Happy Holidays!

The crew who brings you GetOutChicago! wanted to share our favorite ways to “Get Out” in Chicago this holiday season. We’d love to hear from you! Comment on our blog with your favorite Chicago holiday traditions!

Niki Morrison: After years of mourning the loss of Marshall Field’s, my family and I will “Get Out” by visiting Macy’s windows and then warm up with lunch beneath the gigantic Christmas tree in the Walnut Room. Who could deny their 2-year-old daughter such memories?

Eileen Chambers: It’s beautiful at any time of year, but I “Get Out” to the Chicago Botanic Garden around the holidays as it always helps me feel connected to winter as a beautiful season. There are plenty of twinkling lights and bright red poinsettias to feel festive, but their stunning, frosted, outdoor landscapes make me feel refreshed and restored amidst the bustle of holiday time. I love that!

Nick Harkin: I’ll “Get Out” some traditional holiday carols this year as I perform at the “Christmas at DePaul Concert” with a 250-member chorus and a 50-piece orchestra. Although the event is free, donations are being accepted to support the operation of the St. Vincent de Paul Parish Food Pantry.

Ann Fink: Driving north on Lakeshore Dr. past Oak St. to catch sight of the Xmas lights is one of my favorite ways to “Get Out” in Chicago. The perfect cap to the season? Listening to the New Year’s Eve “Politics Takes a Holiday” broadcast by The Capitol Steps on WBEZ. It helps put the old year in perspective and starts you off in the new with a smile on your face.

Madeline Long: Enjoying a delicious Parisian dinner (with a side of mussels and mousse au chocolat dessert) at Bistro Margot in Old Town, followed a hilarious performance of “A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant” at A Red Orchid Theatre just down the street are my favorite ways to “Get Out” in Chicago during the holidays.

Amber Rae Bernhardt: To get in the holiday spirit, I love to “Get Out” to the ice rink in Millennium Park with my fella. The lights, the music, the snow and the crisp winter air always say “holiday season,” to me. I think Chicago is beautiful and peaceful in the winter. Unless I’m waiting for a bus. Then it’s just cold.

Catherine Alvriva: My fav way to “Get Out” in Chicago during the Holidays? Climbing 141 steps of the Gross Pointe Lighthouse with the Object of My Affection, and peering out at the winter waters of Lake Michigan just before twilight.

Linsey Bailys: I “Get Out” to celebrate the holidays in Chicago by shopping in Lakeview and Lincoln Park (especially at Art Effect), drinking lots of hot chocolate, baking cookies with friends, and watching lots of holiday movies (It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story are personal favs).

Sarah Nelson: During the holiday season, I love to get a Grande Apple Cider from Starbucks. Then “Get Out” with cider in hand to stroll down State St. and enjoy all the holiday lights and decorations and peruse the fabulous window displays at Macy’s.

Matt Miller: My favorite holiday “Get Out” activity is going shopping the day after Christmas, when there are such fantastic prices on clothes and accessories. Favorite places to hit up are at Oak Brook Mall: Nordstrom’s, Lord & Taylor, Ruehl 925 (sadly, closing in January), Urban Outfitters, American Apparel and the Apple Store. After the mayhem, I enjoy lunching at Antico Posto.

Amanda Meyer: My favorite way to “Get Out” during the holidays is visiting the Chriskindlmarket and fun family traditions like Snowflake Night and caroling.

Joe Hallissey: I love to “Get Out” for holiday shopping by strolling from store-to-store at the beautiful Oakbrook Center Mall. The best part of the day is taking a break and warming up at the roasted nuts stand in the concourse with a paper bag of hot cinnamon-covered almonds!

Jenny Topolosky: I love to “Get Out” to leisurely window shop down the beautifully lit Michigan Avenue just as its getting dark, and warm up at the top of the mag mile with a sinfully sweet cup of Ghirardelli’s mint hot chocolate.

Robin Clement: My favorite way to “Get Out” during the holidays in Chicago is to grab the girls (friends since Brownies) for a Downtown holiday retreat—complete with a stay at Hotel InterContinental, a dip in the mosaic tiled pool and shopping down the Mag Mile. Two spots never missed are Ralph Lauren’s lavish space and a mondo cupcake at Hersey’s Chocolate Shoppe.

Carol Fox: I like to “Get Out” for the holidays by staying in and having a dinner party with close friends. This year we are planning on Mastering the Art of French Cooking a la Julia Child complete with Champagne, Boeuf Bourguignon, Frisee Salad and Chocolate Mousse. Bon Appetit!

Wishing you a warm and safe holiday season and a happy new year!

~Carol Fox & Associates

Centre East presents the Grammy Award-winning group, The Klezmatics, in “Woody Guthrie’s Happy Joyous Hanukkah!”   the last day of the Jewish holiday Saturday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. The show intermingles Klezmer music with American folk and bluegrass and is perfect for all ages.

