The Show Must Go Online: Beat by Beat Press creates a virtual children’s musical to help drama programs affected by COVID-19


– World’s first musical written to be rehearsed and performed remotely
–  Provides kids a final “virtual” performance with their classmates
–  Offered as a “pay-what-you-can” model to help those in need

Beat by Beat Press has released the world’s first virtual children’s musical, The Show Must Go Online, with the goal of helping theatre programs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting today, theatre groups around the globe can download the production kit and begin their virtual rehearsals.

How it works: Each actor in the cast receives a 1-2 minute monologue or song to rehearse, video record, and upload. When all the videos are played in order, they tell the hilarious story of a group of passionate students desperate to keep their annual musical alive…online!

“It breaks our heart to hear that so many theatre performances have been postponed or cancelled,” said Denver Casado, founder of Beat by Beat Press. “This means thousands of young actors out there won’t get a chance to take the stage for their final performance. We wrote this musical in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as a way for actors to work together as an ensemble to put on a show – while staying safe in their own homes.”

The creative team consists of Jessica Penzias (book), Dave Hudson (lyrics) and Denver Casado (music). They wrote the show in 19 days. Andrew Fox, music director and arranger, orchestrated the entire score in 5 days.  

“It was incredible to see the outreach and offerings of help within our community. Everyone wanted to be a part of this very special project because they saw the value it could bring to theatre kids everywhere.”

The writing team realized early on that the format of a traditional musical would not work remotely (group singing on Zoom is a disaster), so they built the show from the ground up. They considered what kids and drama teachers are going through at this time and worked those themes into each scene – including the antics and technical mayhem that comes with performing a musical online. The result is a comedic and fun storyline designed to lift spirits when we all need it the most. 

“The Show Must Go Online!” runs 30-40 minutes and is written for a cast of 20 actors age 7-14. The “pay what you can” model empowers those with various financial constraints to still put on the show. It comes with an Actor Script, Virtual Production Guide, Music Lead Sheets, Logos, and Vocal and Accompaniment Recordings. The show’s production materials are available for instant download at https://www.bbbpress.com/musicals/the-show-must-go-online/

About Beat by Beat Press

Beat by Beat Press is the world’s leading provider of new musicals and theatre resources for young actors. Created by a team of award-winning playwrights and arts educators in NYC and Los Angeles, each musical has been built from the ground up with young performers in mind. Since 2001, Beat by Beat musicals have received over 3,600 productions in 75 countries around the globe. It’s website attracts 450,000 visits a month. www.bbbpress.com

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