Tut’s Treasures Children’s Museum plays host to dozens of Egyptian artifacts

For a chance to see priceless Egyptian artifacts –– more than 100 in all –– don’t miss The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis’ latest exhibit, Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, which opened June 27.

The exhibit, organized in conjunction with the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, includes authentic artifacts from 2600 B.C. to about 600 B.C., including a pair of gold sandals found on King Tut’s feet when his mummy was unwrapped for the first time in 1922 –– truly stunning. Talk about a trend-setting gladiator sandal!

Other pieces include a coffinette (essentially a miniature coffin) that once contained the stomach of King Tut, statues of various Egyptian pharaohs, jewelry, furniture, weapons and other containers that held organs of the dead.

Many artifacts have never been to the United States prior to this exhibit’s tour.
“Tutankhamun’s magic still captures the hearts of people all over the world, even though more than 85 years have passed since the discovery of his amazing tomb,” says Dr. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. “We reveal parts of the mystery, but the mystery still remains.”

More than 50 artifacts are from King Tut’s tomb, first unearthed by British explorer Howard Carter. The exhibit features four galleries that correspond to the layout of Tut’s tomb and also includes information on the latest in scientific research on Tut, the role of pharaohs in Egyptian society and what kingship meant to the Egyptian people.

The exhibit isn’t cheap, but I think you’ll find it to be worth the money. After all, it’s not every day you can see a pair of sandals several thousand years old or jewelry that makes you stop and think, Now how in the world did they make that back then?
Admission Monday through Thursday is $25 adults, $23 for seniors 60 and older.

Admission Friday through Sunday is $30 adults, $27.50 for seniors. Kids 2-17 on any day are $15. A guided audio tour is available for an additional charge.

The exhibit runs until Oct. 25 and has special hours, so check before you go. Call (877) 888-8587 or log on www.kingtut.org for tickets.

by Laura Kruty

Consider it Transformers on steroids. Movie Review

In the sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, just about everything is pumped up — the action, the number of Autobots and Decepticons, the jokes and the eye-candy for the guys who can’t seem to get enough of Megan Fox.

If you’re one of those people who don’t buy into the idea that less is more, you’ll enjoy the sensory overload delivered by director Michael Bay.

In Revenge of the Fallen, two years have passed since Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and the Autobots have saved the human race from the invading Decepticons.

Life seems to be getting back to normal for Sam as he heads off to college for the first time. However, things change pretty quickly as he realizes that the battle between the Autobots and the Transformers — who are now trying to anonymously co-exist with humans on earth — is far from over.

The Autobots, who are partnering with the military of a secret team called NEST, spend most of their time tracking down the remaining Decepticons hiding among them on earth.

Though this battle between good and evil robots lends itself to a few interesting fight scenes, a more sinister Decepticon plot is unveiling itself with Sam as the prime target.

At the same time that the Decepticons are preparing to wage an all-out war in an effort to destroy earth, a few government officials have decided that the Autobots are too dangerous to live among humans. One in particular makes it his personal mission to drive them out of town.

Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, agrees to leave but issues a warning that our planet wouldn’t have what it takes to defend itself against the Decepticons.
The film starts off with plenty of lighthearted comedy relief, delivered by some unlikely characters, including Sam’s mother (Julie White), and then quickly transforms (pun definitely intended) with a heavy dose of robotic battles.

With more actors and robots, Revenge of the Fallen can get a bit overwhelming at times. Even so, the introduction of Ramon Rodriguez as Sam’s roommate Leo and the return of National Security Advisor Theodore Galloway (John Benjamin Hickey) provide a nice balance to the cast of characters on the run from the Decepticons.

And, of course, male moviegoers can expect to get enjoy plenty of scenes with Megan Fox who gets some competition from a blonde co-ed (Isabel Lucas) who obviously has a thing for Sam.

If you’re into over-the-top action, a slew of fighting robots and a parade of college students who could double as runway models, check out Revenge of the Fallen.

by Shari Finnell

Phantastically Phish A Night with Phish @ Verizon Wireless

by Lindsay and Nick Eichelman

Lindsay and her brother
Nick @ a show

For the Phish faithful, Friday, June 19 was a much anticipated night in Indianapolis. Temperatures topping out near 90 degrees did not deter tailgaters who gathered in the packed parking lots at Verizon Wireless Music Center prior to the venue gates opening. Many fans we visited with traveled from Illinois and Wisconsin to enjoy the show in Indianapolis, and many had plans venture to the two day stint at Alpine Valley Music Center in East Troy, Wisc., that wrapped up Phish’s 2009 Summer Tour. Vendors lined the sidewalk leading into the main gate and sold everything from the ever-favorite $1 grilled cheese to tie-dyed attire. The pre-concert festivities were a fun highlight for fans.

