And on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, I did! This took place for my agency’s ATB Stage Department Cabaret Lost Performances Pop Music Edition– one of many weekly private concerts streamed during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
In 2018, I attempted to broadcast a cabaret online, and it was a huge hot mess. Not only were the visuals and vocals not in sync, but the vocals and backing tracks were not in sync as well. It was too much for either the computer or internet to broadcast–backgrounds, overlays, tracks, and microphones all competing and reaching the finish line in a massive tangle to put it gently.
This time everything happened live in the room. Sure, the audio isn’t quite studio quality. And it helps if the performer doesn’t get ahead of the music at the end–but at least it wasn’t because of latency. Either the music needed to be louder or in ear monitors were needed. Regardless, it was a huge leap forward. I have to thank Sasha Velour and The Mandalorian for clueing me in to some key aspects of what to try.