How Miami Is Keeping Entertainment Alive During The Coronavirus Pandemic
The world is shut down due to the coronavirus—even the entertainment industry has stopped for the time being.
But as the saying goes, the show must go on.
Singers, bands and performing art centers are keeping fans connected with the entertainment industry virtually.
Movie theaters are hosting virtual screenings on their websites. Some theaters in Miami—such as the Coral Gables Arts Cinema and O Cinema—are allowing viewers to watch critically-acclaimed films such as The Wild Goose Lake and Corpus Christie online.
Because the Coral Gables Arts Cinema also finances itself through donations and membership sales, it designed a free “drive-in” section on their website that allows people to watch up to three films daily. The section includes classic films that range from Charlie Chaplin’s comedies to sci-fi dramas like Night of the Living Dead.
The Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theater is also joining in with their Young Talent Big Dreams talent contest. Kids ranging in ages from eight to 17 years old can submit an online audition to compete for scholarships and cash prizesArt houses and museums are also trying to keep their audiences entertained.
The Pérez Art Museum Miami and the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens offer virtual tours.
The website for Bonnet House Museum & Gardens includes photos and descriptions of their vintage houses and Youtube tours led by staff members.
Pérez Art Museum Miami’s website has links to similar content. It features three different Youtube lists: the tours, art discussions with experts and a kids-friendly crafting page. The website also has a photo gallery and descriptions of the current exhibitions, and a compilation of resources for art educators.
The local music industry has not left their fans behind either.
Broward Center for the Performing Arts created a virtual series of performing arts classes and content. They include live chats with Broadway professionals, sing-alongs and 20-minute classes for singing, acting, dance or improv. The live streams can be viewed on the center’s website, or on their Facebook page.
The New World Symphony and the South Florida Symphony Orchestra have archival recordings of past performances on their websites. Commentary tracks and behind-the-scenes footage can also be found on the New World Symphony’s site.
Artists have also started live streaming performances and teaching music and dance lessons online.
Singers Alejandro Sanz and Juanes have hosted free live stream singing sessions with other artists like Gonzolo Rubalcaba on Youtube. Fort Lauderdale band London Exchange is also performing live acoustic shows on Facebook.
These efforts prove that even when the world is going crazy over a pandemic, artists and venues unite to keep audiences entertained.
