NYS Music 202​0

Tag: Virtual Concert

  • Broadway Buskers Series Takes Final Bow

    Broadway Buskers Concert Series concluded their season of live streamed performances for Broadway fans everywhere, this past October.

    Since 2018, Broadway Buskers has hosted concerts in Times Square to showcase Broadway workers’ original music in between shows. The Times Square Alliance did not let COVID-19 stop them from sharing music and good vibes with the Broadway community. From August to October, fans streamed Broadway Buskers concerts every Tuesday at 7PM.

    Broadway Buskers
    Photo via Getty Images

    The final two shows wrapped up the series with a bang. Juwan Crawley (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Aladdin), Cheeyang Ng (Eastbound, MĀYĀ), and Anthony Norman (The Prom, Chicago Med) closed the season after baby chemist (Katie Lee Hill & Travis Artz: New Amsterdam, SpongeBob LIVE on Nickelodeon; Transformers: Cyberverse, My Very Own British Invasion) and Jai’Len Josey (SpongeBob SquarePants) performed the week before. Watch Buskers performances on the Times Square Alliance’s YouTube channel.

    Broadway Buskers

    Even though the quarantine has hurt many, people are connecting virtually like never before. Songwriter and Broadway actress Jennifer Sanchez notes:

    “The most rewarding part about buskers has been connecting with the artists and the gifts of their songs. The openness and supportiveness was special…even when the virus shut it down and we all felt kind of isolated, we were able to make collaborate and music. It’s pretty magical.”

    Cheeyang Ng describes the shift to online as “challenging,” because “without the face-to-face human connection one gets when we’re doing something like that in Times Square is quite sad.” Still, having virtual concerts “means the opportunity for a wider range of people to hear some new musical theatre.” Even though Broadway is closed, programs like Broadway Buskers are making theatre more accessible than every before.

    Broadway Buskers
    baby chemist, photo by Gabriella Spiegel

    For baby chemist, their set became “hybrid show of live interview, sketch, and banter mixed with pre-recorded musical performances.” Hill said “by playing into this new hybrid format, we were actually able to create an atmosphere that was closer to the off-beat vibe of what one of our live, in-person shows is like!”

    She loves “that Broadway Buskers gives actors a platform to show another side of their artistry, giving them a chance to perform in a way you might not have heard them get to do yet in an onstage musical.”

    With these weekly shows, the Times Square Alliance has celebrated songwriters from all places and backgrounds. Audiences watched the talent the Broadway community has to offer for free. If possible, however, fans can donate to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund to help those struggling. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has been funding AIDS treatment and creating grants to help those in need since 1988.

  • RuPaul’s Drag Race Artists Announce New Years Eve Global Livestream

    On New Year Eve, Producer Entertainment Group (PEG) will host PEG Presents “New Year’s Queens: Goodbye 2020,” with the top sixteen artists from RuPaul’s Drag Race to count down the wild year. Sessions Live will stream the concert event on their website. PEG is a management and creative company behind the world’s biggest drag queens and LGBTQ artists. The broadcast will livestream the countdown from New York and Los Angeles on December 31 at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET on the Sessions Live platform.

    RuPaul's Drag Race

    The 11-hour event will be hosted by Miz Cracker & Peppermint (New York City), Alaska & Bob The Drag Queen (Los Angeles), and Trixie Mattel & Katya (Los Angeles). The following New Year’s Eve performers include BeBe Zahara Benet, BenDeLaCreme, Boulet Brothers, Divina De Campo, Ginger Minj, Jinkx Monsoon, Jujubee, Manila Luzon, and Sharon Needles.

     We are thrilled to be the exclusive host for The Marathon New Year’s Eve Livestream. This promises to be the most interactive, most global and certainly the most colorful party across every continent and every time zone to ring in the new year. Audiences everywhere will have the opportunity to enjoy and engage with a talented lineup of drag artists from around the world.

    Tim Westergren, Co-Founder of Sessions

    RuPaul’s Drag Race is a competition show that crowns “America’s Next Drag Superstar” through unique challenges each season. RuPaul along with Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, Ross Mathews, and other celebrity guest judges measure each of the contenders. RuPaul’s Drag Race has won a total of 19 Primetime Emmy Awards, including six this year including “Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program” and “Outstanding Competition Program.” The 12th season of the show concluded this May with Jaida Essence Hall as the winner. Ticket prices for “New Year’s Queens: Goodbye 2020” start at $39 with interactive VIP Package options with 11 out of the 16 artists from the show.

    Click here to buy tickets

    RuPaul's Drag Race

  • Isaac Mizrahi to host Virtual shows from Café Carlyle

    Isaac Mizrahi will host four virtual shows from his special concert series, Isaac@CafeCarlyle. BroadwayWorld Events streaming platform will present each show performance full of stories and songs.

    The first show of Isaac@CafeCarlyle will be released December 4, at 8 p.m. BroadwayWorld Events will share the next three shows on January 8, February 12, and March 19. Each show will feature a special chat with Mizrahi and will be available on-demand for 30 days.

