ALBANY — The Egg has announced that the following concerts have been rescheduled: Garth Fagan Dance: From March 27 to May 29; SFJAZZ Collective: From April 2 to July 7; The Fab Faux: From April 18 to August 8; DeVotchKa: From April 10 to Sept. 25; Mutts Gone Nuts: From April 5 to Oct. 4; Shawn Colvin: From May 12 to April 1, 2021.

Additionally, the venue announced singer/songwriter Todd Snider will perform on Friday, July 24  as part of the 2020 American Roots & Branches concert series. 

Tickets are $29.50 and are on sale at The Egg Box Office on line at www.theegg.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS ­— A new Spring Street Gallery exhibit, “Reflections of Preservation,” will be presented online during this current environment of COVID-19.

“Reflections of Preservation” is part of Takeyce Walter’s Creative February Project. She has been creating a new piece of artwork each day during the month of February for the past six years. This year, Takeyce focused her Creative February on the beautiful, vital landscape of the Adirondacks — specifically, places conserved by the Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy over the course of its 46-year history. 

Takeyce’s artwork can be viewed and purchased at: springstreetgallerysaratoga.org/reflections-of-preservatio/. 

A portion of the proceeds will benefit conservation efforts in the Adirondacks.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Dead & Company have canceled their previously scheduled Aug. 3 appearance at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. 

The statement, released Tuesday afternoon reads: “Because of the global coronavirus outbreak and to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we have no choice but to cancel Dead & Company’s Summer Tour 2020.  The well-being and safety of our Deadhead community, venue staff and the band’s touring family is of the utmost importance.  We also want to get refunds back to our fans while so many are hurting economically.  All tickets will be fully refunded at point of purchase. We are thankful for your understanding and we look forward to the day when we can all be reunited.  In the meantime, keep the faith and believe in the power of music.  We will return.  We will get by.  We will survive.”

The show marks the third cancellation of the summer pop season at SPAC. 

Cancelations were earlier announced for shows featuring Celtic Woman (June 7), and Zac Brown Band (June 13). 

Jim Thornton glanced across his living space filled with a variety of office furniture first seen on TV. There are side-desks and tables. There is an alien cryo-pod chamber that climbs six-feet high. “It’s all in our house,” said the man behind an extensive collection of X-Files props, memorabilia, and commercial pieces. “We have no room.”

When asked what initially drew him to the show, Thornton’s response was simple: “It was a creepy show. I’m a horror fan.” But it’s evidently clear how deep this rings true when he lifts up his paint-covered t-shirt to reveal an arm full of horror movie inspired tattoos.

His collection of X-Files goods began in stages, going from commercial, mass-produced items like trading cards, to promotional pieces and then to gifts crew members received. His first official prop was a camera battery. 

“When I got a binder of trading cards, it felt like I owned part of the show,” he says. “From there, I just had to have more. The battery, it was the same feeling — but a little different. It felt more like the real deal, like this was touched by an actor, by a camera guy.”

It’s safe to say Thornton, and his wife Kelly Anthony, have moved far beyond a single camera battery. In fact, most of their house is dominated by the props. This includes an alien cryo-pod chamber from the Fight the Future film, which is about six and a half feet tall, four and a half feet wide. He also owns a good handful of office furniture from the show, like side desks and tables.

This past year the couple rented a moving truck, piled much of their collection in, and drove to Chicago for X-Fest, an X-Files convention. Once they arrived and set up, fans were blown away — and so were the stars. It was here that people encouraged the couple to open a museum.

Since then, Karen Connavol, who acted in a few episodes, has contributed to the couple’s museum fund-raiser. Frank Spotnitz, an executive producer, made a donation of his own personal merchandise. And on Feb. 27, TMZ mentioned that a Saratoga couple is looking for a museum and that they caught up with David Duchovny who gave his blessings. 

And now, Thornton feels a sort of responsibility to put this into motion. Although, he does hesitate to use the term “museum,” for its connotations of stuffy, classical art that visitors look at but don’t interact with.

“I have to put a spin on it,” he says. “You can call it a museum, but it’s pop-culture. It’s got to be more hands-on, more visual.”

