During these difficult financial times, let's buy local.
The year 2020 has certainly seen a great deal of change, in a good many ways, and one of the ways the entertainment community has evolved is the number of ways in which performing artists make money off of which they can live. Before March of this year, actors, singers, dancers, designers, theater craftspeople of all genres paid their bills, their landlord, their grocer with money made creating the art for which they are known. After March of this year, those same artists turned to their hobbies, their sidelines, and completely new ventures in order to make that paper, so necessary for survival. With no assistance from the United States Government to help them through these complicated financial times, those people are relying on their new work to make the season bright, and all of our social media pages have been filled with pleas that we all do our holiday gift-giving courtesy of these individual craftspeople. Frankly, even after the holidays are over, these artists will still need our support, our industry, and our friendship, so let's all share their links right now and throughout the year.
Here are some of the artists whose work has been touted on Facebook these past few days of December - Broadway World Cabaret would like to join those encouraging online buying from the "Mom and Pop Shops" of the show business community.
Let's go shopping.
BUCKY BOWS - Handcrafted bowties by Broadway and cabaret performer Michael "Bucky" Buchanan. Find Bucky Bows on FACEBOOK and ETSY
Mary Lahti'S GREETING CARDS - Handmade greeting cards by cabaret performer Mary Lahti can be found on the Greeting Card Universe WEBSITE
BRUCE MANILLA TAILOR - Metropolitan Opera costumer Bruce Manilla hand makes designer face masks and plush bunnies. See those on his ETSY store.
THE FAERIE DEN - Former singing actor Laurelle Rethke has evolved into a healer and an expert on crystals, with a forthcoming book. Her healing expertise can be read up on at her WEBSITE
BLACKOUT PETE - Performer, teacher, writer and producer Peter Michael Marino has T-Shirts and more available at his ETSY store.
DOODLES BY DAVE - Actor, podcast producer, and filmmaker Dave "Stish" Stishan is not only selling his original artwork, he is taking commissions. See him on FACEBOOK.
BELLE'S COLLECTIONS - Cabaret singer Mary Ziev recommends Cynthia Simmons wearable art, available at her WEBSITE
BOWIE DUNWOODY PHOTOGRAPHY - Shakespeare Forum company member and graphic designer Bowie Dunwoody offers quality affordable headshots and portraits. Visit their WEBSITE
VANITY HOUSE DESIGNS CO. - Costumer and wig designer Kurt Alger is doing original one of a kind home decor that can be seen on ETSY
UPPITEES FASHIONS AND TIE DIE - Artist and designer Teresa Mitchell keeps Tie ye alive with her hip fashions found on FACEBOOK and her WEBSITE
BRANCHING OUT WORKS - Broadway and cabaret musical director and composer Micah Youn swears by the original woodworks to be found on this WEBSITE
JESSIE'S NUTTY CUPS - Actress Jessica Taige branched out into handcrafted peanut butter cups. Do I have your attention now? See the treats on her WEBSITE
CURTAIN CALL COSMETICS - Singing actor Wendy Watt has created cruelty-free/vegan Broadway-inspired nail polish. Yeah, that's right. See her on ETSY.
Allyson Briggs VOICEOVERS - Respected and renowned for her singing, the frontwoman for Fleur Seule is talking for a living now, too. See her WEBSITE
BEACH GLASS BINGO - Artist Elaine Pfleiderer is sold on the jewelry made out of beach glass being made by these San Diego artists. Check out their WEBSITE
GARDNER POTTERY - Singer and teacher Jay Gardner is a master craftsman in the art of pottery of all kind. See his work on his WEBSITE
PRETTY PLEASE WITH SUGAR - Hot Cocoa Bombes made by singing actress Julie Garnye. Just go to the WEBSITE and look at the video.
OUT OF OUR MIND! - Actress Nancy Munger swears by the kitschy kitchen wear to be found at this ETSY store.
BIANCA ROSARRIO COLLECTION - Singer Bianca Rosarrio crafts beach debris into home art that can be seen on her FACEBOOK page
TOSCA WEB DESIGN - Singer and teacher Regina Zona can help you or your loved one build their website to can sell your own crafts or services! Regina's WEBSITE
Jason Ellis TECH SUPPORT - Mr. Ellis serves those who are trying to adapt to the tech needs of quarantine but who don't quite have it. Here's his WEBSITE
NICK PARK POTTERY - Actor and Singer Brad Rakushin and husband Nicholas Park have handcrafted clayware available through their ETSY store.
KRF CARDS - Activist, artist, and romantic Kacey R. Frierson-Nixon creates custom-made "Novelty Shit" that whimsical and personal. See her work on her WEBSITE
BROADWAY DOLLS AND GUYS - The creations of Paul Aguirre, these one of a kind crocheted versions of stage characters can be seen at his WEBSITE
INSTRUCTION FOR SALE: These are the teaching artists who are conducting coaching via the virtual standards for now, and in-person when it is safe once more:
Eric Michael Gillett - Singing and acting teacher - WEBSITE
Michael McAssey - Music Lessons of all sorts - WEBSITE
DJM STUDIO - Musical Coaching - WEBSITE
DANSPHERE - A new take on the physical exercise and artistic expression of dance, designed to bring balance to your life. Read all about Dansphere on their WEBSITE
Nicolas King - vocal performance coaching - WEBSITE or FACEBOOK
THE ZONA STUDIO - Voice, Piano, Acting Lessons - WEBSITE
DEB SILVER - Voice Teacher/Yoga Instructor - WEBSITE
SWEAT SQUAD - Melissa Yan, Fitness Instructor - WEBSITE
Dawn Derow - Physical Fitness/Yoga Instruction - While her health and fitness website is under construction, contact Dawn through her performance WEBSITE
LIVE OUT LOUD - Audition technique, acting and more - WEBSITE
SINGNASIUM - Cabaret Performance Classes - WEBSITE
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