A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing a virtual auditorium for a remote, live performance to a remote, distributed audience, wherein the performers receive the reaction of the audience members in substantially real time. The live performance can itself be distributed geographically, as taught in the prior art, and may be
multimedia in nature, for example audio (monophonic, stereo, or multi-channel) can be augmented by images, video,
MIDI, text (e.g., commentary,
lyrics), etc. Further, the distributed audience members can receive each other's reaction, also in substantially real time, whereby the virtual auditorium is created wherein the distributed audience members constitute a virtual
assembly.The same virtual auditorium, sans performers, can be used as a venue to conduct a
conference call of arbitrary size without the expense of a central voice bridge.