SARATOGA SPRINGS —For two weekends, starting on Friday, Dec. 9, Home Made Theater will present the musical She Loves Me; music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joe Masteroff, based on a play by Miklos Laszlo.

She Loves Me takes the audience back to a whimsical time of romance, elegance, and love. A simpler time when getting a letter in the mail was still something to get excited about, when going shopping was an event, and when finding love could still surprise you. 

Set in a European perfumery, She Loves Me is the story of two shop clerks, Amalia and Georg, who, more often than not, don’t see eye to eye. After both respond to a “lonely hearts” advertisement in the newspaper, they live for the love letters that they exchange, but the identity of their admirers remains unknown.

The Director and Choreographer of She Loves Me is Johnny Martinez, with musical direction by Richard Cherry. The artistic team also includes Scenic Designer William E. Fritz, Lighting Designer Steve Moulton, Sound Designer Tom Moeller, Costume Designer Libby Brennesholtz, Properties Designers Elizabeth Parizh and Liam Pickett, and Stage Manager Caitlin Wickes.

The cast of She Loves Me includes several performers new to the Home Made Theater stage, including Hannah Johnston, Shane Romer, Ashley Olmstead, and Grace McCafferty. Veterans of previous Home Made Theater productions include Logan Haynes, Travis Brunell, Kelly Sienkiewicz, Richard Jones, Diane Lachtrupp, Kate Landino, and Sonya Sidhu-Izzo.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays, Dec. 9, 10, 16, and 17 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 10, 11, 17, and 18, at 2 p.m.  All performances are at the Dee Sarno Theater, inside Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway in Saratoga Springs. Tickets are available at Home Made Theater’s website, www.HomeMadeTheater.org, or by calling 518-587-4427 during business hours.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs History Museum’s winter benefit – featuring a live, interactive murder mystery – takes place 6 – 10 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8 in the elegant Parlor and Ballroom of the Canfield Casino in Congress Park.

Which famous historical figure used which weapon and where? Help sleuth it out while you help support the museum.

The original play was written by Kirk and Maria Starczewski and is based on the new limited-edition Murder in the Canfield Casino Historical Detective Board Game available in the Museum Shop.

Dinner with reserved seating provided by The Adelphi Hotel, with wines by The Thirsty Owl. Features a cash bar. Silent auction includes dozens of amazing items on which to bid. Cocktail attire.

Tickets $135 per person by advance sale only at www.saratogahistory.org. All proceeds benefit the Museum.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Thirty-five years since forming in Saratoga Springs, The Figgs return for the staging of a special concert at Caffe Lena on Friday, Jan. 13.      

Last February, the region lost Josh Chambers – a Greenwich native and Skidmore College graduate who made a name for himself around Saratoga in the 1990s as both a musician, playwright and director.

The Figgs – comprised of Mike Gent (guitar, vocals), Pete Donnelly (bass, vocals), and Pete Hayes (drums, vocals) – will stage a show in celebration of Chambers next month at the Phila Street venue. For more information, go to: caffelena.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In addition to a previously announced performance by Kronos Quarter slated for January, Proctors Collaborative has announced Suzanne Vega – a leading figure of the folk-music revival of the early 1980s – and a show featuring the music of Sam Cooke will be staged at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs in early 2023. 

Suzanne Vega broke into national prominence after cutting her teeth in Greenwich Village clubs such as Kenny’s Castaways and The Bitter End in the 1980s. Nearly 40 years later, her self-titled 1985 debut album still stands the test of time for original music and lyrical storytelling. Vega will be joined on stage at UPH by her longtime guitarist, Gerry Leonard, performing favorites from across her career on Friday, April 14. 

The influence of soul music pioneer Sam Cooke has spanned more than 60 years. Cooke, who had numerous popular hits as both a singer and a songwriter, was born in Mississippi in 1931 and died in 1964 at the age of 33.

Bradd Marquis will perform songs written and sung by Cooke, with a goal is to curate and narrate a show that entertains and informs of a historical time loaded with lessons about self-empowerment and social change that are still relevant and necessary to this day. 

“The Music of Sam Cooke – A Change is Gonna Come,” starring Bradd Marquis and the Magnificent will stage at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. on Friday, Feb. 17. 

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

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Foreigner will launch their farewell tour next summer in Atlanta and will make an Aug. 1 visit to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center where they will be joined by Loverboy.

“The time has come,” Foreigner lead singer Kelly Hansen said in a statement. Hansen joined the band in 2005. Guitarist Mick Jones is the only remaining original member of the band, which formed in 1976. 

