Learn more about Virtual Tickets

For our 24/25 Season, all of our programs will be available for virtual viewing starting one to two weeks after the performance on our secure, online platform. Virtual Tickets will be included FREE with all in-person tickets purchased from the BEMF Box Office or can purchased on their own.

To help our fans who want to see how best to view their Virtual Events at home, we are also introducing a free, sample Virtual Event. Tickets are free for this short video that you can use to test how you can access our Virtual Events at home. You can learn more in the section "How to watch a Virtual Event" below.

How will Virtual Tickets work?

How will Virtual Events work?

Streaming Player Error Codes

How to watch a Virtual Event

How will Virtual Tickets work?

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How will Virtual Events work?

BEMF will be working with our long-time collaborators Ball Square Films and videographer Kathy Wittman and award-winning Recording Engineer Antonio Oliart Ros to record the live performances . They will collaborate with our presented artists and ensemble to produce a fully-edited concert video of that performance to share with you.

There may be differences between the live performance and the concert video. To ensure the best quality, some performances may be re-recorded or omitted from the concert video.

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Streaming Player Error Codes

Your ticket is valid for viewing the event on one device at a time.

Please make sure that you are not streaming on multiple devices simultaneously or that another device has not just accessed the video using your link.

The most recent device to access the video will “bump” off the first device. You may switch devices, but the video cannot stream on more than one device at a time.

If you would like to watch an event with a friend who is not watching it with you on the same device, your friend will need to purchase their own ticket.

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How to watch a Virtual Event

There are many different ways to enjoy the 2021-2022 Season Virtual Events, from watching on your computer or tablet, to streaming or screencasting to your television. Please review these tips and make sure you test your setup before you sit down to enjoy our Virtual Events. When watching on your computer, please be sure to use a modern internet browser. More information about supported internet browsers can be found here »

PRACTICE YOUR STREAMING OR SCREENCASTING SETUP WITH A FREE VIDEO

Please click below to get a free Virtual Ticket to a short video. You will go through the entire process as if you were buying a ticket, but no payment will be due. You will receive an email confirmation with a URL link and access code to watch the Sample Virtual Event.

FREE Sample Virtual Event

We have tried to make this guide as comprehensive as possible, but we are unable to test all combinations of equipment. We would always invite you to consult the support pages for your specific devices if they are not mentioned here.

We want to specifically thank our colleagues at The Public Theatre in Lewiston, Maine, who did much of this research for their own events using the same video streaming platform.

You can watch our Virtual Events on most internet-connected devices with streaming or screencasting capabilities. The important thing is finding the best combination of equipment that you already have. Computers and TVs vary, and we cannot guarantee casting is possible.

For best practices on streaming or screencasting to your TV, see device-specific tips below.

Always feel free to consult any instructions that came with your TV.

If none of these options work for you, you may be able to connect a laptop to your TV with an HDMI cable.

Here is an article from CNET that discusses both wireless and wired connections in general: How to connect your laptop to your TV wirelessly or with HDMI

And a “How to” article: How to Connect PC to TV with HDMI

What’s the best method for watching on your TV?

Streaming the video directly on your Smart TV is generally the easiest method, but you will need to have access to your email and an internet browser. You can also check your Smart TV for any “Chromecast Built In” or “Works with AirPlay” or “Fire TV” compatible labels, notices, or input sources if you need to screencast from a computer or handheld device onto your TV.

IN ALL DEVICE TO DEVICE SITUATIONS:

It is going to be easier to screencast between two devices made by the same manufacturer, such as from an iPhone to AppleTV or from an Android phone to Chromecast.
Make sure both of the devices you are trying to connect are connected to the same network.
Make sure your TV and any connected device (Fire Stick, Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, etc.) are powered on.
Make sure your connected device is selected as the TV video source.
In all cases where you are essentially mirroring your screen, once you have connected and see your device’s screen on the TV, navigate to the browser tab where the video is open and rotate your device to fill the screen. Clicking the FULL SCREEN icon on the video player will give you the best picture.

If your TV has a web browser app, first log into your email account on your TV. Next, open the email containing your show specific link and click the button link to watch. This should open a new window, pulling in your unique access code and the video player. The video should start automatically; if not, click the "play" icon.

If you cannot access your email by a web browser, you can try forwarding your confirmation email with links to a different email account that you can access by a web browser. You can type in the URL, but please be aware that it will include a very long string of characters that is unique for each Virtual Event as well as an access code that is unique for your Virtual Ticket.

If you have issues, please consult the documentation for your Smart TV.

First, make sure both your devices are on the same WiFi network. It is recommended that you open and begin watching the video on your selected Apple device and then click the Airplay icon in the top right corner of the video to cast the video to your Apple TV or AirPlay equipped TV.

