Page 14 - aruba-today-20201204

a14 people & arts
Friday 4 december 2020

Theater uses its creativity to defy pandemic and stage shows

By MARK KENNEDY Moore said. “It has to have
AP Entertainment Writer a new definition, truly, be-
NEW YORK (AP) — There’s cause it’s certainly unlike
theater on Broadway. You anything that has been
just have to adjust your done.”
sights. One of the companies to
More than a hundred show the way forward was
blocks north of Manhat- Berkshire Theater Group
tan’s shuttered theater in western Massachusetts,
district but on that same whose “Godspell” in Au-
famed thoroughfare, an gust became the first out-
actor recently read his lines door musical with union
from a huge stage. actors since the pandemic
But there was no applause. shut down productions.
Instead, all that was heard Artistic director and CEO
was a strange command Kate Maguire refused to
for the theater: “And cut!” entertain the notion that
Tony Award-winner Jeffer- the company — estab-
son Mays was performing lished in 1928 — would
multiple roles for a high- Tony Award-winner Jefferson Mays performs during a one-man high-tech “A Christmas Carol have an asterisk beside
tech “A Christmas Carol” Live” that is being filmed for streaming this month at the empty 3,000-seat United Palace. 2020 that said no shows
that was being filmed for were produced that year.
streaming this month at the sectors to return to normal. radio plays, virtual read- members, each filmed re- “We’re theater makers,
empty 3,000-seat United Props and costumes are ings, online variety shows motely and then digitally we’re creators, she said.
Palace. usually touched by dozens and drive-in experiences stitched together. Moore “We should be able to
The one-man show is an ex- each night, an orchestra is that combine live singing directed it — appropriately figure out how to create
ample of how many who crammed into a pit, back- with movies. A musical ver- enough — from St. Louis. something.”
work in theater are increas- stage areas are small and sion of the animated film The cast was mailed or So they used plexiglass
ingly defying COVID-19 by shared, and audiences are “Ratatouille” is being ex- hand-delivered props, cos- partitions between each
refusing to let it stop their usually packed into seats. plored on TikTok. tumes and a green screen. masked actor. The per-
art, often creating new hy- New ways are needed. “We will conquer it. We are They rehearsed via Zoom formers were tested regu-
brid forms. Mays’ “A Christmas Carol,” theater people. By God, and FaceTime. A masked larly — at a cost of close
“Because it’s such a roll-up- which was filmed on a high- we will conquer it and get and socially distant orches- to $50,000 — and had their
your-sleeves business, the- tech LED set, veers much it done,” says Charlotte tra recorded the score. own props and a single
ater people figure it out,” more filmic than most other Moore, the artistic director Like many other theatrical costume. In an open-air
said Tony Award-winning streaming theater options and co-founder of the ac- hybrids venturing into the tent, they managed to pull
producer Hunter Arnold, and is raising money for claimed Irish Repertory The- digital world these days, it’s off a crucifixion scene with-
while watching Mays on- suffering regional theaters atre in New York City. not clear what to call it. It’s out any touching or lifting,
stage. — one stage production Her company has put on not technically live theater, itself a miracle.
Live theater is uniquely test- helping others during the a free streaming holiday but its soul is theatrical. Audiences underwent
ed by the virus, one reason pandemic. production of “Meet Me in “It’s not definable in our temperature checks and
it will be among the last Other green shoots include St. Louis” with a dozen cast current vocabulary,” were separated by seats.
Staff were placed in three
Roddy Ricch has Apple Music’s top album, song of 2020 protective bubbles: artistic,
production and front-of-
house. And there was mon-
itoring: Last year it was an
“Please Excuse Me for Be- reached No. 4 on the intimacy officer; this year it
ing Antisocial.” Billboard Hot 100 chart was a COVID-19 one.
Rappers dominated the this year, was the most Since that first brave step,
Top 5 most-streamed al- Shazamed song of the other theater companies
bums on Apple Music, with year (Apple acquired have plunged into the
Lil Baby’s “My Turn,” Pop Shazam in 2018). void. Play and musical li-
Smoke’s “Shoot for the SAINt JHN’s “Roses (Iman- censor Concord Theatri-
Stars Aim for the Moon” bek Remix),” the Weeknd’s cals says theater compa-
and Lil Uzi Vert’s “Eternal “Blinding Lights,” Topic & nies across the country are
Atake — LUV vs. A7S’ “Breaking Me” and looking for flexibility in case
The World 2” claiming Regard’s “Ride It” round of virus restrictions.q
spots two through four. out the Top 5.
R&B star Summer Walker’s Ranked by time spent Solution Sudoku
“Over It” came in fifth. viewing lyrics in Apple Mu-
The Weeknd’s “Blinding sic, Cardi B and Megan
Lights” was the second Thee Stallion’s raunchy
Roddy Ricch performs at the 7th annual BET Experience in Los most-streamed song of hit “WAP” tops the list of
Angeles on June 21, 2019.
Associated Press the year, followed by Aus- most-read lyrics of 2020.
tralian singer Tones and I’s Other songs in the Top 5
By MESFIN FEKADU streamed song and album “Dance Monkey,” DaBa- include “Dance Monkey,”
AP Music Writer of the year. by and Ricch’s “Rockstar” YOASOBI’s “Yoru ni Ka-
NEW YORK (AP) — Roddy Apple announced Thurs- and “Life Is Good” by Fu- keru,” Ricch’s “The Box”
Ricch is the king of Apple day that Ricch achieved ture and Drake. and Official HIGE DANdism
Music: The rapper has the the feat with his hit “The “Dance Monkey,” origi- “Pretender.”q
music platform’s most- Box” and his debut album, nally released in 2019 but
Puzzle on Page 13