Arts and Entertainment

Penn State offers virtual front row seats to live, star-studded arts celebration

Tune in for a multi-day showcase of student and alumni performances, along with special guest surprise visits beginning April 9

Penn State will host a multi-day virtual event consisting of live, 30-minute vignettes by students and alumni from Penn State's School of Theatre and School of Music. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State will host a multi-day virtual event called “Penn State Presents: A Virtual Performing Arts Celebration,” consisting of live, 30-minute vignettes each day by students and alumni from Penn State’s School of Theatre and School of Music. 

The performances can be viewed at PennStatePresents.psu.edu at 7 p.m. EDT each night, beginning Thursday, April 9, and continuing through Sunday, April 12. 

Renowned performers like Caroline Bowman, who currently stars as “Elsa” in the national tour of Disney’s “Frozen,” will be joined by students and additional special guests and stars each night. 

“The Penn State community spans the globe, and we are dealing in our own way with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. More than perhaps at any other time, it’s important for us to take a moment to enjoy the arts and talents of our community,” said Penn State President Eric J. Barron “There is nothing quite like our extraordinary students and alumni, and I’m so proud of their creative resiliency and the exceptional ways Penn Staters are working together in this challenging time.”

The daily virtual arts events will offer an opportunity for the Penn State community to come together while social distancing guidelines call for physical separation.

“We hope this series of evening performances will help viewers overcome some of the disappointment caused by the cancellation of in-person student performances, but it does even more; it connects us all,” said B. Stephen Carpenter II, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture. “We are excited to shine a spotlight on some of the world-class performers among our students and alumni, as well as appearances of some remarkable special guests.”

John Simpkins, head of the Musical Theatre Program at Penn State, is emceeing the performances. Carpenter, Director of the School of Theatre Rick Lombardo, and Director of the School of Music David Frego will also join.

As President Eric Barron has written on Digging Deeper, this truly is a “We Are” moment — and Penn State wants to hear your “We Are” stories. Visit news.psu.edu/WeAre to share how you or other Penn Staters are supporting each other to overcome the collective challenges presented by the novel coronavirus.

 

Last Updated April 27, 2020