Broadway Bound 2020
Easter school continues in lockdown
While many Easter holiday 2020 performance schemes have decided not to run during Covid-19 lockdown, one school has stayed resolutely open and is even going to give its annual concert.
Not that the Beyond Broadway Experience will be packing out the Usher Hall as it usually does. Instead, the industrious team behind it has put together a virtual concert which will be streamed as-live on Saturday April 18 2020.
The BBE team said: “Our main aim has always been to bring young people together in a social, fun and safe environment to teach and inspire through the creative arts.
“We thought that we would have to abandon our work, but instead we invested all our time and energy into finding a solution…
“We refused to be beaten by hurdles placed in our way and we think it’s safe to say that our team and the cast have risen to the challenge, have been enjoying a great time creating some memories and are in the process of producing something remarkable under the circumstances.”
Online cast of sixty
The solution means that a total of 60 youngsters – 40 in the senior cast and 20 in mini cast – have spent the best part of the Easter holidays working on seven musical theatre classics for the show.
The show will also feature an “isolation medley” made up from 24 songs from musical theatre shows with adapted lyrics. Those viewing the concert are encouraged to see how many of the featured musicals they are able to identify and share their guesses on social media.
Murray Grant, director of Beyond Broadway, said: “We were determined not to let down the young performers, who were all so keen to gain a taste of featuring in a professional production.
“By taking The Beyond Broadway Experience online, we are exploring a form of performance that has become popular with theatres and companies in recent weeks. As the saying goes, the show must go on and we are so proud of how well the young performers and our creative team have adapted to this new way of working and rehearsing.
Some of the Beyond Broadway Experience students in an online physical training exercise. Pic: BBE
The cast have been put through their paces online, rehearsed online and even filmed or recorded everything themselves while in isolation.
Grant adds: “Through delivering the programme online, we’re also giving the students an important focus and chance to socialise with each other, in addition to the professional tuition on which we have built our reputation.”
The resulting material has then been mixed and edited to a form where it can stream as-live from the Beyond Broadway Experience facebook page this Saturday 18 April 2020 at 5pm.
The Beyond Broadway Experience also has plans to stage a production of High School Musical at the King’s Theatre. While the show is currently set to go ahead as planned, the programme will be moved online if required.
Broadway Bound 2020 – the (virtual) concert
By Beyond Broadway
Live on Facebook.
Sat 18 April 2020. 8pm
Live performance only – A video download will be available after the concert.
High School Musical
Thurs 23 – Sat 25 July 2020
Evenings 7.30pm; Matinees Fri/Sat: 2.30pm
The Beyond Broadway Experience bring Disney’s smash-hit movie musical to life. Follow Troy, Gabriella, and the students of East High in this modern day cult-classic featuring such hits as We’re All In This Together and Status Quo. Book here.
Poster for the virtual event.
ENDS
