The Indianapolis Colts announced that children 24 months and younger can now get into Lucas Oil Stadium for free, reports TicketNews. That's a big bonus for fans -- and it lets them know: "We’re thinking about our families and trying to make it as easy as possible for them to come," Stephanie Pemberton, vice president of marketing for the Colts, said in a statement. Other family-friendly changes include "kids meals, which includes a hot dog, apple slices, string cheese, and a...

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A live event can happen practically anywhere these days. The definition of what a venue can be has been expanding over the years -- as performances have been popping up in parks, museums and railroad stations, to name just a few places. American Libraries reports that Chicago Public Library holds regular storytimes at laundromats across Chicago. This is a great example of going where the people are. Anne Ford writes: "Laundromat literacy initiatives mean 'you’re able to hold programs at a...

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Are you a huge Taco Bell fan? Adweek reports that Taco Bell is opening a boutique, branded hotel in Palm Springs called The Bell, and rooms will be available for a limited time this summer. David Griner writes: "The brand’s announcement of the hotel says it 'reimagines what a hotel stay can be, unveiling a destination inspired by tacos and fueled by fans. Everything from guest rooms to breakfast and poolside cocktails will be infused with a Taco Bell twist,...

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AV News reported on a cute story at the Boston Symphony Hall: "The Handel And Haydn Society orchestra was performing at the Boston Symphony Hall. Just after the final rest of Mozart’s 'Masonic Funeral Music,' an unseen kid yelled out 'wow!' in apparently unvarnished appreciation of what he’d just heard. Everyone laughed and applauded the moment." While this is certainly a pleasant outburst, there are some behaviors that theatergoers do not appreciate. Goldstar surveyed more than 1,000 members as well as theater...

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Pete Miller poses an interesting question on 2AMt blog: Do we need more theatre in which audiences take an active role? He starts the discussion by dividing theater into two categories. He explains that the first category is “Sit-down-and-shut-up” theatre, "meaning theatrical productions in which the audience is fundamentally expected to watch attentively but take no action that might disrupt the flow of performances or distract other audience members." The second is “Don’t-just-sit-there-do-something” theatre, "meaning theatrical productions in which the audience is...

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Theater enriches our lives. Journalist Christine Aucoin adds her own reasons why theater is important, emphasizing its significance to teens in the age of YouTube. Her Boston Globe article specifically highlights how helpful theater was in allowing her to talk with her dad: "These dramatic outings prompted conversations unlikely to arise over the dinner table." Aucoin writes: "The in-your-face immediacy of live theater and the staggering range of human experiences represented onstage bridged the communication chasm between me and my parents....

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Today, according to Pollstar, Pitchfork is launching the inaugural edition of Midwinter, a three-day music event, at the Art Institute of Chicago. The artists, including Deerhunter, Kamasi Washington, Laurie Anderson, Perfume Genius and Oneohtrix Point Never, will perform throughout the museum. Some of the artists have "designed 'soundscapes,' unique music inspired by specific pieces in the Art Institute's collection," reports Pollstar. For instance, classical composer Nico Muhly's piece "takes inspiration from two Claude Monet paintings in the museum's 'iconic' Impressionist gallery, which...

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Kaya Oakes got shushed at a Yo-Yo Ma concert, and she wrote an article about how the churchlike atmosphere that audiences expect at these concerts is killing classical music. Oakes shares how disruptive the shushing is (the woman does it to others in the audience) and about how the day before Yo-Yo Ma had performed at a strikingly different venue: a street party. Oakes writes, "I wish I could tell the shushing woman we need ways of experiencing classical music other...

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Experiences rule. How do we know this? One reason is that more and more retailers are adding experiential elements to their brick-and-mortar stores. This PSFK article highlights "retailers delivering inspired, next-level customer experiences" in New York City. According to the article, Nordstrom Men's Store offers a complimentary personal styling service, where they create a digital Style Board with personalized recommendations that can be sent to your mobile phone, and FujiFilm Wonder Photoshop lets you make instant prints from your phone at...

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Southwest is being applauded for the way the airlines runs its business -- again. In his Inc. post comparing Southwest and another airline, Bill Murphy Jr. highlights a Maya Angelou quote: "People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel."   Murphy writes: "And those feelings develop based on our cumulative experiences: a combination of the shared experiences we all have from following the news, and our personal experiences interacting...

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