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Theatre Getaways will not be closing its doors after
all!
After this fall’s announcement that I
would no longer be organizing theatre tours, I received many
wonderful cards, notes, e-mails and phone calls expressing
sadness, appreciation and despair. Now the clouds have lifted
and hope is not lost for all of you theatre-lovers. You will
still have an opportunity to get to Chicago and enjoy theatrical
productions. Effective July 1, 2008, Theatre Getaways will be
partnering with VanGalder Tour and Travel in Janesville to
continue the first class theatre-related travel that has been
the standard for Theatre Getaways for the last 18 years. Loren
will still be doing the planning and personally escorting of all
the Theatre Getaways tours, but under the corporate umbrella of
Coach USA.
What will remain the same:
-
Loren will always be the tour escort for any Theatre Getaways
tours.
- We will continue to offer orchestra (main floor)
theatre seats.
- We will still enjoy fine dining at new
restaurants (always with dessert!)
- Van Galder Coach USA
buses will continue to provide the transportation.
- All
taxes and gratuities will continue to be included.
- The
Theatre Getaways website will remain
up and running and have current tour information available.
- The Theatre Getaways website will continue to offer a complete
listing of all theatre productions in the area for your
information, with a link to the theatre’s website
-
Loren will still be available by phone and email to answer any
questions you may have about any tour or theatre production.
What will be different:
- Twice a year you
will receive full tour brochures published by Van Galder Tour
and Travel with a special Theatre Getaways section inside. You
will also receive a biannual newsletter from Van Galder.
-
All reservations, payments and confirmations will be handled by
the VanGalder Tour and Travel office in Janesville.
-
Instead of by mail, orders for Theatre Getaways departures on
July 1, 2008 and beyond will be made via telephone, the Internet
(a link will be provided from Theatre Getaway website to the Van
Galder’s site) or in person at the Janesville Van Galder
Tour and Travel office.
- MasterCard, Visa, and Discover
credit cards will also be valid forms of payment for tour
departures after July 1, 2008.
- Payments for one-day tours
must be paid in full within seven days of placing the order.
- Full refunds will be granted for one-day tours if the
cancellation is received by Van Galder at least 30 days before
the event. Between 30 days prior to the event and up to 24
hours before the trip you can receive a 50% refund.
- You will receive a written invoice from Van
Galder after payment has been received. This confirmation will
include bus loading times and location. You will need to check
this invoice and mark your calendars carefully, since you will
not receive another bus loading reminder before the tour
departs.
- Bus loading locations will be as follows:
Madison WI - Shopko South Towne Mall, 2101 Broadway Lot
“G”
Janesville WI - Van Galder Bus Lot, 715 South
Pearl Street
Beloit WI - EconoLodge/Country Kitchen 2956
Milwaukee Road
Rockford IL - Holiday Inn 7550 East State
Street
NOTE: After July 1, 2008 the Beloit pickup location
will no longer be the Wal-Mart parking lot.
What you
need to do now:
- You need to e-mail me
(lorensass@mac.com) or phone me (608-365-0235) or send me a
letter (2370 Cobblestone Lane Beloit WI 53511) letting me know
that you want to continue to remain on the mailing list and
receive future mailings.
- If you do not wish to receive
any future tour information, do nothing. I will not turn your
name and address over to Van Galder Tour and Travel without your
permission.
- Van Galder Tour and Travel does not sell
their mailing list to anyone else, so you will not be flooded
with junk mail. They only do four mailings a year.
- If you
send me your e-mail address, I will also put you on a separate
Theatre Getaways e-mail list and I will periodically send
announcements of new tours via e-mail. Since VanGalder Tour and
Travel deletes names from their mailing list if someone has not
traveled with them within 3 years, my e-mail notification may be
the only way for you to continue receiving theatre tour
information for the long run.
I am very excited that
the opportunity to continue to do what I love has been made
available to me. Please respond as soon as possible so the
transition can begin. Remember, the transition date is July 1,
2008. My previously announced tours through June 2008 will be
still handled completely by me. I am looking forward to seeing
many of you on the bus sometime soon.
THE REMAINING TOURS FOR THEATRE GETAWAYS:
Check the CURRENT TOURS page for details.
The Spitfire Grill - Skylight Theatre Milwaukee - Sunday,
June 8, 2008 (Our final independent tour!)
FOLLOWING ARE TOURS I WILL BE CONDUCTING WITH VANGALDER TOUR AND TRAVEL.
Dirty Dancing - Chicago Palace Theatre - Saturday, October 4, 2008
Mary Poppins - Chicago Cadillac Palace Theatre
Saturdays March 28, April 4, April 25, and May 16, 2009
All Shook Up - Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre - Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008
Mame - Drury Lane Oakbrook - Sunday, December 7, 2008
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