5 Ways to Support Richmond's Performing Arts Scene Right Now

 

Powered by the Richmond Symphony

 
 

Concerts, recitals, plays, musicals… As the pandemic continues to impede our ability to gather as audiences in appreciation of Richmond’s burgeoning performing arts scene, these renowned local organizations could use a hand (by which I mean “help,” not “a round of applause,” though I’m sure they’d appreciate both!).

Learn more about how Richmond’s cultural institutions, specifically in the performing arts, are getting extra creative with their offerings in the interest of both our community’s safety and our entertainment needs.

by Alicia Valenski

 
 
Image Source: @rvasymphony

Image Source: @rvasymphony

 

Richmond Symphony


January kicks off the Richmond Symphony’s spring Masterworks Grand Tour subscription series, so you can take a trip around the world without leaving your home! This livestream subscription to all four Masterworks concerts costs $100 and includes Watch from Home access to:

Each concert will remain available to view on-demand for 45 days after the initial livestream. Click here to print a schedule, or get the subscription here.

Additionally, class registration for the spring semester of Richmond Symphony School of Music is now open!

RSSoM classes are available to learners of all ages and skill levels, including courses for adults like:

Online classes start the week of February 8, 2021. Register here.

 
Image Source: @vareptheatre

Image Source: @vareptheatre

 

Virginia Repertory Theatre


The Virginia Repertory Theatre is starting the year off strong with their virtual gala, The Show Will Go On, taking place online on Saturday, January 23 with a pre-show happy hour at 7 pm and the main event at 7:30 pm. This totally free event will feature live and silent auctions, special guest appearances, and entertainment by award-winning actors.

Beyond that, the Theatre is now offering Video On Demand so you can watch VA Rep shows from home. Here are a few options available for rent for 48 hours at $15/each:

 
Image Source: @richmond.triangle.players

Image Source: @richmond.triangle.players

 

Richmond Triangle Players


Help the Richmond Triangle Players choose the winner of its inaugural So.Queer Playwriting Festival for 2021! Finalists (i.e. the plays and their playwrights) are:

  • Acute Exposure by Alice Hakvaag

  • Red Wave by Ty Autry

  • Stonewallin’ by Kari Barclay

  • Talmadge & Ray by Andy Nagraj & Jonathan Spivey

Each of the finalists will present an excerpt of their work, introduced by them personally, in a collaborative online presentation, available via Video-On-Demand beginning January 15, 2021 and ending January 29, 2021.

The works can be viewed for free by anyone across the country. Those viewing the works will be sent a survey to determine the winner — and then those votes, in conjunction with an adjudication committee selected by RTP, will determine the final winner of the Festival! Watch and vote here.

And don’t miss this season’s featured RTP performance, This Bitter Earth, onstage January 27 - February 13, 2021 and available to watch on demand in early February.

A deep love is challenged by divisive political realities. Jesse, an introspective black playwright, finds his choices called into question when his boyfriend, Neil, a white Black Lives Matter activist, calls him out for his political apathy. As passions and priorities collide, this couple is forced to reckon with issues of race, class, and the bravery it takes to love out loud.

This production will feature a reduced capacity of 20 seats per performance, in accordance with CDC guidelines.  Please contact the Box Office for any specific seating requests, including handicapped seating. A streaming version will also be available.

 
Image Source: @virginia_opera

Image Source: @virginia_opera

 

Virginia Opera


Virginia Opera’s Spring 2021 Season launches with an insider’s look into the technique of opera singing through a Masterclass Series featuring Denyce Graves! As an exclusive benefit to Virginia Opera subscribers and donors, eight weekly episodes of this immersive foray into the beloved art of opera will premiere every Wednesday beginning January 27. 

The Opera’s featured presentations will continue with a classic experience with a virtual twist as called Cabaret with Us! Their Emerging Artists will bring the music, you pour the drinks and enjoy an evening on the town (from home).

Next up is a fully staged one-act opera by the music legend Leonard Bernstein himself; Trouble in Tahiti, co-presented with Virginia Arts Festival. This fun production, set in 1950s suburbia, features a Greek chorus (which acts more like a radio commercial), spending a day in the life of “domestic bliss” as a young married couple attempts to reconnect and rekindle their romance.

The Opera’s final feature of the season will be a Spring Gala, their digital spring fundraising event. In addition to the amazing talents of their Emerging Artists, they have a few surprises in the works, so stay tuned.

And complementing all of this will be the Virginia Opera’s new digital learning platform, Virtually Amazing Opera. This digital learning catalog will expand later this spring — educators are encouraged to sign up at vaopera.org/learn to receive these programs and more information about educational content throughout the Season.

 
Image Credit: @richmondballet

Image Credit: @richmondballet

 

Richmond Ballet


Did you know that The School of Richmond Ballet offers premium dance training for children and adults from beginner to professional levels? That’s right, you can develop and improve your ballet technique in a focused series of classes taught by professional dancers and dance educators at one of the finest dance facilities on the East Coast.

Adult Division classes for Spring 2021 include both in-studio and live stream options so you can plié and plank along with the instructor from wherever you are most comfortable. Consider signing up for classes like:

You can also check out their Intro to Ballet course of on-demand videos — it’s $65 to rent all four workshops.

And be sure to mark your calendars (and get your tickets!) for the Richmond Ballet’s February Studio Series, which will feature Richmond Ballet favorites presented in new ways, paired with new works that reflect current times, such as:

  • New Works by Marty Davis, Sarah Ferguson, Eri Nishihara, and Ira White

  • Pas de Deux from The Sleeping Beauty (Choreography by Malcolm Burn; Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky)

  • Stolen Moments (Choreography by Val Caniparoli; Music by Jean-Philippe Rameau)

In-person tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here. For patrons who would prefer to watch from the comfort of home, the Richmond Ballet is offering $20 virtual tickets for purchase here.

 

Thank you to the Richmond Symphony for powering this City Guide!

 
 
art and cultureSean Kanipeshopping