Once inside, the sold out crowd energized and prepared to jam as the sun started to set and ominous clouds gathered in the west. The band made their way onstage a little after 8 p.m. and began their first set with a somewhat mellow “Backwards Down the Number Line.” The crowd quickly erupted when the band broke into the first few chords of the second song “AC/DC Bag” and didn’t stop dancing until the first set ended with a rousing rendition of “Fluff Head,” complete with a sky full of flying glow sticks timed perfectly to the chorus of the song. The band filled the intense first set with many crowd favorites, including “Split Open and Melt” and “Lawnboy.” Fans were treated to a first-time performance of “The Connection,” a new song presumably included on the upcoming studio album. The band had a palpable joy for blasting out their music as the first set ended around 10 p.m.

Shortly after the first set ended, looming clouds let forth nasty lightning and wind. Page McConnell, Phish’s keyboardist, quickly came on stage and announced the postponement of the concert and advised lawn dwellers to move to their cars, promising to start the second set around 11 p.m.

True to his promise, the band returned to the stage as the storm passed and began an amazing eight song second set. Elated fans began to dry out and ditch their rain gear after the long walk to and from their vehicles. The glow sticks returned, and the reenergized crowd packed the lawn, dancing joyously in the aisles during the 35 minute jam including “Tweezer,” “2001,” a rare “Suzy Greenberg” and “Possum” which rounded out the second set. The encore began with a humorous and light “Sleeping Monkey,” followed immediately by the “Tweezer Reprise”. As the band fell into the reprise, they seemed truly in tune with the music as the sky once again opened up and the lightening flashed in conjunction with the beat of the song. While fans left the venue soaking wet departing later than anticipated, no one complained. The faithful Phishheads were simply glad the band was back on tour and happy to have witnessed such an amazing show. And for this brother-sister duo, our first official Phish show was even more amazing than either of us anticipated!

Grateful Dead Symphony Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO), which is now one of 17 nation-wide full time symphonies, began the concert series by launching into “Cuban Overture” composed by George Gershwin. Gershwin originally composed the piece after taking a two-week vacation to Cuba. Instead of bringing back a Cuban cigar for his fellow Americans, his composition seems to have brought back Cuba itself. The trumpet rang out and was highlighted both by Gershwin and mere talent.

The wind instruments and the percussion section were highlighted in this piece, but any good musician also depends on both the acoustics and the ‘sound guy’. Unfortunately, the production sound kicked off to a rough start, but in the phenomenal oboe solo the trills made everyone think of perfection, not the sound guy. Interestingly enough, where most composers would give the solo to the first violinist, Gershwin gave incredible solos to the brass and wind sections. The first song left the audience wanting to do the rumba, the original first name for the piece.

Lucas Richman took advantage of the casual atmosphere of Symphony on the Prairie to speak with the audience. When introducing On the Town, by Leonard Bernstein, Richman commented on his excitement to conduct pieces by “American composers who understood the theatricality of music.”

On the Town is a musical that tells the story of three American sailors granted a 24-hour leave in New York City. As the oboe kicks off the movement, it becomes apparent that the sound guy finally pulled through. The bassoon was used for the swanky theme of the song. It was easy to visualize the Navy in ‘the town’. On the Town’s main theme was thrown back and forth between all of the instruments. Bernstein uses sliding notes that paint a very exaggerated picture of a woman’s swaying hips and throaty trumpets allude to a lounge-type scene.

Bernstein also mimics city sounds and translates them to music. The audience is transported into Times Square, and Bernstein leaves you there.

In “Overture to Candide” from Bernstein’s opera, Candide, he preys upon extremes. Candide, which is known to most people as a book by Voltaire, does prey upon the French cancan. Offenbach, the composer that was made famous for his burlesque-type pieces, rang through in parts of Candide’s overture. The song whips from cancan type dance music into a sweetly passionate, yet campy melody that would transport most audience members to a beautiful romance filled with innocence and sunshine. As the melody grows, ISO shows it by their crescendos and deep bow strokes. Then the wind instruments lead into a full orchestra melody. The music begins to once again crescendo with a presto tempo.

The ending is short – and perfect.

Looking at the audience, I could tell that most came to hear the last half of the performance, the Dead Symphony which was written by Lee Johnson who took some of Grateful Dead’s long pieces, improved on them, and took the most famous songs and made it into a symphony. Lucas Richman appeared in the second half with a wardrobe change, a tie-dye shirt – which was very fitting for both the audience and the music.

