The Northwestern School of Communication hosted a webinar Tuesday addressing how the pandemic and social justice are revolutionizing the world’s arts scene.
The panel, titled “Setting the Stage: The Future of the Performing Arts,” was hosted by Communication Dean E. Patrick Johnson and featured actress and singer Kate Baldwin (Communication ’97), conductor Roderick Cox (Bienen M.M. ’11) and opera singer Kangmin Justin Kim (Bienen ’11).
All three artists were just on the verge of new projects when the pandemic forced their industry shutdowns. Baldwin was in her final tech rehearsal of the musical “Love Life” when she heard the news that Broadway was shutting down. Cox was working in a concert hall in Germany when capacity was suddenly restricted, and two performances later, were fully shut down. Kim had just completed his opening night in Europe when shutdowns rolled in, dashing any hopes of completing his six-show run.