Why the show must go on and will go on
the show
must go on we hear that time and again
usually when there’s a minor accident
just before show
and performers announced their intention
to carry on
in spite of the setback legend has it
that the saying originated
in the early 19th century with a more
ominous
overtone circuses were a popular form of
entertainment
with lions and tigers as the main
attraction
when the ringmaster announces the show
must go on
it usually means some ferocious animal
has just escaped
in other words do not panic
those who remain seated are rewarded
with an
improvised show albeit without the main
attraction
but the show goes on today
the show must go on it’s a creed
for everyone associated with staging a
show
from artists to producers from backstage
crew
to front of house staff from freddie
mercury
to andrew lloyd webber there’s little
danger of
facing an escaped animal in today’s
theaters and concert halls
instead live performances are confronted
with a 21st century threat
without sounding too ominous i shall
call it
the disruption of online consumption
internet delivers live concerts live
theater
performances of all descriptions right
into our living rooms
these are available on demand at a
relatively low cost
we are treated to close-ups to panoramic
views
to multiple camera angles views we don’t
see
when attending events in person at a
physical venue
plus we get the stop and start button
for
popcorn breaks so the big question is
what’s going to happen to our live
concerts and live
theater will they be replaced by
live streaming and digital recordings
will this be the audience of the future
after nearly 40 years of working in the
performing arts
i’ve come to believe we will always be
venturing out
to seek a live performance when the
opportunity arises
when the budget is right we have a
strong drive
to see and participate in person
my work involves the selection the
contracting
and the presentation of artists in music
dance and theater
these range widely from symphony
orchestras to
broadway tours from jazz to popular
music
from classical ballet to comedy
festivals
so far i’ve been lucky and have had no
falling chandeliers or seriously injured
performers i guess that qualifies me to
make a couple of
interesting observations about audience
motivations i’ve noted three compelling
motivations
that drive audiences to live
performances
even when digital versions are readily
available
the first has everything to do with the
sharing of experiences
for live audiences the sharing of
responses
and reactions come naturally
they are in the same physical space the
same visual space
the same communication zone
this results in a motivation known as
the amplification
effect of shared experience
it arises from our tendency to share
moments of
joy of sorrow even of uncertainty
studies by leading researchers suggested
the sharing of
experiences amplifies the magnitude
of the communal feelings rather like
that
extra kick we get when sharing a drink
with our friends
in contrast the sharing of online
content
seems more remote sharing is
mediated by all of cyberspace
and sharing platforms a recent report
by a newspaper describes sharing
platforms as providing
connection without communication
we’re less vocal than we would have been
in the midst of a cheering crowd
social amplification generates the
spontaneous energy
that life audiences enjoy it transcends
even the convenient connectivity of the
internet
the second motivation for life
attendance
it’s about how we are engaged
physically and mentally the difference
between physical engagement
and embodied engagement we get a fair
amount of realism
from our virtual and mixed reality
events
this hybrid bungee jump in korea
seems pretty scary to the
participants best thing is they don’t
need to jump off a cliff
so we should find out what makes
the actual real event itself
different without having to jump off a
cliff
to get a satisfactory answer we will
need to borrow a page
from the neurologists here’s how it
works
besides our external senses like
touch vision and hearing
we have an internal sensory system the
somatosensory system this detects actual
physiological participation it eludes
the externally simulated inputs
suggested by
augmented reality devices it takes both
internal and external sensory systems
to generate an embodied engagement
the embodied engagement being our total
involvement
mental and physical
in a way virtual events can take us to
the show
mind over matter whereas physical events
take us there
mind and matter our theaters in concert
halls
are specially designed to fully engage
us in person
to conjure up multi-dimensional images
we can retain
and recall that means if we are seeking
a totally
immersive experience we’ll be attending
a show
physically rather than digitally
the third and final motivation for
audience
participation stems from something
within our nature
that we love and hate fomo
or fear of missing out that tinge of
regret we feel
when we miss out on a good deal or a
great show
we over compensate and end up joining
long queues
for things we don’t really need
the root cause is the perceived scarcity
of supply life performances are
frequently
one-offs or limited runs creating
not just the impression of scarcity but
most times
an actual scarcity miss it and you lose
it
now the big difference between online
content
and a live appearance is that it is
always possible to retrieve and revisit
online content not so for live shows
they are practically one of a kind
each best a distinctive hallmark of a
specific performer
shaped by a unique occasion and a unique
audience they generate the excitement of
risk and spontaneity
there can be no retakes no re-runs
no touch-ups more importantly life
audiences have been known to inspire
artists to perform
in extraordinary ways that’s something
we would not want to miss
also sounds to me like an excellent
excuse for
fomo our fear of missing out we’ve come
a long way since the days of escaping
lions and tigers
when our emcee announces the show
must go on it would mean a different
threat
the internet disruption will our night
out at the theater
be replaced by a solitary view on a
digital screen
fortunately the internet is as generous
as it is invasive
it has spawned a new and rapidly
expanding generation
of online arts consumers including those
who previously have had little or no
interest
to go to a live event undoubtedly
some will be curious enough to check out
a show they have discovered online in
person at a physical
venue those
working in audience development
including
public arts agencies artist managers
promoters readily recognize this
spillover effect
there’s no shortage of attractive and
targeted incentives
to facilitate the crossover from digital
to physical this expanding audience base
is exactly what keeps live theater
live concerts alive and well
the internet is not the tiger we once
feared the next time we hear
the show must go on it would not mean
there’s a ferocious animal
on the loose instead it would signify
that the
curtain is about to rise to a continuing
era
of live concerts live theater
and i can bet with live audiences