San Antonio or Austin, where should we relocate? (income, live)

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by hello13685

I never said that I expect SA to resemble these better places. My point was that it's hard to get all excited about cultural opportunities in SA when I've seen much better.

I've seen Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris. No point in seeing St John the Divine or St Patrick's in NYC because I've seen better. Mission San Jose? hah! I've seen better.

I've seen the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, the Prado. I guess I shouldn't bother going to the MoMA or the Met. What's the point? I've seen better.

I've eaten the best Thai food ever. In Thailand. Daily for a couple of years. What's the point of going to any Thai restaurant anywhere else in the world? I've had better. (Though I'll be honest and say I am very particular about my local Thai restaurants.)

I've seen the British Museum and the Pitt Rivers, why bother with the Museum of Natural History in NYC? I've seen better. Or for that matter, since I've seen the NYC version, why bother with the Field Museum in Chicago?

Some of us enjoy the cultural opportunities in San Antonio because we enjoy culture. It doesn't really matter that there may be better elsewhere, and that we've experienced it elsewhere. All the more reason to soak up the local opportunities.

(and I'm home on CD on a Saturday night, not for lack of options - we turned down 4 separate events tonight - but because we were too tired)

[hello13685]

As an example of what I, and (perhaps) 5Fingaz were talking about: San Antonio, population 1,400,000. Tonight I got out of the house with some friends to take in some amateur community theater. We went to see the musical "Chicago" at the Woodlawn Theater. Tickets $20. The principal characters sang over a professional orchestral recording (you know, as in Karaoke). The chorus sang over taped professional taped chorus backup voices, too. Jump to Springfield, Illinois, population 95,000. Community theater production of "Chicago" in small, intimate theater with full volunteer orchestra (only 12-piece needed for that play, though). This was 5Fingaz' point about the population and its dedication to culture. In Springfield, Illinois you have people clawing at each other to play as volunteers in community theater productions. Please explain this to me, please??? This is the lack of support for the arts that we were talking about. Which ones use full orchestras here? They would never do Karaoke musicals in Austin, would they?

[wCat]

Originally Posted by hello13685

As an example of what I, and (perhaps) 5Fingaz were talking about: San Antonio, population 1,400,000. Tonight I got out of the house with some friends to take in some amateur community theater. We went to see the musical "Chicago" at the Woodlawn Theater. Tickets $20. The principal characters sang over a professional orchestral recording (you know, as in Karaoke). The chorus sang over taped professional taped chorus backup voices, too. Jump to Springfield, Illinois, population 95,000. Community theater production of "Chicago" in small, intimate theater with full volunteer orchestra (only 12-piece needed for that play, though). This was 5Fingaz' point about the population and its dedication to culture. In Springfield, Illinois you have people clawing at each other to play as volunteers in community theater productions. Please explain this to me, please??? This is the lack of support for the arts that we were talking about. Which ones use full orchestras here? They would never do Karaoke musicals in Austin, would they?

Hello....have you and 5Fingaz ever met in person? Assuming you are both available, you might make a perfect match.

Accept that YOU don't "get it". Tag SA with any unpleasant, undesirable and unsophisticated adjective....but it boils down to your perspective. YOU...your POV. It's your opinion.

My trip to St. John's Bay in the Virgin Islands included tourists wearing socks with sandals, a very LAME Karaoke bar, painfully slow service at the restaurants, hot sticky heat and no TV in our bungalow. It was heaven. If my JOB took me there I'd somehow learn to suffer along with all the locals in order to retain my sanity.

What a horrible existence to live in a city that doesn't cater to your whims. Your life is what you make it. It's not this city, the people here, or the Provencial lifestyle and lack of amenities that are making you miserable....it's something else.......

