(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) -- Seniorly has announced the launch of a free daily show for seniors called Curtain Up!. The show will begin airing on Thursday March 26th at 4:00pm (EST) and every weekday following at the same time. It will include performances by actors, singers, comedians, and many other artists. Broadcasting into senior communities and homes nationwide through Seniorly’s relationships with thousands of senior living providers, Curtain Up! will be streamed live via YouTube.
Curtain Up! was created in response to the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic that has isolated more seniors now than ever before. In the U.S. there are more than 12 million people over 80, many of them living at home alone or in senior living communities. During this unprecedented time, Seniorly has teamed up with an amazing group of performers from Broadway, Hollywood and all across the country including Bethany Joy Lenz (“One Tree Hill”), Will Roland (Be More Chill, Dear Evan Hansen), Jean Louisa Kelly (Uncle Buck, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Yes, Dear), Aaron Lazar (Sting’s The Last Ship, Dear Evan Hansen) Alyse Alan Louis (Soft Power, Amélie), Eric William Morris (King Kong), Harrison Chad (The Black Suits, Caroline or Change), Branden & James (“America’s Got Talent”), Lauren Marcus (Be More Chill), Sheridan Mouwad (And Peggy Tour of Hamilton) and many others who are volunteering their time to entertain and connect with these seniors live.
“One Tree Hill’s” Bethany Joy Lenz is one of the many performers who have signed on to perform in the show: "I'm grateful this crisis has reminded us as a community to honor our elders. Our seniors so often go unnoticed when they're the part of us with valuable stories and the richest histories to learn from. I'm hoping this experience can give back to them, encourage and brighten their spirits, and remind them that we see them and care."
Will Roland, of Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen and Be More Chill, added, “When I was contacted about this, it was an immediate ‘yes.’ I have friends who cannot touch their parents and grandparents, all to keep them safe from the virus. Anything we can do to stay connected to one another is going to help us get through this.”
Star of Film and TV, Jean Louisa Kelly (Uncle Buck, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Yes, Dear), says, “I am grateful for the opportunity to use my voice to connect people in isolation through live performance. We are separated but, to quote Stephen Sondheim, 'No one is alone.'”
Broadway's Aaron Lazar (Sting’s The Last Ship, Dear Evan Hansen) shared, “I realized the other night singing my kids to sleep that there must be so many people out there in need of comfort. I remember visiting my great grandfather in the nursing home when I was a little kid. Singing for seniors is so important, now more than ever.”
Branden & James, the musical duo that took the world by storm on ‘America’s Got Talent’ stated, “There are a lot of people suffering right now, and we feel it’s our calling as artists to entertain the public in times of crisis. Now is our chance to soothe and to help people escape from this unprecedented reality.”
The first set of one-hour live events will kick off on Thursday 3/26 and Friday 3/27 at 4:00pm (EST) each day. Curtain up! will continue to broadcast live every weekday at the same time. In addition to featuring stars of stage and screen, the show will include performers who dedicate their talent for seniors year round. The show is hosted by Emma & Andrew from Seniorly, is directed by Ashley Rodbro and produced by Stephanie Cowan. Viewers can chat with the performers in real time, ask questions, or just sit back and enjoy the show.
“We launched Seniorly to help seniors find new communities to stay engaged and be happy,” said Seniorly CEO and cofounder Arthur Bretschneider. “During this extraordinary time, the entire team has joined together to fulfill our mission of bringing joy to millions of seniors nationwide. We are leading with our hearts to remind our aging loved ones they are not alone and they are still part of our community.”
The show will be streaming live on Seniorly’s YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages.
Seniorly is excited to partner on this event with Sing For Your Seniors, a NYC based non-profit organization featured in Oprah Magazine. They bring professional musical theatre artists to the communities of seniors in need to entertain, foster intergenerational connection and create shared joy.
"Our SFYS Artists are very passionate about continuing to engage with our elder community through this difficult time. Seniorly's Curtain Up! is a wonderful opportunity to help us make that connection possible, and expand our reach," says SFYS Founder and Producing Artistic Director, Jackie Vanderbeck.
Seniorly is the fastest growing marketplace for senior living because we are empowering consumers to make better decisions when searching for senior living communities. Seniorly provides fully transparent data, local market insights, education around care options, and then matches searchers with local senior living experts. Seniorly’s marketplace has more than 35,000 senior living community listings, 300 local senior living experts, and the tools to make the entire search and move experience better. Seniorly was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.
