Is it live, or is it Memorex?

Posted at 10:46 AM on July 9, 2009 by Alison Young (2 Comments)

I may be showing my age by quoting that ad for a cassette tape, but it was the first thing that popped into my mind when I read a piece today about a man who sued for live music, and won.

I know, I know that's the ad for Maxell, not Memorex...it was a good one, but I digress. The story takes place in Manchester, England with a father taking his kids to see "The Wizard of Oz." The singers were live, but the orchestra was taped.

He felt he'd been misled into believing that all players would be live. While this fellow was the only one who filed suit, the judge in the case used the Trade Descriptions Act as precedent and ordered the theatre to refund the plaintiff's money.

I wonder if the many ballet companies and other musical theatre companies in the United States moving towards taped performances will see similar backlash?

Comments (2)

Isn't that the argument that led to the lengthy Broadway strike back in 2003? The musicians wanted a minimum number of human players in the pit per show based on the size of the theatre. Glad to see that it makes a difference to some in the audience.

Posted by Richard | July 9, 2009 1:13 PM

Here's an example of live classical music in a venue that you'd never expect it: a racetrack. Read more about it here.

Posted by Gillian Martin | July 9, 2009 1:53 PM