Photo of Stella Cole via the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Stella Cole, a 26-year-old jazz singer, heaped praise onto the Spa City while performing here as part of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s “Sounds of the Season” series.
In between her renditions of jazz standards and Christmas tunes, the New York City-based Cole said she’d been to Saratoga before during the summer months. “I love Saratoga,” she said. “It’s the best.” But her Dec. 14 concert at Skidmore College’s Arthur Zankel Music Center marked her first time here outside of the busy tourist season. “Do you guys know you live in a Hallmark movie?” she asked the audience, gesturing towards the snowy trees seen through the stage window.
Cole has been a rapidly rising star after attracting attention on TikTok with her version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” She performed the song in Saratoga as well, somehow making one of the world’s most recognizable melodies sound fresh. Called a “powerhouse rivaling Judy Garland and Rosemary Clooney” by People, Cole has released a trio of albums since acquiring millions of social media followers. This year, she released “It’s Magic,” a record produced by Grammy winner Matt Pierson that features Cole’s signature blend of songs made famous by movies and entries from the Great American Songbook.
Cole’s performance took place at the Zankel Music Center due to the renovation of the Spa Little Theater, where SPAC typically holds its indoor concerts. “Christmas Dreaming with Stella Cole” was SPAC’s final show of 2025.
The Spa Little Theater interior as it appeared on Dec. 11, 2025. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — $12 million will be poured into the renovation of Spa Little Theater, which in recent years has hosted much of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s year-round programming.
To celebrate the project, an official groundbreaking ceremony was held last Thursday in one of the theater’s rooms, where paint was peeling off the walls and a noticeable hole in the ceiling offered proof that the venue built in 1935 could use a facelift.
“We are here to say that we stand on the threshold of the most ambitious and significant project SPAC has undertaken since it opened in 1966,” said Elizabeth Sobol, CEO of SPAC, at the groundbreaking ceremony. “The revitalized theater will expand artistic and educational and community experiences that connect people to the arts, to nature, and to one another year-round. Today’s groundbreaking represents far more than just the beginning of a construction project. It is a powerful investment in the future of SPAC and in the cultural vibrancy and economic health of this city, this county, and this region—transformation through restoration.”
A rendering of the Spa Little Theater interior as it’s expected to appear once renovations are completed. Image via Phinney Design Group/SPAC.
Since taking over operations of the 500-seat Spa Little Theater in 2022, SPAC has presented more than 100 events at the venue, welcomed more than 35,000 guests, and expanded the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s season to a year-round residency. Part of the goal of the theater’s renovation/restoration is to “really solidify ourselves as a year-round presenter,” said Christopher Shiley, president of SPAC.
More than 17,00 square feet of the building (which was originally designed to be a lecture hall, not a theater) will be renovated, including, among other things: a new bar/cafe, a new artist suite and dressing rooms, updated theater seats, a new stage floor, a new lobby layout with more restrooms, an updated box office, a multipurpose community room with an adjacent outdoor patio, and a new Spa State Park-inspired mural on the walls of the theater.
Despite all these changes, SPAC wants to preserve the theater’s “charm” and “wonderful intimacy,” said Shiley. The front facade of the building will appear mostly the same post-renovation, although the stone steps will be restored, and a redesigned accessible entryway will be added. Inside the theater, the original color palette of cream and burgundy will be reinstated, while the seating and balcony will remain mostly the same.
Nods to the venue’s past speak to the reverence many feel for a theater that’s hosted legendary performers such as Groucho and Chico Marx, Kevin Kline, Patti Lupone, Gloria Swanson, Shirley Booth, and Vivian Vance (rumors that Robin Williams also graced the stage appear to be unsubstantiated).
According to the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation’s Dec. 2 virtual presentation, “Healing Water to the Arts: The Story of the Spa Little Theater,” a number of performing arts groups have passed through the venue, including both theater companies (Abbey Theater of Ireland, the Circle Repertory Company, and the Empire State Youth Theater Institute) and dance companies (Jose Limon, Pilobolus, Ellen Sinopoli, and Mark Morris).
During World War II, the theater was partly used to entertain soldiers. After the war and throughout the 1950s, it became known as the Spa Summer Theater and hosted a number of the aforementioned legendary performers. In the 1960s, it staged Broadway musicals such as “The King and I,” “South Pacific,” “Finian’s Rainbow,” and “Show Boat.” In the 1970s, John Houseman, an Oscar winner who worked with Orson Welles, brought his City Center Acting Company to the theater, staging as many as four plays in six-week increments. From 1985 to 2020, the Home Made Theater called the venue home, producing more than 175 plays there.
