Author: Saratoga TODAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Trey Anastasio has announced he will return to the hometown of Phish collaborator Tony Markellis next month for three solo shows at SPAC. Markellis died on April 29.

Attendance will be limited to 30% of full capacity and all seating – including lawn – will be sold in “pods“ that range in size from 2 to 4 fans. Each group of seats must be purchased all together.

Concert goers will also need one of these: Proof of a negative antigen COVID-19 test taken within six hours of the event start time, or Proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the day of the event, or proof of vaccination. The type of vaccination proof required was not specified. For ticket information visit: trey.com/tour 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s flagship in-school program, “Classical Kids,” is set to return in a virtual format. 

Programs partnered with resident companies New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra will take place from May 10-28, and will reach more than 24,000 students and 55 elementary and middle schools in the greater Capital Region. 

New for this year, two engaging video performances that were curated exclusively for Capital Region students will be presented. All 24,000 students who participate in the program will then receive a SPAC Student Lawn Pass, which grants the student and an accompanying adult free lawn admission to all ballet and orchestra performances at SPAC until their projected year of graduation from High School.     

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused SPAC to innovate and reimagine many of our events and performances and our Classical Kids program is no exception. While we typically partner with our incredible local musicians and dance troupes, this year we had the unique opportunity to present ballet and classical music from our very own resident companies,” said Elizabeth Sobol, president & CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center, in a statement. 

The Classical Kids programs will feature excerpts from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Steadfast Tin Soldier, performed by New York City Ballet and works by Beethoven and Dvořák, performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra. Both the dance and orchestra programs include an accompanying study guide, developed specifically for students.  Available to stream on demand from May 10-28, Classical Kids is scheduled to serve schools located in Albany, Essex, Fulton, Hamilton, Mongomery, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Rensselaer, Warren and Washington counties. 

To learn more on how to enroll your school, contact the SPAC Education Team at education@spac.org or visit spac.org for details. Classical Kids was made possible by CAP COM and Stewart’s Holiday Match Program. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Opera Saratoga has announced the company’s return to the stage for its 60th Anniversary with a season of performances inspired by the iconic novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. 

Working closely with a team of medical professionals and a dedicated COVID Safety Officer, Opera Saratoga will be produced outdoors during June and July in partnership with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Spa State Park, and Pitney Meadows Community Farm to provide three unique performance spaces for audiences to safely enjoy two fully staged productions and a special concert. 

In partnership with SPAC, Opera Saratoga will present MAN OF LA MANCHA, the Tony Award winning musical, featuring Broadway and Opera star Zachary James in the role of Cervantes / Don Quixote; and Opera Saratoga favorite, Kelly Glyptis, returning to Saratoga Springs as Aldonza. Three performances are scheduled on the SPAC Amphitheater Stage at 8 p.m. on July 8, 9, and 10.

In a more classical vein, Opera Saratoga will also present DON QUICHOTTE AT CAMACHO’S WEDDING, a one-act comic serenata by Georg Philipp Telemann with a libretto by Daniel Schiebeler, taken from an episode from Part Two of Cervantes’ celebrated novel, in which the Knight and his squire Sancho Panza encounter some rather strange wedding celebrations as they roam the world in search of adventure. The al fresco production will be staged by Rebecca Miller Kratzer and will be conducted by Michelle Rofrano in and around the Columbia Pavilion in Saratoga Spa State Park, with the backdrop of the forest creating a natural setting for this pastoral adventure.  Twelve performances are scheduled between July 14 and July 18, with performances at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 6 p.m.

The two staged productions will be complemented by QUIXOTIC OPERA, a concert of scenes from other operas inspired by Cervantes’ novel, presented in partnership with Pitney Meadows Community Farm. Two performances are scheduled at 7 p.m. on June 24 and 25.

“As we considered how to best return to the stage this summer, I found myself repeatedly drawn to works inspired by Don Quixote,” said Opera Saratoga’s Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson, in a statement. “ I think we’ve all needed to channel some of the famous knight-errant’s idealism and extreme optimism – and to dream impossible dreams in the face of unprecedented challenges.  Thanks to the willingness and enthusiasm of our partners at SPAC, Spa State Park, and Pitney Meadows to dream with us, we are able to come back together as a community to safely enjoy some incredible music and theater together this summer.” 

