SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs resident Jeff Methven was recently honored with the Top Workplaces 2025 Leadership Award for large employers.
Methven is president and CEO of St. Mary’s Healthcare in Amsterdam. He is the first leader of a Capital Region acute care hospital to earn this distinction in the 14 years since the Times Union launched the Top Workplace recognition program.
Before joining St. Mary’s, Methven served as executive vice president at Saratoga Hospital in Saratoga Springs. A graduate of Le Moyne College in Syracuse, Methven has an Executive Master of Business Administration degree from the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester.
MILL SPRING, NORTH CAROLINA — The Skidmore College riding team finished 5th in the closely-contested Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) National Championship in North Carolina last weekend.
Overall, the Thoroughbreds finished with 33 team points, only 4 shy of first-place Purdue. Heading into the final day of competition at the three-day tournament, Skidmore was in a three-way tie for second place.
Among various individual achievements at the tournament, junior Bevin Dean won the Individual Introductory Equitation, senior Charlotte Lyon won Limit Equitation Over Fences, sophomore Isa Jensen placed third in the Intermediate Equitation Over Fences Team competition, and sophomore Stella Allen earned a third-place finish in the Team Novice Equitation.
The Thoroughbreds have won a total of 9 IHSA National Championships, most recently in 2023.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Academy for Lifelong Learning is offering a 2-session freshwater fishing course on May 30 and June 6, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus (50 Pine Road in Saratoga Springs). Registration is open to everyone.
The presenter, Captain Jim Mason, is a New York State fishing guide, YouTube fisherman (Jimjam Fishing YouTube channel), and fishing facts writer. He’ll be offering tips and tricks with live demonstrations and hands-on videos.
For more information or to fill out a registration form, visit www.allsaratoga.org.
Photo of Skidmore lacrosse player Mike Aiello via Matt Milless/Skidmore Athletics.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Skidmore College freshman Mike Aiello has been named the Liberty League Men’s Lacrosse Rookie of the Year, making him the first Thoroughbred recipient of that award since 2009. He also received All-Liberty League Honorable Mention.
Aiello finished the season with a team-high 35 goals and 46 points, ranking fourth in the Liberty League in goals per game (2.33) and second in shots per game (8.93). He also had 10 multi-goal games and scored at least once in each of his first 14 contests.
Other Skidmore lacrosse honorees included David Koffler, who was voted to the All-Liberty League Second Team, and All-Liberty League Honorable Mentions Marty McFadden and Michael Dearborn.
Koffler played in and started all 15 games this season, scoring 14 goals and six assists for a career-best 20 points. He also scooped up 28 ground balls and caused four turnovers. Additionally, he finished with 60 shots (31 shots on goal) and had a game-winning goal against New Paltz.
McFadden finished third in the Liberty League averaging 1.86 caused turnovers per game. He also scored three goals and had an assist for a career-best four points.
Dearborn ranked second in the Liberty League, averaging 1.93 caused turnovers per game. He finished his debut season for Skidmore recording a team-high 29 caused turnovers.
SCHUYLERVILLE — Amateur Photographers are invited to submit their images to the Photography Exhibit at the Schuylerville Garden Club’s Annual Standard Flower Show.
The show entitled “Once Upon A Time” will be held on July 12 and July 13 at the Town Hall in Schuylerville.
The photography section is entitled “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall”. The classes are as follows:
Class 1 “Dreamland” – A Woodland Landscape
Class 2 “Nymphs” – Close-up of a Plant, Flower or Insect
Class 3 “Cast A Spell” – A Garden Scene
All photos should be the work of the exhibitor. Photos should be 8 x 10 inches with a white 11×14 inch mat. Photos must be pre-registered. For details and an entry form, visit www.schuylervillegardenclub.org or call Nancy Derway, Photography Chairman at 518-796-4797 campderway@yahoo.com.
In addition to the Photo Exhibit, the show will include Horticulture, Floral Design and Artistic Crafts Competition classes, plant, glove and bake sales, a benefit table with prizes and special exhibits. Refreshments and admission to the show will be free.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Home Made Theater will hold open auditions for their July production of the Tony Award-winning musical 1776, with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards, and book by Peter Stone. This production will be directed by Michael Gatzendorfer.
The auditions will be held on Monday, May 12 and Tuesday, May 13, starting at 6 p.m. at Home Made Theater’s headquarters at the Wilton Mall. Callbacks (by invitation only) will be held on Wednesday, May 14.
The primary cast consists of 24 adult men, and two adult women. While the goal is to primarily cast men in the leading historically male roles, HMT is considering women for the many roles traditionally played by men. Women interested in auditioning for these roles should be prepared to portray male characters. All ethnicities and gender identities are encouraged to audition.
