reno Sweeney directed by Kathleen Marshall with favorite songs like “I Get A Kick Out of You” and “You’re the Top.”

Great Performances at the Met: Cinderella Preview

29s

Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard stars as the rags-to-riches princess in Laurent Pelly’s storybook staging of Massenet’s “Cendrillon.” Featuring an all-new English translation by Kelley Rourke and conducted by Maestro Emmanuel Villaume, the cast also includes mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo as Cinderella’s Prince Charming, soprano Jessica Pratt as her Fairy Godmother, and more.

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