HometownGeorgetown.com

I received an email today with exciting news from The Landmark Tavern, the jazz and blues club upstairs from Amante’s. The Landmark will be open for New Year’s Eve, so if you’re looking for somewhere to celebrate…

The Palace Theatre in Historic Georgetown opens the powerful musical Big River:  The Adventures of Huck Finn on July 17 for a 5-weekend run.  With book by William Hauptman, music by the multi-talented Roger Miller, and direction by David Sray, Mark Twain’s timeless classic sweeps us down the mighty Mississippi as the irrepressible Huck Finn helps his friend Jim, a slave, escape to freedom at the mouth of the Ohio River. Their adventures along the way are funny, suspenseful, and heartwarming, bringing to life favorite characters from the novel, such as the Widow Douglas and her stern sister, Miss Watson; the uproarious King and Duke, who may or may not be as harmless as they seem; Huck’s partner in crime, Tom Sawyer, and their rowdy gang of pals; Huck’s drunken father, the sinister Pap Finn; and the lovely Mary Jane Wilkes and her trusting family. Propelled by an award-winning score from Roger Miller, the ‘King of Country Music,’ this jaunty journey with music to warm the heart and soul provides a theatrical celebration of pure Americana.

Production dates for Big River are July 17-19, 24-26, 31-August 2, August 7-9, and 14-16, 2009.  Friday & Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday shows are at 2:00 p.m.

Ticket prices for this final production of the 2008-09 Season are $22 General Admission; $20 Seniors (55+); $12 Active Military with ID & Students (16 to 22); and $8 Students & Children (15 & younger). The Palace seats about 295, with reserved seating paid for in your ticket price.  The Palace office in the lobby of the theatre is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. for your convenience.  Purchase tickets and select seating on-line at www.thegeorgetownpalace.org or by calling (512) 869-7469 or (512) 869-5081.  Visa and Master Card are accepted.  Season tickets for the Palace’s exciting 2009-2010 Season are now on sale by phone or in person at the Palace office.

The Palace Theatre is located at 810 South Austin Avenue in Historic Georgetown, just a half-block off the Square. 

Open auditions for You Can’t Do That, Dan Moody! will be held June 15, 16, 17, and 18 from 7 to 9 pm in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church, 410 East University Avenue, Georgetown. Roles are available for men and women of all ages and for some children.

You Can’t Do That, Dan Moody!, written by Tom Swift and Ken Anderson and directed by Tom Swift, is based on Ken Anderson’s popular book of the same title. Performed in the Williamson County Courthouse in the very courtroom in which the famous trial took place in 1923, You Can’t Do That, Dan Moody! will take you back in time.

The Georgetown Palace Theatre and the Williamson County Museum will present the historic play in the Williamson County Courthouse on weekends from September 4 through October 11, 2009. (Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2:00 pm)

Contact Tom Swift at (512) 863-1245 or (512) 818-3999 for more information.

From a press release submitted by the Palace Theatre: The Georgetown Palace Theatre Guild, in cooperation with the Palace Theatre in Historic Georgetown presents: A Night On The Red Carpet, a Gala Event. This special performance is one night only and features Palace favorites such as Joe Penrod, Rick Felkins, Cliff Butler, Wendy Zavaleta, Patty Rowell, Cathie Sheridan and other special guest artists. This one night only event features songs from such Classics as South Pacific, Cabaret and Annie, and Palace choreographer Jessica Kelpsch rounds out the evening with beautiful choreography to pluck the heartstrings. Join us for a night of song and dance that will leave you wanting more.

The Gala Event is open to the public Saturday, June 6th with a 7:30pm Curtain.

Tickets for this exclusive event are $10.00 for all seats. The Palace seats about 295, with reserved seating paid for in your ticket price. The Palace office in the lobby of the theatre is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. for your convenience. Purchase tickets and select seating on-line at www.thegeorgetownpalace.org or by calling 512-869-7469 or 512-869-5081. Visa and Master Card are accepted.

The Palace Theatre is located at 810 South Austin Avenue in Historic Georgetown, just a half-block off the Square.

I first moved to Texas in 1993 and, if I remember right, that was the same year the Minnesota Northstars became the Dallas Stars. A professional hockey team had followed me south. (Although I lived in Wisconsin, the nearest big city was Minneapolis, so people in my neck of the Northwoods were very disappointed to lose the Northstars.) Now we’re getting a semi-pro branch of the team here. (Do they call it a “branch”? I guess you can probably tell I’m not a sports girl.)

For all you hockey fans out there… The Texas Stars will play in Cedar Park, just a quick drive from Georgetown, less than a year from now. There are still advertising opportunities for local businesses who’d like to have permanent signs on display at Cedar Park Center.

This week, a lady helping to organize the Center came to the meeting of a networking group to which I belong, and she said they’re planning to also host events such as Disney on Ice and the Ice Capades. Williamson County is getting another fantastic venue for entertainment.

Welcome, Texas Stars!

My husband and I have been on a waiting list for about a year for a maple tree from Love Creek Orchards in Medina, TX, which is primarily an apple orchard. The folks at Love Creek wrote recently to say that the colors this year were spectacular, so we decided to hop in the car with our dog and drive down to Lost Maples State Natural Area. (I’m not sure why they don’t just call it Lost Maples Park, but there you have it.) Lost Maples is about a three-hour drive from Georgetown, and well worth the trip, this time of year especially. I have to warn you, though, that we weren’t the only ones who thought so. The park was busy when we arrived at 9 a.m. yesterday (Saturday), and extremely busy when we left at about 12:40 p.m. In fact, when we left, traffic was backed up for about two miles. We stopped for gas in Bandera, about 40 miles away, and a man at the gas station said “the law” was going to go out there and direct traffic. “Those city people don’t got no patience,” the man said. I don’t consider myself to be a city girl, but I’ll admit that my patience would’ve been tried if we had arrived to find a two-mile back-up just to get into the park. If you can go during the workweek, do. If you must go on the weekend, arrive as early as you can. We stayed overnight in the area. The first couple of places had no vacancies, but Backroads Texas helped us to make a reservation at a dog-friendly ranch. If you enjoy camping, you can do so right within the park.

After paying our entrance fee of $6 per adult - the dog entered free - we headed out on the 4.6 mile East Trail, which we were told had the best colors. The terrain started out pretty easy, but even then, we had to step carefully.

The colors were amazing. In one tree, you’d see a thousand variations of yellow, orange, and red, with tiny spots of green still showing through. Most of the trees in the park were evergreens, which made the changing maples look even more brilliant against the forest backdrop. In spots, the trees had already lost their leaves, and these freshly fallen leaves beneath our feet released a scent that transported me back to my childhood in Wisconsin.
There were two very significant slopes we had to contend with during our hike along the trail. The slopes themselves were challenging, and the loose rocks made them even more so. Be sure to wear comfortable, rugged shoes. Also, don’t forget to bring water, as the stretches between rest areas were long.
Texas can’t compete with New England for fall colors, not even close. But if you don’t have the time or money for a trip to Vermont, you can still get a color fix right here in the Hill Country. Just remember to go as early in the day as possible to avoid the long lines. Either that, or leave your city folk impatience behind.

City Lights is doing it again, hosting a Huge Screen football party this coming Saturday at 7 p.m. The University of Texas Longhorns will compete against Texas Tech’s Red Raiders, and you can watch the game for free on a movie screen. Get your gang together and head over to City Lights. You might want to bring a few bucks to buy beer, popcorn, burgers, pizza, sodas, etc, but you’ll view the game for free.