Originally published on Flavorpill.

There’s a foreboding program insert at Blank! The Musical with lots of instructions about how to use the show’s web app, peppered with reassurances that if you don’t have a phone, or if the app doesn’t work, or if you hate audience participation, you’ll be fine, you can just watch the show. You see, Blank! The Musical is an improvised musical, different each night, not unlike what you might see from any of the two-dozen groups showcased at last month’s New York Musical Improv Festival at the Magnet Theater. What sets Blank! apart is the app, a product of Livecube (“the world’s most engaging event app” according to its program bio), allowing the audience to offer suggestions and vote on everything from song titles to lines of dialog, unlike those other plebian improv shows that rely on the audience shouting and applauding to do the same. Well, that and the increased ticket prices ($29-$69) that come with the show’s Off-Broadway address at New World Stages. Continue reading →