Sip and Sing helping performers beat pandemic fatigue

ByLauren Glassberg WABC logo

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Sip and Sing helping performers battle pandemic fatigue

A theater company on Long Island got creative during the pandemic and now they have a hit on their hands.

SAG HARBOR, Suffolk County (WABC) -- During the pandemic, theater companies have gotten creative when it comes to performances and one theater on Long Island has a hit on its hands.

Kyle Barisich leads a happy hour sing-a-long on Zoom every Friday called Sip and Sing.

It's an idea born when the pandemic forced the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor to close last March.

"I just thought, well what happens to me, the first thing I do is sit down with a drink, and the second thing is I listen to music and I love to sing," said Tracy Mitchell, Executive Director of Bay Street Theater.

And apparently, so do a lot of other people.

"It's been this snowball effect, people have Zoom fatigue, I'm fully aware of that, but we don't get that feedback with this program. It's super fun," Barisich said.

Barisich offers up interesting tidbits about the American songbook and musical theater.

The lyrics are posted and the performers are even paid.

"At least we were still employing artists and simultaneously paying out staff so we were still fulfilling our mission," Mitchell said.

Meanwhile, The Bay Street Theater will finally reopen in June to limited capacity, but the weekly Sip and Sing isn't going anywhere.

It's gained traction and is now also streaming on iHeart Radio Broadway.

That's something to sing about.

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