Seattle, WA. Fifth Avenue Theatre is ready to host two live-stream holiday concerts are made to recreate the joys of live theatre. There will be holiday music, tap dancing, and all sorts of colorful festivities to brighten this chilly Seattle winter.
“This year we are doing a different kind of holiday special where we are celebrating all parts of the season,” says Bernie Griffin, Managing Director of the Fifth Avenue Theater. “We have a couple of hosts, Cayman Ilika and Shaunyce Omar, and some special guests– kind of a throwback to when I was growing up, the old holiday specials where there would be special guests that would pop in.” The Fifth Avenue Theater isn’t holding back this holiday season, but brightening the mood with a festive holiday special that can be viewed online.
This online performance is different from what the theater is used to: “For the holidays we would normally bring in about fifty thousand people into the downtown theater for our holiday show, and have been a part of families memories for decades” says Bernie. This year the Fifth Ave has gotten creative with their shows, especially among Governor Inslee’s new Coronavirus regulations. “We were actually going to film our holiday special at the theater a few weeks ago, and then the governor’s mandate came down as far as additional restrictions for the good of the health guidelines, so we had to send all of the equipment out to people’s homes. They filmed in their own apartments and houses, we sent music to them and now it’s splicing it all together,” she explained.
This beautiful theatre will remain empty this holiday season, but the Fifth Ave is bringing the music straight to your home.
The Fifth Avenue Theatre is offering a variety of package options for theatre-fanatics with subscriber access to new content including a mix of exclusive original video, podcasting content, and live stream concerts by theatre partners around the world. Subscribers can enjoy micro-doses of musical theater with access to original video series’, in which actors and composers cooperate to create an original video-story and song. Or, for a full dose of musical theater, subscribers can listen to full-length musical podcasts featuring the 5th’s First Draft commission Half the Sky and Afterwords (Village Theater Beta Series); and one more still to be announced. Cuddle up with a steaming hot-cocoa and enjoy live concerts from the lobby Cabaret; performances by Seattle stars filmed from the lobby of The 5th.
Determined to continue supporting local artists during the pandemic, The 5th Ave recently hosted its Holiday Bazaar. This nine-day virtual event was an auctioning off of wines and various Fifth Avenue gems, as well as a marketplace for artisans who are not currently working. “All of that money goes directly to the artisans for their beautiful hand-crafted gifts. We hope it provides a little bit of assistance,” says Bernie Griffin. “I just recognize the individuals who work for The Fifth Ave and their dedication to this organization, our community, our patrons and our artists, to figure out how to do this”.
The “Pearl or Perfection” chandelier, historical centerpiece to an intricate ceiling.
The Fifth Avenue Theatre has a deep-rooted history here in Seattle. Constructed in 1926, the theatre is today considered one of the most beautiful theatres in our country, thanks to its elaborate interior design. The ceiling is an exact replica of the ceiling of the Throne Room of Beijing’s Imperial Palace, only it’s twice the size. The ornate, five-toed dragon in the center was created as a symbol of the Chinese emperor, with the “Pearl of Perfection” chandelier dangling from his mouth. In the 1990’s, the theatre became the only professional theater organization in the Pacific Northwest to stage both Broadway touring musicals and its own original productions at the time. From its very inception, The 5th Avenue Theatre was created to serve Seattle. The theatre has supported other Seattle theatre organizations, and has made grants to support education programs at cultural institutions throughout Seattle. Not to mention providing much-needed musical entertainment and creative release to Satellites.
5th avenue street lights up in celebration of the holiday season.
This year has been challenging as far as musical theatre goes, as Coronavirus regulations prohibit people from gathering. However, The 5th Ave continues to “create art and to continue to lift the spirits of folks as only musical theater can do,” says a hopeful Bernie Griffin. “However it is that we are able to do that during this time is what our role is as a community asset”. The theatre is happy to continue to feed the creative appetite of the Seattle community, and is grateful for its supportive followers. There is much to look forward to in terms of new shows, podcasts and concerts– all of which can be found on The Fifth Avenue website. “During this time we really need the support of all our community, when the time is right, to get back on our feet”.
From The Fifth Avenue Theatre:
We’re proud to introduce The Essential 5th Digital Collection, a digital season featuring content created by The 5th that immerses you in the very essence of musical theater.
With The Essential 5th Digital Collection, we invite you to join us in our virtual theater for a mix of exclusive original video and podcasting content created by The 5th and livestream concerts by theater partners around the world—including some of Broadway’s brightest stars.
The Essential 5th is broken out into three different package options with subscriber access to exciting new content expanding at every level:
THE ESSENTIAL 5TH FUNDAMENTALS
The 5th Avenue Theatre has an essential role to play in your life—just as you have an essential role to play in ours. The close connection between our audience and our art has always lead to musical experiences at their richest. It is your support—whether through your subscription, your donation, or even your kind words and messages—that we maintain the critical resources that support our staff, create opportunities for our local artists, and plan for recovery.
