What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 30
Today’s featured event:
Add a little operatic rock to your Christmas season when Trans-Siberian Orchestra plays at 3 and 7:30 p.m. today at the Ford Center, 100 W Reno.
For more information, go to www.okfordcenter.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
“Christmas Story” turns 25
The classic holiday movie “A Christmas Story” is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Today is the second of a two-day festival at the “A Christmas Story” House & Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, to mark the silver anniversary.
How many Christmas movies inspire such loyal fandom that someone would buy, restore and turn into a museum the clapboard house used for the exterior shots?
What other movie would attract about 35,000 fans to visit its museum ever year? The museum offers a display of props, costumes and photos from the movie. The store also sells decoder rings, talking Ralphie dolls and, naturally, leg lamps, according to a recent McClatchy-Tribune Information Services story.
“A Christmas Story” opened in theaters Thanksgiving 1983, and was not a box office success. But once it started airing on TV about a decade ago, it quickly rose to iconic status.
That’s probably because Jean Sheperd’s holiday story has so much about it that is iconic: from blue-eyed Peter Billingsley’s rabid desire for a classic boy toy, a Red Ryder BB gun, to the double-dog dares and the old tongue-stuck-on-the-frozen-flag-pole debacle, to the gruff dad who comes through in the end to the high-strung mom who knows just the right soap to make a kid regret a slip of the tongue.
It’s definitely one of the most memorable and quotable Christmas movies ever.
If you’re interested in visiting the “A Christmas Story” House, go to www.achristmasstoryhouse.com.
There is a new 25th aniversary DVD box set including cookie cutters, an apron and other goodies along with the DVD that you can read about at Amazon.com.
And if you want to see “A Christmas Story” - and you should, trust me – it will air at 7 p.m. Wednesday TNT.
But that single airing is just a prelude to TNT’s annual “24 Hours of ‘A Christmas Story’” marathon, beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 and running continuously through the next day, concluding with a final showing at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 25.
So, don’t forget to drink your Ovaltine, hide the Life Buoy soap before cursing and don’t shoot your eye out.
-BAM
OSU and OU face off tonight in Bedlam 2008
Hopefully, both OSU running back Kendall Hunter (top) and receiver Dez Bryant will have great games today during Bedlam 2008. (The Oklahoman Archives photos)
One of the greatest days of the college football season is here.
My beloved Oklahoma State University Cowboys face off against their in-state rival, the University of Oklahoma Sooners, the team I grew up just 45 miles away from and cheered for in my youth.
Yes, it’s Bedlam 2008, and this year is particularly exciting because both times are extremely talented and highly ranked.
The Sooners, perennial football powerhouses, are ranked No. 3. The Cowboys, who are having a great year, are ranked No. 12, and the game is at home at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater.
As the name implies, Bedlam is a game in which anything can happen. You just never know what wackiness will ensue.
The game kicks off at 7 p.m. today at Boone Pickens Stadium at OSU. It will be televised on ABC (KOCO-5 in Oklahoma City).
For a breakdown of the game and teams, go to www.newsok.com/sports.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 29
Tomoko Saito and Ty Fanning play the star-crossed lovers in Reduxion Theatre Company’s production of “Romeo and Juliet,” set in post-World War II Japan.
Today’s featured event:
See the Reduxion Theatre Company’s production of “Romeo and Juliet” at 8 p.m. today at Stage Center, 400 W Sheridan.
The production moves Shakespeare’s famous tale of star-crossed lovers and family feuds from Verona, Italy, to post-World War II Japan, which should be interesting.
Additional performances will be staged at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through Dec. 13.
For more information, call 651-3191 or go to www.reduxiontheatre.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Friday Featured Track: Special birthday edition
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” Andy Williams, 1963.
Venerable pop singer Andy Williams, who turns 81 Wednesday, recorded this longtime holiday favorite back in 1963. He sang it to welcome Santa Claus at the end of this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
But that’s not why it’s been on my mind. My younger son, Gabriel (AKA Gabe the Babe) McDonnell, turned 2 years old today. This song was playing in the delivery room the moment he was born. So, in our family, it’s known as Gabe’s song.
Happy birthday to Gabe and Merry Christmas to all!
-BAM
CD review: Blake Shelton’s “Startin’ Fires”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Country
Blake Shelton “Startin’ Fires” (Warner Bros. Records)
Whether paying tribute to country living, cracking musical jokes or crooning about romance and heartbreak, Ada native Blake Shelton’s rich baritone and earnest delivery heat up “Startin’ Fires.”
The Tishomingo resident celebrates his move from Nashville, Tenn., back to Oklahoma on the soaring “Home Sweet Home” and pays tribute hard-working “cowboys, plowboys (and) good-hearted women” on the toe-tapping “Country Strong.” He declares “I was green before green was a thing” on the funny down-home anthem “Green.”