For the audition: bring a current photo (cannot be returned), a resume (if available) and a list of conflicts for all rehearsal dates. Except for Tech Week and performances, conflicts can be worked around if known in advance. Prepare a 16-32 bar cut of a modern musical theatre song. An accompanist will be provided. Be prepared to read one of the monologues that will be provided.
Rehearsals will be Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays from 6-9 p.m. starting May 21; there may be some Sunday rehearsals as well (TBD). Tech week starts on Sunday, July 13. All rehearsals except for Tech Week will be held at Home Made Theater’s Wilton Mall headquarters.
Performances are weekends July 18-27. There will be performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sunday afternoons. For more information, go to: www.homemadetheater.org.
ALBANY — Saratoga Soundtrack Chorus won second place in Division A (small chorus containing 12-25 singing members) and placed fifth overall at the Greater New York/New Jersey Region 15 Annual Convention and Competition, Sweet Adelines International, recently held in Albany.
Twenty-two accomplished singers under the direction of Jennifer Hunter took to the stage to compete in four-part Barbershop style. The chorus performed a musical package exploring different aspects of finding and losing love, including “This Could Be the Start of Something Big,” and “From the First Hello to the Last Goodbye.”
Saratoga Soundtrack Chorus is an award-winning women’s a cappella group, singing four-part harmony. They perform everything from classics and jazz to ballads and contemporary songs. The chorus has been entertaining since 2008.
The Chorus rehearses at 7 p.m. Monday nights at the Knights of Columbus on Pine Rd. in Saratoga Springs. To learn more or if you have interest in auditioning to become a member, go to: https://www.saratogasoundtrack.org.
“The Dukes of Funnytown!” comes to the Palace Theatre in December.
ALBANY — Steve Martin and Martin Short’s show, “The Dukes of Funnytown!” will stage at the Palace Theatre in Albany on Dec. 4.
Martin and Short’s chemistry and timing on stage reflects a friendship forged over three decades which developed when they met for the first time on the set of the 1986 film “Three Amigos.” These two titans of comedy have been touring together since 2015, when they launched their first live show entitled “A Very Stupid Conversation.”
Special guests include Jeff Babko & the Steep Canyon Rangers.
Tickets via Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available for purchase at the Palace Theatre Box Office.
WASHINGTON COUNTY — Art lovers and curious explorers alike are invited to spend a weekend discovering the creative spirit of Washington County. The seventh annual Artisan Trails in Washington County will be held on Saturday and Sunday, July 12 -13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This self-guided tour features open studios and pop-up artist fairs across the county, where visitors can enjoy live demonstrations, plein air painting, hands-on workshops, and a wide variety of artwork available for purchase.
Hosted by the non-profit Artisan Trails in Washington County, the event celebrates the region’s vibrant creative community and highlights the rich history, scenic landscapes, and diverse handmade traditions found throughout the area.
Visitors will be guided to each site via maps both online and on paper, along with roadside signs. The tour typically includes studios of painters, textile artists, metal sculpturers, stained glass artists, photographers, potters, furniture makers, beekeepers, blacksmiths, farms, cider houses, breweries, and more. The event itself is free and open to the public.
The application deadline for participating artists is June 1. More information and registration are available at www.artisan-trails.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — This season at Universal Preservation Hall, Shakespeare, strings, and a Broadway star are each taking center stage in the venue’s lineup of performances.
“Antonio, or What I Would” will be in the Great Hall 8 p.m. Saturday, May 31 and 3 p.m. Sunday, June 1. The production takes a firmly gay stance on Shakespeare’s favorite pirate. It’s the closing performance of a somewhat successful outdoor production of “Twelfth Night,” and the actor playing Antonio finds himself asking, “What happened here?” as the queerness of both his character and his own identity is relegated to stage left. “Antonio, or What I Would” was developed at the Play on Labs with Troy Foundry Theatre in 2024.
Long before “Bridgerton” broke the Netflix algorithm, Vitamin String Quartet had helped establish classical crossover as a genuine force in contemporary music. They will be in the Great Hall 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9. On their latest tour, VSQ has created fresh arrangements of the cultural phenomenon that is Taylor Swift, performing spellbinding and innovative renditions of Swift’s music alongside familiar hits from Billie Eilish, BTS, “Bridgerton,” The Weekend, and Daft Punk.
The first show in the Great Hall announced for 2026 is Matthew Morrison: Rhythms & Revelations 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 5. Matthew Morrison, known for his standout role as Will Schuester on “Glee,” is a dynamic performer whose charisma and versatility have captivated audiences for years. With a background in musical theatre, Morrison effortlessly blends his impressive vocal talents with a strong acting presence, bringing depth and charm to his performances.
Tickets are on sale through the Box Office at Proctors in person, via phone at 518-346-6204 Tuesday- Saturday 12-6 p.m. or online by visiting atuph.org. Groups of 10 or more can get the group discount by calling 518-382-3884 x 139.
