Connections have become virtual as we move online, and even the gallery exhibits and shows we once attended in-person have gone online. Although we may miss experiencing arts and entertainment in LIVE settings, there are new benefits to the online experience.

STAYING INSPIRED WITH ONLINE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

In addition to online performances of music, musicals, opera, dance, and fashion, festivals, award ceremonies, and interviews are also being conducted over Wi-Fi. Thankfully, the visual arts are included! Art lovers and collectors can view work from artists worldwide via online galleries, museums, and artists’ websites. Want a closer glimpse? Zoom in. Even during a pandemic, we can stay virtually and visually inspired!

BENEFITS OF VIRTUALLY BRINGING THE WORLD TOGETHER

Many entertainers have not been able to perform in-person shows, so they have turned to virtual venues such as #LiveAtHome #LockDownSessions #QuarantineAndChill. Audiences have become more accepting, and performances have become more casual. Celebrities and non-celebrities are performing online, barefaced, and dressed down LIVE from their living room or den at home sweet home.

Connecting online allows us to become more intimate. Virtual connections reveal glimpses into personal lives we wouldn’t be able to experience otherwise. We may be missing face-to-face and in-the-same-space human connections, but our ability to connect online brings us together and offers opportunities to expand our reach to others worldwide.

A significant benefit of virtual performances is that they’re not a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Vids can be replayed countless times, shared across multiple, multimedia platforms, and can populate on profiles, pages, and home feeds of social media. If a performance was under par with a few mistakes, those mistakes can be edited out. Entertainers can build a wider fan base and can conveniently capture audience members’ emails to grow their mailing lists. And, thanks to transaction enabling platforms such as PayPal, Google Pay, WePay, and Intuit, entertainers don’t have to starve. Tix can be purchased online and are easily tracked and documented. And there’s even an option to provide virtual tips!

No worries about who needs to man (or woman) the merch table. Merch can be sold online and invoices can be sent paperlessly. Online branding has become a primary means of representing and promoting entertainers and it’s a rarity for any entertainer not to have a web presence or connections via social media. Most performers have social media handles and post pics, vids, and links that help their audience connect virtually.

Couch potatoes and homebodies rejoice! For the lazy, this requires that you get off the couch and walk to the kitchen for your munchies. . .But, thankfully our devices are mobile.

PROS OUTWEIGH CONS WITH VIRTUAL SHOWS AND ONLINE CONNECTIONS

Physical events are hampered by numerous physical limitations. Huge challenges of in-person shows include travel/transportation, venue availability, and seating capacity. But virtual performances don’t cost an arm and a leg, are not limited to a local audience, and enable performers to invite viewers worldwide.

Other benefits? Audience members don’t have to dress up – or even get dressed! They can relax, enjoying shows in PJs from the comfort of home or wherever they are in the world, within Wi-Fi range. No need to pay extra for concessions. Refreshments are found in most fridges and pantries. And, there’s no need to tip a bartender. You can even talk as loudly as you want without interrupting the show. If you have to sneeze or cough – no worries – no one will ever hear you if you’re muted.

Now, the flipside. Generally, acoustics and audio quality in a virtual LIVE show are not ideal, but will usually suffice. Just turn the volume up and watch on full screen.

Until we can bring LIVE, in-person shows back, let’s embrace technology and make the most of online connections. The global pandemic may have damaged our lives and canceled in-person events, but we will not let anything hold us back. We’re grateful to opt for virtual options that allow us to continue celebrating, sharing, and enjoying the world of culture, arts, and entertainment.