The plan is to bring back what Thornton refers to as “old-school stuff.” He wants to have Windows 95 computers available for visitors to play X-Files computer games, and have original PS1 games as well. Everywhere in the room, of course, will be televisions screening episodes.

As of right now, they are looking for a space in Saratoga. Despite finding the rent to be extremely high, they are adamant to stay in this area because “One, it’s Saratoga. You have the track, you have SPAC, you have the tourists.”

The point for the museum — and the reason why Thornton and Anthony find it so important — is so “[The fans] have a space where they can all get together and enjoy the show they all love. They’re going to see props from their favorite episodes that everyone thought would be gone.”

If any readers have leads on available spaces for Kelly and Jim’s collection, the couple urges you to contact them at Twitter, Facebook, and/or  XFilesPreservationCollection@gmail.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Hunkered down for either the long haul or the short, and a hankering desire for some Spa City scenes? 

Dating back deep into the last century, some of the fruit born from Saratoga’s architectural and historical charm has been captured inside the scrolling frames of celluloid legacy. And with a plethora of screening services available to modern-day mankind – be it via YouTube or Netflix, Amazon Prime and beyond – the once bustling city streetscapes, which one day will bustle with busy-ness yet again, may be enjoyed while ensconced in the plushy comfort of your own abode during these stay-at-home times. 

Boasting unique architecture, historical landscapes and natural scenery from airy greenspace to waterfront properties, the region has provided many a filmmaker’s an ideal setting.  Flip inside to see some of them… 

THE VINTAGE 

“Saratoga” filmed in part at Saratoga Race Course, this 1937 film stars Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore, and Jean Harlow – the latter in her final film. Harlow collapsed on set during the making of the film, and her unfinished scenes were completed by using a stand-in actress. 

A few years later, the racecourse made another appearance – in the 1947 film “The Homestretch,” as the camera follows a Boston socialite – portrayed by Maureen O’Hara, who navigates across a landscape of various American racetracks and through one rocky marriage. The racecourse also was featured in the 1979 made-for-television drama film My Old Man, starring Kristy McNichol.

Perhaps the most prominent appearance of the racecourse, at least in the modern day, was the adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand’s nonfiction bestseller, “Seabiscuit: An American Legend.”  During a week-long shoot following the conclusion of the 2002 summer meet, a crew of more than 200 people settled into the Saratoga region transforming the racecourse into a circa-1920s and ‘30s setting;  they removed 20th century fixtures such as televisions and vending machines from the racecourse and boosted local businesses with their patronage, spending money at area restaurants, hotels and dry cleaner establishment, renting computers, and buying office supplies. When the film was released the following year, locals scanned the silver screen for their own faces as film extras alongside actors such as Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges.

SOME MAJOR PRODUCTIONS

A number of Victorian-era homes on and around North Broadway provided the setting for the 1981 film “Ghost Story,” that showcased performances by John Houseman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Fred Astaire.

Multiple scenes across Saratoga County were used alongside additional settings in Montana and California in the 1998 movie “The Horse Whisperer.” Robert Redford directed and starred in the film, which garnered praise and attention for a 13-year-old relatively unknown Scarlett Johansson, portraying a teenager traumatized by a riding accident. 

In the fall of 1990, 3,000 area hopefuls tried out as extras for the filming of “Billy Bathgate.” Approximately one-third were chosen for the three-week shoot at Saratoga Race Course, the Hall of Springs and at the Gideon Putnam Hotel. Film fans snooped around the region for the film’s stars Dustin Hoffman, Bruce Willis, Nicole Kidman and then-boyfriend Tom Cruise. Kidman was filmed dancing in the Hall of Springs in the Saratoga Spa State Park. 

A few hundred yards and an entire generation away, a leather-clad Jim Morrison was captured within the cinderblock confines of the backstage area at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in September 1968, some footage of which was eventually used as part of The Doors’ self-produced documentary “Feast of Friends.” 

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Historically incorporating portions of the Saratoga story is “12 Years a Slave” (the Solomon Northup story) – released in 2013, and “Saratoga Trunk,” released in 1945 with Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman.

In 2005, the city provided a setting for two different films:  “Aftermath” – which featured Anthony Michael Hall, Tony Danza and Chris Penn – the latter of whom died shortly after the filming, and the dramatic thriller “The Skeptic” –  with a cast that included Tom Arnold and Tim Daly. 

