(The) One Thing the County Does Great!

I said it was "the" one thing the County does great.  Roxy Ross gave me a look, like the County does other things great.  I asked her to name one.  I imagine she'll get back to me.  She and Chuck did agree that the County's library system is very good.

I go to lots of entertainment.  I go to several venues.  Venues have their physical spaces, and they have their programming.  Some have good physical spaces, some have great programming.  Depending on the venue, parking can be free, or it can be a pain.  The staffs can be friendly and helpful, or they can be aloof.

It's County spaces that turn out to be the best.  My favorite place of all, anywhere, is South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center (SMDCAC).  It's run by the best impresario I have known.  His name is Eric Fliss.  The building is new and exquisitely interesting architecture.  SMDCAC has three rooms.  It has a regular auditorium with hundreds of seats at about three levels.  It has a "black box" cabaret room with small tables and about 120 seats.  And it has another room in an adjacent building.  I've seen one play in that room in the other building, and a ballet and a modern dance show.  Ticket prices at SMDCAC are low.  Parking is free.  The staff are like your BFFs.  The acoustics are very good.  The only problem with SMDCAC, for us, is that it's in Cutler Bay.  It's 27 miles down I-95 and US 1, and it takes over an hour to get there.  It's quicker and more miles, and you have to pay tolls, if you take 836 to 826, then the turnpike.  I subscribe to more than half of what they show each season.  Maybe it's 3/4 of their offerings.  I've been there two days in a row, and even twice in the same day.  I love this place.  You can find their offerings at smdcac.org.

The (Miami-)Dade County Auditorium is at 29th Avenue and W Flagler St.  It's an older place, and the room is a bit weird.  The stage is a little too high for the seating.  But they have terrific shows there-- I have seen the best flamenco shows I've ever seen at MDCA,-- ticket prices are low (senior discount for me!), and parking is free.

I didn't realize until tonight that the Sandrell Rivers Theater is a County venue.  It's a new building at the corner of NW 7th Avenue and 61st St.  I've probably been there half a dozen times.  Very interesting and well-done shows.  I've heard concerts, seen plays, seen dance, and watched a movie there.  Very low prices (tonight's show was free, and they invite you to make a donation).  Parking is free, and it's in an inside multilevel structure.  The people there are very nice.

I think the Arsht Center is a County venue.  I mention it for completeness.  I don't mention it because I like it.  I don't.  Some of the programming is excellent, and some is disappointing.  Ticket prices are high.  The staff are adequately cordial, but they're not particularly interested.  Parking is annoying, expensive, or both.  Considering the ticket prices, seating is not very comfortable.  The acoustics are good enough, more or less.  It depends on which room you're in.  I no longer go to anything at the Arsht, unless I have to, because what I want to attend is only there.  It happens.  But I skip otherwise enticing events, because I don't want to go to the Arsht.  One factor is that it's too expensive.

If you can be bothered with the drive, anything at SMDCAC is well worth the trip.  There's a wide range of offerings there.  If you like flamenco, MDCA should not be missed.  The Sandrell Rivers Theater is funky, and the offerings are interesting.  The County underwrites all of these venues.  They keep ticket prices very low at all of them.  It's a funny thing that the County would preserve this function: advancing arts in Dade County.  But they do, and they do an excellent job of it.