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. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Film crews set up a series of shooting locations in the Spa City the past week – Railroad Place and Caroline Street among them – where segments for an independent movie titled “Paint” are being captured. 

The film – directed by wBrit McAdams – features Owen Wilson, Michaela Watkins, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ciara Renée, Lusia Strus, and Stephen Root. The script centers on “Carl Nagle” – a fictional character whom, in visual context anyway appears not unlike the late Bob Ross – best known as the host of the instructional PBS TV program in the 1980s and ‘90s, The Joy of Painting. 

While not the most common occurrence, the Spa City has performed a number of times as a setting for the film industry. 

“Saratoga” filmed in part at Saratoga Race Course, 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 with the 1947 film “The Homestretch.”  Here, a Boston socialite – portrayed by Maureen O’Hara, 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 in 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. 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.

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, and multiple scenes across the Saratoga County region 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. 

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 the films  “Aftermath” – which featured Anthony Michael Hall, Tony Danza and Chris Penn – 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 depicts a young man who attempts to stave off eviction turns his Saratoga house into a brothel, and “Isabelle,” is 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. 

LAKE GEORGE — A decade ago, The Peoples Pixel Project was created to provide live audience exposure to professional and emerging videographers, and to foster local interest and growth in the medium. The Lake George Arts Project is relaunching the Peoples Pixel Project, knowing it is important more than ever for film makers to have a platform to show their work.

This year, artists from all over New York State were invited to submit their work in one of 6 categories; Tunes (video where primary focus is music), Get Reel: Documentary, Animated (stop-action, table-top animation, computer-generated, hand-drawn, etc…), 2020 Rewind (work that reflects, or was inspired by, the crazy year that was 2020), Narrative, and “Other” or work that is not defined by those categories. The Peoples Pixel Project jury were then tasked with selecting the top 21 works from a record number of submissions.

The Lake George Arts Project would like to congratulate all of the artists who had work selected for this year’s program: Zach Appio & Frank Appio, Christopher Brown, Frank Cavone, Bobby Chase, Kimberly Deonarine, Ru Devine, Anne Francey, Laura Frare & Mary Kathryn Jablonski, Maleek Green, Jonathan Lee, Marilyn McCabe, Rachel Rehm, Jenna Rothwein , Daniel Somoza, Mark Spitzer, Super Dark Collective, Owen White, Ned Van Woert.

The public is invited to view the top 21 selections at the Arts Project website: https://www.lakegeorgearts.org/2021-selections/ and vote for their favorites to win our 2021 Peoples’ Choice Award. This year’s Peoples’ Choice Award will also be featured at this year’s Adirondack Film Festival.

The Peoples Pixel Project is made possible by The Town of Lake George, The Village of Lake George and an anonymous donor. 

LAKE GEORGE — After a long year of quarantine concerts, a virtual series, a drive-in concert series, the Lake George Music Festival will announce their 2021 season and begin selling season passes on May 1. 

The majority of events will feature a new venue: the Carriage House on the grounds of Fort William Henry. Popular as a venue years ago, its resurgence into the spotlight recently has been part of a broader effort between the music festival, the Village of Lake George, and small group of community minded individuals who wish to see Lake George become a cultural tourism destination; one that showcases this revitalized year-round indoor performance space. 

More information about the festival’s 2021 season at the Carriage House can be found at www.lakegeorgemusicfestival.com beginning May 1.

BALLSTON SPA — Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet will be holding a Young Children’s Summer Program for students ages 4 to 7 years old. The program will run two weeks July 12-16, and July 19- 23r, from 10am- noon. Each day will follow a different ballet theme and it will include a ballet lesson, crafts, stories, and related activities. 

The Young Children’s Summer Program is i- person and class size is limited. All CDC, state and local Covid-19 prevention guidelines will be followed. Cost: $200 for a week, $380 for two weeks.

Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet is located at 418 Geyser Rd Suite 5 Ballston Spa. For more information and registration please visit www.saratogaspringsyouthballet.org

GLENVILLE — Perpetual Vibes, LLC announced this week the launch of a new digital and traditional talent marketing and management company led by Kariann Morris and Michelle Moyer.

Perpetual Vibes Marketing and Management is focused on engaging fans virtually and planning for the live music industry to make a comeback.  Over the past year, the rise of social influencers and musicians has grown considerably and with the latest technology, musicians can now play together virtually with a global audience. 

The company focuses on all aspects of brand creation/collaboration, talent marketing and campaigns, web design & development, merchandising, search engine optimization, social networking integration and promotion, digital press releases and more.

Kariann Morris has over 20 years of digital marketing experience and has personally launched three web-based digital marketing companies throughout her career. 

Michelle Moyer has had over 25 years of sales and marketing experience in the music industry working at the EMI Music, Capitol Records and Caroline Distribution, where she also worked closely with developing artists on an independent level.

For more information, go to: perpetualvibes.us.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Home Made Theater announces open auditions for their June production of Nunsense, book, music, and lyrics by Dan Goggin and directed by Dawn Oesch. Auditions will be held through Zoom on Tuesday, May 4 and Wednesday, May 5 from 6:30-9 p.m. All roles are open to actors of all ethnicities and gender identifications.

Nunsense begins when the Little Sisters of Hoboken discover that their cook has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters, and they are in dire need of funds for the burials. The sisters decide that the best way to raise the money is to put on a variety show . The entertainment that they present includes solo star turns, madcap dance routines, and an audience quiz.

Production dates are June 11-12, 18-19 (two shows on Saturdays) at The Mansion Inn in Rock City Falls. Rehearsals will start on Monday, May 10 and will generally run Monday through Thursday evenings (with an occasional Sunday).

Appointments for the Zoom auditions will be required. Please prepare 16 bars of up-beat music. Auditioners are encouraged to provide their own accompaniment, or be prepared to perform a cappella and scales. An audition monologue will be provided upon sign up for a time slot. For a detailed flyer with character descriptions, or to sign up for an audition time, visit Home Made Theater’s website, www.HomeMadeTheater.org. For questions call 518-587-4427.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Calling all artists living with or caring for someone living with a chronic illness, rare disease, or disability:  Saratoga-based nonprofit, Beyond My Battle, is holding its third annual “Art with Heart & Hope” showcasing and sharing the ways art can help manage the many stressors of living with, or caring for someone living with, illness or disability. 

The deadline to submit artwork is Wednesday, June 30. All art must be ready and able to hang on a wall or easel. Artists must either live with or care(d) for someone living with a chronic illness, disease, or disability. Artists must be at least 18 years old. Furthermore, artists have the option to price their artwork for sale. To submit, artists should visit JotForm.com/BeyondMyBattle/Art2021

“Art with Heart & Hope” is an annual pop-up exhibition celebrating the healing power of art for those living with life-altering medical conditions and caregivers. Email: Art@BeyondMyBattle.org with questions.