Klezmatics are globally renowned world music superstars and the only klezmer band to win a Grammy Award and you’ve probably seen and/or heard them on HBO’s “Sex and the City,” NPR’s “Prairie Home Companion” and a whole lot of other places. They include:

• Frank London who Paul Wieder/JUF Interactive hails as “Arguably the most important Jewish horn player since Joshua picked up a shofar;”
• Matt Darriau (clarinets, sax, kaval) who has recorded and performed with David Byrne, Marc Ribot, Roberto Rodriguez, Ben Folds Five and many others in the New York scene;
• Lisa Gutkin’s (fiddler/composer) who has appeared with The Roches, Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega to name a few;
• Paul Morrissett (bass, tsimbl) is a collector and player of Eastern European and Scandinavian folk instruments and records and performs on an impressive array of ethnic strings, winds and reeds;
• Lorin Sklamberg (lead vocals, accordion, guitar, piano) a founding member of The Klezmatics, has been heard on numerous recordings and live shows, solo and in collaboration with such artists as Itzhak Perlman, Paradox Trio, Hip Hop Hoodios Emmylou Harris, Tracy Grammer and Neil Sedaka;
• and Richie Barshay (drums), who has been a member of the Herbie Hancock Quartet since 2003 and was recently singled out as “a player to watch” by JazzTimes magazine.

So how did Woody Guthrie get inspired to write for Hanukkah?  In 1942, Woody Guthrie, through his mother-in-law, Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt, became involved with the Coney Island Jewish community and decided to write some songs about Hanukkah, Jewish history and spiritual life. After his death in 1967, the songs sat forgotten in archives for decades. But in 1998 the songs were discovered by Woody’s daughter, Nora Guthrie, and she asked the Klezmatics exclusively to write new music for the lyrics. The result, “Woody Guthrie’s Happy Joyous Hanukkah!,”

Tickets are $48.  Free parking available. For more info, call 847-673-6300 or visit northshorecenter.org.

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North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL 60077 Map | More Info…

The Civic Ballet's The Nutcracker

What better way to celebrate the holiday season with family and friends than with a festive performance of the treasured ballet classic, The Nutcracker!  Every little girl in your life will delight to see swirling snowflakes, waltzing flowers, giant mice and sugar plum fairies in these enchanting productions.  Getoutchicago has found Nutcrackers in every corner of the Chicago area at some great prices – “Get Out” and enjoy this perfect holiday treat! Read the rest of this entry »

Sesame Street Live returns to the Rosemont Theatre with Elmo’s Green Thumb!  Discounted tickets available for group of 10 or more.  May 6-9, 2010, $10-35.  Call GroupTix today for reservations and information: 877-447-7849 www.grouptix.net

New Philharmonic kicks-off 2010 with “Viennese Pops with an American Twist,” by Music Director and Conductor Kirk Muspratt and featuring melodies from Geoffrey Gallante, an eight-year-old trumpet prodigy and Amanda Majeski, an opera sensation, for two performances at 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, located at 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Check out a video clip of eight-year-old Trumpet Prodigy, Geoffrey Gallante!

The annual New Year’s Eve performances at McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is featured in the Chicago Tribune as a “not-to-be-missed” event!

“Viennese Pops with an American Twist” displays an array of Strauss waltzes, love ballads and Broadway show tunes.  The 4 p.m. performance includes a celebratory glass of champagne. The 9 p.m. performance will conclude with a News Years countdown over another celebratory glass of champagne.

Prodigy trumpet player Geoffrey Gallante, an accomplished eight-year-old, has performed at the White House and several talk shows, including the “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, NBC’s “Today Show,” CBS’ “Early Show” and BBC Radio.  The trumpet sensation first started playing at age three and has already played beside U.S. Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, U.S. Naval Academy Concert Band, Ridgewood Concert Band, Washington Symphonic Brass and Maynard Ferguson.

Soprano vocalist Amanda Majeski is garnering critical acclaim for her “beautiful voice, affecting musicality” (Washington Post) “refined power, effortless dynamic control and warm tonal color” (San Francisco Chronicle).  Originally from Gurnee, Ill., Majeski made her professional operatic debut as Lisa/La Sonnambula with Michigan Opera Theatre. Majeski joined the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center in the spring of 2009.

Tickets to Viennese Pops with an American Twist at 4 p.m. range from $50 for adults, $48 for seniors and $40 for youth. For the 9 p.m. performance, tickets range from $65 for adults, $63 for seniors and $55 for youth.

For tickets, call (630) 942-4000 or visit www.atthemac.org.

Centre East, at the North Shore Center for Performing Arts in Skokie, is giving budget conscious holiday shoppers a special treat with its first ever Black Friday Sale. Beginning 10 a.m. on the busiest shopping day of the year, Fri., Nov. 27, anyone who uses code FRIDAY when purchasing single tickets will receive a 20% discount off regular ticket price for the 17 events remaining in the 2009-2010 season. Read the rest of this entry »

Adrian Dunn and Hoperaworld present “Hopera: A Fallen Hero,” a not-to-be-missed hip hop opera, Nov. 12-15, at the DuSable Museum of African American History, located at 740 E. 56th Pl.

Composer Adrian Dunn strives to make opera more relevant for contemporary, broader audiences with this full-length hip hop opera production. “A Fallen Hero” integrates the eclectic arrangement of classical operatic vocalists, hip hop (spoken word and rap), orchestral instruments, dancers, a DJ and live music featuring both orchestral and band instrumentation.

A twist on the Shakespearean tragedy Othello, the universal story follows the life of fictional Obadiah King, a young African American and his internal quest to find himself as he is confronted with family struggles, loss, senseless acts of violence and racial issues.

“A Fallen Hero” runs Nov. 12 – 15. The performance schedule is Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov .15 at 4 p.m. Ticket prices range from $20 (groups, seniors and students) to $25 (general admission). To purchase tickets, call the DuSable Museum of African American History Box Office at (773) 947-0600 x236 or visitwww.dusablemuseum.org.

For more information, visit www.hoperaworld.com.