Great Lakes & Upper South in the News: "A 'Christmas Story' Musical? Sing Out, Ralphie!" from NPR

Background: The movie is based on the the screenwriter's childhood in Hammond, IN.  The movie was filmed in a Cleveland neighborhood (the home is available to tour).  The play was in Detroit until 27 November and will be in Chicago from 14-30 December.  


"Every year at this time, families in search of child-friendly holiday entertainment buy their tickets for productions of A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker. It's a lucrative market, and commercial producers are always looking for the next big Broadway-style holiday show that might join that small group of classic favorites. (The Grinch musical, anyone?)


This year, A Christmas Story: The Musical! will take its shot. A stage version of the iconic 1983 movie is on a five-city tour, with dreams of playing Broadway next year." 


Link:
http://www.npr.org/2011/11/25/142673831/a-christmas-story-musical-sing-out-ralphie

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_101579883236151&ap=1

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Picasa Web photo site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/rmaihoferii

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Google Earth/Panoramio photo site:

http://www.panoramio.com/user/5023543

Great Lakes & Upper South Events: Thanksgiving Day Parades

Looking for some fun on Thanksgiving Day?  Try some of these holiday classics:


Detroit-America's Thanksgiving Parade: 
Web Site: http://www.theparade.org
Kickoff: Thursday, 9:05 am ET


Chicago-McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade: 
Web Site: http://www.chicagofestivals.org/
Kickoff: Thursday, 8:05 am CT


Saint Louis-Ameren Missouri Thanksgiving Day Parade
Web Site: http://www.christmasinstlouis.org/parade
Kickoff: Thursday, 8:45 am CT


Not on Thursday, but still fun.....
Pittsburgh-My Macy's Holiday Parade
Web Site: http://www.wpxi.com/pittsburghparade/index.html
Kickoff: Saturday, 9:05 am ET

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_101579883236151&ap=1

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Picasa Web photo site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/rmaihoferii

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Google Earth/Panoramio photo site:

http://www.panoramio.com/user/5023543

Great Lakes & Upper South in the News: "$150M grant announced for high-speed rail between Detroit, Chicago" from the Battle Creek Enquirer

GREAT NEWS for all CTers!  


"The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced a $150 million award for high-speed rail improvements to Amtrak's line between Detroit and Chicago."


Link:
http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20111122/NEWS01/301010020

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_101579883236151&ap=1

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Picasa Web photo site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/rmaihoferii

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Google Earth/Panoramio photo site:

http://www.panoramio.com/user/5023543

Great Lakes & Upper South Events: Reeling: The Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival , Chicago, IL

"Reeling: The Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary as the second-oldest LGBT film festival in the world, showcasing innovative gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender films from around the world. This year, films are featured at six different Chicago area theatres. The festival runs Thursday, November 3 through Saturday, November 12, 2011 and will include 65 screenings."


Link:
http://reelingfilmfestival.org/

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_101579883236151&ap=1

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Picasa Web photo site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/rmaihoferii

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Google Earth/Panoramio photo site:

http://www.panoramio.com/user/5023543

Great Lakes & Upper South in the News: "Evoking the World of War" from the WSJ

"The Pritzker Military Library is not just another repository of war stories, battered flags and medals, interesting only to veterans and Civil War re-enactors. Among the striking materials on display is the handwritten diary of a New Hampshire militiaman, written during the American Revolution, and the Medal of Honor earned by Hershel "Woody" Williams for his service on Iwo Jima during World War II."


Link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203716204577013833544020206.html?KEYWORDS=Pritzker+Military+Library

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_101579883236151&ap=1

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Picasa Web photo site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/rmaihoferii

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Google Earth/Panoramio photo site:

http://www.panoramio.com/user/5023543

Great Lakes & Upper South in the News: "The Chicago Show" from Re:sound (Third Coast International Audio Festival)

"Chicago, as all Chicagoans know, means wild onion. Wild, as in feral, unpredictable, fierce, blustery, lunatic. Onion, as in layered, spicy, sometimes stinky, sometimes sweet, and always tear-inducing. At its best, it’s beautiful, humming with life. At its worst, it’s freezing, boiling, congested..."


Link:
http://www.thirdcoastfestival.org/library/781-re-sound-130-the-chicago-show

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_101579883236151&ap=1

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Picasa Web photo site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/rmaihoferii

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http://www.panoramio.com/user/5023543

Destination of the Day: Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, Chicago, IL

Destination 1 in the series "Pledge Drive"


Hosted by Peter Sagal with long-time NPR broadcaster Carl Kasell, Wait Wait quickly has become a major hit for NPR.  For the uninitiated, Wait Wait is a news quiz show, but with a lot of humor.  The rotating guest panelists include Paula Poundstone, Kyrie O'Connor, P.J. O'Rourke, and Adam Felber.  


Address:
Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/
Chase Auditorium (lower level of Chase Tower)
10 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60603
Tickets: $24.75 in advance, $25.00 at door
Audience shows are normally on Thursday for Saturday broadcast.  Shows tend to sell-out early.  

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_101579883236151&ap=1

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Picasa Web photo site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/rmaihoferii

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Google Earth/Panoramio photo site:

http://www.panoramio.com/user/5023543

Special June Spotlight: "Gaga, AGAIN?": For the Weekend 24-26 June

Special June Spotlight: "Gaga, AGAIN?"
For the Weekend 24-26 June


-Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, Twin Cities Pride 2011
http://www.tcpride.org/


-St. Louis, MO, Pridefest 2011
http://www.pridestl.org/


-Cleveland/Akron, OH, Pride 2011
http://www.clevelandpride.org/


-Lexington, KY, Lexington Pride Festival 2011
http://www.lexpridefest.org/


-Chicago, IL, Chicago Gay Pride 2011
http://www.chicagopridecalendar.org/
The first documented Chicago Pride parade was on 28 June 1970 and had all of about 150-200 watching.  Contrast that with the current 2.4 mile parade, lasting nearly 4 hours, with nearly 450,000 people of all walks of life enjoying one of the biggest, wildest, and most interesting parades in Chicago.  Last year's parade included the Stanley Cup (sponsored by the local GLBT hockey club and the Chicago Blackhawks) and the Chicago Cubs (long overdue!).  For those enjoying an extended weekend make plans to visit The Chicago History Museum's "Out in Chicago" special exhibit (http://www.chicagohs.org/), the Friday and Saturday Pride Fest (http://www.chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=142), the Grant Park Music Festival (http://grantparkmusicfestival.com), and (with a little luck) one of the hundreds of private parties held in the condos/apartments overlooking Halsted Street.  The festivities continue the following weekend with Chicago Windy City Black Pride (http://www.chiblackpride.com)


Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau:
http://www.choosechicago.com/


Gay Cities-Chicago:
http://chicago.gaycities.com/

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_101579883236151&ap=1

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Picasa Web photo site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/rmaihoferii

Great Lakes Casual Traveler Google Earth/Panoramio photo site:

http://www.panoramio.com/user/5023543