A Little Something Extra

The month of May in Indianapolis...what can I say.  Thousands of gearheads, casual fans and a slew of out-of-towners descend upon our city for the greatest spectacle in racing. 

And so do the journalists.

It's the media folk who interest me the most. I especially enjoy those who have never been to Indianapolis before.  Or the ones who haven't been here in 10-20 years.  After touring Indy, they usually say to me:   "I had no idea Indy had culture."

[Yes, we aren't just hoops, open-wheel racing and a Super Bowl team Mr. Broadcaster.]

I had the chance to make this point last weekend on "Rudy Maxa's World"--an hour-long radio call-in show on the CBS all-talk station in Los Angeles.  Rudy's show is broadcast on more than 95 stations coast to coast every Saturday morning.  This time, he hosted his show from the Indianapolis 500 racetrack.



Before my interview, Rudy (middle) and his co-host Chris (in the pink) had a lineup of interviews with all sorts of city representatives.  Racing was definitely a hot topic.  When my turn arrived, I was there to tell his listeners that Indy had some more to add to the sports formula. 

So the next question for me was..."What does Indy offer by way of arts and culture?"

[Gimme that microphone]








Of course, I started with the finest musical traditions in this city, Marsh Symphony on the Prairie.








 









And the ISO, one of only 17 full-time orchestras in the country...


















And the IMA, the fifth largest general art museum in the nation.

And the Indiana Repertory Theatre, the very best in professional theatre.

And my daughters would hate me if I forgot the Indianapolis Zoo, with its renowned Dolphin Pavilion and animal conservation efforts.

Oh, and White River State Park, home to the Central Canal, Eiteljorg Museum, Indiana State Museum, NCAA Hall of Champions and public sculpture.

And...

I ran out of time.  A 15-min. radio interview goes too fast.  I needed an hour to get through what Indy's cultural community has to offer.  I'll pick up where I left off for next year's radio show (Hey Rudy...would love an invitation to return).