Saratoga Springs native Chris Millis debuted the local premiere of his film “Small Apartments” – starring Billy Crystal and James Caan –  in a sold out event at Saratoga Music Hall in 2013, and local resident and filmmaker and photojournalist Charlie Samuels released his award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary “Virgin Blacktop: A New York Skate Odyssey,” last year. 

Some of the rest: “Virgin Alexander” – a 2011 comedy that depicts a young man who attempts to stave off eviction turns his Saratoga house into a brothel, and “Isabelle,” a horror-filled 2018 film that showcases the life of Matt and Larissa, a young couple who move into their dream home in Saratoga Springs. When the young woman has a chance meeting with a neighbor at the mailbox on the front sidewalk, it all goes downhill pretty quickly. See if you can recognize their Spa City “dream house,” which stands on a distinctive Spa City street.   

AROUND THE REGION

You will find glimpses of the surrounding region in films such as “The Way We Were,” starring Barbara Streisand, Robert Redford and featuring the Union College campus of the early 1970s, as well as Front Street in Ballston Spa. “Synecdoche, New York,” – inspired in name if not scenery – stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, who studied acting as a teen at Skidmore College once upon a time. “The Place Beyond The Pines,” features Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling and a slew of bank robberies from Scotia to the Electric City, “The Time Machine’ – 2002 version, was filmed in that city’s Central Park. Angelina Jolie caused mayhem atop the Empire State Plaza ramps to I-787 portraying CIA agent Evelyn Salt in the spring 2009 for the film released as “Salt” a year later. And the city of Troy shows up in “Scent Of A Woman,” “The Age Of Innocence,” and “Ironweed,” based on the book by William Kennedy. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A local performance by Celtic Woman – scheduled to appear at Saratoga Performing Arts Center June 7 – has been cancelled, the band announced this week. Refunds are at Point of Purchase only. Internet and Phone orders will automatically be canceled & refunded, according to SPAC.

Last week, The Zac Brown Band announced it was cancelling all tour dates through mid-September, including a previously announced June 13 date at SPAC. To our knowledge, these are, thus far, cancellations of the Live Nation summer pop concert series at the venue. 

Meanwhile, in lieu of the ability to continue its staging of live performances, Caffe Lena is taking a different approach. The long-running Phila Street café plans to broadcast previously filmed performances. 

“Every night we gather for music and conversation on Caffe Lena’s rapidly growing YouTube channel. After a few days of flailing, (apologies for all the schedule changes!!) we’ve decided to not even try doing anything live on stage for the foreseeable future. Instead, we’re mining our private archive of recorded concerts, bringing the musicians into the “chat room” with us, and re-living a great performance together,” the venue announced on its web site. “Please come! We’d love to welcome you to the party. You can chat if you want, or just watch quietly from the sidelines. Either way, it’s good company and the sound and video production will put you right back in the best seat in the house. 

This past week shows featured the likes of The Lustre Kings, Jim Gaudet, and Spa City native and Figgs’ co-founder Pete Donnelly, and upcoming performances include the Gibson Brothers.  The “Stay At Home” Sessions broadcast at 8 p.m.  and the stream may be accessed via caffelena.org. 

This month, Northshire Bookstore launched a virtual events program. Anchored around a standing Thursday 5 p.m. Northshire Live virtual event, it will feature weekly authors and guests via Zoom. 

Northshire event managers Rachel Person and Dafydd Wood will host a wide-ranging conversation about books from their respective homes. Each week will feature one or more author guest stars who will read from and discuss a recent or forthcoming book. 

Next up: the weekly virtual community gatherings for book lovers will feature Janice Shade, author of Moving Mountains: The Power of Main Street Americans to Change Our Economy 

And, if you haven’t heard. Bob Dylan – who performed at Caffe Lena in a time when John F. Kennedy was President of the United States, has just released a 17-minute song about the assassination of JFK. 

“Greetings to my fans and followers with gratitude for all your support and loyalty across the years,” reads the brief introductory statement posted on Dylan’s website. “This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting. Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you…”

The song may be heard at: bobdylan.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Search your friends and friends-of-friends on Facebook and you will find them, there to illuminate and entertain. Some of the region’s most talented musicians, poets and artists have taken to a variety of social media platforms to perform their songs and their works-in-progress in the wake of the shuttering of public venues. 

