SARATOGA SPRINGS — Opera Saratoga opens its 2024 season with Cabaret at the Mansion, a showcase of the fabulous voices of this year’s Festival Artists at The Mansion Inn, located only minutes from downtown Saratoga Springs.

“These young singers are some of the best we’ve ever had in Saratoga Springs – they’ve won national awards, sung for big houses like Seattle Opera and many are going to Europe next year,” General and Artistic Director Mary Birnbaum said in a statement. “We are tremendously lucky to have them at Opera Saratoga, and I can assure you you won’t want to miss this chance to hear them in a beautiful, intimate setting.”

The showcase “Cabaret” features many favorites of the cabaret repertoire including highlights of German cabaret, headlining music of Kurt Weill and Arnold Schonberg, French cabaret like Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel, and music of the early American cabaret with pieces by Irving Berlin, and Cole Porter. Finally, a brand new take on the definition of cabaret, with selections by Ricky Ian Gordon, Tania León, and much more!

The performance at Saratoga’s The Mansion Inn is accompanied by a scrumptious buffet and refreshing cocktails prepared by their premier chef, Rick Beiber.

The event takes place Sunday, June 2.  Lunch at 1 p.m., Performance at 2 p.m. Dinner at 6 p.m., Performance at 7 p.m. Rain or shine, seating is on the porch, under a tent. 

The Mansion Inn is located at 801 NY 29 Rock City Falls. Web: https://www.themansionsaratoga.com/.

Tickets are available with or without the meal. Visit www.operasaratoga.org/cabaret for more information and or purchase tickets.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s “The Adirondack Trust Company Festival of Young Artists” will return for its seventh annual event on Sunday, June 2 from 2 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. 

Following the theme Rhythm – an inspirational thread woven throughout SPAC’s 2024 season – the festival will celebrate the collaborative creativity of more than 700 of the Capital Region’s brightest young dancers, musicians, singers, poets, and visual artists all in support of SPAC’s mission to provide free access to enriching arts programs for local youth. 

Featuring students from local schools and organizations such as Empire State Youth Orchestra, Capital District Youth Chorale, Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet, Capital District Arts Initiative, and the SPAC School of the Arts, the afternoon will include individual pop-up performances and art displays, culminating in a large-scale, coordinated production on SPAC’s stage. As part of the production, an original musical composition by festival student, Lucia Vysohlid (Niskayuna HS, Grade 12), will premiere on the SPAC stage, performed by the ESYO Symphony Orchestra, Capital District Youth Chorale, and singers from Saratoga Springs, Schalmont, and Shenendehowa high schools. 

Kicking off at 2 p.m., SPAC’s grounds will be transformed into a festive celebration and will feature individual pop-up performances by student ensembles from the Capital Region, fine art displays, food stands, poetry slams, lawn games and immersive art activities, plus free ice cream provided by Stewart’s Shops. At 4:45 p.m., hundreds of young artists will gather to present a celebratory concert on SPAC’s main stage, featuring large-scale productions that combine music, song, poetry, visual art, and dance. 

This event is free to the community; however, registration is required for admission. Visit spacfoya.org for details. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College announces a new exhibition that brings together modern and contemporary abstract artworks, Vorágine: Yente and Cecilia Biagini, through Sept. 22. An opening reception and performance will be Saturday, June 1, at 4 p.m.

Yente (1905–1990) was a pioneering figure in abstraction from Argentina whose work has been gaining greater recognition in recent years. Cecilia Biagini (b. 1967) is an artist of Argentine origin now based in Brooklyn. 

Vorágine presents works Yente made from the late 1930s through the early 1960s, a period when she experimented with the visual languages of geometric abstraction across media, including painting, sculpture, tapestry, and artist books. Biagini, who has lived and worked in New York since the late 1990s, has a similar omnivorous approach to artmaking that includes installation, sculpture, painting, and music. 

Together, the two artists’ works narrate an often-overlooked history of women abstractionists in the Americas. 

Vorágine: Yente and Cecilia Biagini is organized by Ayelen Pagnanelli, an independent curator who recently earned her doctorate in art history at the Escuela IDAES at Universidad Nacional de San Martín in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is also a Skidmore College graduate of the class of 2014 and a former Tang intern. 

The opening reception on Saturday, June 1, at 4 p.m. will also include a special performance with violins, movement, and voice at 5 p.m. by exhibiting artist Cecilia Biagini and Aimée Niemann. All are welcome. Admission to the Tang is free. For more information, call the Visitors Services Desk at 518-580-8080 or visit https://tang.skidmore.edu.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Eleven concerts highlight the fifth season of annual international music festival celebrating modern classical music. 

