Artists don’t sit idly by in times of crisis. They make things happen — for themselves, for each other, for their audiences.
In response to COVID-19 closings of shows and venues, starting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., the Live at 25 Pandemic Series — a variety show of Western Pennsylvania bands, actors, painters and more — will live-stream daily performances through March 30 on the YouTube channel Live at 25.
COVID-19 precautions have disrupted every aspect of live entertainment and the other businesses that arts help to support. With the edict Friday from Mayor William Peduto that gatherings of 250 people or more must cease, any question of whether “the show will go on” was halted. The dominoes that had been falling all day Thursday, from museums to concerts to theater, all came down with the finality of a door bolted shut.
Jumping into the entertainment void is 25 Carrick Ave, a nonprofit project of event and technology firm Hear Corp LLC. The space in the former Birmingham United Church of Christ in Carrick is equipped for technical production and the broadcast of live-stream events such as the Pandemic Series.
A GoFundMe page, already up and running, will allow viewers to make donations, with the hope that the 25 days of shows will raise $25,000, to be spread among participating artists. Performers will include the band Bastard Bearded Irishmen, which lost gigs when St. Patrick’s Day festivities were canceled, and Shua Potter, whose drag show at Arcade Comedy Theater also was postponed.
Patrick Jordan, head of barebones productions, had been preparing to stage “American Buffalo” at his Braddock theater, where he has long worked with the folks at Hear Corp. He will serve as host and is helping to round up fellow entertainers for the Pandemic Series.
Jordan also is an actor on the Showtime series “Rust” that has halted production in Pittsburgh for now. He was at a table reading Thursday with series star Jeff Daniels and about 40 cast and crew members when an executive for the show was put through on a conference call.
“He said that they are all so excited about [the series], but they had just made a decision five minutes ago to halt production for two to three weeks,” Jordan said.
Now, Jordan is among the entertainers working to make things happen for the local community of artists and audience members.
Social distancing has you hungry for Broadway? @TheTonyAwards winner @RIPLEYTHEBAND joins me for my 1st ever livestream @stageit show Monday 3/16 at 1 pm EST. Let's keep the music going: https://t.co/oyO7RRg42P pic.twitter.com/XB6ZyvtMYA
— Telly Leung (@tellyleung) March 13, 2020
Telly Leung, a Broadway veteran and Carnegie Mellon alumnus, was among the first to announce a performance via live streaming. With Tony-winner Alice Ripley ("Next to Normal"), he will perform a 30-minute set Monday, to be streamed by StageIt, a live online video concert site, Virtual tickets can be purchased for $5.
Leung recently performed in Pittsburgh, live, as part of the Trust Cabaret Series at the Greer Cabaret, one of the Downtown Cultural District venues that is currently closed. The Cultural Trust has said all performances and exhibitions are either canceled or postponed through April 6.
Should the restrictions over health concerns linger, there is some relief for full theatrical productions to be performed for screening. Broadway Licensing has secured approvals for live streaming plays from their catalog, according to BroadwayWorld.com. Playwrights have approved more than 400 works for one-time, non-precedent setting live-on-screen showings.
While artists and producers are finding ways to go back to work, celebrities are using their social media clout to uplift other artists and high school students whose spring musicals may never be performed.
Broadway star Laura Benanti tweeted: “If you were meant to perform in your High School musical and it was canceled, please post yourself singing and tag me. I want to be your audience!! Sending all my love and black market toilet paper.”
Dark times for all. Trying to find some bright spots. If you were meant to perform in your High School musical and it was cancelled please post yourself singing and tag me. I want to be your audience!! Sending all my love and black market toilet paper. 💛 pic.twitter.com/BVYR4t3dJE
— Laura Benanti (@LauraBenanti) March 13, 2020
By Saturday afternoon, she had more than 11,000 replies to her call for student videos.
Actress Jennifer Garner on Instagram put out the message: “To the Elsas and Matildas; to the Willy Lomans and Romeos. Not to mention the flautists, the pianists, the gymnasts, the shot-putter. We want to SEE—show us what you’ve got!! #heyjenlookatme.”
Her “likes’ quickly soared near a quarter million, as posts poured in under her hashtag. https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/heyjenlookatme/
Closer to home, Live at 25 was gearing up for its Tuesday debut at 25 Carrick Ave, “a nonprofit organization with a mission to serve as a performing arts destination for the south hilltop community and to offer educational programs for technical production and the broadcast/recording arts,” according to its website.
This week, it will be a destination for the entire community. It won’t be in person, but it will be up close and personal for the artists and audiences of Western Pennsylvania.
For more information, visit the Live at 25: Pandemic Series Facebook page here.
Sharon Eberson: seberson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1960. Twitter: @SEberson_pg. Sign up for the PG performing arts newsletter Behind the Curtain at Newsletter Preferences.
First Published: March 14, 2020, 9:35 p.m.
