Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance

“Turn Your Cell Phone On!” text polling campaign continues with the Philadelphia Orchestra’s performance of Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”

Interactive engagement effort will be featured in conjunction with the Philadelphia Orchestra’s performance of “Beyond the Score: Rite or Wrong?” April 8 at 7 pm at the Kimmel Center

John McInerney
Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
johnm@philaculture.org; 215-399-3515

(Philadelphia)- Phillyfunguide’s Turn Your Cell Phone On!, live polling service will be featured in the lobby in conjunction with the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Beyond the Score: Rite or Wrong? on April 8th at 7 pm. Patrons, prior to the event and during intermission, can text responses to poll questions about the performance direct from their cell phones. The answers will be displayed live at the Kimmel Center, as well as online at both www.Phillyfunguide.com and www.philorch.org. The goal of the program is to increase audience engagement surrounding the performance.

Turn Your Cell Phone On! is an initiative of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and made possible by PNC Arts Alive, a five-year, $5 million investment in the arts through the PNC Foundation.

Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring sent audiences into frenzied riots at its 1913 Paris premiere with its dissonant sonorities and the bold choreography depicting a young girl who dances herself to death in human sacrifice. Since then, it has gained wide recognition as one of the most influential works of the 20th century and is among the most popular works in the orchestral repertoire.

This special performance on April 8th will feature live-image projections and spoken introductions from the stage. Developed by the Chicago Symphony, the first half of each program offers a live multimedia documentary of the selected score—its context in history, how it fits into the composer's output of works, and the details of the composer's life that influenced its creation. After intermission, concert goers return with newly discovered knowledge to hear a performance of the score played in its entirety by The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Charles Dutoit.

As patrons enter the Kimmel Center, they will be able to participate in the Turn Your Cell Phone On! project by texting their choice for their favorite instrument from five choices: Cello, Flute, Percussion, Tuba, or Violin.

At intermission following the multi-media presentation audience members can respond to an additional poll, choosing their favorite from three traditional Russian instruments discussed in the program: the Rozhok, the Dudki, and the Zhaleika. Audiences can also add a detailed review of Rite or Wrong? on Phillyfunguide.com and be entered for a chance to win 2 free tickets to the next Beyond the Score concert and a $50 gift card. Audience poll results can be viewed online by visiting www.phillyfunguide.com/turnyourcellphoneon April 8th starting at 6:30 pm.

The Turn Your Cell Phone On! program uses SMS, or texting technology, which is available on the majority of consumer mobile phones. As patrons text their poll choices, the results are displayed in real time in the lobby of the Kimmel as well as online on Phillyfunguide and the orchestra’s website, www.philorch.org. The Cultural Alliance will not charge for submitting a text comment and no personal data will be collected from participants. The goal is to encourage audience interaction and engagement.

This is the third time this program has occurred, the first time being at this summer’s 2009 Live Arts Festival and the second being at the Pennsylvania Ballet’s performance of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker this winter.

"Turn Your Cell Phone On! is a fun and interactive use of technology that increases audiences engagement at live performances,” says Tom Kaiden, Acting Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, who manage Phillyfunguide. “By discussing the performance with fellow patrons while they text their choices, patrons have an opportunity to engage deeper in the experience.”

Ticket prices range from $15 to $55. For more information on The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Beyond the Score: Rite or Wrong?, April 8 at 7 pm, please visit www.philorch.org.

“This is the kind of pioneering project that puts Philadelphia at the forefront nationally,” said Bill Mills, president of PNC for Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. “Turn Your Cell Phone On! is perfectly aligned with our goals for PNC Arts Alive to promote audience participation and innovative use of technology.”

The Turn Your Cell Phone On! program is part of Phillyfunguide, an online events calendar produced by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. It includes information on thousands of leisure events and attractions. Nearly two dozen cultural, tourism, and media organizations partner with Phillyfunguide, including the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (visitphilly.com), the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, WXPN, the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, and Dance/USA Philadelphia. A complete list of partners is available at www.Phillyfunguide.com/OurPartners.

Turn Your Cell Phone On! is a project of Phillyfunguide and funded by PNC Arts Alive, a five-year, $5 million initiative to support the visual and performing arts through innovative audience engagement. Additional information on PNC Arts Alive is available at www.pncartsalive.com. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC) (www.pnc.com) is one of the nation’s largest diversified financial services organizations providing retail and business banking; residential mortgage banking; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management; asset management and global fund services.

Phillyfunguide support is also provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Phillyfunguide is a part of the Cultural Alliance’s Engage 2020 initiative, an effort by the Cultural Alliance to increase cultural engagement in Greater Philadelphia through research, marketing and innovative approaches to cultural participation.