Cleveland Calling: Cultural Immersion

Crave a theater weekend with a side of world-class art and music? Search and click a flight for Cleveland. Savvy travelers will take note of the city's friendly and affordable Midwestern sensibilities while taking advantage of cultural institutions that draw global recognition. Here are a few to fill a long weekend - or maybe more - on America's North Coast.

Circling the Oval
University Circle on Cleveland's East Side is where most culture vultures start, all plotted around pastoral Wade Oval. The Cleveland Museum of Art - (that august institution that was a community partner during Gay Games 9 and whose current Director, William M. Griswold, PhD. moved to Cleveland with his long-time partner) is one of the country's top art museums. That's because it's a connoisseur collection containing first-rate acquisitions across genres.

Don't miss the current blockbuster "Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse" - an extravaganza of Impressionists and their progeny painting 19th and 20th century gardens. This 107-painting exhibit includes works by Manet, Renoir, van Gogh, Munch, Kandinsky, Matisse and others. The highlight is Monet's rarely seen "Water Lilies (Agapanthus)" triptych depicting the artist's water garden at Giverny. The exhibition runs through January 5, 2016, and Cleveland is the only American stop. If you miss it, save your shillings to ring up London: the only other venue is the Royal Academy of Art.

To get an overview of CMA's impressive permanent collection, check out Gallery One, where the Collection Wall turns visitors into curators. The Wall is a 40-foot interactive display of 3,500 works. It allows visitors to preview the collections, customize personal tours and share their discoveries. It's hypnotic, so don't forget the actual works reside there.

Circumnavigate the rest of University Circle then experience the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall. Considered one of the most beautiful settings for classical music, Severance Hall's whimsical ceiling was based on Elisabeth Severance's wedding dress. Upcoming programs include "Symphonic Dances" (which could be dubbed "Dances with Russians" due to a complete program of Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff), Schubert's "Great C-Major Symphony" and "Symphonie Fantastique."

Where to Stay Near University Circle
For convenient accommodations near the museums, try Glidden House, a French Gothic mansion built by the son of founder of Glidden Paint) or the meticulously restored Doubletree Tudor Arms. Don't miss their fabulous baronial ballrooms, which recently hosted the "Grand Party Extravaganza" marking the end of National Coming Out Week.

Good Eats
There are great choices throughout University Circle from Washington Place Bistro to Happy Dog at the Euclid Tavern (with dozens of frankfurter toppings) and Ninja City Kitchen and Bar for all things noodle.

For fun, fresh and casual head to Crop Kitchen where talented chefs Steve Schimoler and Matt Anderson serve up classic American comfort food as well as sushi. Catch "Thursday Tunes" for live music of all sorts. An accomplished drummer, Schimoler might even join the jam. For French bistro-style, check out L'Albatros Brasserie, one of prolific restaurateur Zack Bruell's popular dining venues. It has one of the city's prettiest patios and a cozy fireplace enclave.

Cleveland's Great Lighted Way
If you're looking for drama, unpack your bags at Playhouse Square - the country's largest performing arts center outside of New York - loccated downtown at East 14th Street and Euclid Avenue. You'll know you're there by the blazing chandelier that looms over the intersection. Playhouse Square boasts 10 performance areas that offer everything from the KeyBank Broadway Series to ballet, opera, jazz and special events.

The 2015-16 Broadway in CLE season includes hits such as "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (Nov. 3-15); "If/Then" (Feb. 9-28); "Beautiful: the Carole King Musical" (Feb. 3-15-be prepared to belt out "A Natural Woman" at this one) and "Steel Magnolias," the seminal work of gay playwright Robert Harling (May 21-Aug. 21).

This December, the Hanna Theater presents the North Coast Men's Chorus holiday concert, "NCMC Unwrapped." The Chorus is a community-based organization that affirms the gay experience via quality performances throughout the region. "Unwrapped" will get your glow on with tinsel, ribbons, songs and outrageous dances and costumes (two performances on Saturday, December 5 and a matinee on Sunday, December 6.) Seeking out NCMC's performances at multiple venues is worth it any time of year.

Where to Stay Near Playhouse Square
The Wyndham Cleveland is literally across Euclid Avenue from the theater complex and has a great bar for people watching. The Wyndham Hotel group is consistently recognized as one of the best places to work for the LGBT community by the Human Rights Campaign.

For LGBT-friendly accommodations in between University Circle and Playhouse Square, consider the InterContinental Cleveland. Its contemporary d�cor is the backdrop to the adjacent Cleveland Clinic's extensive art collection, and the global cuisine served at its Table 45 restaurant reflects the diverse clientele. InterContinental Cleveland is a member of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA.)

East 4th Street
Playhouse Square is within walking distance of the lively East 4th Street dining and entertainment district. Home to more than a dozen unique eateries, comedy clubs and bars; some highlights include Butcher and the Brewer where diners make new friends at communal tables; Chinato serves "Italian fusion;" and for the best Belgian-style frites on Lake Erie, go to The Greenhouse Tavern. For great urban views with your cocktails, climb up to the rooftop bar at Red, the Steakhouse around the corner on Prospect Avenue.

For patrons who like to linger through a second cup of coffee, Cowell & Hubbard is just steps away from the theaters. It's Zack Bruell's upscale eatery in a renovated building that once housed Cleveland's most venerable jeweler. The eclectic menu ranges from escargot to shrimp and grits. Before a show, reservations are a must.

So the next time your cost-conscious "culture vulture" dominates, remember it's Cleveland calling. Call them back.

For more information, visit www.thisiscleveland.com/arts and www.thisiscleveland.com/planning-tools/lgbt.