Fans of “good folk” may also want to check out caffelena.org, where the Phila Street café is streaming live shows nightly at 8 on YouTube. This week’s slate includes scheduled performances by Let’s Be Leonard (Friday); Scott Sharrard (Saturday), and The Lustre Kings (Tuesday, March 31). 

Area poets, meanwhile, are engaging the community with video and verse at places like @albanypoets on Instagram. 

And for some irresistible grooves on a national scale, check out the happenings at the “online concert venue”  website stageit.com, where on March 29 the Dollyrots will perform the first of their weekly “pay what you can” acoustic shows live from their home base of sequester: “This is for our fans – and since our kids are cooped up with us they’ll probably be around too. Watch us try and wrangle them as the show goes by, or hopefully they just behave themselves haha!” 

A world of creative sound and vision is being made available online during these times. If you know of something other folks should know about, let us know at: thomas@saratogapublishing.com and we’ll be happy to spread the word. 

NEW YORK — While The Metropolitan Museum of Art has temporarily closed all three of its locations to support the effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, the mission of its commitment to inspire knowledge, creativity, and ideas is growing more enhanced online, even while visitors are hunkering down at home.

In a new digital digest, a selection of The Met’s many videos, articles, and online resources are being shared. There are art-making activities for the whole family, concerts by musicians from around the world, and everything from cutting-edge 360-degree videos to downloadable catalogues from past exhibitions. 

There’s a lot to discover, and The Met says over the next few weeks, it will continue to share the art that enriches our lives and that can serve as a resource for educator to connect with art wherever you are. 

To experience The Met, go to: metmuseum.org. 

SCHENECTADY — Proctors Collaborative – the organization which reopened Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs on Feb. 29 – announced March 18 it is furloughing roughly 80 percent of its workforce and that remaining staff will receive pay reductions.

The decision is the result of careful analysis about how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the organization in the near- and long-term, the organization announced in a statement. 

Proctors Collaborative has postponed programming at all three of its venues – Proctors, Universal Preservation Hall and Capital Repertory Theatre – through April 12. With the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that gatherings of 50 people or more be postponed or cancelled for eight weeks, it could be mid-May or later before Proctors Collaborative venues reopens its doors for performances and classes.

“It’s an extraordinary time with daily new and revising understandings about the virus and about its implications on what we, in the performing arts, do: share, connect, celebrate, embrace,” said Philip Morris, CEO. “It’s incredibly painful but for the near future, what we do must simply stop for the good of our whole community and by extension the country.”

The circumstances come at a historic juncture for the organization. Proctors Collaborative just opened UPH in Saratoga Springs on Feb. 29, and is planning to open a new Albany home for theREP in July. Patrons are encouraged to hold on to their tickets for postponed performances and to subscribe to the 2020-21 seasons at Proctors and theREP. “We need to ensure we have full houses as soon as we reopen our doors,” Morris emphasized. “That support will accelerate our recovery.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — An aggregated list of free resources, opportunities, and financial relief options available to artists of all disciplines has been developed by and for freelance artists and those interested in supporting the independent artist community.

The resources – highlighted by Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy, or ACE, is specifically designed to serve freelance artists, and those interested in supporting the independent artist community. Included are information for actors, designers, producers, technicians, stage managers, musicians, composers, choreographers, visual artists, filmmakers, craft artists, teaching artists, dancers, writers and playwrights, photographers,
and others.

The links include artists’ readiness alert and the challenges of business interruptions, lists of emergency funding opportunities for artists, national crowdfunding and collective action efforts related to new funds set up specifically to relieve artists in financial crisis as a result of COVID-19, online arts sharing platforms as well as best practices for online teaching, learning, and gathering.     

That link is at:covid19freelanceartistresource.wordpress.com. 

ACE is a regional group of stakeholders representing Capital Region arts organizations, private corporations, philanthropists, economic development, chambers of commerce, non-profit organizations, financial organizations, media, and educational institutions. The stakeholders recognize creative enterprises are of vital economic importance in terms of employment, community empowerment, economic competitiveness, enhanced quality of life, and skill building – all leading to the community’s increased well-being.