“I’ve heard many memories from individuals who have been impacted by this [theater] one way or the other over its many decades in the park,” Shiley said. “It’s been a real treat for me personally to work in the Spa Little Theater for the last three years producing SPAC’s year-round programming and getting to know more about what this building and this space have meant to the community for so many years.”
The historic Spa Little Theater will enter its next phase sometime around the end of 2026, when renovation work is expected to be completed.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Caffè Lena announced last Friday that it had received a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor, marking the largest single contribution in the storied music venue’s 65-year history.
In a statement, Caffe Lena said that the “transformational donation will strengthen the organization’s long-term stability as it continues expanding its mission-driven work in live performance, music education, and community outreach.”
The donor, who has attended performances at Lena for decades, shared their reasons for making the donation.
“Folk music has always been an integral part of my life, and in my opinion the Caffè is one of the most venerable institutions supporting folk music in the Northeast, and that includes New York City and Boston,” the donor said. “The work that the Caffè’s staff and board have accomplished over the past decade under Executive Director Sarah Craig’s leadership to both improve the Caffè’s performance space and expand the Caffè’s outreach to the Saratoga Springs community while staying true to the mission of the Caffè originally established by Lena Spencer is what inspired me to make this donation.”
The donor added, “In light of the uncertainty of future grants to the Caffè from private foundations given the shift in the priorities of these foundations to help not-for-profit organizations that are materially impacted by the substantial reduction in federal grants, I am pleased to be able to provide some financial stability to the Caffè so that it will be able to continue fulfilling its mission for the indefinite future.”
Executive Director Sarah Craig responded to the donation with her own statement. “From its earliest days, Caffè Lena has been sustained by countless acts of generosity—from the musicians, the audience, the volunteers, and the wider community creating a place that belongs to all of us,” Craig said. “This remarkable donation is in keeping with that history. It affirms the ongoing value of a community space where people gather, create, listen, learn, and work together to bring the joy of music to all. We are deeply grateful for the trust and faith that this gift represents.”
Lena said that the funds will be placed in strategic reserves dedicated to preserving the venue’s long-term stability and enabling uninterrupted service to the community. The funds will help sustain day-to-day programming (which includes more than 300 concerts per year); music education programs; partnerships with three dozen social service organizations that help deliver music to underserved people; and free events for youth and adults.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Caffè Lena and Putnam Place will present a special Jazz at Caffè Lena performance featuring pianist Chuck Lamb with The Dylan Perrillo Orchestra on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. The concert will take place at Putnam Place to accommodate the full 16-piece orchestra.
The event brings together Lamb’s contemporary jazz approach with the Perrillo Orchestra’s focus on early American jazz traditions, offering audiences an opportunity to hear two distinct musical perspectives in conversation.
Lamb has been the pianist for the Brubeck Brothers Quartet for more than 20 years, performing internationally and contributing original compositions influenced by jazz, fusion, classical, and world music.
The Perrillo Orchestra, based in Albany, performs arrangements inspired by the music of the 1920s through the 1950s. Their ensemble includes six horns, violin, rhythm section, and vocalist, creating a sound rooted in classic jazz and swing.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Writers Edward L. Bowen and Ray Kerrison and pioneering photographer Charles Christian “C. C.” Cook have been selected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame’s Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor.
Bowen (1942-2025), who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year as a Pillar of the Turf, enjoyed a prolific career as a racing journalist and historian for more than 60 years. An editor-in-chief of The BloodHorse magazine and the author of 22 books on horse racing, Bowen also served 24 years as president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. He was the chair of numerous committees at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, including the contemporary Nominating Committee for 38 years, beginning in 1987.
“Ed contributed to the betterment of racing in so many ways and the historical record of his outstanding writing will live on forever,” said Brien Bouyea, the Racing Museum’s communications director. “Ed built a reputation on integral reporting and captivating storytelling. He loved horses and horse racing and that passion shined through in his vivid work.”
Cook (1873-1954) was one of American racing’s first and most influential photographers. He worked as a photojournalist for newspapers in Chicago before becoming a freelancer around 1900. His images of animals in the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and the Barnum and Bailey Circus attracted wide attention. Cook began his association with racing photography at Washington Park in Chicago in the late 1890s. He was one of the first photographers in the United States to specialize in horse racing photography, as well as portraits and scenic images at various racetracks.
When racing was banned in his home state of Illinois, Cook relocated to New York. Beginning in 1906, he worked for New York’s Globe newspaper and later as a staff photographer for The Morning Telegraph, the sister publication of Daily Racing Form. For decades, Cook was a commercial photographer at tracks in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, and New York, among others. He also spent time as the official track photographer at Florida’s Hialeah Park.