    Isaac Mizrahi
    By Gregg Richards

    Ben Waltzer will accompany Mizrahi along with his six-piece with each show filmed at Café Carlyle in New York City. Before the pandemic, Café Carlyle delivered classic cabaret entertainment with New York elegance and style.

    On March 19 at 8pm EST, Isaac will be joined by special guest Justin Vivian Bond, without an audience.

    About performing with Bond, Mizrahi said, “Vivian is a talent who has directly inspired me. They embody the words ‘night club entertainer.’ I was lucky enough to see them perform numerous times and then luckier to meet them and work together. Now I feel like the luckiest person alive to be their friend.”

    Café Carlyle has headlined many talents including Woody Allen, Eartha Kitt, Elaine Stritch, Rita Wilson, and Debbie Harry. With the increased restrictions caused by the pandemic, Café Carlyle is closed to guests. Since 2017 Isaac Mizrahi has been a frequent guest and received praise from the New York Times as “a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music, and stand-up comedy.”

    I’ve been performing at Café Carlyle for the past four years, It feels like my home. This is my chance to continue the tradition and bring my show to even more people.

    Isaac Mizrahi

    In addition to making a name for himself with his performances at Café Carlyle, Mizrahi has over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry. He has numerous directorial credits for his productions, including A Little Night Music and The Magic Flute for the Opera theatre of St. Louis. Mizrahi has starred in his own productions, including his documentary Unzipped, which received an award from the Sundance Film Festival and hosting seven seasons of The Isaac Mizrahi Show. Several television, theatre, and literature projects are in development with his production company, Isaac Mizrahi Entertainment.

    Click here to purchase tickets for the Isaac@CafeCarlyle concerts.

  • Jim Brickman Set to Support Proctors Theatre with Virtual Performance

    Jim Brickman, a Grammy-nominated songwriter and pianist, will perform his “Comfort & Joy at Home 2020” Virtual Tour on December 13, at 8:00 p.m. Although the pandemic has affected in-person performances, Jim Brickman is continuing his tradition of providing a front-row experience to a holiday celebration. The virtual performance will include the opportunity for fans to sing, clap and laugh along with Jim Brickman while supporting local theatres, like Proctors Theatre, at the same time. The virtual tour will start on November 29 and end on December 23, while supporting musical venues all over the country.

    Jim Brickman

    Ticket prices will start at $40 with some packages including an interactive Zoom Room, virtual meet and greets, and Christmas gifts delivered to your door. A portion of each ticket purchased for the “Comfort & Joy at Home 2020” Virtual Tour will benefit Proctors Theatre, which is located in Schenectady, NY who has partnered to provide the virtual experience. Proctors Theatre was one of many New York music venues that have faced financial hardships due to the cancellation of live performances because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Jim Brickman has already amassed quite a bit of success throughout his career. He has two Grammy nominations to go along with earning 22 “Number #1 Albums” and 33 “Top Radio Singles” in the “Billboard Magazine.” He also has collaborated with musicians such as Michael Bolton, Kenny Rogers, Olivia Newton-John, Lady Antebellum, and more. In addition to music, Brickman has written three best-selling books and is in the 22nd season of hosting his syndicated radio show “The Jim Brickman Show.” His latest creative avenue in 2020 is the “Brickman Bedtime Story” podcast that can be heard on Pandora, Apple, Spotify, and iHeartRadio Podcasts.  Fans can prepare for the holiday season by pre-ordering Brickman’s new album “Soothe Christmas” on his website.

    Click here to purchase tickets.

  • Cher, John Legend and More Set to Perform in the Biden-Harris Campaign Virtual Concert ‘I Will Vote’

    Virtual campaign concerts have been a rising trend with Presidential Nominee Joe Biden. His campaign team put together, yet another, concert series with a prominent lineup including Cher, John Legend and The Black Eyed Peas, scheduled for Oct. 25.

    July 31, 2019 – Detroit, Michigan, U.S. – JOE BIDEN and KAMALA HARRIS pose for the photo spray during a commercial break at the second of two Democratic Debates in Detroit hosted by CNN and sanctioned by the DNC.(Credit Image: © Brian Cahn/ZUMA Wire)

    The ‘I Will Vote Concert‘ is an attempt to raise money for Biden’s campaign in the last waning days before the election. Tickets for the Biden campaign concert start at $25 and increase to $1000.

    Just last month, ‘Team Joe Sings‘ popped off with artists like Kesha, Ben Gibbard and Misterwives. Every Thursday up until the election, a group of musicians perform songs virtually to raise money for his campaign. The series has produced over 15 videos, each of a different artist featuring their music.

    Musical entertainment has always been used as a way to promote, whether it be for an ad or a movie. In this case, Biden is not only raising money for his shot in the White House, but also may increase his chances of getting more votes with well-known artists showing their support.

    The lineup: A$AP Ferg, Sara Bareilles, Aloe Blacc, Black Eyed Peas and Jennifer Hudson, Jon Bon Jovi, Ciara, Darren Criss, Jermaine Dupri, NE-YO, Johnta Austin and Friends, Foo Fighters, Macy Gray, Dave Matthews, P!nk, Ben Platt, Cher, John Legend and The Black Eyed Peas.

