Zeiterion New Bedford Presents Post-COVID Theater and Musical Performance Programming

NEW BEDFORD – After being closed for 16 months due to COVID-19, the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center announced that it will reopen at full capacity with a large list of shows.

“We can’t wait to bring people together again,” said Rosemary Gill, Executive Director. “We have worked very hard to create an environment and facilities that can meet all guidelines. “

So far since the pandemic, the only public event held inside the Zeiterion has been the Tuesday night series of screenings: Cinema New Bedford. The film series premiered on June 1.

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“It’s been a very, very long and difficult time for the performing arts,” said Gill. “It is certainly a great relief to be in a position where we can come back to some likeness of normalcy.”

On August 13, The Z will host a free screening of “Jaws,” which Gill says is nearing capacity. “If you’ve never seen ‘Jaws’ with 1,200 people in the theater, you’ve never seen ‘Jaws’ as far as I’m concerned,” Gill added with a laugh. “It’s a summer favorite in New England.”

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The first live event is EmiSunshine on September 9, a Stage Door Live performance in which the audience is seated on stage with the artist. The first live show at full capacity will be comedians Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood (“Whose Line Is It Anyway?”) On October 1st. However, the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra will get the first crack with the first live show at The Z on September 18th.

New Bedford Symphony Orchestra

NBSO Music Director Yaniv Dinur is delighted to be back. The 2021-2022 season will feature six more performances from November through May, including their holiday pop concert on December 11.

“Our audience and our musicians really missed each other,” said Dinur. “There is nothing quite like the thrill of live music and we can’t wait to bring the orchestra back to the Zeiterion. It’s going to be a big night for us!

New Bedford Festival Theater

In addition to the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, The New Bedford Festival Theater also unveiled its multi-performance season.

“We follow all actor equity guidelines,” said Wendy Hall, executive producer of NBFT. “What the union has put forward, to me, seems safe and doable. There is nothing too crazy that we cannot do this. We are moving in the right direction. “

Hall is busy preparing for NBFT’s biggest season yet. For the first time since its inception in 1990, the company’s season will feature five shows, starting with Jason Robert Brown’s “The Last Five Years” on October 22. Auditions start in August.

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“It’s a truly magnificent and moving piece. And it’s simple, it can really hit the audience where you can really like to dive into the story, ”Hall said.

“The Last Five Years” also has a sentimental place in Hall’s heart as she took a set of lyrics from the song “The Next Ten Minutes,” to use at her wedding ceremony. “This is my first time producing a full season and I really wanted to pick pieces that I’m just as passionate about as possible,” Hall added.

Hall says NBFT will also be doing “Little Shop of Horrors” in April and “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” in July 2022. John Michael Dias aka Miss Evita Loca will also be back for a Christmas show in December.

More upcoming shows at The Z

So far, Postmodern Jukebox, Kansas, Howie Mandel, RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles and Doo Wop VIII are also scheduled for The Zeiterion 2021-2022 season.

What about people who are still hesitant to return to the Zeiterion? Gill reassures customers that The Z is taking all necessary safety precautions and will respond to any changes in the environment around COVID-19. She said people are also encouraged to wear a mask.

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“Follow the science, come in and give it a try,” Gill added. “It’s very gratifying to bring these shows to fruition, which in some cases were supposed to take place two years ago.

Due to Covid-19, the Zeiterion ticket office operates temporarily off-site on a truncated schedule, Tuesday through Friday. Zeiterion supporters can access presale tickets now, but public tickets will be available on July 27.

Standard-Times writer Seth Chitwood can be contacted at [email protected]. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.