Jennifer Garner, Broadway stars ask students from canceled theater shows to perform online
School plays, track meets, art shows and recitals are canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Jennifer Garner, Lin Manuel-Miranda and Laura Benanti want to make sure that hardworking kids still get the recognition they deserve.
"This time of year has so many people, from preschoolers to professionals, working their tails off to perform. And now—the games, the meets, the recitals, the productions, big and small—are shut down," Garner wrote in an Instagram message Friday night. "Well, the show must go on, people!!! Break out your oboes, belt out your torch song, run in place—I don't care. Show us what you've been working on and we will show it to the world. Use #heyjenlookatme, because I want to see."
By Saturday, the hashtag returned more than 1,000 results, including kids singing, dancing, sharing their art, and even one solving a Rubik's Cube.
Of course, great minds think alike. Broadway star Laura Benanti offered to be an online audience and encouraged performers to share videos of what they had been working on before productions were canceled.
Dark times for all. Trying to find some bright spots. If you were meant to perform in your High School musical and it was cancelled please post yourself singing and tag me. I want to be your audience!! Sending all my love and black market toilet paper. 💛 pic.twitter.com/BVYR4t3dJE
— Laura Benanti (@LauraBenanti) March 13, 2020
"Well this is all insane," Benanti said in a video. "Very few people are at work. Most of my stuff is getting canceled because I'm in the business of being around a lot of people as most of us are and this may seem silly but I know that a lot of high schools were going to have their musicals and those musicals got canceled and that is a bummer because I know for so many of us—I know for me my high school musical was a lifesaver."
She added, "So if you would like to sing a song that you are not going to get to sing now and tag me, I want to see you. I want to hear it."
She asked her fans to use the #SunshineSongs hashtag. Benanti has been watching the videos and retweeting them to her followers. And it turns out she's not the only Tony-winner watching the young actors perform.
"Thank you, @LauraBenanti, thank you kids," wrote "Hamilton" star Lin-Manuel Miranda. "I'm watching too. #SunshineSongs"
Here are some of the amazing performances filling our feeds:
Our Production of Footloose was just postponed. These kids have worked very hard! pic.twitter.com/FXtpaISMOh
— Kels (@kle1101) March 14, 2020
my school was supposed to do rent school edition next week, and i was mimi, as my first lead role in hs. i'm heartbroken but i'm so grateful that you've given me a chance to share the show im so ridiculously passionate about. (i also just got over a cold, so it's not perfect lol) pic.twitter.com/u9pbgbqzdp
— sarah kathleen (@skathleenmax) March 13, 2020
My heart breaks 💔 for these wonderful kids whose production of Wedding Singer this weekend was cancelled. What a tribute to their talent and hard work. @Lin_Manuel #SunshineSongs pic.twitter.com/PguxdWiy1V
— Natalie Harris (Senne) (@Gnat_X) March 14, 2020
#sunshinesongs My daughter, Emma Dean as Miss Honey. Today would have been her opening night and she is so disappointed. pic.twitter.com/ObLiUVvvCD
— Eileen Kaden Dean (@eileen_kaden) March 14, 2020
@LauraBenanti #SunshineSongs my kids were set to perform in Crazy for You in the elementary school production. Maybe it’s for the best? pic.twitter.com/XyPQ1Fze0e
— Edith "DREAM ACT NOW" Salvatore (@edijkelly) March 14, 2020
This is my daughter singing a song from her canceled musical. She’d been working toward her senior year musical lead for six years :(
We had to trim the beginning, but... guess the show! @LauraBenanti pic.twitter.com/rb4w50odKl— Andrea Phillips (@andrhia) March 14, 2020
#SunshineSongs @LauraBenanti https://t.co/qNSmwfzsWk
— Violina23 (@Violina23) March 13, 2020
My ❤️goes out to all whose shows were cancelled Hopefully we’ll all be back on stage soon!! I was lucky enough to get my last performance in. Seems people are gonna have some time on their hands so here’s a rehearsal vid for my miscast cabaret #SunshineSongs pic.twitter.com/cgnbqecxOB
— Sofia Jarmel (@SofiaJarmel) March 14, 2020
It wasn’t a high school musical, but their town’s children’s theater. The kids worked, and put their hearts into it for three months and got as far as dress rehearsal. My boys’ ❤️s broke. pic.twitter.com/R1UNFCuf9m
— saraeliza (@bostonjjjt) March 13, 2020
we were doing into the woods!! heres à clip of me singing giants in the sky! (i’m awkward i know) pic.twitter.com/X86SJIcGdx
— brendon! • :)? (@lifeiwantu) March 14, 2020