All around our country cities are holding events with empty stages demonstrating the importance of the arts and live events in US communities. These events are part of the nationwide Live Event Coalition.

Reno has formed its own Reno Live Event group as part of the Live Event Coalition under the direction of Gary Guberman (former Director of Technical Services for the Peppermill Hotel and Casino and long time Lighting Director for Sierra Nevada Ballet).  This Reno Live Event group is made up of many collaborating Northern Nevada organizations that have volunteered to work together to present a live streaming event on September 26 between 4:00 and 6:00 PM in support of all the live events that are unable to take place due to COVID 19.  Many organizations have committed to donate time, services and materials in order to make this happen.  The Pioneer Center, Star Sound, Shoot It Live, the Peppermill Hotel and Casino, the Grand Sierra, Sierra Nevada Ballet, the Reno Jazz Orchestra, Musician/Composer Eric Henry Andersen, Artown’s Beth MacMillan, Mayor Hilary Shieve and many others have volunteered to collaborate in this live streaming presentation.

Gary Guberman’s years of experience working in the theater inspired him to start this group. “This is not about me or about one organization. This is about our entire community” he told me. “It is imperative for us to be reminded of the importance of live events in our city and in our state.”

Weather permitting, a stage will be erected outside at the Pioneer Center Plaza with large screens placed around the stage showing short videos of each live event in Reno that is unable to take place due to COVID 19.

The Reno Live Event will open with a short introduction by Mayor Hilary Shieve and the Star Spangled Banner played by the Reno Jazz Orchestra. Artown’s Beth MacMillan will MC this event introducing several invited guest speakers.

At the end of this event, Composer/Musician Eric Henry Andersen will perform one of his own compositions and Sierra Nevada Ballet will perform to two of his songs choreographed by two SNB Principal dancer/choreographers, Oliver Adams and Alexander Biber. The closing being danced to Reno’s theme song, Andersen’s Heart To Heart -Eye To Eye From Reno with Love with commissioned choreography by Biber.

SNB is delighted to be among the collaborators working on this event with talents like Eric Henry Andersen. Andersen’s award -winning songwriting has captured the hearts of audiences for over a decade. Andersen is co-lead singer/songwriter of the pop/rock group The Novelists and has toured all over the country.

Eric’s music is addicting, especially his song written for the City of Reno: Heart To Heart –Eye To Eye.  I loved it the moment I heard it, as did Alexander Biber.

Biber has danced with SNB for many years. He started out as an SNB Apprentice and worked his way up through the years to become an SNB soloist in 2008 and a principal dancer in 2010, dancing simultaneously with the Sacramento Ballet for the past 10 years. Biber has choreographed many wonderful ballets for both SNB and Sacramento Ballet, and he (along with Oliver Adams) have become SNB’s popular choreographers in residence.  In addition to dancing and choreographing Biber officially joined the SNB Academy staff this month which evoked much excitement from the Academy student body.

The SNB company dancers are very much looking forward to sharing the stage together again – even in masks, at a social distance and without an audience.  Since all events are now limited to 25, the Reno Live Event will be closed to live audiences, but a small number of members of the media will be invited to attend in order to communicate the importance of live entertainment in our community. The event will be videoed so that every arts and live event group in the community can share it on social media with others.

 

The public can view this live streaming event on You Tube via this link: https://youtu.be/1TYnNqcyFE8 on September 26, 2020 at 4:00 PM.

This presentation reminds us that our community is filled with so many wonderful organizations that present live events, and we must never forget that these organizations contribute to our quality of life and make our community a very special place to live.