In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, audiences everywhere are seeking out the opportunity to enjoy great performances from the comfort of their own homes. Among the ranks of great providers is PBS, which offers special episodes of “Great Performances” and “Broadway on PBS” — among other programming — for free on their website and their free PBS Video App. They also offer an even more extensive library of performances with a subscription to PBS Passport, which requires a $5 monthly donation.
Their free performance library includes plays, musicals, concerts, and documentaries.
Among their free theatrical offerings is a live-recorded studio production of The Sound of Music, a stage recording of Red starring Alfred Molina and Alfred Enoch, Noël Coward’s Present Laughter, and the Public Theater’s production of Much Ado About Nothing recorded live at Shakespeare in the Park. A PBS Passport subscription unlocks additional repertoire including An American in Paris, The King and I, and Kinky Boots, among others.
In addition to these full-length theatre performances, PBS also offers access to past “Live From Lincoln Center” concerts, among which are recordings of full-length performances by Leslie Odom, Jr., Cynthia Erivo, Annaleigh Ashford, Megan Hilty, and a New York Philharmonic Tribute to Sondheim hosted by Bernadette Peters and performed most recently on New Year’s Eve 2019, among others.