Mayne Stage announces Preview Series, June 3-12

Mayne Stage (1328 W. Morse Ave., Chicago; 773-381-4554) opens its doors to the public with a Preview Series beginning Thursday, June 3, running through Saturday, June 12. The line-up of talent for the series reflects the diverse entertainment planned for the room which includes jazz, blues, pop, classical and cabaret as well as comedy, theatrical and family programs.

The first artists to appear at Mayne Stage are Chicago cabaret performers Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael, Joan Curto, Paul Marinaro and Sue Conway with their musical evening, appropriately titled, The Best is Yet to Come. Showtime is 8 p.m. and the tickets are specially priced for this preview event at $10 for all seats.

The Preview Series includes Blues artist and singer-songwriter Jan James band in advance of the release of her newest CD, Ring Around the Moon. This high-energy evening of music is Friday, June 4 at 8 p.m. All tickets are specially priced at $10.

On Saturday, June 5 psychic entertainer Ross Johnson comes to Mayne Stage and, “… he knows what you’re thinking.” Joining Johnson for this unique evening of entertainment is Chicago vocalist Greta Pope. Showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets are $15.

The Jeannie Tanner Quartet brings jazz to Mayne Stage with special guest The Sandra Antongiorgi Trio on Friday, June 11. The music begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10.

Closing out the Preview Series on Saturday, June 12 is Liz Mandeville - Singer, Songwriter, Speaker, Shimmy Shaker & Red Hot Mama! With her "cut to the bone", original, Roots-inspired songs and sassy onstage patter, Liz injects any audience with an instant shot of fun. Joining Liz Mandeville & the Blue Points featuring Will Crosby are special guests Tail Dragger, Peter Struijk and Lance Cameron. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10.

Following this preview series, Mayne Stage welcomes the TBS Presents a “Very Funny” Festival: Just for Laughs June 17 – 20. Official show times can be found at www.justforlaughschicago.com.

A complete list of scheduled shows, additional information and tickets are available at www.maynestage.com. Please note that all shows are subject to change.

July’s scheduled performers include vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway July 2 and 3, Ron Hawking July 8-10, TJ & Dave on Friday, July 16, Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael’s That 60’s Show, on July 23, Mike Toomey’s TV& Me with special guest Ana Belaval from WGN-TV on Saturday, July 24. Additional shows are being announced weekly.

The beautiful 299-seat venue is unique in its flexibility and versatility. Mayne Stage offers attractive cabaret and theater style seating, comfortable booths on the mezzanine level as well as balcony seating – all with excellent sightlines. With its state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, nine-foot Steinway piano and intimate feel, Mayne Stage is an exceptional venue for a wide range of performance styles. Comfortable, beautifully lit, full-service bars on the main level and the mezzanine level complete the experience.

Mayne Stage has been designed as a unique, memorable space for both public performances and private events. The bar areas on both levels outside the main theater room are perfect for private receptions before and after performances. The flexibility of the seating area in the main room allows clients to customize the space for a myriad of events, from meetings to award celebrations, to themed social events, fundraisers and large personal celebrations and parties.

About Mayne Stage
Mayne Stage is located at 1328 W. Morse Ave. in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood. The new Mayne Stage showcases the hottest local and national musical acts, theatrical performances, comedy troupes and more. It is the ideal location for a variety of private events. For more information, or to see a list of upcoming shows, please call (773) 381-4554 or visit www.maynestage.com.

Kurman Communications Clients In The News

If you've ever tried to secure media placements, you know it isn't as easy as one may think. You need to think like a journalist, write like a journalist and provide timely, accurate information. You need to be tenacious. Behind what may appear to be luck is a lot of hard work. Over the past couple of weeks, we at Kurman Communications have secured a number of terrific stories for our clients. If you miss any of these articles, we're making it easy to catch-up on your reading.

Chicago French Market (131 N. Clinton St., Chicago; 312-575-0306) is a European-inspired market offering an array of local produce, meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheese and wine, chocolates, pastas, artisan-made goods, flowers and a seating area for customers. The Market has become a huge hit. Check out featured articles below:

• Watch and learn when NBC Chicago covers Chicago French Market.
• Farmer’s Markets are finally in season and Medill reports Chicago has nothing but good things to say about Chicago French Market.
• Sebastien Bensidoun gives background information about Chicago French Market in Today’s Chicago Woman.

