<p>Thank you very much. Alu…my D’s studio is called CAP21. It is the only musical theater studio at Tisch. That may be where your D’s classmate is also placed if he is a singer. However, some musical theater kids who do not get into CAP21 and are offered an acting studio, are willing to take that, so I can’t say what he did. If he is in CAP, they are sure to get to know one another as there are 60 kids. </p>
<p>Back to the adventures of TheDad…sorry for this intermission!
Susan</p>
<p>Susan-thanks for the wonderful update. </p>
<p>TheDad-thanks for the Spamalot info. If there is such a thing as a Monty Python geek-my son is one. Looks like I am convincing husband that sister’s 50th in PA is better choice than me attending a pharmacy CE in Maui while they play.</p>
<p>MomOfThree, I forgot to respond to you before but it’s been nagging at what passes for my memory: I sympathize with your envy. if I lived in the boonies, my response would be to quietly ask, “What do I have to do get out of here?” There are some boonies I don’t mind visiting for a few days to maybe a couple of weeks, but then I begin to itch, everything from a lack of access to top newspapers to all the “culture vulture” things…even if I have periods of not using them, I like to know they’re there for me. Theater, sports, ballet, premium film theaters, good concerts (classical and otherwise), etc. Otherwise it’s too close to “16 tons and what to you get?”</p>
<p>On another matter, I find that, though I’m not at all a beach person, I like having oceans or large lakes nearby. LA, NYC, Boston, Chicago are all fine…St. Louis makes me squirm a little and Austin fails in that regard.</p>
<p>When I travel, I’m always doing a thought experiment of “could I live here.” I still remember, when I was much younger, doing a cross-country trip on one of the Interstates and was chatting up a waitress in a small town. She proudly said that they had both kinds of music on the radio stations there. Both kinds? “Country <em>and</em> Western.” Check please!!!</p>
<p>Culture vultures seem to thrive in St Louis if they sidle up next to the university and the surrounding semi-urban area; ie NOT the Frontenac Hilton. 
I thought TheDad might get itchy out there…</p>
<p>Cheers, Frontenac was a convenient base of operations between several different destinations. That said, TheMom said that hardly any of the Kirkwood main drag looked similar to her memories from when she was a kid…moved to Kirkwood from South St. Louis when her father re-married.</p>
<p>Not sure where I’d live in St. Louis if that proposition were forced upon me. I <em>am</em> sorry we didn’t get to Ragusi’s on the Hill…had to settle for Imo’s take-out while visiting TheMom’s stepmother.</p>
<p>TheDad
I know what you mean about wanting oceans nearby. Only lived in midwest for school, and felt claustrophobic. Two radio stations? You sound like you love LA, and I wonder why (not an easy city to adjust to)
We stayed in Parker Omni hotel when in boston, and S loved the brass elevators, red leather, the concierge, walking distance to Faneuil hall, etc. I do miss Marite, and hope she posts next year letting us know how sons are doing. Always glad to hear about Susan’s star girls.</p>
<p>Bookworm, one secret is that you don’t get used to LA, you get used to a <em>part</em> of LA and then slowly expand from there. It’s too overwhelming otherwise. It’s a city with a population larger than that of many states and you can’t parse it otherwise.</p>
<p>It’s cosmically funny that I grew up on horror stories about LA and have now lived here for 30 years. TheMom came out just for grad school and yesterday got notified about her award for working at UCLA for 25 years.</p>
<p>There are parts of the metro area that I would <em>not</em> live in, for one reason or another. It’s a question of finding what you like and then what compromises you have to make to make it work…as with many things. We rented for two decades because we weren’t willing to make the compromises to live where we could afford to buy. Meanwhile, we had clean air, cool temperatures, short commutes, access to very good schools for TheD, and were set smack dab at the best place for <em>us</em> with respect to various cultural (and culinary!) offerings. Though I might have to make a drive now and then to Monterey Park for top-notch good Chinese food.</p>
<p>Bookworm, I also hope Marite returns to active participation on the board. I have cast the I Ching (mentally) and it says “Patience.”</p>