An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art , literature (in which they are called "readers"), theatre, music (in which they are called "listeners"), video games (in which they are called "players"), or academics in any medium. Audience members participate in different ways in different kinds of art. Some events invite overt audience participation and others allow only modest clapping and criticism and reception.
50-543: Playbill is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers . Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery , most copies of Playbill are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's program . Playbill was first printed in 1884 for a single theater on 21st Street in New York City. The magazine is now used at nearly every Broadway theatre as well as many Off-Broadway productions. Outside New York City, Playbill
100-481: A Broadway theatre musical based on Charles Dickens 's last, unfinished work, the audience must vote for whom they think the murderer is, as well as the real identity of the detective and the couple who end up together. The 1984 Summer Olympics included card stunts at the Olympic Stadium. Tony n' Tina's Wedding engages the entire audience at once, staging a narrative set during a wedding in which
150-422: A "post-the-pay" rule to their job site after a campaign by On Our Team and Costume Professionals for Wage Equity called for an increased pay transparency and equity in the theater industry. For decades, Playbill concentrated on Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters, while Stagebill focused on concerts, opera, and dance in venues such as Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall . However, by the late 1990s, Playbill
200-570: A 24-hour Broadway-themed internet radio station featuring news, podcasts , and a musical library of over 20,000 titles, premiered in 2007. In 2011, Playbill launched Playbill Vault, a comprehensive online database of Broadway history. Playbill Vault provides records of Broadway productions from 1930 to the present. Information on the website includes original and current casts, actor head shots , production credits, Playbill cover images, scanned Playbill Who's Who pages, production photos, and videos. In 2012, Playbill launched Playbill Memory Bank,
250-477: A Broadway show is stamped with a seal on the cover and the date appears on the title page within the magazine. This is, however, not the case for every opening night playbill: there are many in circulation that do not feature the date. In lieu of the cast and show information, the subscription edition of Playbill contains listings of Broadway and Off-Broadway productions and news from London productions and North American touring companies. The Playbill banner
300-415: A compelling character, that they are self-evident, and possess an absolute and timeless validity". The concept of the universal audience has received criticism for being idealistic because it can be considered as an impediment in achieving persuasive effect with particular audiences. Yet, it still may be useful as an ethical guide for a speaker and a critical tool for a reader or audience. An ideal audience
350-596: A compilation album may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for release together as a single work, but may be collected together as a greatest hits album , singles album or box set. Compilation albums may employ traditional product bundling strategies. According to sound technician Richard King , classical music compilations "may require more processing to match tracks coming from various sources and recording venues, as well as
400-460: A leaflet into a fully designed magazine. The new format proved popular with theatergoers, who started to collect playbills as souvenirs; however, the name (The) Playbill did not appear until the 1930s while earlier programs published by the company simply bore the name of the venue. In 1918, Frank Vance Strauss sold the company to his nephew, Richard M. Huber. From 1918 onward, the company started printing playbills for all of Broadway and, by 1924,
450-404: A rhetor to formulate appeals that will grant success in engaging with the future particular audience. In considering an ideal audience, a rhetor can imagine future conditions of mediation, size, demographics, and shared beliefs among the audience to be persuaded. An implied audience is an imaginary audience determined by an auditor or reader as the text's constructed audience. The implied audience
500-442: A single work, but may be collected together as a greatest hits album or box set . If the recordings are from several artists, there may be a theme, topic, time period, or genre which links the tracks, or they may have been intended for release as a single work—such as a tribute album . When the tracks are by the same recording artist, the album may be referred to as a retrospective album or an anthology . Songs included on
550-430: A speaker presents text. Audiences who consume texts or speeches through television, radio and internet are considered mediated audiences because those mediums separate the rhetor and the audience. Such audiences are physically away from the audience and the message is controlled. Understanding the size and composition of mediated audiences can be difficult because mediums such as television, radio, and Internet can displace
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#1732786598725600-599: A staple of late-night cinema, even slowly morphing into an audience-participation show in its regular screenings at the Valhalla Cinema , in Melbourne , Australia. John Landis acknowledged the support of the cinema and the fans by a phone call he made to the cinema at the 10th-anniversary screening, and later invited regular attendees to make cameo appearances in Blues Brothers 2000 (1998). The fans act as
