:bigbow:

Don't know if everyone is aware that their is no resident discount for any shows at The Sharon. I was buying tickets on line for the Temptations. and was unable to find a place to put in resident ID. Called box office and they informed me of no resident discount at The Sharon.

That sounds like a marketing mistake to me!!

What is the "other" site you are talking about?

Hi Jim,

There are lots of very good entertainers for 1000 seat venues. In the last couple of years we saw Al Stewart and Keiko Matsui in a 500 seat venue and the ticket prices were reasonable. I personally like smaller venues and I think 1000 seats is actually a good size. We used to live in Peachtree City where there is a 2500 seat amphitheater and that is also a good size for a lot of entertainers and reasonable ticket prices. I agree Eric Clapton probably isn't going to come here but I believe they can attract good talent. About the parking issue, get there early I guess ;-)

Right! What they should have done is raise prices by $10 a ticket and then give a Resident Discount of $5.00 a ticket to keep you all thinking you got a deal. That would keep the masses happy.

What they have done is to make the tickets available to residents a couple of weeks before they go on sale to the general public. When I bought tickets, I had to show my ID to get them because they weren't yet on sale to non-residents. So the advantage to residents is better seat selection, rather than price.

Agreed. Symphonies should be played in a beautiful setting that befits that kind of music. When the orchestra assembles on the stage of Savannah, it looks so crowded that the Maestro and the guest artists may fall off.

I could stand the tacky seats, etc. What I could not tolerate was the poor sound quality. A philharmonic orchestra deserves better.

I am equally disappointed!!

I agree. The parking situation will be terrible and the prices too high. But just wait until reality sets in and they have trouble filling the seats during the summer months.

I once went to the Tampa Performing Arts Center in the middle of summer and I saw the Florida Orchestra. The ticket price? $10.00 and I was able to sit anywhere I wanted. I sat in a box seat closest to the stage looking down I could see the entire orchestra. But even at $10. they only filled about 1/4 to 1/3 of the seats.

So be patient and the bargain prices will come. But for what shows?

After having read the entire set of postings on this topic, I offer a couple quick thoughts:

I majored in piano and trumpet, yet I have never cared for Tony Bennett (or Frank Sinatra for that matter). Nor is Lady GaGa my cup of tea. Last night I attended The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra at the Savannah Center. The guest musician (Francesca Dego, a 25 year old virtuoso violinist) presented one of the finest performances that I have heard in a long time. I would be willing to pay $100.00 to hear her again. She truly is a remarkable talent. She played the very challenging Violin Concerto in D Major, OP 35, by Tchaikovsky, a piece so difficult that only the best are able to master its complexities. (Bogie Shooter, I know you can attest to that).

Chip Davis, of Mannheim Steamroller, lives on an acreage north of Omaha, NE. which is where I lived for 45 years until recently. He puts on a truly remarkable show and would be worth whatever one had to pay in order to see him. I do not remember how much the tickets were but the venue was packed. I do not ever see him playing at The Sharon.

I feel fortunate to have purchased the first ticket for the Tuesday night performance of The Million Dollar Quartet and don’t feel that $100.00/ticket was out of line. On the other hand I have no interest in seeing Patti LuPone.

I frequently attended the Orpheum Theatre in Omaha, which carried many fine performances over the years. I now have season tickets to the Ocala Civic Theater and have seen some fun shows and some really bad shows there as well. I also just purchased season tickets to the theater in Orlando (the name of which eludes me at the moment) but have not yet attended any performances there.

My major point in this post is that taste is a very personal thing, therefore, so is what one is willing to pay to hear whatever one may want to hear.

BTW, I can’t wait to see the inside of The Sharon. I am one who is delighted to see her here, soon to open and am only hoping that we, as a community, are delighted in what she brings to TV.

Very good post Ted. Thank you.

I have gone to the Straz in Tampa, paid $100 for a seat way up in the nosebleed section and been disappointed. And We drove 2 hours to get there in very heavy traffic. I think the eclectic line up for The Sharon is exciting and within our means if it is something you want to see. They stated the first few years would determine the wants and price points of their patrons. I would love to see a philharmonic orchestra there as the acoustics are supposed to be so wonderful but that's just my taste. There appears to be something for everyone. we would never have a chance to get some of the big names mentioned on this forum with a population of only 125k. Springsteen, Mannheim, Stones. You kidding me? you can make a lovely weekend trip to go see these in cities with a population of a million people. That's what it takes to support that level and price range. Get real. I can agree that parking will be a challenge, especially for some of our less agile residents and I am sure they will work the out with shuttles, etc. give it a chance before you diss it. Thanks you Morse family. BTW. What are you planning to name for Gary? He did so much for us and I still feel the loss.

Ted, I suspect that Mannheim Steamroller's contract with Universal prevents them from playing elsewhere in central FL.

Perhaps we will get Trans-Siberian Orchestra instead.