Which Tango??
 

Hi Yall...got my lodgings booked so now ready for fun and culture..Hope I can glean some help on a Tango show. The following were recommended by our hotel in BA:
RoJo Tango
El Querandi
Esquina Carlos Gardel
El Viejo Almacen

and the Buenos Aires wife of a guide recommended -Esquenhomeromanzi

Your thoughts, critiques, and any recommendations of your favorites and why would be very much appreciated. This would be end of January.

Happy Almost New Year!
MoneyB

Hi, moneyburns!

Happy Holidays!

This is not my area of expertise, as I am local and that implies I don't go to tango shows.

However, I'll answer in full later (gotta run now), but my reply will be along the lines of "don't give people fish, teach them how to fish".

BTW, you mean "Esquina Homero Manzi", not whatever you wrote up there. LOL!!!!

Have a great time in our country.

Hi AV, Yes I was afraid I messed it up, but it was a handwritten note and I copied it quickly as I needed to get the family up and moving!

I looked at the website but quite frankly did not get much info out of it; that is why I was asking former travelers and/or locals!

I Understand the "fish" analogy, but also fishing forums is quite fun and much more lucrative re: real time information, imo. I enjoy the interaction of people responding with their many ideas; reading websites of tango companies is just PR for their own productions, if you know what I mean. They certainly are not going to tell to to go to another one that is better than theirs!

But thanks for your input and a Happy New Year to you,
MB

What I hope to do (later) is explain how to fish the forums for the info you are asking for.

moneyburns: You already know that these Tango shows are very Tourist oriented - though we enjoy them. I do have a couple of suggestions:

LA VENTANA is our favorite after having seen quite a few shows.

CARLOS GARDEL is the Classic, very set up for the tourist, but a good show, including a video with the history etc.

You could search on TA about Esquina HOMERO MANZI- it has some good reviews if memory serves....we will likely go to see this show in 2011.

ROJO TANGO is probably the priciest, but considered excellent (this is hearsay on my part).

EL QUERANDI is OK, it is a history-based show with good dancing, but such a small stage (and watch out, they will try to do a bit of a scam on the drinks etc.)

A V O I D: El Viejo Almacen

If you want a short, pleasant Tango show, the Cafe Tortoni (upstairs) will fill the bill - and then you get to see that lovely cafe, too.

Have fun, and please let us know how you fare.

~MarnieWDC

GREAT advice from Marnie, moneyburns!

It is WEIRD that Marnie has not yet been named Destination Expert on the Trip Advisor Argentina forum!

If Fodor's had that kind of thing, Marnie would be my first choice!

Later, I'll explain how to fish for more opinions about tango shows. LOL!!!

I agree with Marnie on Cafe Tortoni --they have a very nice show for a very reasonable amount. On our first visit to BA we went to Esquina HOMERO MANZI and at that time it was very untouristy -- we were the only Notre Americanos in the place and it was a lot of fun. The owners kept coming over to us and embracing us and thanking us for coming. This was maybe 5-6 years ago, so don't know what it is like now. Have fun and pls do let us know what u c.

Oh wow, I go out for a while to do some "warm weather" shopping in snow and come back to all these great suggestions.

I thank all of you..as much as I want to see a Tango I do NOT want to use up the entire evening considering our SHORT stay.

Cafe Tortoni sounds wonderful; and I wanted to see the cafe.

Apparently the lovely lady who recommended HOMERO MANZI lives very nearby and goes with all her guests, so she recommended it. I hate being a "tourist" but w"ant to enjoy what is available without being taken for one :) I am pretty obvious an American-blonde, blue eyed and say hi to anyone who will listen - but I do take care with what I am wearing. Can take me out of the south....so the saying goes, but the south is always within.

I will Go fishing AV! and thank you.. I guess I took it the way a person on the Africa forum once told me --he would not tell me the answer but would teach me to fish!

I did search on the above and very little came up. I do wish Fodors had an easier search engine. I do not have much luck with it..I searched "tango", BA tango , best tango on and on but nothing currrent popped up. Maybe it was my poor typing!

Anyway, thank youall so much. I would love to see an outdoor on the street or park type tango (saw one in Paris and is was wonderful, so I can only imagine what BA has to offer)
I have a short attention span, but Mr. MoneyB wants to see a tango show. We'll see....

Have a great day everyone!

Moneyburns: I know this forum´s search feature is poor.

Go to http://tinyurl.com/nw9f4 and use their search feature.

Also go to http://tinyurl.com/25dn327 and look at the reviews.

This way, you´ll have many opinions and you can make up your mind on which one suits you. After all, it's a matter of taste.