Kerrison (1930-2022) wrote for the New York Post from 1977 through 2013, serving the paper as both a news and horse racing columnist. He covered 32 editions of the Kentucky Derby and numerous other major races, including Breeders’ Cup events. He edited the National Star, Rupert Murdoch’s first U.S. publication, in the early 1970s, then was hired by The Post in 1977 to cover horse racing. In his first year at The Post, Kerrison uncovered a racing scandal in which one horse raced under the name of another at Belmont Park. The betting fix involved the switching of the identities of the horses, Lebon and Cinzano. For this reporting, Kerrison was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. A couple of years later, Kerrison and fellow racing writer John Piesen broke the story of the biggest race-fixing scam in New York history. “Racing’s Darkest Hour” was The Post’s headline. Kerrison’s reporting played a key role in uncovering the scandal that led to charges being brought against jockey Con Errico, mobster Anthony Ciulla, and more than 20 others. Along with his racing writing, Kerrison reported on many other major news events during his career, including Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968, the first moon landing in 1969, and the Munich Olympics tragedy in 1972.
“Ray was smart, kind, dryly witty, and as committed to his craft as any journalist I’ve ever known,” Bob McManus, The Post’s retired editorial page editor, said after Kerrison’s death in 2022. “He was a man of unshakable principle, which was obvious in his writing, but also a fellow who respected his readers’ intelligence. His goal was to persuade, not to lecture, and while his work could be controversial, it always was honest.”
The National Museum of Racing’s Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor was established in 2010 to recognize individuals whose careers have been dedicated to, or substantially involved in, writing about thoroughbred racing (nonfiction), and who distinguished themselves as journalists. The criteria has since been expanded to allow the consideration of other forms of media.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Calling it “a total departure from our usual fare,” iTheatre Saratoga is preparing an upcoming holiday musical event titled “An Elemental Christmas.”
A band that includes Emmy-nominated composer Will Severin, Capital Region music veteran George Snyder, and 30-year Saratoga Springs High School music teacher Jeffrey Halstead will perform a selection of tunes ranging from the traditional (“Winter Wonderland”) to the decidedly unorthodox (“River” by Joni Mitchell and “Hounds of Winter” by Sting).
“It’s based on, to some degree, the elements: Fire, rain, that sort of thing,” iTheatre Saratoga Chairman Will Severin told Saratoga TODAY. “There’s going to be songs people know, there’ll be songs that people forgot they knew, and then there’ll be some songs that they’ve never heard before.”
These tunes will be thematically linked together via an original script written by iTheatre’s Artistic Director Mary Jane Hansen, who also wrote last month’s charming “Baker Street Adventuress.”
As if their holiday show wasn’t unpredictable enough, iTheatre also decided to toss in some surprise dance numbers, performed by the Saratoga-based Tango Fusion.
“We’ll probably have, towards the end of the night, one number where it’s basically audience participation,” Severin said.
Overall, the performance is aiming for a casual yet spirited experience that includes audience members seated around large tables, vendors selling last-minute Christmas gifts, and a concession stand stocked with craft beer from local breweries.
The “Elemental Christmas” show is the fourth installment of iTheatre’s annual holiday event. Past installments have included “A Colorful Christmas” (in which all the songs included a color in their titles) and “Cosmic Christmas” (featuring David Bowie’s “Space Odyssey” mixed with “What Star is This?”).
“Elemental Christmas” will be performed at the Saratoga Music Hall on Dec. 19 and 20. Tickets are available at www.itheatresaratoga.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Caffè Lena recently announced the return of Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams. The duo will perform at the famed folk venue on March 29, 2026.
Married and making music together for nearly four decades, Campbell and Williams both have impressive and extensive music resumes. Campbell spent 8 years playing live with Bob Dylan; Williams sang with Mavis Staples, Emmylou Harris, and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead; and together, they spent 7 years performing with Levon Helm of The Band.
Campbell is a Grammy-winning master of all things stringed—mandolin, bouzouki, violin, lap steel, banjo—while Williams’ powerhouse vocals bring “gospel-rooted fire and emotional depth.”
Their new album, “All This Time,” has been called their most romantic and intuitive work yet.
Tickets can be acquired at www.caffelena.org/event/larry-campbell-teresa-williams/.
Cover image of “River Time: Mindful Reflections from the Upper Hudson” provided by author Susan Meyer.