Instructions to connect your mobile devices and Mac computers may be found here: Use AirPlay to stream video or mirror your device’s screen

You may need to adjust the PICTURE SIZE ON THE TELEVISION to “Screen Fit” to avoid clipping and show the full image.

If nothing shows up, make sure everything is connected to the same network and turned on.

If you have persistent issues connecting to your AirPlay device, visit the AirPlay support page: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204291

Mirror PC to Chromecast

First, make sure both your PC, tablet, or phone and the Chromecast device are connected to the same network.
Make sure your TV is turned on and select the Chromecast as the video source.

On your PC:

Make sure your link will open in the Chrome browser.
Open the confirmation email containing your link. Click the link.
When it opens in a new browser tab, click the three dots in the upper right hand corner next to your profile picture.
Select “Cast” from the dropdown. It should display any available Chromecast devices.
Select your Chromecast device.

When a connection is made, the screen from your device should appear on the Television. It will probably be the same aspect ratio as your device. Enter Fullscreen on the video and rotate your device until the video fills the screen. You may need to adjust the PICTURE SIZE ON THE TELEVISION to “Screen Fit” to avoid clipping and show the full image. If nothing shows up, make sure everything is connected to the same network and turned on.

Android Phone or Device to Chromecast

First, make sure both your PC, tablet, or phone and the Chromecast device are connected to the same network.
Make sure your TV is turned on and select the Chromecast as the video source.

On your Android Phone or Device:

Go to Settings > Connected Devices
Select “Cast”
Choose the Chromecast device listed.

The screen from your device should appear on the Television. It will probably be the same aspect ratio as your device. Enter Fullscreen on the video and rotate your device until the video fills the screen. You may need to adjust the PICTURE SIZE ON THE TELEVISION to “Screen Fit” to avoid clipping and show the full image. If nothing shows up, make sure everything is connected to the same network and turned on.

Android Device to Chromecast Using Google Home App

First, make sure both your PC, tablet, or phone and the Chromecast device are connected to the same network.
Make sure your TV is turned on and select the Chromecast as the video source.

In the Google Home App:

If you don’t already use Google Home, it requires installing the Google Home app from the Google Play Store and linking your Google Account.

If you are already using Google Home to control other smart devices, you just need to add your streaming device or Smart TV.

Open Google Home App

Click the “+” in the upper left corner.

Set up device

New Device

Choose your home and then Next.

Select your device.

Full instructions are found here: https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/7071794?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en&oco=0

Once installed, make sure your TV and Chromecast device are on and the TV source is set to Chromecast.

Open Google Home app and allow it to find your device.

If you have previously connected to your Chromecast through Google Home you just need to select it.

Click “Cast my screen”. Note the volume adjustment on your device. This mirrors the volume on the TV.

The screen from your device should appear on the Television. It will probably be the same aspect ratio as your device. Enter Fullscreen on the video and rotate your device until the video fills the screen. You may need to adjust the PICTURE SIZE ON THE TELEVISION to “Screen Fit” to avoid clipping and show the full image. If nothing shows up, make sure everything is connected to the same network and turned on.

If you have persistent issues connecting to your Chromecast, visit the Chromecast support page: https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/6292664?hl=en

Amazon Fire Tablets to Fire Stick:

In order to watch on with your Amazon Fire Stick, you must first download the free browser, Amazon Silk.

Download App: https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-com-Amazon-Silk-Web-Browser/dp/B01M35MQV4
Using this browser, log into your email and open the show specific link and click the button link to watch. (You may need to click the request desktop site in the top menu to read the whole email.)
Allow the browser to leave the page.
This should open a new window, pulling in your unique access code and the video player. The video should start automatically; if not, click the "play" icon.

This article includes information about connecting your computer to a Fire Stick. Fire Stick is an Android device at heart, but the Amazon technology is not as Google friendly as Chromecast because they are in direct competition. In that context, Windows is neutral, but Apple is still Apple, and not directly compatible.

Screen Mirroring Computer to Amazon Fire Stick

How to stream from a PC to an Amazon Fire TV/ Fire Stick: https://www.androidauthority.com/stream-pc-to-amazon-firestick-1007595/

Stream from a Windows 10 PC to a Fire Stick: Note that steps 1 and 2 refer to your Fire Stick remote
Stream from a Mac to a Fire Stick – Heads up! – There’s no direct way to mirror your PC or stream content from a Mac to a Firestick. There are a few apps available on the Fire Stick that take advantage of AirPlay technology to allow screen mirroring.
The remainder of the article concerns utilizing “PLEX”, which is a “channel” available on both Roku and Fire Stick, but it is only for casting content stored on your PC and will not work for browser based live streaming.

Windows 10 PC to Roku Player

First, make sure both your mobile device or computer and Roku device are on the same WiFi network.

