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Soundcheck

Thursday, April 07, 2005
  • broadway lights and marquees

    Is American Idol Killing Broadway?

    Today on Soundcheck, New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley joins us to discuss the hit reality series American Idol and its effect on our beloved Broadway musicals. In his article featured on the front page of the Sunday New York Times' Arts & Leisure section, Brantley muses on the qualities that American Idol encourages in its singers – namely, loudness and vocal acrobatics – and how this is echoed in many new Broadway musicals like Brooklyn the Musical, or Rent and Bombay Dreams, both of which now feature American Idol veterans. And the 92nd Street Y is presenting the world premiere of a new dramatic work based on Eudora Welty’s short story "Music from Spain." We'll have a live performance here in the studio.

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Introducing our Video Contest

Soundcheck

John Schaefer gives the lowdown on Soundcheck's music video challenge with the Fiery Furnaces.

In Studio: Angel Deradoorian

Soundcheck

The 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist performs live in our studio.

Cucu Diamantes Performs Amor Cronico

Soundcheck

Cucu Diamantes went from a tough childhood in Havana, Cuba, to an art school in Rome to underground New York City, where she co-founded the Latin alternative band Yerba Buena.

In Studio: Stephanie McKay

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The local singer-songwriter performs "Jackson Avenue," a nostalgic toast to her childhood in the South Bronx.

In Studio: The Decemberists

The Portland, Ore., band's latest album, "The Hazards of Love," is a concept album with a mythological flair. They joined Soundcheck to play live for a studio audience in WNYC's Greene Space.

Sound Off

Soundcheck

Throughout May, Soundcheck presents “Sound Off” a Friday series on the many aspects of noise in music and our lives. The series -- which coincides with “Better Hearing and Speech Month” -- looks at issues like New York’s noisiest neighborhoods, the latest research on iPods and hearing loss, and what happens when noise becomes a musical ingredient.