One of the hardest hit industries by the coronavirus pandemic is the entertainment industry.  Musicians and actors who depend on shows and gigs and concerts to make a living have been forced to stay home, as performing arts venues across the globe were closed.  Musicians began sharing videos, including full online concerts, many of them for free, some asking for donations, and some with an admission tag.

One of the fist big-name singers to perform online was John Legend, who performed a #TogetherAtHome concert with no pants (the camera was aimed from the waist up) on March 18th.  That started a trend of celebrity videos providing entertainment while asking viewers to donate to a myriad of charities, many of them to provide COVID-19 relief.  Keith Urban, Pink, Chris Martin, Charlie Puth, Niall Horan, and  Neil Young were just a few of the celebrities that soon followed.

Lesser known bands and soloists have been creating their own videos for a long time, so, interestingly, those groups' videos tend to have a higher production quality standard than the ones celebrities are making on their phones.  But some celebrities are learning fast.  A musically wonderful and charming online Keith Urban concert performed live from his band warehouse and featuring his wife Nicole Kidman boogieing to the music had mediocre sound quality, Urban. It went so well that he named the home broadcasts 'Urban Underground', and performed a second concert from his home recording studio on six string banjo and a few acoustic guitars.

A Swedish duo called Dråm performed their first 'Corona Concert' live on Facebook two weeks ago, and are planning more --you can view most online concerts any time once they have aired live, and the band is also posting on Youtube.  The duo features Anna Rynefors playing Nyckelharpa, Swedish bagpipe, and clog fiddle; and Erik Ask-Upmark on harp and bagpipes.


Even orchestras are getting into the act:


Jimmy Fallon launched a series of 'Tonight Show: At Home Edition" videos on Youtube, which have a decidedly 'at home' feel to them with his two young daughters, who are not at all impressed that they are putting on a show for millions of viewers.  Fallon features Zoom meetings with celebrities who perform from their living rooms, while hucking for charities they support, and recently he and his wife Nancy have added a segment called 'Ask the Fallons', that is actually quite charming.  The other night James Corden did something similar, hosting an episode of 'The Late Late Show' he is calling '#HomeFest 'from his garage, and featuring a myriad on performers in their living rooms, all with a charity they wanted to promote.  His guests included John Legend, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Will Ferrell, BTS, and Andea Bocelli.  Obviously CBS had dropped cameras and microphones off at the various homes, as the production values were better than most.

Musicians are only some of the artists suffering a big hit to their incomes.  While many musicians are posting on social media that their income has dried up because of bans on public gatherings, other artists are also suffering.  One of the Fallon videos promoted a fund to help Broadway theater workers make it through the COVID-19 restrictions, including not only actors, but stage hands, designers, choreographers, and front-of-house staff.

Local artists are also scrambling to find ways to reach their public.  Local theaters like the Kitchen, the State, and the Hangar are reaching out with online alternatives, and asking folks to contribute to support the venues.

The Kitchen Theatre Company sent a message to patrons, saying "While the theatre is closed, KTC invites you to join us for The Kitchen Script Club, a virtual play discussion series. Every two weeks, KTC will share a play that we have read and considered for the season, including titles soon to be announced for next year. We'll start with Mr. Joy, a play originally scheduled for this spring and now on hold due to the pandemic. Read the plays and join us for an online video discussion led by KTC staff."

When the State Theatre was forced to cancel a slate of performances, one of the performers, Joe Crookston, moved his concert online.  The State Theatre invited viewers to "Tune in for FREE and DONATE what you can!  All proceeds benefit Joe Crookston, The State Theatre of Ithaca & The Community Foundation of Tompkins County!"

The Community Arts Partnership's (CAP) has created an Emergency Arts Relief Fund to provide some financial support to visual artists located in Tompkins County who have experienced lost income due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

While it is fun to see big-name celebrities struggle with creating iPhone videos -- Chris Martin started his with, Hi, my name is Chris... Is this on?  (pause) Yes, it is..."  -- finding new, lesser known performers while staying at home during the pandemic crisis is a great way to pass the time.  And checking out local performers and venues online can be a great way to stay connected with our community. 

v16i14