This summer, U.S. Equities Asset Management works with three local farmers and Illinois Tollway to create a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) which brings seasonal, local produce to its customers. CSA programs traditionally drop off produce for residents in dense urban neighborhoods but are expanding to serve suburban communities. People who sign up for the CSA program can pick up their produce from Illinois Tollway Oases.

The deadline to sign up for fresh produce is today.

• Local First Chicago interviews Sundee Wislow about making produce sustainable.
• Northwest Indiana Times talks details about Community Supported Agriculture at the Oases.
• Rockford Register Star explains how to pick up your produce on the way home.
• Shore Magazine tells readers how they can support local farmers.
• Get Healthy Magazine informs readers why eating healthy has never been so convenient.
• The Examiner lets people know where to get produce.
• Chicago Now tells readers when the Community Supported Agriculture will arrive at Oases.

For a complete list of participating oases or more information press here.

With Act One Café (1330 W. Morse Ave., Chicago; 773-381-4550) now open and Mayne Stage (1328 W. Morse Ave., Chicago; 773-381-4551) opening soon, the Rogers Park neighborhood is excited to tour its newest entertainment venue and restaurant.

To get a closer look, press on one of the following articles:

• Thrillist thrills its readers with what to expect with the opening of Mayne Stage and Act One Café.
• Find out what chef will be performing- in the kitchen that is- at Act One Café with TimeOut Chicago.
• Metromix makes your mouth water when it talks about some of Act One Café’s contemporary American entrées.
• Chicago Magazine Dish says what new venues to visit, including Act One Café.
• Daily Candy lists Act One Café as one of the must see diversions in Chicago.
• Tasting Table announces Act One Café’s opening.
• Grub Street serves up background information about Act One Café.

Guanajuato (73 Green Bay Rd., in Glencoe; 847-242-0909) is a contemporary Mexican restaurant opening next week. Read the preview article featured in Chicago Magazine's DISH: Check out what chef/co-owner Margarita Challenger has in store at Guanajuato.

If you're interested in reading more stories that have been reported on recently, go to the Kurman Clients In The News tab above or press here.

PRIDE Travel Receives Telly Award for Amazing Thailand Commercial, Marking Second Award

In announcing the winners of the 31st Annual Telly Awards, the Silver Council recognized PRIDE Travel with one of its highest awards, a bronze Telly Award, for the independent in-house. The commercial was produced in-house by PRIDE Travel's owner and CEO Marc R. Kassouf using only readily-available media tools found on a standard office PC. The original footage was provided by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and Mr. Kassouf initiated the project last year in order to promote the destination with a short commercial video at trade shows and events, and add it to other similar destination videos. "We're very excited that PRIDE Travel has won a Telly for the Amazing Thailand commercial" said Kassouf, adding "this makes the second major creative industries award that the video has won, including a Gold Davey Award last year. The Amazing Thailand commercial is available for online viewing on YouTube.

Both Kassouf and S. Nathan DePetris, PRIDE Travel's co-owner and Chief Operations Officer are certified Thailand Golden Agents, having completed the official training and accreditation program set by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Mr. Kassouf and Mr. DePetris have traveled to Thailand, most recently in March 2010 to Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Ko Chang and Pattaya by invitation of the Thai government. For three decades, the Telly Awards statuette has been a symbol of creative excellence in the audio visual medium, heralded by many in the industry as the pinnacle of achievement. The Telly Awards receives over 13,000 entries annually from the finest advertising agencies, production companies, TV stations, cable companies, and corporations in the world. Being selected for recognition is recognized as a remarkable achievement.

ABOUT THE TELLY AWARDS

The Telly Awards honor the very best local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and work created for the Web.Since 1978, the mission of the Telly Award's Silver Council's has been to strengthen the visual arts community by inspiring, promoting, and supporting creativity. Last year, the 30th Annual Telly Awards received over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents.The Silver Council is a membership based division of the Telly Awards. Members are top advertising and production professionals that have won a Silver Telly in the past, have applied for membership to the council and have been accepted, and comprise the judging panel for the Telly Awards.

View this press release on the web.

PRIDE Travel Continues Support Of Thailand Travel, Remembers Lessons Learned Last Year

PRIDE Travel, a full service travel agency focusing on the GLBT or Gay and Lesbian travel segment, announced it will continue to sell travel packages and customized individual travel to Thailand, even after recent escalation of violence between the government and opposition.

