The sets were in place. Costumes sewn. Lights hung. Rehearsals over.

The Bristol Riverside Theater cast had been through two performances of the musical Cabaret last spring before COVID-19 drew the curtain. The troupe cancelled the remainder of the run. But eventually, a combination of technology and creativity revived it, reports PHL17 Morning News. 

Ken and Amy Kaissar are the musical’s co-producing directors. Ken remembers well the emotional toll of the news. 

“It felt like a piece of all of us died,” he said.  

But harkening to their “show-must-go-on” credo, the company found a way to transfer the entire production online. 

“We sent [the cast] set, props, costumes… They eventually turned their bedrooms into a set. And then we would stream into their house and do a show from there. So it’s kind of a wild experience,” said Amy.  

More information on how local theater groups managed their way through the coronavirus lockdowns is at PHL17 Morning News.