650-513: A website that allowed theater-goers to track their memories of their theater attendances by entering dates they attended a show, along with information like ticket scans. The site provided information about cast members, including which performer had each particular role, for roles that may have had several replacements over the life of the show. Playbill Memory Bank shut down December 31, 2016. Playbill launched its first app, called Playbill Passport, on January 4, 2016. In 2021, Playbill added
700-410: Is a rhetor's imagined, intended audience. In creating a rhetorical text, a rhetor imagines is the target audience , a group of individuals that will be addressed, persuaded, or affected by the speech or rhetorical text. This type of audience is not necessarily imagined as the most receptive audience, but as the future particular audience that the rhetor will engage with. Imagining such an audience allows
750-602: Is commonly found in performances which break the fourth wall . Examples include the traditional British pantomimes , stand-up comedy , and creative stage shows such as Blue Man Group . Audience participation can be uncomfortable for certain people, but is growing and evolving as a new tool of brand activation and brand engagement . In a bid to create and reinforce a special bond between brands and their consumers, companies are increasingly looking towards events that involve active audience participation. Often, organizations provide branded objects to event attendees that will involve
800-404: Is divided by the number of artists on the album. Some record companies simplify the equation and pay a rounded-off rate, either as a percentage or as a set amount, regardless of the total number of artists on the record. As of 1999 , these rates were around 0.5% to 1% or 15–16 cents per record. When a compilation album includes a track from a different record company, the royalties are split between
850-459: Is not the actual audience, but the one that can be inferred by reading or analyzing the text. Communications scholar Edwin Black , in his essay, The Second Persona, presents the theoretical concept of the implied audience using the idea of two personae. The first persona is the implied rhetoric (the idea of the speaker formed by the audience) and the second persona is the implied audience (the idea of
900-611: Is read by show fans and theater practitioners, and is updated regularly. It also offers discounts on tickets and dining for its members. In 2000, Playbill added www.playbillstore.com, an online shopping store offering official Playbill merchandise and merchandise from most current Broadway and touring productions. In 2006, Playbill released its first records on Playbill Records , an imprint of SonyBMG . Releases included Brian Stokes Mitchell 's eponymous solo album and two compilations of show tunes entitled Scene Stealers, The Men and Scene Stealers, The Women. Playbill Radio ,
950-611: Is traditional for the audience to clap along with the beat of the second (louder) repetitions of the chorus. This is particularly notable at the Neujahrskonzert . Bloggers , YouTubers , and live streamers often allow their viewers moderated or unmoderated comments sections. Some musical groups often heavily incorporate audience participation into their live shows. The superhero -themed comedy rock band The Aquabats typically do so within their theatrical stage shows through such antics as "pool floatie races", where members of
1000-560: Is used at theaters throughout the United States. As of September 2012, its circulation was 4,073,680. What is known today as Playbill started in 1884, when Frank Vance Strauss founded the New York Theatre Program Corporation specializing in printing theater programs. Strauss reimagined the concept of a theater program, making advertisements a standard feature and thus transforming what was then
1050-508: Is yellow with black writing. Each June since 2014, the yellow banner has been replaced with a rainbow banner for LGBT Pride Month . The Playbill banner has changed the yellow to another color on rare occasions in its history: Playbill launched Playbill Online in January 1994. The free website offers news about the theater industry, focusing on New York shows but including regional theater , touring, and international stage happenings. It
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#17327865987251100-502: The Playbill contains listings, photos, and biographies of the cast ; biographies of authors, composers, and production staff; a list of scenes , as songs and their performers (for musicals); and a brief description of the setting for the particular show. It also lists the number of intermissions and "At This Theatre", a column with historical information on the theater housing the production. The Playbill distributed on opening night of
1150-453: The lingo of audience members rather than of scholars, and who sometimes act as though they, too, are being tortured. Compilation album A compilation album comprises tracks , which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for release together as
1200-692: The New Amsterdam. (When the musical moved to the Minskoff Theatre , which Disney does not own, it was obligated to use Playbill , as are Disney productions at other theaters.) The Ford Center for the Performing Arts also commissioned Showbill for its inaugural production of Ragtime , presumably to exclude other automakers' ads. In a different circumstance, the producers of the Broadway revival of Cabaret wished to maintain
1250-422: The atmosphere of a sleazy nightclub at its Studio 54 venue, and insisted on handing out Playbill s after the performance (instead of before). Playbill, sensing missed exposure for its advertisers, offered the show's producers "Showbill" instead. Additionally, Playbill responded further by producing publications for classic arts venues, aggressively courting many venues that were once Stagebill clients. In
