Gish Picks: Week of November 19, 2008


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. Now, GO FIND FUN!

"BYE BYE BIRDIE" HITS THE STAGE AT SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH.

Enjoy kids on stage during the Second Baptist Middle School presentation of the hit musical, “Bye, Bye, Birdie” on Thursday, November 20; Friday, November 21; and Sunday, November 23. “Bye, Bye, Birdie” has been described as one of the most captivating musicals of our time. Set in the fifties, it is a satire that tells the story of a rock and roll singer, Conrad Birdie (an Elvis type) who is about to be inducted into the army. His agent, Albert Peterson, along with his faithful secretary, Rose Alvarez, together concoct one last publicity stunt to give Birdie a memorable send-off…and the little town of Sweet Apple, Ohio is never quite the same! With songs like “Put on a Happy Face,” “One Boy,” “A Lot of Livin’ to Do,” and “Kids,” this is sure to be an evening of good old-fashioned toe-tapping fun! Tickets are $10 and the show will be held on the Second Baptist School campus located at 6410 Woodway.

THE GREEK FESTIVAL IS FINALLY HERE!

Originally scheduled for October 2–5, the Greek Festival event organizers decided to push the festival back to this weekend, November 20-23, in order to give Houstonians a chance to recover from Hurricane Ike storm damage. A portion of the proceeds raised during the four day festival will be donated to hurricane relief efforts.

There will be wonderful Greek food, dancing, shopping, and special events and presentations and there is free parking and a free shuttle operating during festival hours. Admission is $5/adults and free/children 12 and under. There is no admission fee on Friday, November 20 before 5pm and there are discounted $18.00 pre-sale tickets which include admission, a dinner plate and choice of souvlaki, Greek salad, or pastry box. I love this festival, so go and enjoy!

"THE SOUND OF MUSIC" IS ONSTAGE IN THE WOODLANDS.

The Woodlands Repertory Theatre, part of the Class Act Productions family, presents “The Sound of Music” this November 20, 22 and 23 at 8pm and November 23 at 2:30pm. You know the story: When Maria the nun proves too high-spirited for the religious life, she is dispatched to serve as a governess for the seven children of a widowed naval captain. Her growing rapport with the youngsters, coupled with her generosity of spirit, gradually captures the heart of the stern captain, and they marry. Upon returning from their honeymoon they discover that Austria has been invaded by the Nazis who demand the Captain's immediate service in their navy. The family's narrow escape over the mountains to Switzerland on the eve of World War II provides one of the most thrilling and inspirational finales ever presented in the theatre. This final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein is probably the world's most beloved musical and the motion picture version remains the most beloved movie musical of all time.

Performances will be held at the Nancy Bock Center for Performing Arts, 3800 S. Panther Creek Drive in The Woodlands. Tickets are $20/each and groups of 10 or more are $15/each.

JOIN THE HOUSTON AEROS FOR A SPECIAL MILITARY NIGHT.

The Houston Aeros will hold their annual "Military Night" this Saturday, November 22! For all of those who have served, are serving, or have been touched by a member of the U.S. armed forces, this night is dedicated to you! They will be giving out the first of six Aeros Legends bobblehead pieces, so be sure to get to Toyota Center early and watch the Aeros take on the Worcester Sharks. The puck drops at 7:35pm. For tickets or more information, log onto www.aeros.com or call 713.974.PUCK.

TAP DANCE YOUR WAY TO A "WHITE CHRISTMAS".

The Theatre Under The Stars faculty is presenting an hour-long free tap this Saturday, November 22 at noon at Discovery Green. Participants of all ages and skill levels will learn a routine from Irving Berlin’s "White Christmas", which is coming December 4-21 to the Hobby Center for The Performing Arts.

The musical, inspired by the number one song of all time, is a classic the whole family will enjoy and includes a cast of 32, nearly two-dozen musicians, and elaborate staging, choreography and costumes. The musical is based on the 1954 movie, "White Christmas" starring Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby, who play war buddies turned vaudeville showmen. The plot thickens when they meet two song-bird sisters and romantic antics ensue.

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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 helping their children), 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 © 2008 Sarah Gish Designed by West of the World