The Dead Symphony intertwined each movement with the next. The xylophone was made a central figure in the symphony reappearing throughout many of the movements. The Grateful Dead era came into play as a cello rang deeply with the strings lingering on. The haunting xylophone mixed with the harpsichord gave dissonance a new meaning. Dissonance, traditionally used in classical music where it would could later be resolved, left the audience to try to resolve the chords themselves, which was a refreshing surprise. Some of the ‘dead heads’ clapped when a familiar melody took center stage, but some of the traditionally classical music buffs were overhead saying, “What is going on?”

Even though a full orchestra was at hand, for part of one of the movements Lee Johnson metaphorically removes all of the orchestra except for a traditional quartet who pass along a melody to one another. In the last movement, Lee Johnson gives a musical quote to John Phillip Sousa, perhaps to draw a bridge between classical American music and classic rock.

Saturday, June 20
Lucas Richman, Conductor

By Tory Flynn

Travel; Chicago, IL The Field Museum’s “Real Pirates” exhibitmerges past with present

by Rebecca R. Bibbs

Looking for an educational day trip that gives you the feeling of having left the city without breaking the bank?

Consider taking your young buccaneers to see “Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship” at Chicago’s Field Museum. The Whydah is the first authenticated pirate ship found in U.S. waters.

The 8,400-squre-foot interactive touring exhibit organized by National Geographic and Arts and Exhibitions International may not be exactly what you’d think. Though it features a treasure chest filled with silver coins and other artifacts like eating utensils and weaponry, it doesn’t glamorize it in a swashbuckling Hollywood kind of way. Instead it’s a sobering, looking at the history of one ship from its days on the high seas in the 1700s to how the shipwreck was found in 1984 by underwater explorer Barry Clifford off the coast of Cape Cod, Mass.

This exhibit is a great piece of multicultural history that examines the lives of some of the crew, including Capt. Sam Bellamy; Hendrik Quintor a free man of Dutch and African descent; John Julian, an afro-amerindian born into Nicaragua’s mosquito tribe; and 11-year-old John King, the youngest known pirate aboard the ship. Built to transport slaves in what now is called the Middle Passage, the history of the Whydah brings into focus the realities of life in the Caribbean.

Though no women are featured, there is a section of the exhibit that explains that plenty of women were attracted to this lifestyle and often were more brutal than men.

“Real Pirates” continues through Oct. 25. Gold Pass tickets to Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship includes basic admission to the Museum and are priced at $23 for adults, $20 for seniors and students with ID, and $13 for children 3-11.

For information, visit www.fieldmuseum.org or call or call 866-FIELD-03.

‘Balloon Voyage’ carries guests back in time Conner Prairie

by Laura Kruty

Fun fact: The first manned airmail balloon flight took off in 1859 from none other than Lafayette, Ind.

Destined for New York City, the balloon, manned by John Wise, got caught in winds and instead landed in Crawfordsville. The mail then was delivered to New York by train.

In the spirit of the launch, which drew thousands that August day in Lafayette, Conner Prairie opened its 1859 Balloon Voyage exhibit June 6, allowing guests to step back in time –– and soar more than 350 feet above Indiana soil.

Guests can experience the excitement of Lafayette that day by taking in the sights and sounds of a recreated Lafayette streetscape, which includes Lafayette Drug Store, Dry Goods Store, Art Gallery and Print Shop and Lafayette Gas Works.

Visitors also can build, fill, launch, navigate and land a balloon –– all while fighting what Wise called “rivers of wind,” or the jet stream, in Flight School.

The main attraction, however, is the 105-foot-tall balloon, which is twice as large as your typical hot air balloon and takes up to 20 guests per 10- to 15-minute flight.

I was lucky in that the day I went up was clear and picture perfect. The ascent is smooth (although that didn’t stop me from keeping a firm grip on the rail), and it only takes a few minutes to reach your height.

Since it was so clear, we were able to see downtown Indianapolis, Keystone at the Crossing and the Pyramids at 86th Street and Michigan Road. Everything certainly takes on a whole new perspective as you look down on it from a few hundred feet in the air.

The balloon held pretty steady as we “floated” there — it remains anchored to the ground the whole time so any movement is minimal — but I still didn’t feel comfortable enough to walk around in the gondola.

In all, Balloon Voyage is a fun –– and unique –– attraction.

Balloon Voyage is open through November. The balloon only operates in safe weather conditions, so check www.connerprairie.org before your visit to make sure it’s running.

Tickets are $15 per person non-members and $12 per member. A $5 coupon is available at area BP am/pm locations.

Call (317) 776-6000 or log on www.connerprairie.org.

Travel, Nashville, TN Country music in the big city

by Rebecca R. Bibbs

If you love country/western and bluegrass music, Nashville, Tenn., is the place for you. As you plan your trip to the Music City, consider dropping by some of the following places:

You never know who
Bill Cody will have on his
WSM radio program.