1300-525: The audience formed by and utilized for persuasion in the speech situation). A critic could also determine what the text wants that audience to become or do after the rhetorical situation. Through the Internet, every person is given the opportunity to participate in different ways. The Internet gives people a platform to write and reach the people who are interested in what they are writing about. When writers write online, they are able to form communities with
1350-453: The audience from the time and circumstance of a rhetorical text or speech. In measuring mediated audience reception and feedback (a practice called audience measurement ), one can depend on opinion polls and ratings, as well as comments and forums that may be featured on a website. This applies to many fields such as movies, songs and much more. There are companies that specialize in audience measurement. Theoretical audiences are imagined for
1400-606: The audience in the show as well as act as souvenirs of the event, creating a lasting link with the brand. For example, during Super Bowl XLVIII , the audience was incorporated in the Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show as part of the lighting effects. Pepsi involved the spectators by giving them "video ski hats" that produced visual effects across the crowd. By appealing more directly to people and emotions, brands can obtain feedback from their consumers. Companies that provide or seek such experiences refer to
1450-415: The audience performs the role of "guests". The British panel game QI often allows the audience to try to answer questions. Currently, the audience have won one show, and have come last in another. Magic shows often rely on some audience participation. Psychological illusionist Derren Brown relies heavily on audience participation in his live shows. During performances of the " Radetzky March ", it
1500-412: The band encourage the audience to follow along with. The television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 features a man and his robots held as imprisoned audience members and tortured by being forced to view "bad" movies; to retain their sanity, they talk throughout and heckled each one. In a similar vein, the online site Television Without Pity has a stable of reviewers and recappers who speak
1550-425: The band race across the venue on inflatable rafts via crowd surfing , or providing the audience with projectiles (such as plastic balls or beach balls ) to throw at costumed "bad guys" who come out on stage. Koo Koo Kanga Roo , a comedy dance-pop duo, write their music solely for audience participation, utilizing call and response style sing-along songs which are usually accompanied by a simple dance move that
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1600-404: The cover until the magazine's logo found its permanent place at the top of the front cover and the publication as it is known today became Playbill in 1957, under then-owner Gilman Kraft . Each issue features articles focusing on actors, new plays , musicals , and special attractions . This "wraparound" section is the same for all Playbill s at all venues each month. Within this wraparound,
1650-515: The curriculum. Audience theory offers scholarly insight into audiences in general. These insights shape our knowledge of just how audiences affect and are affected by different forms of art. The biggest art form is the mass media . Films, video games, radio shows, software (and hardware), and other formats are affected by the audience and its reviews and recommendations. In the age of easy internet participation and citizen journalism , professional creators share space, and sometimes attention with
1700-785: The different sizes of ensembles." In Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau said, "While compilation albums by album artists (as opposed to stylistically unified singles specialists) are often useless, sometimes they present themselves as events", citing as examples the 1971 Ray Charles LP A 25th Anniversary in Show Business Salute to Ray Charles , The Kink Kronikles (1972), and Changesonebowie (1976). Common types of compilation include: For multi-artist compilations, royalties are usually prorated. In most cases, each artist's per-record royalty rate (typically 12–14% in 1999)
1750-474: The individuals that make up the audience. Sometimes these audiences are subject to persuasion and engage with the ideas of the speaker. Ranging in size and composition, this audience may come together and form a "composite" of multiple groups. An immediate audience is a type of audience that is composed of individuals who are face-to-face subjects with a speaker and a speaker's rhetorical text or speech. This audience directly listens to, engages with, and consumes
1800-582: The latter case was control over advertising content: Playbill is distributed free to theaters, relying on advertising revenue that is completely under its authority, whereas Disney, per company policy, required a program without cigarette or liquor ads. In response to Stagebill's upstart incursion, Playbill began to produce Showbill , a sister publication that conformed to Disney's advertising requirements for all publications distributed in its properties. Now with an alternative, Disney switched from Stagebill to Showbill for The Lion King late in its run at
1850-521: The members of the crowd during the performance of " Ghost Riders in the Sky ". In British pantomime performances, the audience is a crucial aspect of the show and is expected to perform certain tasks such as: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) divides the audience into groups assigned to call out the concerns of three components of a character's psyche. In The Mystery of Edwin Drood ,
