"Suds" at Savannah Center

[macgolfnut]

I feel the need to vent a little about our experience at Savannah Center last night. My wife and I went to the 5:30 show of "Suds", which we had anticipated due to the ads which told some of the songs involved and the description, which sounded kind of fun. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! The script was trite and boring. The cast was untalented - mediocre singing voices at best, little to no acting talent. The story was just plain stupid. The writer apparently tried to just dupe us into coming and spending our money because there were little bits of some popular songs from the 60's and 70's - poorly done. On top of that, the follow spot person must have just been hired, because he didn't know how to use the spotlight, often turning off the light in the middle of a song or missing the actors altogether.

We have been to a number of other shows at Savannah which were wonderful, including Herman's Hermits, The Lettermen, and an evening of music from "Phantom of the Opera", to name a few. "Suds" could be compared to a bad high school show. Many people left at intermission. It's a shame that such a bad show would be presented here. There is so much wonderful talent in and around The Villages, at the squares, at Church on the Square, at Katie Belles, and at the country clubs in the evenings.

My last comment has to be about Savannah itself. Many on this site have commented in the past about the uncomfortable seats, which are much too close together. I agree whole heartedly. It's tough to sit there for 2 hours. Another problem I encountered last night was the policy of letting people come in well after the show has begun and showing them their seats. It is very disturbing to the people who are trying to watch the show. It isn't right to give these rude people, who couldn't show up on time, priority over people who were responsible enough to get there on time.

There. I'm done venting.

[BogeyBoy]

We were there for the Tuesday 830 show. Left at intermission. Your comments are right on. And - I don't know how they managed to do this but -the seats were not only the usual close side to side, they had somehow reduced the space between rows. No hip room and no leg room.

This was NOT a good show and not up to the level of entertainment we have grown to expect at Savannah Center.

(I thought there might be a review in today's newspaper but I didn't see one. I guess "Suds gets a big thumbs down" wouldn't be an appropriate headline by Daily Sun standards.)

[Talk Host]

Was this a local production or a professional traveling show?

[BogeyBoy]

Was this a local production or a professional traveling show?

This was part of the Broadway series. I thought all shows in the series were professional traveling shows. Now I know I was mistaken, they may be traveling shows, but not professional.

[dominick]

I saw an article in The Daily Sun about a week ago that the developer had nixed the possibility of a new performing arts center (pac) for TV as too costly.Don't forget to list the pac as a top priority on this years annual survey. We really need one.

[swrinfla]

I went Tuesday at 5:30. I, too, was disappointed, but I have learned not to set my expectations too high even for the very best shows!

By their curricula vitae the performers were certainly not amateurs, but I don't think they were really Broadway quality, either.

The show was silly, I agree. And I found only a very few of the songs memorable.

That said, I still am happy to pay even as much as $25 when I know that it would have cost me at least $75 in St. Louis and probably over $100 in NYC.

A suggestion to all: choose a "balcony" seat. For unknown reasons, they are more comfortable than those on the floor, and they're always the same distance apart!

I agree with dominick that all who answer the 2010 survey must, must urge for a Performing Arts Center. Unfortunately, I am pretty sure that even a concerted noise from every resident will not build such a building!

SWR
:beer3:

[JohnN]

I've seen better shows there, but I thought it was OK,

seating sucks

[Rag Bagger]

I don't see how a PAC is going to help the quality of the shows. It's a whole different issue. The quality of the bookings vs the facility.

[golfnut]

a pac won't improve the quality of the shows, we'll just be more comfortable watching the drivel (you know i'm kidding right)....gn

[dominick]

Its probably all academic anyway, and its certainly not that I know a lot about it, but doesn't it stand to reason that a better arts venue would attract better acts? In a few years, TV will have a relatively affluent population of over 100,000, ripe with dollars to spend on quality entertainment.
"Where to Retire" magazine did an article on retirement communities with PACs. Granted, the pacs featured were not for the exclusive use of just one retirement community, but rather for an area containing several such communities and a general population as well. Many of them were quite impressive and were able to draw classy shows, not just the revival and tribute stuff so popular here.

[RichieLion]

I'm all for a new PAC as long as I wouldn't have to pay for it. I read where it's said that this is an affluent community, but I, and many more of your neighbors, are far from affluent. But, on the other hand, if the affluent patrons of the arts want to bestow personal grants to a PAC committee, I think that would be lovely. Many wonderful public edifices have been created with funds donated by philanthropists and this would be a great legacy to them. I, for one, would stand and applaud such actions.