“Staycation” is the refrain this summer, as economic conditions appear to be keeping more people close to home,” reports The New York Times. “There was a time when a drive a short distance from home might not have qualified as vacation. The traditional view was that a real getaway meant getting as far away from home as possible. But who takes that point of view now?”
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s new 12,000-seat state-of-the-art facility Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre is located in Alpharetta, Georgia, just twenty miles north of midtown Atlanta easily accessible via Highway #400. This one-day musical vacation is available from many parts of the South with just one trip to the filling station i.e. one tank of gas.
This weekend, Music Director Robert Spano leads the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in an “Evening of Romance” on Friday, August 8, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. as part of the inaugural season at the new Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, the orchestra’s new summer home in Alpharetta.
The August 8th program includes Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade” and Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 3” with soloist Garrick Ohlsson, the first American to win top prize in the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition.
During the evening, the symphony keeps up their tradition of introducing members of the audience to members of the ASO with an evening-long, on-site simulcast of the concert on large, enhanced video screens, visible on either side of the stage. The live feed features a pre-concert introduction, live intermission interviews, and behind-the-scenes close-ups.
The venue’s food is fashioned to match the theme of the music. Ovations, the on-site caterer for Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, offers a romantic candlelight cuisine to harmonize with the “Evening of Romance” concert.
Concertgoers may pre-order a picnic basket (for two) of Marinated Chicken on a Wild Rice Kiev Salad, Russian Teacakes, Strawberry Romanoff Shortcake or Fruit & Cheese Skewers.
Those with box seating and/or admission to the VIP Cadillac Club may choose Parmesan Scallops with Angel Hair Pasta or Filet of Beef Medallions.
Future ASO classical performances at the new venue include the “Turner Classic Movie Evening” with host Robert Osborne on Saturday, August 16th.
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