    Also Scheduled: La La Anthony, Margaret Cho, Jaime Camil, Dave Grohl, Armie Hammer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Helen Mirren, Maren Morris, Billy Porter, Amy Schumer, will.i.am, Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness.

    Make sure to tune in 8:00 p.m. EDT/ 5:00 p.m. PDT on Sunday. Tickets are on sale now.

  • Museum of Jewish Heritage to Host Virtual Concert on October 25

    The Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will host a virtual live concert from Edmond J. Safra Hall in New York City on October 25 at 7 p.m. The livestream is the Museum’s first event since the COVID-19 pandemic and will broadcast from their website.

    Museum of Jewish Heritage

    The livestream will include a performance from Klezmer Brass Allstars, Eleanor Reissa, and Deep Singh with songs about love, protest, political commentary, the Holocaust, and liberation, inspired by their previous collaborations “Vilde mekhaye-Wild Ecstacy” and “Mir geyen nisht tsurik/No Looking Back. Grammy award-winning trumpeter-composer, Sir Frank London will lead The Klezmer Brass Allstars along with trombonist Brian Drye, clarinetist Michael Winograd, tubist Ron Caswell, drummer Aaron Alexander, accordionist Ilya Shneyveys, and guitarist Brandon Seabrook. London’s work celebrates multi-cultural Jewish music and honors those killed in the Holocaust and Hungary. His work is a celebration of Jewish life and Yiddish culture through a multicultural lens. London’s latest poetry/music release is Salomé: Woman of Valor with Adeena Karasick.

    Frank London’s music and artistry, rooted in Jewish Heritage, provides an opportunity for us to come together in real-time to remember, celebrate, and heal during these difficult times. Although we must remain apart, we hope this event will bring people together, and are excited to launch our Live from Edmond J. Safra Hall concert series with such inspiring, talented presenters.

    Jack Kliger, President & CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage–A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

    The Museum is the third-largest Holocaust museum in the world and the second-largest in North America, with a commitment to educating diverse visitors about Jewish life, before, during, and after the Holocaust.

    Our Live from Edmond J. Safra Hall concert will be as close as we can safely come to performing for an audience in real time. Thanks to the visionary presenters at the Museum of Jewish Heritage for creating this groundbreaking event. It’s the first real concert we’ve played in months.

    Sir Frank London

    Click here to register for a ticket and make a donation

  • Hudson Valley Votes Announces Get-Out-The-Vote Virtual Concert

    Hudson Valley Votes (HVV) announces their third annual Get-Out-The-Vote virtual concert encouraging voter turnout. The virtual concert will take place on HVV’s YouTube and social media channels on Saturday, October 17, 2020. The lineup includes big names like Natalie Merchant, Norah Jones, Emily King, Antonio Delgado, Michelle Hinchey and more. 

    The event will include musicians, candidates, actors, students, and activists from the Hudson Valley area and beyond. The event encourages people to come together, celebrate, and defend their right to vote in what they call, “the most important election our country has ever faced.” The concert will take place online and will be free to the public. Donations via ActBlue are encouraged, with net proceeds to benefit Common Cause New York. As in years past, all of the performers and artists have donated their time to get out the vote and promote election integrity.

    Performers on the docket include: Justin Vivian Bond, Nels Cline, Brian Collazo, Abena Koomson-Davis, Jack DeJohnette, Gail Ann Dorsey, Energy Dance Co, Cheme Gastelum, Corey Glover, Amy Helm, Dave Holland, Norah Jones, Steve Jordan, Emily King, Joakim Lartey, Sean Lennon, Dan Littleton, Storey Littleton, John Medeski, Natalie Merchant, Jeremy Most, Meshell Ndegeocello, Ben Perowsky, Kate Pierson, Casey Ramos, Jackson Speller, Simi Stone, and Rock Academy.

    Special Guests include: Fred Armisen, Moraya Seeger DeGeare, Reggie Earls, Juan Figueroa, Brita Filter, Tim Guinee, Cally Mansfield, Rebecca Martin, Mary Stuart Masterson, Melissa Auf der Maur, Maitreya Motel, Thomas Sadoski, Amanda Seyfried, Bobby Tisdale, and Uma Thurman. 

    Candidates making an appearance include Antonio Delgado, Michelle Hinchey, Jen Metzger, and Karen Smythe. The event was originally going to take place at the landmark Opus 40, but inclement fall weather shifted plans and Hutton Brickyards generously donated its space in which to film the socially distanced concert reel, which will be shown virtually, interspersed with satellite performances and speakers. Earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the original Hudson Valley Votes canceled it’s plans for its live event, which had been originally scheduled for October 17 th at Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) in Kingston, donating remaining funds to FAMILY of Woodstock. 

    The event will be airing on Saturday, October 17 th at 8PM, via HVV’s YouTube channel and social media, as well as via Radio Kingston, Radio Woodstock and others. This is the third annual concert-rally that features incredible local and international talent.

    For more information on the event visit Hudson Valley Votes’ website.

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