[hello13685]

I know, I'm working on it, but this is not about me, my happiness level, and what I'm doing (or not doing) about it. It's about my observations and comparisons between San Antonio and Austin, and those of others. Community theater is just one of those bases of comparison. But alas, the OP has probably already selected another city and has moved in by now, I'm afraid

[smitty12]

Originally Posted by hello13685

As an example of what I, and (perhaps) 5Fingaz were talking about: San Antonio, population 1,400,000. Tonight I got out of the house with some friends to take in some amateur community theater. We went to see the musical "Chicago" at the Woodlawn Theater. Tickets $20. The principal characters sang over a professional orchestral recording (you know, as in Karaoke). The chorus sang over taped professional taped chorus backup voices, too. Jump to Springfield, Illinois, population 95,000. Community theater production of "Chicago" in small, intimate theater with full volunteer orchestra (only 12-piece needed for that play, though). This was 5Fingaz' point about the population and its dedication to culture. In Springfield, Illinois you have people clawing at each other to play as volunteers in community theater productions. Please explain this to me, please??? This is the lack of support for the arts that we were talking about. Which ones use full orchestras here? They would never do Karaoke musicals in Austin, would they?

I haven't been to Woodlawn, but they are the new kids on the block in town. Productions at "San Pedro Playhouse" always use their own orchestra, and they have a very long list of sponsors and seem to be pretty well supported and have been around a long time. We saw "Something Funny Happened On The Way To The Forum" Friday at San Pedro Playhouse. It wasn't the best production they ever had there, but I think that had more to with that not really being my kind of show.

It could be that we suffer from too many local Theatre choices for all of them to be well supported, we have:

San Pedro Playhouse
Amphisphere Productions at Woodlawn Theatre
24th Street Theatre, Our Lady of the Lake University
AtticRep In residence at Trinity University
Beth-El Players
Boerne Community Theatre
Cameo Center
The Church Bistro & Theatre at King William
Circle Arts Theatre in New Braunfels
Harlequin Dinner Theatre
Josephine Theatre
Jump-Start Performance Co.
Magik Theatre
Steven Stoli Playhouse and BackYard Theatre
Trinity University Theatre
Sheldon Vexler Theatre
The Overtime Theater
Classic Theatre of San Antonio
Spotlight Theatre Arts Group, Etc., Inc.

I would be doubtful that a city of 95 thousand could support such diverse local theatre. There is everything there from locally written, produced, and directed theatre to Improv to Broadway Musicals represented there. In fact there aren't many types of theatre not represented. This past weekend there were 13 choices of local live theatre you could have attended.

SATCO Playbill

[sapphire]

Aww, smitty, you brought facts! Thank you--I just didn't have the time nor the desire to do this again.

If you can't find something to do in this town, you must be the lamest person ever.

[hello13685]

Excellent, thank you Smitty12. I was hoping that there was much more. (I felt so sorry for the performers because I just knew that they would have loved to be singing over a live orchestra.) I'm going to give some of these a try.

[wCat]

Originally Posted by hello13685

Excellent, thank you Smitty12. I was hoping that there was much more. (I felt so sorry for the performers because I just knew that they would have loved to be singing over a live orchestra.) I'm going to give some of these a try.

Hello....at least you are willing to "work" on it.....but admitting that it is your observation still makes it about "you". I know you're smart enough to get this.
My point about St. John's Bay is that it's lacking in so many things, but what it has to offer is something different. Someone into "winter sports" may initially hate it there, but they would have to learn to adapt in order to live a fulfilling life in comfort and peace.

Your pity on the performers seems so misplaced. They most likely would not be there if they weren't enjoying themselves. They were most likely not there for the "pay".

[hello13685]

Of course, ANY person's opinion is entirely about that person. So what?

[wCat]

Originally Posted by hello13685

Of course, ANY person's opinion is entirely about that person. So what?

I was just responding to your comment above where you said this:

"I know, I'm working on it, but this is not about me, my happiness level, and what I'm doing (or not doing) about it. It's about my observations......"

I'm just sayin"