Rosie, Broadway, and the Great Livestream of 2020
Rosie O’Donnell’s talk show was revived via YouTube for a star-studded broadcast raising money for the craftspeople of The Great White Way
Last night saw a unique and perhaps benchmark moment in the history of the American Theatre when talk show host, Broadway vet, LGBTQ+ hero, and longtime Donald Trump irritant Rosie O’Donnell brought back her show in the form of a massive livestream rallying for donations to the 138-year-old Actor’s Fund organization. The 3-and-a-half hour long broadcast (should I call it a Broadwaycast? No? Okay.) consisted of the iconic actress before a webcam in her garage, chatting — to the best of her shaky WiFi’s abilities — with a stacked list of theatre giants. There were laughs, there were tears, but most importantly there was lots of money raised.
With the closure of all Broadway and off-Broadway theaters on March 13 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, thousands of entertainment workers have lost jobs. Longtime crowd-favorite shows such as Phantom of the Opera and Wicked shut down, and new plays that hadn’t yet opened were also forced to draw the cuirtains without seeing the light of day, such as the revivals of Caroline, or Change and Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite, both of which were scheduled to open the night the closure was declared.
Enter the Actors’ Fund of America. The organization provides financial support not only for the performers but each and every member of the Theatre community. Carpenters, costume designers, and ushers get financial aid through the charity. At a time when this business has halted for an unprecedented period and the national economy plummets, the Fund’s resources are shrinking.
But leave it to Rosie to save the show. In the span of a Sunday night, over 50 of Broadway’s best joined her in raising awareness of the organization and the impact that COVID-19 has had on this industry. From Ben Platt to Barry Manilow, from Kelli O’Hara to Chita Riveira, from Adrienne Warren’s bathtub to Patti LuPone’s basement, it was a spectacle of an event that had you clutching your quarantine pearls.
It was incredibly humanizing to see these larger than life theatre folk confined to their bedrooms and living rooms. Some wore T-Shirts instead of sequins…because why not, and some still wore sequins…because why not. Each dealt with the pandemic in their own delightful way. Many stars were surrounded by their kids, like Neil Patrick Harris and Idina Menzel, who talked about the new process of homeschooling. Cynthia Erivo and Gloria Estefan gave us optimism and humor during the first hour as Rosie fawned over their achievements and talents.
There were also performances, of course.
Tituss Burgess sang a soulful rendition of “Glory of Love”, Alan Menkin gave us a medley of his classic Disney songs, and we were reminded to Smile, though our hearts are breaking, twice — by Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald (McDonald later took to Twitter and said she didn’t tune into the broadcast until later in the night and was unaware she sang the same song as Patti, also that there was NO DRAMA caused by that fumble. Phew!).
There was one unwelcome guest, though, that I feel I must mention. Miss Rona herself made an appearance through Gavin Creel, who said he and the cast of Waitress fell sick weeks prior and he has yet to be tested but feels all of the symptoms. That didn’t stop him from playing a song from the show to our and Rosie’s amazement. What a trooper!
The mission of the Actor’s Fund was heavily emphasized by each participant, naturally. Recent Emmy and past Tony-winner Billy Porter gave a personal and emotionally poignant testimony about his experience throughout his career where he has avoided bankruptcy thanks to the organization. Current Chairman of the Board Brian Stokes Mitchell made an appearance and encouraged donating to the fund and supporting the misplaced workers.
All in all, it was an dazzling and powerful broadcast. At the end of the night, over $500,000 was raised by viewers and performers. A fifth of that came from the show’s host herself. Rosie O’Donnell is to be thanked and praised for her efforts and dedication to preserving the craft. In addition to making a great show work despite logistic and occasional technical errors, she raised awareness for the Actor’s Fund and its meaning for the Theatre world.
The lights are out on Broadway, but until they are lit again and the stages fill once more, we will have this special night and all of its participants to thank for putting pennies in their pockets.
If you missed the show and would like to view it in it’s entirety, click the link here.
If you would like to donate to the Actor’s Fund of America and help support unemployed workers of this field, visit their website’s donation page here.
On with the show!
