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(markhillary/flickr)When the Theater becomes your Living Room
Growing numbers of audiences are acting out in theaters and concert halls -- texting friends, eating fast food or taking off their shoes. Today: a Soundcheck Smackdown debate on whether the theater has grown too casual. Also: the genre-bending Sweet Plantain String Quartet perform live in our studio.
Bravos and No-nos in the theater
Theaters and concert halls have always been home to disputes over noisy candy wrappers, errant cell phones, and uncontrolled whispers. But some say that as theaters try to put on a more welcoming face for audiences, patrons are getting too comfortable in their surroundings. Ellen Gamerman, a reporter with the Wall Street Journal, talks about the changing standards of audience behavior.
Debating Bad Behavior
How relaxed is too relaxed when it comes to standards of audience etiquette in theaters? Joining us to debate this question is David Cote, theater critic of Time Out New York, and Limor Tomer, WNYC’s executive producer of music programming.
Weigh in: Do you think standards of behavior are getting worse in theaters and concert halls? Or do you welcome a more casual, friendlier air?
Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on standards of etiquette in theaters
The Sweet Plantain String Quartet
Comprised of musicians from Venezuela, the Bronx, and New Jersey— The Sweet Plaintain String Quartet hope to stretch the boundaries of their genre. The group's mission is to present urban and Latino sounds, and its repertoire ranges from John Coltrane to A Tribe Called Quest to living composers such as Paquito D’Rivera. The quartet performs live in our studio.
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Join us Tuesday, Nov. 10 at The Greene Space
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, stars of the romantic indie film Once, will debate which is more powerful: a love song or a breakup song. And: live music from Grammy winning violinist Joshua Bell and Cuban stars Tiempo Libre.
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The Ill Effects of Urban Noise
Soundcheck
Soundcheck received an overwhelming response to our segment on the effects of urban noise. So much so that Arline Bronzaft decided to address the feedback. Listen to the original segment and read Bronzaft's response.
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