He and girlfriend Miranda Lambert hilariously defy expectations for a country duet with the sly “Bare Skin Rug,” which matches the sonic trappings of a pretty ballad with goofy lyrics they penned about young hillbillies finding love.
Their novelty duet notwithstanding, Shelton lives up to his reputation as a great country balladeer on his fifth studio album. He strikes the right balance between playful and sexy on “Good at Startin’ Fires” and “This Is Gonna Take All Night.” He strums heartstrings with “Here I Am,” a celebration of unexpected love he co-wrote with Dean Dillon, and effectively tells a tale of lost love with a twist ending on “I Don’t Care.”
But Shelton’s passionate outpouring of desperation and regret on “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” makes the lead single the sizzling highlight of “Startin’ Fires.”
- BAM
DVD review: “Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
“Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special”
Popular ventriloquist Jeff Dunham and his zany puppet pals stir up hearty laughs with their first Christmas show, a punchy brew of pointed topical humor, madcap antics and twisted original holiday songs.
The special’s premiere earlier this month on Comedy Central drew 6.6 million viewers, the highest ratings ever for the channel.
While the TV version runs an hour with commercials, the DVD offers 85 uninterrupted minutes of Dunham’s performance. The funny puppet-less opening in which Dunham shows off his sharp standup skills is a highlight on the longer edition.
The special includes hyper purple imp Peanut, dryly amusing Jose Jalapeno (on a stick), white-trash Bubba J and hilariously grumpy old man Walter. But the funniest is the spiteful and insecure Achmed the Dead Terrorist, who sings the droll “Jingle Bombs.”
Dunham sometimes goes for the too-obvious joke – imagine a redneck crooning “Roadkill Christmas” – but his delivery never falters. You forget he is surreptitiously voicing the characters, especially when he cracks up at their shenanigans or jokes about touchy subjects such as immigration, religion and political correctness.
DVD features: Behind-scenes featurettes, “Ask Santa” with Walter, Christmas tips from the characters.
- BAM
Festival of Trees lighting up Tulsa’s Philbrook
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Tulsa event raises funds for museum
TULSA – From a festively adorned papier-mache cactus to an evergreen made of cowboy boots, Tulsa area artists have put their own creative spin on the theme “A Southwest Holiday” at this year’s Festival of Trees.
Festival of Trees is an annual holiday fundraiser for the Philbrook Museum of Art. The show’s highlights are unusual Christmas trees created by area artists and designers and elaborate gingerbread houses made by local schoolchildren and Scout troops.
The event also includes a juried show of paintings, sculptures, woodwork and more by 150 northeast Oklahoma artists. The artworks, trees and candy creations all incorporate this year’s Southwest theme.
Many participants go to inventive lengths to give their works a Southwest flair, such as adorning a handcrafted gingerbread doll with beadwork or making a teepee-shaped “tree” out of leather circles.
The creativity extends to the intricate gingerbread houses, many of which aren’t houses at all. This year’s entries include a pueblo built of caramels and a large cactus made of spearmint discs.
Everything in the show is for sale, with the bulk of the proceeds going to the Philbrook. Festival of Trees continues through Dec. 7.
“The evolution of Festival of Trees as one of the region’s premier holiday traditions is a point of pride for the Museum. We’re delighted that families have continued to support this event for 24 years running,” said Philbrook Director Randall Suffolk in an e-mail.
On exhibit
What: Festival of Trees fundraising show and sale.
Where: Philbrook Museum of Art, 2727 S Rockford Rd., Tulsa.
When: Through Dec. 7.
Information: (918) 749-7941 or www.philbrook.org.
Winterfest coming to downtown Tulsa
This rewrite of a news release appeared in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Tulsa to host holiday festival
TULSA – The grounds of the BOK Center will be the site of a new holiday festival in downtown.
Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor and BOK Center General Manager John Bolton announced Monday that the new arena will host this year the inaugural Winterfest, a month-long celebration intended to be annual event.
Winterfest 2008 will feature an outdoor skating rink and the state’s tallest Christmas tree daily today-Dec. 31 at the BOK Center Outdoor Plaza at Third Street and Frisco Avenue.
A variety of outdoor live entertainment provided by school choirs, local bands and musicians from area churches is scheduled for Wednesday-Sunday evenings during Winterfest. Holiday carriage rides, appearances by the Tulsa Oilers hockey team and concessions also will be offered during the event.
The focal point of the festivities will be the 50-foot-by-100-foot Arvest Ice Rink on Frisco, which will be open daily for skating. Prices are $8 with skate rental, $5 with your own skates, and $5 for children 3 and younger. Group reservations and rates are available by calling (918) 894-4254
Towering near the rink will be the 35-foot holiday tree that will glow nightly with more than 25,000 lights.
The ice rink opens at noon today, and Tulsa’s Salvation Army brass ensemble will christen the plaza with a performance at 5 p.m. The Tulsa Oilers Fan Experience will take place from 5 to 7 p.m., with the team’s matchup with the Wichita Thunder at 7:35. Carriage rides will be offered from 6 to 9 p.m.