I repeat it's certainly NOT my area of expertise, but, for YOU, I would maybe lean towards Rojo Tango, at the Faena Hotel. http://www.rojotango.com/

And yes, moneyburns, in most cases, a tango show will take up the whole evening.

One thing: Be EXTREMELY wary of cabs waiting in line outside touristy spots, such as tango shows. Have a cab CALLED, or, at least, be sure the driver sees you write down his license plate and the info about the driver which should be hanging from the front seat. If said info is NOT there, get off the cab!

Have a great time in our country.

Hi AV thanks so for the search help. I agree whenever I have searched TA I usually find something though the dates are not really current; I tend to favor Fodors as it seems more locals here but now that I think about most of youall are over there too. Duh..

Anyway, I am not that interested in dining at a Tango show..seems to me it is just more fun to watch a dance than to eat and be stuffed and watch a dance :)

Now a glass of wine watching a tango could be fun; I guess that is what I really want and so I will be using the searches and the info given to find out if that is possible.

I have heard about the taxis so I will be sure to have Mr. Moneyburns calling and taking care of our safety. Hey, he needs to do something with this trip other than stroking a check!

Again, appreciate all the great tips and help from you and everyone on the forum.

MB

If that's all you want, maybe the Café Tortoni is the right place.

Moneyburns: About your "most of youall are over there too" (on TA): I was banned and proud of it, so you most certainly will NOT find me there.

Actually Marnie was nominated for Destination Expert on TripAdvisors Buenos Aires forums.
There seems to be a hold on new DE's for a while. She is invaluable on those forums.

While you are here , you will be riding in taxis , you can just ask a taxi driver for his card, if you like .. (Radio Taxi) and call when you need him ..

The show at the Faena is very Las Vegas in a lot of ways, big , flashy, expensive, you will probably totally enjoy the Cafe Tortoni show.
On Sundays, in San Telmo, at the street Feria, you will see Tango dancers, right there in the street.
Often, in the park in front of the Recoleta Cemetery/CulturalCenter , on Sundays also, there will be Tango dancers. There is always an older gentleman who will sing and play his guitar and one who sings "Gardel" style Tango.

Imagine, taking the dog for a walk and having that as part of the walk :- )

You will be surprised to see how many blonde blue-eyed Porteños there are here, you will blend in fine.

You were banned AV?
MY MY....now I will have to "search" for the reason, LOL!

I found Crellstons (sp?) blog on BA and I noticed he met up with a certain Alberto!

I am giving all the Tango info to Mr. MoneyB and let him choose. I'd rather explore.
Ok...Maybe I've seen too many " Dancing with the Stars" tangos and am sure I don't know what I am missing. We'll see; it is up to him.

Such a short time; I need to get stuck in BA for another few days! That is what I will be working on!

As far as dinner goes, we have never had dinner at any of the tango shows we went to. We just went for the show itself and usually had a glass of wine while enjoying the show.

Well thank you all for those kind words: I do have a TA cap and Fodor's has sent me complimentary books with a few of my suggestions in them...quite an honor.

moneyburns, the meals at the Tango shows are not up to par of the restaurants, parillas or cafes in BsAs. It is nice to have a picata (small board of munchies) with drinks instead. We have a good lunch on Tango day and skip dinner :-)

There are often Tango dancers in the street in La Boca, in San TElmo on Sundays and even in the park in front of the Recoleta Cemetary on weekends.

~Marnie

Marnie, just back from a friend's birthday party and what do I do...check in on Fodors.. I do believe I am addicted....but so fun to talk with others who go places, see things and feel there is a world out there to experience!

I love the idea of the La Boca, and San Telmo dancers and that is what I'd like to see -thank you!

Mr.MoneyB is turning my computer off.....HELP, I am losing connection to my friends...."help - he is disconnecting me...oh no,Mr. Bill..." (any ole timers remember SNL Mr. Bill?) LOL
Ok.... he promised I could return tomorrow..yay.

(Little does he know how much he has saved by all my questions. I owe yall a case of Malbec. :)

G'night

I have been to a lot. My opinion is that the best tango shows are held at the Cultural Centre - Centro Cultural de Borges. They have a variety of shows that are playing at any time, you can get the best seats for 100 pesos, and the orchestras and dancers are very good - however without the flash and pomp of the dinner shows. Shows start at 8:00, last about 80 minutes. About half the crowd is usually Argentine.

gshah18 makes a good suggestion - the Centro Cultural shows, albeit usually without live mucic - are often very good and worth the time and cost.

So many choices, so few evenings in BsAs....

~M

gshah18, that is a great idea; would love it, but I now realize we are not in BsAs long enough (48 hrs approx)-- so my plan is to make my husband REALLY want to return!

Thanks everyone on the forum; youall are very enjoyable and informative!

MB