In-person concerts and shows may still be several months away, but Perseverance Theatre will deliver a live, interactive concert Friday night through their Perseverance People Power series.
“It’s a way to connect us, to inspire us. Everyone feels so separate after a year of isolation,” said Erika Stone, director of marketing engagement for Perseverance Theatre. “We did a concert like this last summer, and the headliners were so engaged. It really felt like a live concert in your living room.”
Stone said that the online chat feature is the key to creating the feeling of an in-person performance.
“People are Zooming in from all over the country and having lots of conversations about random, silly things that come up during the show, as you would at a normal venue,” Stone said.
She noted that the performers interact with the audience via chat when they aren’t performing. “At the concert we did last summer, the headliners were so engaged. It really had this feeling like everyone was in the same place,” she said.
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About the performance
Singer Taylor Vidic will open the show Friday night, followed by singer-songwriter Rebeckah Hastings.
Vidic, who is a Juneau local, performs folky-Americana style acoustic music, Stone said.
“Her music is lovely,” she added.
Hastings will join the show from her home in Anchorage and perform primarily cover songs, Stone said.
Expanded reach
One of the benefits of the online concert format is that people worldwide can log in and share the experience.
“The silver lining of COVID is that we can work with people across the state and have viewership across Alaska with no one leaving home,” Stone said.
“If you have friends across Alaska or across the country, you can all watch together, just as you would at a concert. We want to be as close to that as possible and bring the community together,” she said.
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More about Taylor Vidic
According to a biography released by Perseverance Theatre, Taylor was born and raised in Juneau, and grew up singing and throwing parties. As an adult, she fuses her two favorite activities, bringing humor, beauty and heartbreak to the stages of Alaska and beyond. Both as a singer-songwriter and producer, she strives to blend the line between the audience and the performer through honest, raw performances, telling stories you’ve not only heard before but maybe lived yourself.
More about Rebeckah Hastings
According to a biography released by Perseverance Theatre, Rebeckah Hastings is a singer/songwriter in Anchorage, Alaska. She enjoys serving her community through her church, competing in local talent competitions, coaching others to be their best selves, empowering women with makeup transformations, and spending time with her husband, pet and family of four.
• Contact Dana Zigmund at dana.zigmund@juneauempire.com or 907-308-4891.
Know & Go
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 26
Where: Via Zoom
Tickets: Purchase tickets online at https://www.ptalaska.org/people-power/ or purchase a membership program and enjoy this concert as well as future offerings. Memberships start at $10 a month.
To avoid any technical issues, concert-goers are advised to buy tickets by 7:15 p.m. to allow time to receive a link to the show.
Perseverance Theatre will deliver a live, interactive concert Friday night through their Perseverance People Power series. Singer/songwriter Rebeckah Hasting, shown here, will join the show from her home in Anchorage and perform primarily cover songs. (Courtesy Photo/ Perseverance Theatre)
