&SCENE
A NEW ONLINE STREAMING PLATFORM
FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
The award-winning theatrical production company &CO is proud to present its latest endeavor &SCENE, a live online streaming platform for theatre folk, by theatre folk, and for all those who love the live elements of entertainment. For them, it’s all about Inspiring Community.
This went live officially on Saturday 25 April in spectacular fashion with the reunion of the 2007 South African company as well as the local and international creative teams of the hit musical HAIRSPRAY, in their weekly Together Again slot.
Viewers were treated to two hours of non-stop fun and nostalgia as the guests in the virtual studio treated the viewers to fabulous behind-the-scenes insights and personal stories that make this art form so unique.
The local and international creative teams, including Richard Loring (Executive Producer), Debra Batzofin (Associate Producer) and live from the USA, Marc Shaiman (Tony Award-winning Composer & Lyricist), Lon Hoyt (Musical Director), Greg Graham (Dance Captain) and Mark Sendroff (international entertainment lawyer) all waxed lyrical about their personal experiences of getting this hit Broadway production on an African stage for the first time.
Hosted by Natasha Van der Merwe, a number of cast members including Harry Sideropoulos, Kate Normington, Kyle Grant, Elizca Coetzer, Jo Galloway and more, also added their voices to the show, both in interviews and fabulous performances of a selection of the hits of the show, making the evening one to remember.
Hairspray : Together Again was a sure-fire hit with the viewers and kick-started the weekly segment on &SCENE with viewers asking for more.
The important element of this weekly segment is that all funds raised during the show are donated to the Theatre Benevolent Fund.
Newly founded in April 2020, &SCENE are a live-streaming network that brings together all facets of the theatre industry in a curated online streaming performance space, creating a sense of community between audiences and artists.
They are empowering artists with unique opportunities to earn income as well as encouraging creative growth in creating unique onine content. &SCENE believes that the digital trend, and all its potential, is to be embraced as “the new normal.”
Streaming for twelve hours daily, their service is free to stream on Facebook and YouTube.
A diverse variety of content is offered throughout the week.
From weekday morning workouts (offering yoga, workouts and choreography), to family content (baking classes, kid centric classes offering such activities and singing and dancing and storytime), industry workshops from industry professionals (in acting, singing, dancing, producing, etc.), wellness hours (focusing on the mental and physical well-being), chat shows, play readings, open mics and special content.
Weekends are set to include a shows for young performers to shine, as well as a rotating Saturday afternoon special broadcast and the brand new Together Again, bringing back together members of South African favourite productions for one night only, to benefit Theatre Benevolent Fund.
Don’t miss daily work outs to keep us fit in #LockDown by Jonathan Blaine Shore.
Weekly highlights will be Coffee and Connect with “Dr. D”, a weekly show hosted by Dr Dorianne Weil chatting to special guests, to benefit Theatre Benevolent Fund and the fun creative class for the whole family; Bake A Leg! with Andrea Shine.
For the full ever-evolving schedule, please head to &SCENE’s website: HERE
&SCENE wholeheartedly believe that they are purely a platform. All work generated by artists remains the full property of the artist, moving forward.
Every show will host a QR code, which connects to SnapScan and allows for viewers to make immediate donations to the artists directly, with no third party involvement in the donation process.
Producer of &SCENE, Drew Bakker states; “&SCENE is all about inspiring community. We want to be a watering hole of sorts, where all creatives can gather around, virtually. It’s our way of supporting each other, giving a bit of hope in these crazy times and help support artists and the Theatre Benevolent Fund, a cause very important to us.”
RENT : TOGETHER AGAIN
Saturday 2 May at 18h00 CAT
The second Together Again show will be putting a spotlight on RENT – featuring those creative team members that brought the show to life as well as members of the all-star company of the 2007 South African production of the Jonathan Larson hit.
This will take place on Saturday 2nd May at 18h00 CAT, on &SCENE’s Facebook Live and YouTube Channel.
You can get direct access for both platforms via: HERE
Reunited for one very special night, the evening stands to be filled with laughter, stories and music from the production. The event has been partnered with the Theatre Benevolent Fund and will be raising funds for the cause, through SnapScan.
Viewers will get to enjoy more fabulous insights into this show that defined a generation.
Joining host Natasha Van Der Merwe in studio will be Hazel Feldman (Executive Producer), Anton Luitingh (Resident Director), Bryan Schimmel (Music Supervisor), and leading actors
For more information on RENT: TOGETHER AGAIN, watch the promotional video:HERE
- * All guests appear subject to availability
Says Bryan Schimmel, Musical Supervisor of RENT: “Congratulations to Drew Bakker and his team for creating a content platform designed to bring the creative community together, and especially for providing a visible channel for donation to the Theatre Benevolent Fund. At a time when it’s tough to feel motivated to be creative, they have stepped up and shown all of us how it can be done.”
Schimmel continues; “I have a very personal relationship with RENT the Musical. The words ‘No Day But Today’ are tattooed on my left shoulder. These words could not be more profound in this immensely challenging period in global history. So it is with great anticipation and excitement that I look forward to reuniting with the South African company of RENT this Saturday evening.”
#AndSceneRENT
Follow &Scene on Social Media :