One of New Jersey’s largest performing arts centers will be bringing entertainment to audiences once again.
Its mainstage is set up to host limited capacity audiences for now but the Basie Center for the Arts will soon take entertainment beyond its theater. On Monday the Red Bank nonprofit announced a roster of entertainers to perform on the grounds of Suneagles Golf Club in nearby Eatontown. It is the second year the Basie has offered performances offsite during the pandemic.
“Last summer we learned that if we provide the arts in a safe environment and make people feel comfortable being out in public, that they will buy tickets and keep coming out,” says executive vice president and general manager Izzy Sackowitz. “We learned how valuable the arts are in relation to the resiliency of our community."
Sackowitz says that he anticipates at least 100 shows in the Concerts on the Green series – a series that features artists like Southside Johnny and the Asbury Dukes, Brian Fallon and Max Weinberg.
With COVID-19-related capacity limits and policies differing between states, it may pose an obstacle for New Jersey’s entertainment sector as it fights to bounce back.
Musicians say that it makes it difficult to put a tour together with the various restrictions and capacity limits around the country.
But with audiences looking forward to warmer weather and live entertainment, the Basie expects to welcome as many as 500 concertgoers for each socially distanced performance.