SCHUYLERVILLE — Susan Meyer, a Saratoga Springs native who now calls Schuylerville home, released last month a book that compiles roughly 15 years’ worth of stories, observations, reflections, and photographs of the Hudson River.
“River Time: Mindful Reflections from the Upper Hudson,” focuses on Meyer’s connection with a body of water that’s had a colossal impact on both the history of New York State and the nation. The Hudson has also been a source of inspiration to Meyer, who has experienced moments of profundity while kayaking upon it.
“I think it’s a great metaphor for life,” Meyer told Saratoga TODAY. “You never know what you’re going to encounter on the river of life.”
56 original stories and poems (accompanied by 73 full-color photographs) are drawn from Meyer’s journeys on the Hudson, where she contemplated existential ideas while encountering herons, ice formations, changing seasons, and even a Superfund dredging project.
“I get in my kayak, and it takes about one second before I’m in the zone,” Meyer said. “It’s this different perspective; all the usual mental chatter subsides and deeper insight becomes available.”
The book is organized into four thematic sections: “The More Than Human World,” “The Human World,” “Rhythms of the River,” and “The Inner River.” Each part presents a journey from the outer landscape to the inner mind.
One story in “The Human World” details Meyer’s interest in Saratoga County history, and how the remnants of hundreds of years of tumultuous events are still present today. After acquiring a copy of “Early Days in Eastern Saratoga County” by Grace VanDerwerker, Meyer brought the history book to an old local cemetery where soldiers from five different wars are buried. Meyer spent hours reading names from the gravestones and looking them up in her history book.
“The names and stories came alive there among the tombstones,” Meyer wrote. “I knew the gossip: who was highly respected, who were the doctors, the deacons, the soldiers, even who had been murdered. Somehow, I felt at home among all these personalities, as if I, too, am part of the long story of this land through which the river flows.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given that Meyer is a meditation teacher, “River Time” is also available as an unabridged visual audiobook that’s narrated by the author and accompanied by hundreds of still and moving images, as well as the occasional sound effect. The result is an immersive experience that is both soothing and pensive.
“I feel like the book is for nature lovers, people who have a mindfulness practice, or anyone who’s seeking peace and steadiness and sanctuary in daily life,” Meyer said. “I think of it like having a refuge that is bigger than whatever waves you’re experiencing, personally or collectively. A natural landscape that you can go to, and it can put things in perspective so that things don’t feel so big.”
“River Time” is available in both a premium full-color print edition and a visual audiobook edition at the author’s website, SusanTaraMeyer.com.
Photos of Natasha Pickowicz, Jyoti and Auyon Mukharji, and Devin Finigan provided by SPAC.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) recently announced the return of its CulinaryArts@SPAC initiative this winter and spring, presented at The Pines at SPAC.
The 2026 season begins on Feb. 5 with chef and four-time James Beard Award finalist Natasha Pickowicz, fresh off the release of her new book “Everyone Hot Pot,” an exploration of Lunar New Year traditions.
On April 23, mother-son team Jyoti and Auyon Mukharji will present “Heartland Masala: Indian Cooking from an American Kitchen,” blending Indian culinary traditions with diasporic American stories.
The series concludes on May 21 with “A Kitchen on Goose Cove,” celebrating the culinary magic of coastal Maine with acclaimed chef Devin Finigan of Aragosta, recognized as one of Food & Wine’s best restaurants in both 2024 and 2025.
Each event features exclusive tastings; conversation with chefs, authors and hosts; and opportunities for book signings. The conversations will be recorded for future broadcast on WAMC’s The Roundtable as part of its “WAMC on the Road” series.
“CulinaryArts@SPAC is a celebration of culture, connection, and the power of a shared table,” said Elizabeth Sobol, CEO of SPAC. “This season, from Natasha Pickowicz’s joyous exploration of hot pot traditions, to the Mukharjis’ rich journey through Indian cuisine, to Devin Finigan’s evocative taste of the Maine coast, each gathering reflects SPAC’s mission to bring people together through art, nature, and the stories that shape how we eat. I’m especially delighted to welcome Auyon Mukharji, whose band Darlingside is one of my personal favorites, adding a familiar and local musical connection to the evening.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Toto will bless the rains down in Saratoga on July 16.
The pop-rock group best known for a string of hits released in the 1980s will appear at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) this summer, bringing with them Oscar and Grammy winner Christopher Cross, as well as power-pop band The Romantics, known for their hits “What I Like About You” and “Talking in Your Sleep.”
SPAC’s summer lineup is becoming increasingly busy, with 11 acts already booked for the amphitheater main stage and another 5 Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performances scheduled for the Arthur Zankel Music Center at Skidmore College.
