NEW YORK – When Erin Shields belted out “Being Alive” — the showstopper from the Broadway classic “Company” — the title had extra levels of meaning.
This virtual concert, broadcast from Shields’ living room, helped fund the food pantry at Mosaic West Queens Church, which is feeding hungry residents of the Sunnyside neighborhood.
It also gave Shields and her husband, David Shenton, an opportunity to resume their artistic lives. The couple, touring musicians, lost gigs worldwide during the coronavirus pandemic.
With the concerts, they’ve used their art to raise thousands of dollars. It began when they saw the lines that stretched for blocks outside the pantry, which is near their apartment.