The Playgoer: Theatre Muzak

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Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Theatre Muzak

I wholeheartedly concur with David Cote's spirited rant against the kind of cheezy incidental music that keeps showing up in productions of new plays at our more respected theatres. Hard to describe, and specific examples aren't coming to mind, but Cote gets it right with "tinkling" and pointlessly "upbeat." I'd say just, Lame.

Not to disparage individual composers. (Although Isaac makes a case in comments that it's the fault of sound designers composing on the cheap.) Clearly there's an overall "lite" aesethetic at work, that shows up in the writing and directing, too.

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