A Family Favorite!

Mannheim Steamroller
Monday, Dec 27 8:00p

at Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, TX
Chip Davis probably didn't know when he released the first Christmas album by symphonic new-age ensemble Mannheim Steamroller in 1984 that he was turning the music of the holiday season into an extremely successful cottage industry. Over the course of 26 years, the 11 Mannheim Steamroller Christmas CD releases have sold more than 23 million copies. =

Not bad for a guy who started his own record label, American Gramaphone, in 1975 because no other imprint would agree to distribute his Steamroller projects, which also includes eight "Fresh Aire" titles. From his command center in Omaha, Neb., Davis keeps the Steamroller touring every year when the weather gets nippy. In fact, the 2010 Christmas trek by Mannheim Steamroller is really two tours: the Red Tour and the Green Tour. That's the only way Davis' band can cover 92 dates. Dallas' two-night Mannheim Steamroller stand at the Meyerson Symphony Center is part of the Red Tour. Expect the Steamroller's distinctive brand of Christmas music and a multimedia show that includes lights, screen images and videos synchronized to the holiday tunes.

Sunday and Monday at 8 p.m. at the Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St., Dallas. $40-$110. www.dallassymphony.com.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Sun, Dec 19 3:00p American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

Trans-Siberian Orchestra was formed in 1996 by Paul O'Neill who immediately approached long time friends and collaborators Robert Kinkel and Jon Oliva to form the core of the writing team.
While producing and writing for a number of years with various rock groups Paul was always looking for ways... more

Trans-Siberian Orchestra was formed in 1996 by Paul O'Neill who immediately approached long time friends and collaborators Robert Kinkel and Jon Oliva to form the core of the writing team.

While producing and writing for a number of years with various rock groups Paul was always looking for ways to make the music have greater and greater emotional impact. He tried to write the music that was so melodic it didn't need lyrics. And lyrics that were so poetic that they didn't need music but once you put the two of them together, the sum of the parts would be greater than the whole, and you couldn't imagine them apart. Once he'd done this, he was still looking for a way to take it to even greater heights and he realized that putting the songs within the context of a story would give it a third dimension that wou ld make that additional emotional impact possible.

Hence, he started writing not just albums, but rock operas.

He realized then, that there was an inherent problem recording rock operas within the standard rock and roll band makeup. Rock operas by their nature need the voices to change as the characters change. Rock bands normally only have one (or if you're lucky) two great vocalists to work with, therefore limiting how far you can go. You're forced to make the music fit the band, as opposed to allowing the music to go wherever it needs to.

With Trans-Siberian Orchestra, first the music is created with no artificial limitations, and then we seek out within the classical, rock, Broadway and R & B worlds, the very best singers and musicians to bring each song to life. This also in many ways forces us to operate on a higher level. This environment has the additional benefit of causing a cross pollenization of musical ideas, creating hybrid forms of music that normally never would have occurred, such as an R&B singer doing a classical style melody and bringing gospel touches to it that causes it to glitter in ways that even the creators could not have predicted. Another very important aspect in the creation of the band, is that there could be no limits on the members; we mix all races and ages.

The young get to mine the experience of the old musicians, while they can't help to be inspired by the enthusiasm of people just entering the business. This has created a vast constantly changing musical group that even we do not know what it is going to do next.

Once when asked what Trans-Siberian Orchestra was about, Paul O'Neill replied, "It's about creating great art. When asked to define what great art was, Paul said, "The purpose of art is to create an emotional response in the person that is exposed to that art. And there are three categories of art; bad art, good art and great art. Bad art will elicit no emotional response in the person that is exposed to it, i.e.; a song you hear in an elevator and it does nothing to you, a picture on a wall that gives you the same emotional response as if the wall had been blank, a movie that chews up time. Good art will make you feel an emotion that you have felt before; you see a picture of a forest and you remember the last time you went fishing with your dad, you hear a song about love and you remember the last time you were in love. Great art will make you feel an emotion you have never felt before; seeing the pieta, the world famous sculpture by

Michelangelo, can cause someone to feel the pain of losing a child even if they've never had one. And when you're trying for these emotions the easiest one to trigger is anger.

Anyone can do it. Go into the street, throw a rock at someone, you will make them angry. The emotions of love, empathy and laughter are much harder to trigger, but since they operate on a deeper level, they bring a much greater reward.

-www.trans-siberian.com

Breaking New Ground: Presenting the George W. Bush Presidential Center

Tuesday, Dec 14 10:00a to 5:00p

at Meadows Museum, Dallas, TX
This recently opened exhibit displays artifacts from the George W. Bush presidency, including the bullhorn Bush used when he visited Ground Zero on Sept. 14, 2001, and the pistol retrieved from Saddam Hussein when he was captured in Iraq. Visitors will get to see planned features of the Bush Center at Southern Methodist University, including design renderings, landscape features and an architectural model. read more

Price: Free
Phone: (214) 768-2516
Age Suitability: All Ages


Bush used when he visited Ground Zero on Sept. 14, 2001, and the pistol retrieved from Saddam Hussein when he was captured in Iraq. Visitors will get to see planned features of the Bush Center at Southern Methodist University, including design renderings, landscape features and an architectural model. Visitors will also learn about the work of the Bush Institute, and get insight into the key archives of the presidential library.

