I was a business owner and I suspect that the business's were involved with the Developer since this hasn't exactly been a secret. If they were not involved then shame on them. No business owner would take a passive position, or maybe I should have said should take a passive position. They, and their investors, work from facts and market impact studies, not emotion or speculation. If they felt the gloom and doom that you do they would have been significantly more vocal. I also believe that if The Sharon attracts those willing to pay the ticket prices that may bring several hundred higher economic level folks downtime which is a positive to business. Either way, only time will give us the facts, right now all you have is opinion and speculation.

BTW, tickets are now on sale for the first slate of performances and selling very fast!

So disappointed! Our wonderful Philharmonic will be at Savannah Center for the 2015-16 season.

Considering audience size this year, adding 200 more seats would be a disaster. Tonights performance was less than 3/4 full. Look at the 4/14-15 performance at the Villages Box office - more than 1/2 empty seats.

The board made the right decision. And unless season ticket sales go up, Isee major issues in the future.

As I remember the past few years, The Morse family was ready, willing, and able to provide land for an Arts & Ent venue but this unknown committee quickly squashed that idea because their thinking was let's make it a tri-county venue off Villages property with participation from surrounding communities. Personally, it was a missed opportunity. Any venue in the country will not be able to accommodate all those interested in a particular performer(s). Why should the Villages be any different.

The fact that Cattle Baron's Restaurant with Village members only requirement will be a thing of the past, i.e., the Buffalo grazing on 466 or Sumter Landing near the playground. The plan is additional 300 seating at the new Belle's. Dancing may part of lore also.

The Morse family has and will continue to do many wonderful things but changes have and will continue to take place that will be different for new residents than those of the past and I suppose that is a reflection of the changing times and interests as well as the realization that we have commercial development within and around the Villages that can and do expect to profit from their efforts.

Slim pickings for both nights of Million Dollar Quartet.

quartet......I guess my generation isn't quite here yet...lol

Give me some UBRS , TYVM

no buffalo, no parades, no NYE after 9 pm...no 4th of July, no Christmas Parade.....no more. no more..... oh well....suck it up.....or MOVE! LOL

Maybe if the Philharmonic returned to doing just one performance of a particular program like they used to do at Church on the Square, instead of two, they could fill the new Sharon.

If attendance is lower for the philharmonic, it's probably because of the Savannah center tacky chairs, creaky risers and plumbing pipe hand rails. It doesn't reflect the calibre of the orchestra.

Using Savannah as a temporary venue during construction at Church on the Square is understandable, but not now when The Sharon is open and operational.

They deserve to be in The Sharon. Many patrons would come because of the superb quality built into The Sharon, that will inspire the orchestra and its players' spirits.

If that were true, how would explain all of the sold out shows at Savannah over the past year? I don't think that the venue is that big of a deal for most people. Yes, it is nice to go an see someone in a beautiful state of the art theater, but fans of a particular entertainer will go to see them anywhere.

The Beatles played at the old, run down, dirty, rickety Boston Garden in 1964. That didn't stop them from being a sell out. When they returned to Boston in 1966 they played at a horse racing track. Do you think that any of the fans cared about the venue?

I've never had the good fortune to see The Villages Philharmonic, but I would say that it's more a lack of interest in classical music than plumbing pipe handrails that accounts for their small audience numbers.

No one worried about the "tacky chairs, creaky risers and plumbing pipe hand rails" when Willie Nelson sold it out at $125 per ticket.

This is in no means meant to disparage TV Philharmonic. I'm just saying that when people are interested in something a beat up old venue is not going to deter them and a nice shiny new state of the art facility is not going to draw them in.

Formal attire required and one ticket price $150.00

Well said SUNNYATLAST, my first time at the Savannah back in February for the Motown review. It was an eyeopener for me. I don't think i'm a snob, but the savannah is like a Junior high school gymnasium. Put the philharmonic or other worthy groups in a decent venue and i'm sure the attendance will go up.

What? :eek: