WHEELS UP // Travel Top Ten // 8 7 Iconic Show Places These grand venues around the world are as dazzling as their performances. If you can t take in a show, try a tour. 10 1 | Radio City Music Hall // New York City The Showplace of the Nation opened to the public in December 1932 and has been hosting concerts, Christmas spectaculars and awards shows ever since. Check out the Stage Door Tour for the ultimate backstage experience and meet one of the legendary Rockettes. radiocity.com 2 | Sydney Opera House // Sydney T he design by Danish architect J rn Utzon pushed the boundaries of creativity and engineering, and won him the coveted Pritzker Prize. The structure a grand concert hall, four theaters and several multipurpose venues put Sydney on the map forever. sydneyoperahouse.com 3 | Palais Garnier // Paris The grand setting of The Phantom of the Opera , the magnificent 2,200-seat opera house is regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time. Its breathtaking interior is lined with chandeliers hanging from golden ceilings painted by Chagall. operadeparis.fr 4 | Colosseum // Rome The site of gladiator games, public spectacles, a fortress and even a Christian shrine, the Colosseum was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. It is no longer able to host large events, but performers such as Paul McCartney and Elton John have played large concerts there. Opening to much fanfare on May 8, 1926, the theater presented the latest films and hosted lavish stage shows (imagine turbaned ushers). The Three Stooges, Judy Garland and Gracie Allen are among the many stars who have graced the Oriental s stage. broadwayinchicago.com 5 | Oriental Theatre // Chicago 7 | Grauman s Chinese Theatre // Hollywood The theater, which opened in May 1927, is best known for the nearly 200 celebrity handprints, footprints and autographs in its courtyard. Many stories exist about the origins of the practice, but the official line is that actress Norma Talmadge accidentally stepped in wet concrete there. manntheatres.com/chinese 8 | Concertgebouw // Amsterdam At the inaugural concert on April 11, 1888, 120 musicians and 500 singers performed works by Handel, Bach and Beethoven. Today, more than 650 shows take place 10 | Globe Theatre // London The original Globe Theatre was built in 1599 by Lord Chamberlain s Men, Shakespeare s playing company. It was destroyed by a fire in 1613, and since then several reproductions have been built including this modern reconstruction. shakespeares-globe.org More great travel destinations at deltaskymag.com Must Haves // Breeze Through Security In Style S H tay Organized // Forget about fumbling with your boarding pass, printed travel documents and ID. Smythson of Bond Street s Slim Travel Wallet keeps your itineraries, passports, hotel con rmations and business cards all in one sleek (and chic) spot. $530, smythson.com H Carry On // New Web retailer H Slip On // Collaborating with PUMA, designer Hussein Chalayan has helped create the perfect travel shoe. Successfully bridging fashion and comfort, the Urban Flyer Fold features a fold-down suede heel perfect for slipping on and off in frantic security lines. $150, puma.com 3 oz offers grooming products perfectly sized for travel. Globetrotters can choose from among their favorites (The Art of Shaving, Caudalie, Moroccanoil), and the curious can sample before splurging on the full-sized. 3 oz.com 22 March 2010 deltaskymag.com pg 18-2.indd 6 2/4/10 9:49:43 AM PHOTOS: (CONCERTGEBOUW) L. LAMMERTINK/AMSTERDAM TOERISME & CONGRES BUREAU; (GRAUMAN S) NADINE MARKOVA/LAVBC; (GLOBE) JOHN TRAMPER; (SHOE) IAN NOLAN. 6 | Tampa Theatre // Tampa The Tampa Theatre opened on October 15, 1926, and was the first commercial building in Tampa to offer air conditioning. Inside, patrons are transported to a lavish, romantic Mediterranean courtyard complete with old-world statuary and twinkling stars and clouds floating overhead. tampatheatre.org per year, making it the second most-visited concert hall in the world. concertgebouw.nl 9 | Teatro Col n // Buenos Aires Under construction for 18 years, Teatro Col n finally opened in 1908 with a performance of Verdi s Aida and has since gone on to host greats such as Igor Stravinsky, Arturo Toscanini and Luciano Pavarotti. It s currently being overhauled and will open in May. teatrocolon.org.ar