Gish Picks: Week of January 6, 2010


Welcome to this week's "Gish Picks", where I highlight family-oriented cultural events, products or services. Please note that I "highlight" these events, but I don't know if they are appropriate for your particular children, so choose wisely based on age, maturity and interests. I know many of you go to events based on GISH PICKS recommendations; PLEASE remember to tell the organization that you are there because of us. Word-of-mouth like yours helps our business to grow. In the same spirit, please also feel free to share GISH PICKS with friends and families. Do you have something you would like to promote on Gish Picks? Advertisers can promote family-friendly events, products or services to Houstonians all over the city and the surrounding area who are active parents, involved citizens and great shoppers. We love doing this community service and want to keep it free for our readers but in order to justify the hours spent researching, writing and designing this newsletter, we need advertising support. If you'd like to learn more, please click below. TWEETIN' FOR CULTURE! Hey tweet peeps! Follow me on Twitter you'll get lots of PICKS of fun times in Houston – news you can use. I look forward to being stalked by you! Now, GO FIND FUN!

"You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" presented by Baytown Little Theater

CATCH CHARLIE BROWN AND FRIENDS WHILE YOU CAN.

Baytown Little Theater is wrapping up its run of “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown” this weekend with shows on Friday, January 8 and Saturday, January 9 at 8pm and a matinee at 2:30pm on Sunday, January 10. The classic “Peanuts” tale focuses on an average day in the life of Charlie Brown, in which he hangs out with his dog Snoopy who thinks he is the German ace known as The Red Baron; Linus who forever needs his security blanket; Linus' sister Lucy, a battle ax in the making; and the pianist Schroeder who loves Beethoven. Derived from Charles M. Schulz's beloved comic strip, this musical became one of Off Broadway's biggest successes.

The Baytown Little Theater prides itself on having neither a traditional proscenium stage nor a full theater in the round – instead their stage “happily combines the advantages of both theater designs by thrusting the action out into the audience while also maintaining a traditional backdrop and curtain. There is truly not a bad seat in the house...You are close to the action at all times.”

Tickets for the show are $15/each.

JCC’S “DANCE MONTH” KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND.

“Dance Month” is back for the 30th year at the Jewish Community Center of Houston’s Kaplan Theatre. The event is organized by the JCC and celebrates dance in a variety of ways – by showcasing Houston’s talent as well as national dancers, teachers and choreographers. The month (which is really 2 months, since it’s onstage through February 20) of dancin’ fun kicks off this Thursday, January 7 at 7pm with “Celebrate Dance,” an event that honors Houston’s premier presenters and supporters of dance: June Christensen, Society for the Performing Arts; Andrea Cody, Dance Houston; Christina Giannelli, Dance Source Houston; Nancy Henderek, Dance Salad; Sixto Wagan, DiverseWorks; Jennifer Wood and Louie Saletan, Barnevelder Movement/Arts Complex; and Brad Marks, who will be honored for underwriting the I W Marks Master Class Series, which allows hundreds of students to take classes from dance masters.

On Sunday, January 17 at 3pm, there is a family dance performance: Houston Ballet II's "Around the World in Seven Dances" teaches the history, culture, and music of the seven continents through ballet. This multi-media program incorporates traditional world music and instruments in its journey of the seven continents. Following the performance, families can party to the beat of Middle Eastern music and meet the dancers at a post-performance party complete with sumptuous delicacies of Israel.

THIS WEEK'S ATTRACTION...ALABAMA-COUSHATTA INDIAN RESERVATION CAMPGROUNDS. For more attractions, go to www.gishcreative.com/attractions.htm.

This weekend I am suggesting something a little different: visit the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation. Unfortunately, their tours and gift shop are no longer in operation, but you can still check their special events calendar, visit their campgrounds, and fish in their Tom BigBee Lake. Nestled deep in the Big Thicket of East Texas, this 4,600 acres+ reservation is Texas' oldest and is home to some 500 members of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas. The Alabama and Coushatta tribes were once separate entities, but they are both members of the Upper Creek Confederacy of Indians and are of the Muskogean Nation and their languages similar to the Muskogean dialect. The two tribes migrated from southeastern United States (Alabama and Mississippi) and were closely related before they came to Texas. The first documentation of either tribe came in 1541 during the Hernando De Soto expedition. In search of new territory for Spain farther west of the East Coast, De Soto and his party encountered the Alabama Tribe in the Mobile Bay area. Upon leaving this region, De Soto explored further north, encountering several other tribes prior to locating the Coushatta Tribe on the Tennessee River. Eventually the two tribes converged and their history with the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation began.

PARLEZ FRANÇAIS AT THE ALLIANCE.

The Alliance Française is starting up a new series of French classes for children this Saturday, January 9. Their children’s program immerses children ages 4-15 in the French language, allowing them to learn in a natural way, through visual, kinetic and auditive experience. Classes meet in seven-week sessions on Saturday mornings at either 9:30am or 11:15am. Tuition is $175 for the seven-week session. Registration must be in advance or a $25 late fee will be assessed and there is a one-time registration fee of $15 for children. You may register by phone anytime using a credit card.

BEGIN THE NEW YEAR WITH MUSIC LESSONS AT THE MOORES SCHOOL OF MUSIC.

Send your children (or yourself) to the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music! The Preparatory and Continuing Studies Department offers a variety of private lessons and group classes for students of all ages and abilities to the greater Houston community. Classes include The Suzuki String Program, The Piano Program, and Private Instruction [voice, piano, violin, viola, cello, saxophone, flute, guitar (classical & jazz), theory/composition, trumpet, French horn, organ, and most orchestral instruments]. Classes for the spring semester begin the week of January 19.

And here's my special recommendation for this music program: my son, Matthew Buchanan, has taken private violin lessons with a Moores School of Music instructor which has vastly improved his skills as well as increased his love of the instrument.

For more about my marketing company, Gish Creative, and the services we offer, please click here. You are on this list because I thought this e-newsletter would be helpful to you or because you signed up for it. However, if you want off this list, click here and you're a goner. Please feel free to tell your friends to subscribe by clicking here.My goal is to serve as an information resource for Houston parents through my various endeavors, including:

GISH PICKS, which is online (www.thesummerbook.com/gishpicks_archive.html) and in the Houston Community Newspaper group (www.hcnonline.com);

THE SUMMER BOOK®: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS (www.thesummerbook.com) which comes out annually on March 1 and is sold at bookstores all over Houston, including Barnes and Noble and Borders; and

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS, PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS, and ART PROGRAMS that cover topics such as summertime fun, passion-finding (for adults, children and parents and children together), marketing, historic preservation, art classes, and activism. All of these services can be tailored for any audience and budget.

The purpose of GISH PICKS is to help parents become aware of all the fun things they can do with their children in Houston and the surrounding area, so HAPPY TRAVELS! Please do give me feedback and ideas, as you are out there in the trenches also looking for interesting things for your family and I want to hear what you find. If you are having trouble getting to a website listed here, try hitting the “Ctrl” button and left-clicking on the web address, which should make it “live”.


Sarah Gish Gish Creative 1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116 Houston, Texas 77057 phone/fax: 713.532.1173 email: sarah@gishcreative.com web: www.gishcreative.com and: www.thesummerbook.com and: www.saveourlandmarks.org © 2010 Sarah Gish Designed by West of the World