The Mostly Modern Festival mainly takes place June 6-21 at the Arthur Zankel Music Center on the Skidmore College campus. Co-founded by a husband-and-wife team, composer Robert Paterson and violinist Victoria Paterson, the festival emphasizes modern classical music, paired with outstanding repertoire from the 20th century.

This season brings 11 shows total—orchestral, vocal, and chamber concerts by festival and guest ensembles of all new music. The festival hosts the Mostly Modern Festival Institute, a three-week intensive with a distinguished 50-member faculty for up to 30 composers and 100 instrumentalists, vocalists, and conductors.

Seven of the concerts are open to the public. All are staged at Zankel, with the exception of the opening night kick-off. They are as follows: 

Thursday, June 6: 5th Season Mostly Modern Kickoff at Caffè Lena.

Saturday, June 8: Enchanted Equestrian Evening of Modern Songs.

Sunday, June 9: Mostly Modern Orchestra with David Amado, Conductor.

Saturday, June 15: Mostly Modern Orchestra with Ankush Kumar Bahl, Conductor.

Sunday, June 16: Family Father’s Day Special – New York Stories.

Thursday, June 20: Dior String Quartet.

Friday, June 21: 5th Season Finale of Mostly Modern Orchestra with JoAnn Falletta, Conductor.

VIP Premium Seating – $35; General Admission – $20; Group 8 or more – $12 each; Students, Skidmore Alumni and Faculty – $10.

Mostly Modern Festival “Season Pass” for $175 includes admission and premium seats to all public performances, attendance to dress rehearsals for the public concerts, meet & greets, as well as attending select private events.

For concert and ticket details, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/mostly-modern-festival-season-five-2927179. 

ALBANY — Does your temperature go rising, your pulse go racing and your basal metabolism go roaring at the mere thought of that adorable archfiend, Alice Cooper? 

Fifty years ago this month, that question marked the opening passage of 16 Magazine’s front-page featurette showcasing a “clinical and super-scientific test devised by the divine Dr. Alice Cooper.” 

The Coop was at the time celebrating the honors bestowed upon him by a world made all the more fun in the aftermath of releases like “School’s Out,” “Love It To Death, “Killer,” and “Billion Dollar Babies.” 

And while that classic Alice Cooper group – the original lineup of Alice’s band – have been impossible to match, recent on stage groupings of musicos supporting Alice The Singer have come pretty darned close.   

Alice Cooper will bring his latest tour, “Too Close For Comfort,” to Albany’s Palace Theatre July 31. 

Tickets range from $39.50 to $124.50 and are on sale via Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com, as well as at the Palace Theatre Box Office, located at 19 Clinton Ave. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Enter now for your chance to win a VIP Experience for two to the 47th Annual Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival on June 29 & 30 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. 

Grand prize winner will receive:

Two VIP weekend passes; Access to The Pines Terrace with complimentary food and beverages; Two 2-nights’ accommodations on June 28 and June 29 at the Gideon Putnam hotel in Saratoga Springs; $500 gift card to Price Chopper/Market 32; 1-year supply of Freihofer’s Bread; Swag bag with merch and goodies. 

The festival takes place over days, atop stages, and features 22 electrifying artists.

Contest ends Wednesday, June 12 at 11:59 p.m. ET. To enter sweepstakes, go to: https://spac.org/vipsweepstakes. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Universal Preservation Hall announced two distinct events coming to the Great Hall: Boat House Row: a Yacht Rock Experience 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 13 and Bianca Del Rio: Dead Inside Tour 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16. 

RuPaul’s Drag Race season eight winner, Bianca Del Rio comes to Saratoga Springs with her “Dead Inside Tour” in August. This is the seasoned comic’s sixth worldwide stand-up comedy tour which will include audience interaction. Del Rio brings her lightning-fast wit and razor-sharp tongue to a unique blend of topics including politics, pop culture, current events and everyday life through someone who is “dead inside” and finds humor in everything. 

Fans of smooth melodies can set sail with the yacht rock group Boat House Row in July. Yacht rock: a highly polished soft rock brand from Southern California. Experience mellow music while pretending to be sipping champagne on your yacht. 

Tickets are available through the Box Office at Proctors in-person, via phone at 518-346-6204 Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. or online visit atuph.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Opera Saratoga 2024 season will feature three new productions this summer at Universal Preservation Hall. These are:

Guys And Dolls, June 29–July 7. 