The tour will conclude Sept. 3 in New Jersey. Tickets: go to LiveNation.com.

NEW YORK — IFC Films announced on Nov. 17 they are acquiring North American rights to a new comedy starring Owen Wilson that was partially filmed in and around Saratoga Springs in April 2021. 

IFC Films will release the film in theaters on April 28, 2023 and will stream exclusively on AMC+ later that year, as first reported by deadline.com. It is not known whether scenes that were filmed in Saratoga County will eventually show up in the completed version of the movie, which is titled “Paint.” 

Written and directed by Brit McAdams, actor Owen Wilson portrays Vermont public television painter Carl Nargle. 

“In every step of making the film, we’ve fought to team up with talented collaborators who are also good people,” said director and writer Brit McAdams, in a statement released Nov. 17. “From our first conversation, IFC felt like the perfect home for Paint, not only because of how much they love the film and how respected they are in the industry, but also because of who they are as individuals. We’re all beyond excited to have them add their signature to this picture.”

Arianna Bocco, President of IFC Films, added: “We’re thrilled to finally work with the boundless and versatile talent of Owen Wilson, as he effortlessly brings Carl Nargle’s character to life from a savvy script and direction by Brit McAdams. PAINT has all the makings of a quotable comedic masterpiece, and we hope audiences of all ages are ready for a lot of laughs and a lot of heart.”

SCHENECTADY — Nearly 100,000 people have experienced the immersive presentation of Van Gogh’s life and works since its opening in May at Armory Studios NY in downtown Schenectady, and organizers have announced the exhibit is being extended until Jan. 2, 2023. 

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, allows visitors to take a journey into Van Gogh’s life through cutting-edge 360-degree digital projections, a one-of-a-kind Virtual Reality (VR) experience, and a light and sound show. Visitors will be able to step into more than 300 of Van Gogh’s sketches, drawings, and paintings by using floor-to-ceiling digital projections, made possible by state-of-the-art video mapping technology.

Admission tickets start at $32 for adults and $19 for children. Discounted tickets are available for seniors, students, military veterans, families, and larger groups (over 9 people). 

Armory Studios NY is located at 125 Washington Ave.  Schenectady County has reserved over 200 free parking spaces located at the rear entrance to the Armory, providing direct access to the Van Gogh exhibit. For more information and tickets, go to: vangoghexpo.com/albany. 

SCHENECTADY — After the success of an extensive world tour in 2022, comedian Trevor Noah is heading back on the road with his 2023 Off The Record Tour

The world tour kicks off with its U.S. leg on Jan. 20, 2023 at Fox Theatre in Atlanta, making stops across the U.S. in Austin, New Orleans, New York, and more. 

The show will be staged at Proctors in Schenectady on May 19. 

Noah returns to Netflix with another original comedy special, I Wish You Would, premiering globally this week.

For tickets, go online to: LiveNation.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Spring Street Gallery will present “Between Heaven and Earth, works by Rabbi Linda Motzkin, on view through Dec. 19. 

“My artwork combines calligraphed excerpts from the 3,000-year-old body of Jewish literature with torn, scarred or otherwise blemished pieces of handmade deerskin parchment,” Rabbi Motzkin said, in a statement. “All my work is informed by the tension between living as a flawed human being in this less-than-perfect world, while striving for something higher and better which may be unattainable. I live and work in the space between heaven and earth.” 

Motzkin is a Torah scribe, author, parchment maker, and artist. 

Located at 110 Spring St., Spring Street Gallery is open to the public. To make an appointment, purchase artwork, or for any other questions or concerns, text or call Belinda Colón at 518-290-0660 or email the gallery at springstreetgallerylist@gmail.com. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs Public Library has announced the community has chosen by popular vote the New York Times bestseller, “The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels,” by John Meacham as the SaratogaREADS! selection for 2023. 

In this 2018 book, Meacham helps explain the present moment in American politics and life by looking back at critical times in history when hope overcame division and fear. 

“As an institution dedicated to inclusion at a time of particular partisanship, we look forward to a season of programs and discussions inspired by this exploration of our national penchant for persevering through periods of great divisiveness,” said library director Issac Pulver, in a statement. 

“The Soul of America” is available from the Saratoga Springs Public Library in multiple formats: paperback, large print, and CD. 

The 2023 SaratogaREADS! Jr. companion selection will be announced in the upcoming weeks. A slate of programs and events inspired by next year’s selections will be announced in the coming months and will be available online at www.saratogareads.org and on Saratoga Springs Public Library’s Events Calendar at www.sspl.org.