> WSM Radio: Located in the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, this was the radio station that put country music on the map. If your timing is right, you just might catch personality Bill Cody interview one of your favorite country/western music stars.

> The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: Located on Nashville’s Music Row, the museum, originally located in a barn-shaped building, moved to it’s $37 million high-tech digs in 2001. Witness the history and view the artifacts of country music legends like the father of country music Jimmie Rodgers, the coal miner’s daughter Loretta Lynn and the legendary Williams family.

> Music City Walk of Fame: Similar to the Hollywood walk of Fame, this stretch between Fourth and Fifth Avenue South pays homage to entertainers like Vince Gilll, Reba McIntire and the Fisk Jubilee Singers.

Feel the history inside
RCA Studio B.

> RCA Studio B: Make it a point to visit the studio that brought you Roy Orbison, the Everly Brothers and Connie Smith. Feel the history as you sit at the piano where Elvis recorded his Grammy-nominated hit “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”

> Ernest Tubb Record Shop: Visit the store that put country/western into the hands of fans to be played over and again.

> Bluebird Café: Spend an evening listening to original country music, often by the songwriters behind the hits. If you think you’ve got what it takes, get onstage at the Monday night Open Mic or Sunday Writers’ Night.

> Ryman Auditorium: Take in a show at the “Carnegie of the South,” a former church that was the longest running home to the Grand Ole Opry until its move to its current site.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

> Grand Ole Opry: No visit to Nashville is complete without a trip to the newest home of the Grand Ole Opry. Take a backstage tour, where you’ll see the post boxes of Opry members like Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner’s dressing room and the circle of flooring removed from the stage of the Ryman Auditorium that is the Holy Grail of every country music hopeful. Enjoy the Opry Classics show, featuring country music legends like Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seeley and Jean Shepard or take in the Saturday night program, featuring superstars like Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley.

Travel, Nashville, TN The Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel & Convention Center epitomizes Southern hospitality and world-class opulence

by Andrew D. Smith

You never need to leave
the resort for scenic views.

The Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel and Convention Center should be prime destination for travelers seeking a relaxing, fun filled, enjoyable vacation, honeymoon or long weekend. Located in extraordinary Nashville, Tenn., the resort is conveniently located to numerous attractions including the Grand Ole Opry, The Country Music Hall of Fame, LP Stadium, the vibrant and active dining and nightlife of downtown Nashville, the airport, and numerous golf courses and other outdoor activities.

> Personal accommodations: This luxurious hotel, the flagship property of the Gaylord Hotels family, is a true resort. Starting with the nine acres of beautiful gardens, lush and dramatic waterfalls, a winding river and creative landscaping, a visitor could spend days simply enjoying the soothing and relaxing panorama of nature.

The hotel features 2,881 newly remodeled guest rooms, including 174 spectacular suites. Each room features high-speed wireless Internet access and two phones, including one cordless. If one desires to be treated to a truly memorable experience, stay in the Presidential Suite, with its dual master baths, dining/conference room and catering kitchen.

> Convention facilities: Seeking a world class convention experience? Look no further than the Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel and Convention Center. Offering more than 600,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, the property has not only the most plentiful and flexible meeting space of any Nashville hotel, it boasts the largest non-gaming, in-hotel exhibition space in the world.

Savor crabmeat eggs
benedict served at
Cascades Seafood
Restaurant.

> Restaurants: Enjoy a lavish Sunday brunch at Water’s Edge Marketplace Buffet, a sumptuous dinner at Cascades Seafood Restaurant or a mid-day snack at the more casual Stax.

> Spa and fitness: A trip to the 20,000 square foot spa and fitness center may just be what the doctor ordered after sampling the tasty creations of the Opryland resort’s 5 executive chefs.

> Activities: If working out isn’t your cup of tea, you can walk off your meal by shopping at one of 25 distinctive fashion and gift boutiques. After shopping, take a relaxing flatboat tours.

Enjoy a great view
from the balcony of one of
the resort’s nearly 3,000
newly remodeled guest rooms.

> Nightlife: If you’re looking for bright lights and dance music, look no further than Fuse, the resort’s hip new nightclub. Billed as a Las Vegas-style club, Fuse is the perfect place to wind down with an apple-tini. And with celebrities like Kim Kardashian or Kid Rock who have stopped by, you’ll never know who you’ll see.
The Opryland resort is very easy to navigate. Signs and helpful staff guide you throughout.

Numerous limousines, shuttle buses, taxi cabs, and other transportation are available to take a traveler off the resort.

A discerning traveler seeking convenience, choice and value may wish never to leave this stunning resort.