1900-470: The most important part of the picture, to the extent that the audio options on the DVD version include the option. In the audience participation for The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), the audience will make "call backs", and yell at the screen at certain parts of the movie. Also, a number of props are thrown and used by the audience during certain parts of the film. The Blues Brothers (1980) has become
1950-407: The people they share common interests with. The audiences that people are trying to reach can be general or specific, all depending on what the writer is discussing in their online posts. Audiences have to go and check into what the writers are writing to stay on top of the latest information. Writers have to find their niche and try hard to work their way into an already formed community. The audience
2000-578: The public. American journalist Jeff Jarvis said, "Give the people control of media, they will use it. The corollary: Don't give the people control of media, and you will lose. Whenever citizens can exercise control, they will." Tom Curley, President of the Associated Press, similarly said, "The users are deciding what the point of their engagement will be — what application, what device, what time, what place." In rhetoric , some audiences depend on circumstance and situation and are characterized by
2050-450: The purpose of helping a speaker compose, practice, or a critic to understand, a rhetorical text or speech. When a rhetor deeply considers, questions, and deliberates over the content of the ideas they are conveying, it can be said that these individuals are addressing the audience of self, or self-deliberating. Scholars Chaïm Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca , in their book The New Rhetoric: A Treatise on Argumentation , argue that
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2100-452: The rhetor "is in a better position than anyone else to test the value of his own arguments." The audience of self, while not serving as the ends to all rhetorical purpose or circumstance, nevertheless acts as a type of audience that not only operates as a function of self-help, but as instrument used to discover the available means of persuasion. The universal audience is an imagined audience that serves as an ethical and argumentative test for
2150-412: The rhetor. This also requires the speaker to imagine a composite audience that contains individuals from diverse backgrounds and to discern whether or not the content of the rhetorical text or speech would appeal to individuals within that audience. Scholars Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca ascertain that the content addressed to a universal audience "must convince the reader that the reasons adduced are of
2200-414: The rhetorical text in an unmediated fashion. In measuring immediate audience reception and feedback, (audience measurement), one can depend on personal interviews, applause, and verbal comments made during and after a rhetorical speech. In contrast to immediate audiences, mediated audiences are composed of individuals who consume rhetorical texts in a manner that is different from the time or place in which
2250-532: The spring of 2002, Playbill signed a contract with Carnegie Hall ; this milestone was bookended by the earlier acquisition of the valuable Metropolitan Opera program and the ensuing contract with the New York Philharmonic —both tenants of Stagebill's erstwhile stronghold Lincoln Center . With the acquisition of the programs for performing arts venues, Playbill broke from its typical format and began publishing completely customized programs in
2300-445: The term "crowd activation". For example, Tangible Interaction named one of its branches Crowd Activation and PixMob refers to itself as a crowd activation company on its website. One of the most well-known examples of popular audience participation accompanies the motion picture and music The Rocky Horror Picture Show and its earlier stage incarnation The Rocky Horror Show . The audience participation elements are often seen as
2350-527: The vein of Stagebill. This, coupled with continuing fiscal troubles, signaled the end of Stagebill as a publishing entity; later that year, Stagebill became insolvent after five years of head-to-head competition with Playbill, which acquired the Stagebill trademark. Playbill is a founding member of the Museum of Broadway . Audience Media audience studies have become a recognized part of
2400-490: The writer is reaching is able to respond to the writers posts and can give feedback. The Internet allows these connections to be formed and fostered. In the Here Comes Everybody book by Clay Shirky , there are various examples of how audience is not only receiving content but actually creating it. The Internet creates a chance of being part of an audience and a creator at the same time. Audience participation
2450-427: Was highly profitable; Stagebill was not, losing millions of dollars annually by 1998. To increase revenue, Stagebill entered Playbill ' s turf. The truce was first breached in 1995, when The Public Theater quietly defected to Stagebill, and more noisily in 1997, when Disney contracted Stagebill for its musical The Lion King at its newly reopened New Amsterdam Theatre . The main point of contention in
2500-518: Was printing 16,000,000 programs for over 60 theaters. The 1920s also saw attempts to introduce consistency in the design with the covers of the magazines featuring artwork representing the theater, which would stay the same from show to show. In 1934–35, the name The Playbill made its first appearance on the cover although there was still no standard logo in that period. The design underwent a series of transformations with show titles occasionally switching places with The Playbill logo in various places on
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