For more information, call (918) 894-4200 or go to www.bokcenter.com.
-BAM
Downtown in December, Devon River Parade lighting up Oklahoma City
Snow tubing at the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark
Downtown in December, downtown Oklahoma City’s month-long holiday festival, starts at 5:30 p.m. today when the giant Christmas tree lights up in Bricktown.
Also, the Devon Energy Holiday River Parade on the Oklahoma River through downtown is at 5 p.m. today.
Here is the full list of Downtown in December activities:
* Join your friends and family Downtown for music and fun surprises to kick off Downtown in December. Everyone is invited to experience the excitement of the Christmas season when Mayor Cornett lights the beautifully adorned Christmas tree in Bricktown at 5:30 p.m. on November 28. The SandRidge Christmas Tree lighting officially begins Downtown Oklahoma City’s month-long holiday celebration. For information, visit www.downtownindecember.com or call (405) 236-3640
* Ice skate in the shadow of Downtown Oklahoma City’s skyscrapers at the Devon Ice Rink. Rink hours are noon to 10 p.m. daily from November 28 through January 4, including holidays (holiday hours may vary). Cost to skate is $8, which includes skate rental and a two-hour session. Skating is just $5 for those who supply their own skates. The Civic Center is located at 201 N Walker. The rink is available for private parties and group ticket sales. Call 274-1638 to book your event. For information, visit www.downtownindecember.com or call (405) 236-3640
* Go extreme this winter, when you go Chesapeake Snow Tubing at the Brick, the nation’s largest manmade snow tubing slope. Feel the wind in your face as you cruise down the slope at thrilling speeds. Presented by Chesapeake, you can’t beat the great family fun of snow tubing at the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. Tubing is open November 28 – December 21 on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, hours vary; on December 22 snow tubing opens seven-days-a-week through January 4, hours vary. Session size is limited; admission is $10.00 for each one and a half-hour session. Private parties and groups sales are available by calling (405) 218-1000. For session times, dates and to buy tickets on-line visit http://www.downtownindecember.com/
* All aboard….for a free adventure cruise on a Bricktown Water Taxi during The Oklahoman Holidays on the Canal. All ages will enjoy a fun-filled float down the beautifully adorned Bricktown canal. Ride free from 6-9:30 p.m. every Thursday through Sunday, November 28 – December 28 (closed Christmas). Board the boats across from the ballpark. For information, visit www.downtownindecember.com or call (405) 236-3640
* Bring the whole family Downtown to a day of culture, art and history for free during American Fidelity Free Museum Sundays. Visit the Gaylord Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum at 1400 Classen Drive (corner of NW 13 & Shartel) and the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum free every Sunday from 1 – 6 p.m, November 30 through December 28. For more information visit www.downtownindecember.com
* Thousands of glimmering twinkles of light mingle together to create a dramatic, holiday paradise in downtown Oklahoma City’s Myriad Botanical Gardens during OG&E Garden Lights. The Crystal Bridge will open free from 6 – 9 p.m. every Sunday from November 30 through December 28 for special twilight viewings, courtesy of OG&E. Regular Crystal Bridge hours are 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday though Saturday and noon – 6 p.m. Sunday. For information, call (405) 297-3995 or log on to www.myriadgardens.com or www.downtownindecember.com.
* Whether you run or walk the entire family will enjoy some holiday fun at the SandRidge Santa Run, December 6. The SandRidge Santa Run includes a 5K run that begins at 9 a.m. at Leadership Square, 211 N Robinson, followed by a One-Mile Fun Run at 10 a.m. and a Santa Claus Kid’s Dash for tots immediately following the 5K. Registration is being accepted now through race day. Pre-register prior to November 28 for $25.00. After November 28, register on race day for $30.00 at Leadership Square. The One-Mile Fun Run is $5 for kids 12 and under and $10 for adults. There is no charge for the age eight and under Kid’s Dash. Participants can register online on the run page at www.downtownindecember.com.
* Say hi to Santa as he cruises around Downtown! Sonic Segway Santa will visit Downtown events on his Segway personal transport scooter. Santa will have lots of fun stuff for kids and adults as he gives out special Sonic treats and holiday light viewing glasses.
* After the tree lighting, head down to the river for The Devon Energy River Parade on the Oklahoma River at both Wiley Post Park and Regatta Park. The event features a magnificent nighttime parade and a spectacular fireworks show. The parade begins at 5 p.m. Parking and admission is free. Visit www.okcevents.info for more information.
Downtown in December is organized by Downtown Oklahoma City Inc. and sponsored by the Downtown Business Improvement District. For a complete schedule of all Downtown activities and special events, log on to www.downtownindecember.com or call the Downtown in December hotline (405) 236-3640 or 1-888-OKC4Fun.
-BAM
