This American Life will be broadcasting a live "performance" of the show via satellite to select theaters. Mixed feelings. I would definitely catch it were it to broadcast to my area. Thing is, now having done some of the technical side of our local Pangea Day programming, I now know that it is somewhat rare for a movie theater to have an available satellite downlink. So I am pretty sure it won't be popping up in my locale. And this would then be the second nationally simultaneous broadcast I have bumped into this year. I can see the potential of these events, and am willing to gamble that this collective consciousness approach to events based in movie theaters will characterize the next generation of digital "theatergoing."

It was interesting to spend some time with the projectionist at our quite wonderful local arthouse and hear his take on the movement from film to digital technology. If things like Pangea Day and This American Life are any indication, satellite and dedicated digital cable indicate social rather than simply aesthetic movements in the industry.

Hmmm. I was considering taking my daughter to a digital simulcast of an opera performance this summer.

I think it's a mixed bag, really. One the one hand, perhaps more people will engage with the media involve--more operagoers. On the other hand, it might very well undermine local arts activites. Why pay $75-$120 to see the Philadelphia Opera Company perform Tristan when you can pay <$20?, be only minutes from home, and see it done by the MET (with captions)?

I did notice that Fandago lists La Boheme as being sold out at my local theater.

TAL is a mass-medium work, so its presence in digital "theatercasting" doesn't bother me nearly as much.

Ira Glass talks a little more extensively about this project at the beginning and end of the January 25th podcast. He was trying to get people to go to the website and express whether anyone had interest in going to a theater to watch This American Life.