New York Reopens: The Shed Hosts Socially-Distanced Concerts in April

The Shed at Hudson Yards (photograph by Jean Coleman)

Hudson Yards' nonprofit arts center, the Shed, will host its first socially-distanced indoor concert series of 2021. An Audience with... opens with vocalist/cellist Kelsey Lu on April 2 and continues with musicians from the New York Philharmonic on April 14 and 15, soprano Renée Fleming on April 21, and comedian Michelle Wolf on April 22. All performances are at 8 p.m.

The performances will take place in The Shed's flexible 18,000-square-foot McCourt space with a state-of-the-art MERV ventilation system, 115-foot-high ceilings, and distanced seating for 150 people, in accordance with New York State health guidelines. The series is part of NY PopsUp!

Kelsey Lu at Afropunk in August 2019 (photograph by Everynight Charley Crespo)

"The exchange between audience and performer is vital to the energy flow of life, and it's absence has left such a void for us all," said Kelsey Lu in a prepared statement. "I'm beyond honored to be one of the first to open up this flow again at The Shed and look forward to feeling everyone's presence."

"When I performed in its very first events, I was struck by the architectural innovation of The Shed, especially the amazing flexible enclosure of The McCourt," said Renée Fleming. "It could not be more ideal for these unusual circumstances, as we finally begin to gather again, safely, for live performances."

With guidance from the New York State Department of Health, the attendance will be limited to 12 percent of The McCourt's seated capacity, with the audience seated in pairs and socially distanced six feet apart. Ticket scanning will be contactless, and entry and exit will be timed. The Shed will have no intermission, coat check, food or drink concessions, or merchandise sales. The artists will perform a single set no longer than 80 minutes and, with the exception of performers who must sing or speak, all performers will be masked and distanced by 12 feet on stage.

Seating plan for the An Audience with ... series at the Shed (photograph by Jasdeep Kang)

All ticketholders will be required to adhere to the following guidelines, as detailed by the Department of Health.

● Upon arrival, attendees must present one of the following:

• ·   confirmation of a negative Covid-19 PCR/NAAT test taken within 72 hours of the event start time, or
• ·   a Covid-19 antigen "rapid" test within six hours of the event start time, or
• ·   confirmation of having completed the Covid-19 vaccination series at least 14 days prior to the date of the event

● Temperature check

● Covid-19 health questionnaire completed pre-arrival

● Participation in contact tracing

● Remain masked and seated except for entry and exit

Tickets go on sale next week. Shed members receive first access. Any remaining tickets will be made available to the general public. Continuing The Shed's commitment to accessibility and lowering barriers to entry, 10 percent of tickets to An Audience with... will be distributed free to nonprofit partners via The Shed's Ticket Access Program.

Presently, the Shed is open Thursday to Sunday, with the exhibition Howardena Pindell: Rope/Fire/Water now on view. Other current Shed programs include Fighting Dark, an audio walking tour and video exploring NYC's July 1863 race riots and the power of Black resilience, and Up Close, a collection of 10 digitized art shows.