Leading up to the Festival, Opera Saratoga will also offer an 8-week online course: Another Age, Another Place, Another La Mancha:  Don Quixote and the Birth of the Modern World. Taught by Skidmore Professor Grace Burton, this course will explore why the story of an old man’s wanderings through the dusty plains of 17th-century Spain have captured the imagination of philosophers and filmmakers, composers and choreographers, dramatists, and dreamers alike. The course will be offered via Zoom, on eight consecutive Wednesday evenings, from May 12 – June 30. 

OPERA SARATOGA COVID-19 AUDIENCE SAFETY PROTOCOLS 
As required by New York State, all ticket buyers will be required to show either proof of vaccination at least 14 days prior to their attendance, or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the performance they are attending. In addition, attendees will be required to complete a health screening questionnaire and pass a mandatory temperature check prior to entry. Audience members will be required to wear masks at all performances, regardless of vaccination status or proof of a negative test. Restrooms will be available with social distancing and enhanced cleaning and sanitation protocols in place in accordance with
recommended guidelines. 

TICKET INFORMATION 
Due to social distancing at all performances, tickets are extremely limited this season, and it is anticipated that performances will sell out in advance. At all venues, tickets will be sold in socially distanced pods of two seats.  At SPAC, pods of one, two, or four seats will also be available on the SPAC lawn for Man of La Mancha. Very limited single tickets will be available under the roof of the amphitheater for Man of La Mancha, but single tickets are not available for Quixotic Opera or Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding due to the seating configurations at these venues. Advance ticket purchases are required for Quixotic Opera and Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding. Advance ticket purchases are strongly advised for Man of La Mancha. If tickets are available on the day of performance at SPAC, ticket purchases will be subject to an additional fee.

Ticket sales open to the public on Monday, May 10. Go to: www.operasaratoga.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Jazz Festival is returning to Saratoga Performing Arts Center on June 26 and 27 for two days of LIVE jazz. This summer, “The Hang” will look a little bit different due to COVID-19 safety guidelines and regulations, promoters say. Details about tickets and festival lineup to come. Jazz Fest artwork: by Skidmore College student Madeleine Tyler.   

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Kimberly Hawkey – multi-genre vocalist, instrumentalist and bandleader – debuts a 13-track album called We the Nighthawks on May 21.  The first single, “Slow Cool Water,” will be available on May 7. 

We the Nighthawks pulls from art song, jazz, musical theatre and American songbook to invite listeners on a sonic journey that captures human stories of life, love and loss.

The project was conceived and driven creatively by songwriters Lecco Morris and Justin K. Rivers.  Morris and Rivers raised well over six figures through investors and donors, ensuring the project and story continued to unfold in the same way it began.

Hawkey shares a deep connection with the project’s musical director, Assaf Gleizner, whose orchestrations and arrangements were featured in Stephen Schwartz’ 70th Birthday Concert at the Hudson Theater. On the production side, We the Nighthawks secured the talents of producer, Joel Moss. 

The album was recorded over several days at Dreamland Studios in upstate New York, featuring performances by a full orchestra of 20 musicians. 

We the Nighthawks will be available on May 21. For more information, visit: bit.ly/slowcoolwater.

ROCK CITY FALLS — Seth Sikes, of whom NY Arts Review said, “may well be one of the saviors of the Great American Songbook” will return to The Mansion of Saratoga on Friday, May 21 for one performance only. 

In “Runnin’ Wild,” Sikes will be singing favorites from the Great American Songbook in his own modern style and highlighting songs made famous by idols like Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and Liza Minnelli.

Hailed as “the best male singer of his generation on the cabaret scene” by Theatre Scene, Sikes will perform many of the show-stopping standards for which Garland, Minnelli and Streisand are known along with some best-loved gems. Tickets are $45 and are available now by visiting: www.showclix.com/event/seth-sikes-runnin-wild. 

 The Mansion of Saratoga is located at 801 Route 29, Rock City Falls. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails and light fare available prior to and during the performance which will begin at 8 p.m.