Penn State’s production of “Carmen” was canceled, yet would-be audience members still got to see the show’s star, Bellwood native Claire DeArmitt, perform.

Penn State announced it would hold a Virtual Performing Arts Celebration which began Thursday and will end Sunday evening. The event’s opening night featured DeArmitt performing excerpts from Georges Bizet’s classic opera.

DeArmitt was originally scheduled to star as the titular character in the production on March 27 and 29 at Eisenhower Auditorium.

DeArmitt

“The performing arts is being hit pretty hard by the current situation, but it is so encouraging to know that we can still perform and connect with an audience through technology,” DeArmitt said. “I am so grateful to Penn State for giving my fellow performers and I the opportunity to do just that.”

DeArmitt is a second-year master’s degree candidate studying vocal performance and pedagogy at the university’s school of music. She also maintains a private voice studio in State College and has a bachelor’s degree in music education from Grove City College.

“I was thrilled to have been asked to perform a little bit of ‘Carmen!'” she said. “Even though I’ve performed the famous ‘Habanera’ many times, this was the most special experience with it, especially since I was accompanied by my mother, Sonya DeArmitt, at the piano.”

“There are many things that we can’t experience together physically, but this virtual performance shows that we are still a com­munity that comes together in support of the arts and each other.”

The multi-day virtual event hosted by the university’s college of arts and architecture, consists of live, 15-minute vignettes by students and alumni from Penn State’s School of Theatre and School of Music.

“The Penn State community spans the globe, and we are dealing in our own way with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. More than perhaps at any other time, it’s important for us to take a moment to enjoy the arts and talents of our community,” Penn State President Eric J. Barron said.

“There is nothing quite like our extraordinary students and alumni, and I’m so proud of their creative resiliency and the exceptional ways Penn Staters are working together in this challenging time.”

The daily virtual arts event offers an opportunity for the Penn State community to come together while social distancing guidelines call for physical separation, the university said.

“We hope this series of evening performances will help viewers overcome some of the disappointment caused by the cancellation of in-person student performances, but it does even more; it connects us all,” B. Stephen Carpenter II, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture, said.

“We are excited to shine a spotlight on some of the world-class performers among our students and alumni, as well as appearances of some remarkable special guests.”

The virtual performances continue 7 p.m. today and Sunday at www.PennStatePresents.psu.edu.