Two days before the news broke about escalating violence in Thailand's capital city of Bangkok, PRIDE Travel owner Marc R. Kassouf was putting the finishing touches on a premier ad to launch the new marketing campaign in San Francisco's theatre district. By many accounts, a resolution to mounting tension was being reached in negotiations with incumbent government officials and the demonstrating "Red Shirt Army" opposition movement. The advertisement, a full color page featuring a Thailand Gay Group with multiple departures throughout the end of 2010 and beyond, was to be PRIDE Travel's debut into the San Francisco market in print advertising and is slated to run for four weeks in May and June. What better product to feature, thought Kassouf, than a customizable program to the Land of Smiles, where warm gracious hospitality sets the bar for the world to follow, and a destination that has been welcoming the gay traveler warmly for decades. But, when the news two days later reported the death and purported assassination of one of the opposition movement's key figure, PRIDE Travel's management was faced with several difficult decisions.

"We resisted the knee-jerk reaction to immediately pull the plug on the ad and replace the featured destination or product; this was supposed to be the flagship launch product in a series of products highlighting unique offerings from our agency, and it was a difficult decision with much discussion and debate," Kassouf said. "In the end," he continued, "we looked back at the media fiasco last year surrounding the multiple challenges Mexico faced, first with the H1N1 virus, which later proved more pervasive and widespread in our own backyard in California than anywhere it ever was in Mexico, and later with the border violence that crippled tourism in the beach and resort communities hundreds of miles away where traveler safety was never at risk."

PRIDE Travel's Chief Operations Officer, S. Nathan DePetris stressed that while the easy decision t may have been to "pull out" or abandon destinations facing challenges or burdens, such as was the case with Mexico, the consequences for the industry and consumers is anything but easy. He points out that Mexico's tourism and economy suffered greatly, with tens of thousands of jobs lost and months if not years of setback to the growth of the tourism sector caused by agents, consumers and tour operators diverting away from Mexico. "In the end, the traveler also suffers because he either cancels or postpones his trip altogether, or accepts a more expensive alternative that delivers less value... no one wins." DePetris further states that the tra vel industry and travelers alike have a social and moral obligation to destinations such as Mexico and Thailand to not abandon those that have been such welcoming hosts to our travelers for so many years at the first signs of trouble. "Of course, our client's safety is always a primary concern," he says. "That doesn't mean we panic or presume that troubles in the capital make the entire country inaccessible..." As an examples, DePetris points to Chiang Mai in the north which is a major international airport for clients wishing to fly direct and avoid Bangkok, and many international carriers such as China Airlines and others that fly connecting flights into most all of Thailand's tourism destinations from neighboring countries.

Additionally, PRIDE Travel has always been an advocate of highly recommending travel insurance to its clients. The agency offers many reasonably-priced options including a 90% minimum cash 'Cancel for Any Reason' policy that covers literally any reason. Travel insurance has become a much talked about necessity in the aftermath of the Icelandic volcano eruption that left thousands of travelers stranded for days on end in airports worldwide in an unprecedented disruption of air traffic. This underlines the reality that no matter the destination, travel involves an unknown quantity of risk, most of which can be mitigated. Through PRIDE Travel, insurance products offered, all of which provide excellent basic and comprehensive coverages, average a surprisingly low 4-7% of the total cost of the vacation.

In closing, Mr. Kassouf offered: "Our obligation is to also provide all the information and options to our clients, including alternatives that adjust, not just eliminate, travel to destinations that are facing challenges, with the hope that by continuing to support them, we are in fact hastening their recovery."

Both Kassouf and DePetris are certified Thailand Golden Agents. They have traveled to Thailand, most recently in March 2010 during the onset of peaceful, although inconvenient, demonstrations that jostled Bangkok's traffic congestion, and to Chiang Mai, Ko Chang and Pattaya. Kassouf and DePetris have won numerous industry awards, including two awards for the promotional video commercial "Amazing Thailand", a project started in 2008 that produce d a short video which has garnered both a Gold Davey Award in 2009 and a Bronze Telly Award in 2010 for its creativity and originality. The Amazing Thailand commercial is available for online viewing on YouTube.

View this press release on the web.