Feature: And The Nominees Are... BEST PRODUCER OF A VIRTUAL PROGRAM
These are the folks who, when quarantine hit, cut their suit to fit their cloth.
By: Stephen Mosher Dec. 03, 2020
It happened so suddenly. One night people were in the clubs, performing, watching, laughing, drinking, communing with one another. The next day the clubs were empty. Closed. All the artists were at home wondering what to do, how to live, where their income was going to come from, and when they would be back in the clubs.
It wasn't long before the industrious ones, the creative ones, were using skills that they already had or learning on the job, and before you knew it there were virtual lounges, online chat shows, zoom room performances... there was entertainment everywhere online, and it saved everyone's sanity during the show business shutdown and city lockdowns.
It still is.
The Category Is BEST PRODUCER OF A VIRTUAL PROGRAM
Adam B. Shapiro - (Still A)Live From Shapiro Hall: Working from his home that he shares with Janice Hall, Shapiro used his already impressive skills with his computer and video camera to create a series of TV specials reminiscent of the ones so beloved from the sixties, seventies, and eighties. They have to be seen to be believed and since Hall and Shapiro favor the Halloween Holiday, check out their Halloween special below:
Harold Sanditen - Harold Sanditen's Open Mic Party - Live On Zoom: A force for good in the cabaret and club scene of London, Harold Sanditen's regularly scheduled Open Mic Party was ended by the London lockdown. Not one to be controlled by others, Sanditen devised a way to take the show online, and he made a regular program that took online entertainment to a whole new level. See why below:
Ian McQueen - Cabaret on the Couch: A young man with a dream (and some skill), Ian McQueen developed a platform for young people stuck at home to express themselves with their artistry. Enlisting some charming hosts to help him out, McQueen created a friendly, entertaining, and safe space for people to hang out, chat a bit, and raise their voices. See McQueen's creation here:
Mark Weiser - Dueling Pianos on Facebook: For more than ten years the SHAKE RATTLE N ROLL shows at Patrick's of Times Square have thrilled audiences with the Dueling Pianos. Mark Weiser, creator of the show, is as industrious as they come, and it took no time for him to find a way to take the show to the fans. See the Dueling Pianos Facebook page HERE.
Michael Kushner - Stars in the House French Woods Benefit Concert: Director Kushner joined forces with Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley for a special edition of Rudetsky's online show to raise money for the Hancock-French Woods Arts Alliance, an organization that provides college scholarships and emergency assistance to young people committed to the arts. The streaming two-hour show featured a starry lineup that can be seen HERE:
Nora Lyn Kennedy - Thirsty Thursday with Nora Lyn Kennedy: Ms. Kennedy is the host of a live show called Thirsty Thursday, and she wasn't about to let her regular fans and performers down when the lockdown happened. So Nora Lyn took some time to line things up and made Thirsty Thursday an online party, much to the delight and joy of her community. Check out Nora Lyn Kennedy's Thirsty Thursday Don't Rain on My Parade episode below:
Paul Hanegan - Singing The Truth For a Cause: A cabaret performer and actor, Mr. Hanegan took to the internet with a concert to benefit Children's National Hospital in Washington D.C. - that is focused on Strengthening Families during COVID-19. Enlisting members of the community, Hanegan created a program filled with positivity, light, and love. See #nofilters and Hanegan's TRUTH below:
Robert W. Schneider - West Side Stories: Celebrating NYC in the 1970s: In August, the original programming producer of 54 Below created an hour-long TV special that was really special. The Hudson Guild invited Schneider and a cast of Broadway stars to look back at a time in New York City's history that many loved and miss: the seventies. The result was a remarkable film to be seen right here:
Jim Caruso & Ruby Locknar - Virtual Halston: After a few weeks of the Jim Caruso'S PAJAMA CAST PARTY show, host Caruso and his producer Locknar thought the Birdland family should branch out, and they joined forces with funny lady supreme Julie Halston to create one of the best hours online. Virtual Halston airs weekly with Julie and her famous friends grabbing some chat and making some laughs. Laugh along here:
Ruby Locknar - Jim Caruso's Pajama Cast Party, Mason's Makin' Music: After a month in quarantine, Jim Caruso took his famed Cast Party online in what has become the leading open mic program online. To fill in the tech blanks for him, Caruso invited producer Ruby Locknar to be a part of the team, and a star was born... in more ways than one. Before long, Ruby Was working with Karen Mason on her weekly music program, and Locknar has found herself a new career. Visit the PJ Cast Party AND Mason's Makin' Music below:
Scott Barbarino - Piano Bar Live!: Like a tsunami of talent, energy, and tenacity, Barbarino has made Piano Bar Live! an award-winning show, long before lockdown, so he had all the pieces in place to make it a go-to for people missing live entertainment on a regular basis. The man behind Nitelife Exchange is a force for good in the industry, and this show is just one of the examples of his greatness. Check out episode fifty-two of Piano Bar Live!:
Which virtual programming producer has really impressed you? Vote for them to have a Broadway World Award HERE.
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