Guys and Dolls, features Mikaela Bennett (City Center Encores’ The Golden Apple, West Side Story at Glimmerglass), as Sarah Brown. The beloved gambling musical will feature direction by Mary Birnbaum, choreography by Caili Quan, and musical direction by Andy Einhorn (Broadway’s Carousel and Hello, Dolly!), with scenic design by Kristen Robinson, lighting design by Anshuman Bhatia and costume design by Oana Botez. In addition to those already announced, the cast of Guys and Dolls will feature William Socolof as Nathan Detroit, Ariadne Greif as Miss Adelaide, Shavon Lloyd as Sky Masterson, Maximillian Jansen as Nicely Nicely Johnson, and Aubrey Allicock as Arvide Abernathy.

Così Fan Tutte, June 28–July 7.

Mozart’s wager opera Così Fan Tutte, featuring Grammy nominated bass-baritone Aubrey Allicock as the cynical Don Alfonso. The opera will also feature Nicoletta Berry as Despina, Julia Stuart as Fiordiligi, Anna Kelley as Dorabella, Maximillian Jansen as Ferrando, and Michael Hawk as Guglielmo. Directed by Gisela Cardenas (Princess Grace Fellow) and conducted by Ryan McAdams (Crash Ensemble, Opernhaus Zürich).

Inti Figgis-Vizueta World Premiere Opera, June 30 & July 5.

A world premiere opera, devised and composed during the summer season by Composer-in-Residence Inti Figgis-Vizueta. 

“This season pays homage to Saratoga Springs’ history as a pleasure-seeker’s paradise and betting destination while looking to the future by pushing the definition of what opera can be – and how it can be made – forward,” said General and Artistic Director Mary Birnbaum, in a statement.  “We hope to tempt risk-takers to the festival by dazzling them with reinventions of two classics in addition to a totally unique creation that they can only see in Saratoga.”

The season runs from June 27 to July 7. Tickets start at $30 and are available at https://www.operasaratoga.org/tickets24.

Additionally, Listen To This: Voices From The Future – will take place at Universal Preservation Hall June 4, June 11, and June 18. The three-part concert series hands the mic to cutting-edge creators who break through boundaries of what opera can be through the lens of access and healing. 

Tuesday, June 4: The Other Side Of Silence will feature work by RPI Director of Institute Ensembles Robert Whalen who is collaborating with librettists Mark Steidl, Katherine Skovira and Sara Pyszka on a new opera for synthetic and acoustic voice The Other Side of Silence written by and for people who use Alternative Assistive Communication.

Tuesday, June 11: Winterreise, Director George Miller, Bass-Baritone William Socolof and Pianist Chris Reynolds collaborate on the workshop of a contemporary staging of Schubert’s seminal song cycle Winterreise. Originally from Albany and Saratoga Springs, respectively, Miller and Reynolds bring their many accolades back to the Capital Region.

Tuesday, June 18: i woke up in the sky, composer-performer Catherine Brookman shares her album i woke up in the sky with Opera Saratoga’s audiences. Her music deals with the experience of time passing, collapsing, unfinished business, heartbreak, loneliness, depression.

Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, began with a production of Die Fledermaus at the Diamond Point Theatre on July 5, 1962. The Company now calls Saratoga Springs home and performs for more than 25,000 people annually. To date, the company has performed 106 different fully staged works by 66 different composers, including 42 works by American composers and 14 premiere productions. In 2023, the company hired its 10th Artistic and General Director. 

HUDSON FALLS — The Strand Theatre hosts a night of Gospel Music with Milayne Jackson featuring The Heavenly Echoes at 6 p.m. on Sunday May 19. 

Postponed from MLK event in January, this concert honors the life of Martin Luther King Jr. with gospel songs and featuring performances by Milayne Jackson, Jeff Kingsly, Jonathan Newell, Mark and Jill and the headliners The Heavenly Echoes. 

The Heavenly Echoes Gospel Singers are a Southern soul-style gospel group, founded more than 50 years ago by the late Deacon James Edmonds of the Sweet Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Albany. 

Tickets: $15/general, $10/seniors, veterans and students. Tickets are available at the Strand Box Office; cash or check only. Doors into the lobby, coffee shop and box office open at 4:30pm. For details, please go to www.mystrandtheatre.org. Strand Box Office 518-832-3484. The Strand Theatre is located at 210 Main St, Hudson Falls. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Following the success of their 2023 co-headline dates, other-worldly metal forces Ice Nine Kills and In This Moment announced they will join up once again to bring their live shows to 21 cities across the country this summer.

The tour kicks off Tuesday, Aug. 6 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and tickets are available via livenation.com. 

Joining Ice Nine Kills and In This Moment on The Kiss of Death 2024 Tour will be Avatar and TX2.