The Joy of Sharing Christmas: A Walk-thru Nativity
Saturday, Dec 11 6:30p to 9:00p
at Grace Bible Church, Dallas, TX


Experience the camels, the characters, the songs, and the joy of the first Christmas in this walk-thru nativity. Every 10 minutes a tour guide will lead a group back 2000 years into the live scenes of Christ's birth. The tour runs about 40 minutes. Afterwards, kids decorate cookies and visit the petting zoo. Bring your whole family to hear the real story of Christmas.

ICE!

Every year the Gaylord Texan has a truly spectacular 14,000-square-foot ICE! exhibit that features a variety of magical holiday scenes and sculptures hand-carved by 40 visiting artisans from Harbin, China.

Every visitor will feel as though they have been transported to the North Pole as they bundle up in warm parkas and enter a winter wonderland created with TWO MILLION pounds of ice and kept at a wintry 9 degrees.

This year the Gaylord Texan and ICE! have really out done themselves by recreating Charlie Brown and the Whole Peanuts Gang from a Charlie Brown Christmas.

To find out more about this annual event and more of the wonderful things happening at the Gaylord Texan this holiday season please visit our Christmas at the Gaylord Texan page.

Fantastic idea for a present

Eat and Be Merry!

Tuesday, Dec 7 6:00p to 10:00p (18 other additional dates and times) at Hilton Anatole Hotel: Nana Restaurant, Dallas, TX

Chef Tony embraces fall ingredients with his new $45 Holiday Menu, offering three courses of prized cuisine for only $45 per person. The prix-fixed menu provides three appetizer, entrée, and dessert options, such as Cavatelli Pasta,Mesquite Grilled Flank Steak with grilled vegetables and blue cheese butter, Seared Scottish Salmon with garbanzo and baby back rib ragout and sherry vinegar gelee, and “Cheesecake” with mango sorbet and mojito coulis. read more

Price: $45.00 per person
Phone: (214) 761-7470
Age Suitability: All Ages

Chef Tony embraces fall ingredients with his new $45 Holiday Menu, offering three courses of prized cuisine for only $45 per person. The prix-fixed menu provides three appetizer, entrée, and dessert options, such as Cavatelli Pasta,Mesquite Grilled Flank Steak with grilled vegetables and blue cheese butter, Seared Scottish Salmon with garbanzo and baby back rib ragout and sherry vinegar gelee, and “Cheesecake” with mango sorbet and mojito coulis. The $45 Holiday Menu is available seven nights a week.
Summer Menu includes

Your Choice of: Vine Ripened Tomatoes, Ciliegine Mozzarella, Basil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Mesclun Salad, Goat Cheese-Tarragon Ranch Dressing, Pears
Wile Mushroom “cappuccino”, Milk Meringue, Orange Zest

Your Choice of:
Mesquite Grilled Flank Steak, Aji Panca, Avocado, Mini Quesadilla
Soy Marinated Chicken Breast, Steamed Rice, Seared Asparagus, Sesame Salt
Seared Scottish Salmon, Cucumber Ribbons, Cilantro, Yogurt, Chiles

Your Choice of:
Orange Chiffon Migas, Glazed Strawberries, Vanilla Chantilly, Licorice
Chocolate Gazpacho, Modena Vinegar, Mandarin Sorbet
“Cheese Cake”… Graham Cracker “Earth”, Mango Sorbet, Mohito Coulis

Additional Appetizer $10
Tax and Gratuity Additional

Train Exhibit at NorthPark

Train Exhibit at NorthPark

Friday, Dec 3 10:00a to 9:00p
at NorthPark Center, Dallas, TX
OK, so they're toy trains. But the "Trains at NorthPark" exhibit is so spectacular and intricate, it'll surely make you understand why adults as well as children go completely gaga. For this year's 23rd annual choo-choo fest – opening Saturday, and billed as "the most elaborate toy-train exhibit in all of Texas" – the exhibit has been completely redesigned. read more

Price: $3-$6
Phone: (214) 631-7354
Age Suitability: All Ages
OK, so they're toy trains. But the "Trains at NorthPark" exhibit is so spectacular and intricate, it'll surely make you understand why adults as well as children go completely gaga. For this year's 23rd annual choo-choo fest – opening Saturday, and billed as "the most elaborate toy-train exhibit in all of Texas" – the exhibit has been completely redesigned. It's set on 1,600 feet of track, using 24 Lionel train sets with more than 100 rolling cars and other pieces. The trains chug their way through America past itty-bitty scenes of downtown Dallas, the Cotton Bowl and the State Fair of Texas, New York City, Washington, D.C., New England, the Grand Canyon, Route 66, Santa's North Pole (who knew it was right here in North America?!), San Francisco and other spots. It covers more than 4,000 square feet of train-themed environs, with all the trimmings of the holiday train-travel experience. More than 80,000 visitors get train-happy every holiday season, so get your tickets early. Proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, a home away from home for families of seriously ill or injured children who're receiving treatment in local hospitals.