- Southwest Florida Symphony
- High Kicks and Ho-Ho-Hos
- Let It Glow, Let It Glow, Let It Glow
- The ‘Write’ Stuff
- Frankly, My Dear…
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| Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra photo: Bill Sumner |
Celebrating its 49th season of presenting a level of music quality usually reserved for large metropolitan orchestras, the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra opens the classical segment of its season on Nov. 21 with “Made in America,” celebrating the melting pot that is America.
Included in this passionate program are Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (New World Symphony), as well as Frank Ticheli’s Shooting Stars and Barber’s Violin Concerto, featuring special guest violinist Timothy Fain. Fain was a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and was featured in The Strad Magazine in 2007. He was also selected as one of Symphony Magazine’s featured ‘Up-and-Coming’ young musicians of 2006. The concert will be held at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers. AAA members can show their AAA membership card and receive a 5 percent discount on tickets for this concert purchased at the box office.
For more information, call (239) 418-0996 or visit www.swflso.org.
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| photo: Aaron Crisler |
The world-famous Radio City Rockettes will return this November to their home away from home, The Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, for their eighth season performing in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The show runs Nov. 20 through Dec. 27 and is part of Gaylord Opryland Resort’s “A Country Christmas,” an event that includes over 2 million lights and more than a dozen shows and attractions throughout the resort.
For more than 75 years, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular has captivated audiences around the country. Now a Nashville tradition, the production—straight from New York—will again feature the world’s finest precision dance troupe displaying some of their most challenging kicks and dance moves, as well as memorable family entertainment. The production is a full-scale spectacle complete with dazzling scenery and costumes, dancing teddy bears, and a cast and crew of nearly 100. Santa Claus makes an on-stage appearance with the Rockettes, and the show includes favorite scenes such as Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, Santa’s Magical Workshop and the awe-inspiring Living Nativity.
AAA members receive a 10 percent discount on tickets for Monday through Thursday shows by showing their membership card at time of purchase.
For more information, call 1-888-999-OPRY (6779) or visit www.ChristmasatGaylordOpryland.com.
Let It Glow, Let It Glow, Let It Glow
This holiday season marks the 18th Annual Fantasy In Lights at Callaway Gardens—an outdoor light show in Georgia featuring 8 million lights stretching miles and miles, creating more than a dozen larger-than-life holiday scenes. This year’s event runs Nov. 20 through Dec. 30 and includes dazzling scenes, as well as the opportunity to visit Santa Claus and roaming Fantasy In Lights characters.
Visitors can choose to ride through the lighted scenes on the “Jolly Trolley,” or they can drive through the scenes in their own vehicles. The Christmas Village, an indoor shopping and dining venue, offers the opportunity to shop for specialty food items, unique gifts and nostalgic toys from simpler times, and an assortment of holiday ornaments. An array of Georgia crafters will be on hand creating and selling their wares.
Callaway Gardens recently became the first resort in the Southeast to offset 100 percent of its electricity use by purchasing wind power credits, so every kilowatt of power used to light up Fantasy In Lights is compensated with “green” power.
Fantasy In Lights is a separate ticketed event, but discounted admission tickets can be upgraded at Callaway Gardens.
For more information, call 1-800-225-5292 or visit www.callawaygardens.com.
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| Apollo 17 Commander Gene Cernan will be on hand to sign autographs. photo: NASA |
More than 30 legendary astronauts and space icons will be available to greet guests, sign memorabilia and pose for photos at the Astronaut Autograph and Memorabilia Show being held Nov. 7-8 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Here’s your chance to meet the second person to walk on the moon (Buzz Aldrin), the last person to walk on the moon (Gene Cernan), and many other luminaries who’ve contributed to space exploration.
Never before have this many astronauts gathered in one place for an autograph show. The weekend offers special astronaut-hosted lunches and dinners, astronaut lectures, space-simulator rides with astronauts, photo opportunities, autograph sessions and much more.
Guests may bring their own items to be signed or purchase items at the show. In addition to meeting space heroes and getting autographs, visitors will have access to exhibitors selling space-related merchandise and memorabilia.
Admission to this event requires a separate ticket that is not sold through AAA.
For more information, call (321) 455-7014 or visit www.AstronautScholarship.org.
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| Gone With the Wind Museum, Marietta, GA photo: Marietta GWTW |
You don’t have to know nothin’ ’bout birthin’ babies to have a good time Nov. 13-14 in Marietta, GA. Carreen O’Hara, Bonnie Blue Butler, Beau Wilkes and Maybelle Merriweather will be returning to Scarlett O’Hara country when the Gone With the Wind Museum hosts “70 Years of Gone With the Wind: A Re-Premiere.” This two-day gala will include autograph sessions with the stars, author book signings and a lavish “Belles and Beaus” costume ball, as well as a big-screen showing of the 1939 classic movie featuring pre-show activities hosted by Robert Osborne, film historian and host of Turner Classic Movies.
There will also be question and answer sessions with noted authors discussing their Gone With the Wind-related books, VIP and cocktail receptions, dinner and dancing, and a Parade of Stars. Guided tours of the museum also will be available.
The museum was established in 2003—in a circa 1875 building that was formerly a cotton warehouse—and includes costumes and jewelry, signed first editions and contracts, movie props and scripts, scene drawings, posters, photographs and nearly 100 dolls.
For more information, call (770) 794-5145 or visit www.gwtwmarietta.com.