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Have you been anxiously waiting for Broadway to re-open? Although not the same as witnessing a musical or a play live, there is now a way for you to enjoy a bit of Broadway-related art through, well, your ears. A Generous Act: Singing Telegrams is a project launched by theater director G.T. Hederman and singer/actress Jenni Barber a few months ago through which folks can purchase a singing telegram that will then be sung over the phone by a Broadway performer.
For $30—$20 of which go to the singer and $10 of which benefit the Actors Fund and overhead costs—customers can purchase a telegram for themselves or a loved one. The order involves a Google Doc (here it is), where you'll be asked to input both the sender's and recipient's information, indicate the occasion for the order (to wish someone a happy anniversary, perhaps, or to send "much love"), preferred date and time of delivery and, of course, your song selection.
The musical roster includes "Shine On, Harvest Moon" from the eponymous 1944 musical film, "Ukulele Lady," "Ain't We Got Fun," "Tea for Two," "Manhattan," Give My Regards to Broadway" and more. Yes, the songs are all pretty old—but there's clearly a charm to them. Keep in mind that the initiative is also operating within the constraints of public domain, therefore having to select tunes that are free for use.
According to Gothamist, around 175 singing telegrams have been purchased since the effort launched at the end of 2020. "Initially the customers were mostly people who missed their close family members," reports the site. "But that has since expanded to 'lovers and friends and colleagues' wishing each other a happy birthday or 'as a cup of cheer.'"
Although we'll obviously take what we can get in whatever form we can get it in, we're excited to note that live, in-person shows might not be too far away. Blindness, a socially-distanced light and sound experience, is already playing at the Daryl Roth Theater in Union Square, for example. Plus: The first in-person Broadway performance since the pandemic first hit (an invite-only affair solely attended by frontline workers from the Actors Fund and Broadway Cares) took over the St. James Theatre earlier this month while BAM mounted an ice skating performance in Prospect Park to kick-off its seasonal programming. New Yorkers finally get to experience some culture—and we can't wait to see what's next.
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