The Charles A. Brown Ice House on Sand Island in Bethlehem is continuing its “Ice House Tonight” series as a virtual event.

Beginning Aug. 18, the venue is presenting six streaming hour-long concerts, three of music and three of poetry, 7 - 8 p.m. Tuesdays, with repeats Wednesdays, through Sept. 22 on YouTube.

Plans for the venue changed because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“We have had to cancel at least 60 programs this year,” says Doug Roysdon, Artistic Director of the “Ice House Tonight” performance series.

The Ice House, which is owned by the City of Bethlehem, has not reopened. The virtual shows, which are being prerecorded, are not been taped at the Ice House, which has been closed since mid-March.

“We look for something normal happening in January.” Roysdon says.

Of course, the curve of the pandemic is unpredictable, but Roysdon remains optimistic, and even sees a good side to going virtual:

“It can expand our audience. There can be a group of people connected to others who came to see a certain show that might be curious enough to watch performances online.

“We plan to keep going, even after we get back to the real world, with a monthly ‘Virtual Ice House,’” says Roysdon.

Ara Barlieb, a partner with Pamela Wallace, in Barlieb Wallace Productions, has been making documentaries for decades. Barlieb says the Ice House shows are done “documentary style, with a variety of camera shots.

“They will be quite a few notches above a webcam basement performance,” says Barlieb.

Barlieb directs nearly all of the productions of the Crowded Kitchen Players, which has been staging its shows in the Ice House. The theater troupe is rehearsing three plays with plans to present each virtually. “Dogcatcher,” about an African-American man running for office in a small Pennsylvania town, is to be shown in seven 30 min. episodes beginning in October.

Probably no venue in the Lehigh Valley has hosted a greater variety of entertainment than the Ice House.

“It’s exciting making a local culture,” says Roysdon. “It’s all about putting local artists onstage.”

The “Virtual Ice House” series is free, although, donations are accepted.

Here’s the schedule:

Aug.18 - The Witherbees are a quartet with a jazz-influenced sound playing a mixture of originals and covers. They have a downtempo sound with a somewhat haunting, mysterious feel. The group is Mike Lorenz, guitar; Jacqui Armbruster, viola and vocals; Justin Sekelewski, bass, and Kyle Andrews, drums.

Aug. 25 - Tuesday Muse is a virtual poetry salon-open mike with Lehigh Valley poets Darrell Parry and Francesca Farrisi and Easton musician Esme Montgomery.

Sept. 1 - Joey Mutis III is leader of The Electric Farm rock band. Singer-songwriter Mutis, known for his dreamlike melodies and thoughtful, sometimes quirky, lyrics, will be doing a rare solo performance.

Sept. 8 - “Radical Freedom: Poets on the life and work of H.D. Hilda Doolittle (1886-1961).” The Fountain Hill-born poet was an influential Imagist, a movement that pushed poetry in a modern direction. Featured poets are Elynn Alexander, Katherine Falk, Sienna Mae Heath, Nanette Smith and Cleveland Wall.

Sept. 15 - George Hrab is a singer-songwriter with an eclectic range of songs that can be whimsical and challenging. He will be doing mostly originals accompanying himself on guitar and piano. Hrab does the weekly Lehigh Valley-based Geologic Podcast and is the drummer for the Philadelphia Funk Authority.

Sept. 22 - “Poetry and Conversation”: Boys and Girls Club of Bethlehem benefit. Poets Poet Matt Wolf and Winston Alozie and Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Alozie will read poetry and share information and stories about the Boys and Girls Club.

Information: https://www.icehousetonight.org/