Break out of your winter cocoons with children’s indie rock sensation Bee Parks and the Hornets in special virtual “dance-a-long” concert presented by the Penobscot Theatre Company in Bangor. This is the last offering in Penobscot Theatre Company’s Digitus Theatrum Family Style series and will be available to stream from Sunday, April 11, through Sunday, May 2.
Creator and star of “The Glitch Witch” and “The Tiniest Librarian,” Rockland-based artist, musician, and educator Brittany Parker once again delivers a fun, educational, and family oriented virtual selection for the PTC community. This time, Parker brings along her band of bees and sets out to create a buzz on the virtual platform.
The band, Bee Parks and the Hornets, was founded in 2018 with the mission to empower young people with a message through fun and high-energy music. While traditionally the band performs live in venues across the Northeast, with live performances cancelled, Parker and her band mates shifted to provide a digitally accessible offering. “When it became clear that it was still not safe for us to record a performance in person together, we decided to create a new kind of concert-film-experience, using fun graphics and special effects to make each song feel unique.” Parker further explains, “We recorded some video segments over Zoom and some on our own, and added the ‘dance-a-long’ element to invite viewers to be an active part of the show. We felt this kind of high-energy interaction was a perfect fit for PTC’s digital season.”
The hour-long virtual concert features seven new and original songs from the band, all written and performed remotely. Bee Parks (played by Parker) guides viewers through the concert experience introducing each band member and song. The songs are uniquely written from an insect’s point of view such as butterflies, spiders and dragonflies, just to name a few. The up-beat tunes aren’t only fun to dance along to, but also carry the messages of empathy, kindness, equality, environmental awareness, and self-confidence which are a few tools to help insects of all ages make the world a better place.
The indie rock band is composed of Brittany Parker (vocals, ukulele, guitar), Mélissa Smith (vocals, dance moves), Joey Dupuis (trumpet, guitar, keys, vocals), Carl Ferm (saxophone, keys, guitar, vocals), Jarly Bobadilla (bass guitar), Beau Lisy (on-screen drummer), with Paul Parker, Cedar Ellis, and Jack Sasner on additional drum tracks.
Bee Parks and the Hornets is most appropriate for young people (ages 3-10 years-old), their families, and all who are young at heart. After the concert don’t forget to stick around to enjoy a fun at-home bee craft!
Single, household tickets are $30. Penobscot Theatre Company is located in the Bangor Opera House at 131 Main St., Bangor. For more information, visit penobscottheatre.org or call the box office at (207) 942-3333.
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