Screen Mirroring to Roku Device from Windows 10 (This was tested on a Roku Premiere +, and a Roku 3)

Windows 10 will screen mirror to any device that registers as a “Wireless Display” on your network. But we did not test any other equipment other than these Roku players.

Since this method will screencast ANYTHING that appears on your computer, it is not critical to access a particular video to test it. If you can get your computer screen to show on your TV, you will be able to watch the video.

Make sure your Roku Device and your laptop or desktop computer are on the same wireless network
Visit here for instructions: https://www.support.com/how-to/how-to-screen-mirror-from-windows-10-to-roku-12655
Note: We have found that it can take several tries at “Connecting” for the connection to “stick”.

Apple iOS to Roku Player via AirPlay / HomeKit

Visit here for instructions and which Roku and iOS devices are compatible: How do I use AirPlay and HomeKit with my Roku® streaming device?

Make sure your Roku Device and your Apple, iOS device or Mac are on the same wireless network

On your Roku go to settings.
Scroll down and select Apple AirPlay and HomeKit
Turn on AirPlay
Set Require Code and Subtitles and Captioning according to your preferences.
Open Video link on your device.
Select the AirPlay icon and choose the Roku device displayed.

HomeKit is Apple’s smart-home controller. (Just like Google Home, but for Apple devices) It is not necessary to use HomeKit to access your Roku, but if you already use it, you can add your Roku device to it.

This is, by no means, a complete list but covers some of the better solutions for watching these videos on your television. There are a number of apps that can make it easier to screencast from your phone to a TV, but these are getting more complicated to use if you aren't experienced with using these kinds of features.

We can't make an exhaustive survey of all of those options, but our colleagues at The Public Theatre have recommended a third party app—Web Video Cast—as a good, multi-purpose tool across many different platforms. We include their instructions below:

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instantbits.cast.webvideo

Apple/iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/web-video-caster/id1400866497

Web Video Cast - Instructions

Always make sure both your devices are turned on and connected to same WiFi network.

1. Install the Web Video Cast app on your Android or Apple device.

2. If needed, install the Web Video Cast receiver app on your Smart TV or streaming device.

3. Open the Web Video Cast app on your mobile device.

4. Click on the screen icon to the right in the top browser bar and select the desired device from the list.

If you don’t see your expected device, click the gear icon and make sure your type of device is selected for scanning. Then rescan for devices.

If you don’t see your Roku device, you can either:
Enable AirPlay on the Roku: Settings>Apple AirPlay and Homekit
OR
Add a Roku by its IP address. In the Web Video Cast app, scroll down to “Add Roku IP”. You will find your Roku’s IP Address in the Roku’s Settings>Network>About

5. Paste your link into the browser bar.

For our video you can open the video link in your native browser and copy it, then paste into the Web Video Cast app browser.

Or hold down on the link in your confirmation email until the dialogue opens and Copy URL, then paste into the app browser bar.

6. When videos are detected a play icon will appear in the app browser bar (on Android it is a yellow circle with triangle). Click the icon.

7. Select one of the detected video links. The best choice is probably the “adaptive” one. It will use the best resolution based on your connection and device.

What is “Route video through phone”? – Some streaming devices, like Samsung TVs, require assistance in playing some videos, so it is best for the videos to be routed through the app. Some video providers also require this because of restrictions they’ve placed on the video.

The video should appear on your TV and can be controlled with the basic video playback functions on your device remote.

8. When video is finished, click the screen icon and disconnect your device.

9. If necessary, exit out of the app to the homescreen of your TV or streaming device.

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About Web Browsers

You will need to use a modern internet browser to view your event. Please use one of the common modern browsers. The following browsers are officially supported by our video player page:

• Chrome for Android 34+
• Chrome for Desktop 34+
• Firefox for Android 41+
• Firefox for Desktop 42+
• Edge for Windows 10+
• Safari for Mac 8+ (beta)

Chrome

If you are using a Windows PC or Android phone you are probably using Chrome as your browser, unless you have a newer Windows 10 PC equipped with Microsoft Edge, and haven’t installed Chrome.

Microsoft Edge

Now standard on Windows 10 PCs, Microsoft Edge is based on Chrome and will work in a similar manner. Follow instructions above for PCs or Android devices to Chromecast.

DO NOT use Internet Explorer.

It does not support the streaming platform used. Please use Chrome or Microsoft Edge. If you are still using an earlier version of Windows (7 or 8), you will be able to install these browsers. If you do not want to install a new browser and have any of the mobile devices described in the FAQ section, it may be easier to access your stream using those.

Safari

If you are using Safari, you are in the Apple world and should follow the instructions for Apple/AirPlay devices.

Firefox

We will assume that if you are using Firefox, you will be familiar enough with its functions to determine if casting to your TV is possible. Here is a recent article regarding this: How to Use Chromecast on Firefox to Cast Movies to Your TV

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