Why should we go to live cultural events? Why not just listen to downloaded music files on our iPods and watch DVDs on our laptops? If we want to catch a "live" performace, we can always search YouTube for someone's illegal recording of the event on their cellphone. It's just as good, right? And it's available when we want it, on demand, 24/7/365.
So why go live when you can get your quick, cheap fix anytime? Because there's something undeniably magical about a live performance. When the audience and the performer occupy the same time and space, there's a sense that this one performance will never happen again in just this way. Maybe the one will be sublime. Maybe it will be catastrophic. But it won't ever be exactly the same. As an actor, I had my good nights and my bad nights, and it always depended on my connection to the audience. I could sense when it was with me, and nothing beats having my character's startling revelation answered by a faint yet audible gasp from the woman in the third row, who suddenly was reminded of an uncomfortable situation she should have shared with her sister, but didn't.
Oh, yes, dear chickens, we hear it all from onstage. Every laugh, every whisper, every snore, every damn cellphone ring. You're paying attention to us and we're paying attention to you. Can you get that from an mp3 file?
Join me as I share my insights into the various live performances I attend, most of them here in lovely New York City. They may not always be timely, but they will be well-considered.
That's all for now, my chickens.
