ALBANY — The Egg has announced LIVE performances by Los Lobos with special guest Alejandro Escovedo will be staged on Sunday, Sept. 26, and Hot Tuna with special guests the David Grisman Dawg Trio on Wednesday, Dec. 1. 

The concerts have been added to the series of performances scheduled in 2021-22 that consist of shows postponed due to the COVID 19 pandemic.  The series is set to resume in September pending the ability of the theaters to open safely at full capacity by September. 

Los Lobos with special guest Alejandro Escovedo – Sunday, Sept. 26.  $49.50, $39.50. $34.50. 

Hot Tuna – Acoustic & Electric- with special guests The David Grisman Dawg Trio -Wednesday, Dec. 1. $59.50, $49.50. $44.50

Tickets are currently on sale online at www.theegg.org or by telephone at 518-473-1845, Monday – Friday from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.  The Egg Box Office on the Empire State Plaza remains closed for in-person sales.

LAKE GEORGE — The Lake George Arts Project’s Courthouse Gallery presents GO HOME, a solo exhibition of work by Paul Akira Miyamoto. In place of an on-site gallery reception, LGAP will host a Live Online Talk with Paul Akira Miyamoto 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 4. A direct link to the discussion will be posted at www.lakegeorgearts.org on the day of the event.

Miyamoto’s grandparents came to the United States from Kumamoto, Japan, and worked as itinerant farmers throughout the central coast of California and the desert of the Imperial Valley. During WWII they, along with Paul’s parents and oldest sibling, were sent to Poston Camp in Arizona. The internment of naturalized citizens as well as Americans of Japanese descent, from 1941 to 1946, informs much of Paul’s work of late.  The figures in his paintings recall the Issei, a term used for first generation Japanese Americans who emigrated from Japan, but were not eligible for U.S. citizenship. The distilled forms of field workers, often placed in landscapes drawn from his own memory, portray the strength and endurance of past family members, but could easily represent present-day immigrant farmworkers. 

You can learn more about his work atpaulmiyamotoart.com.

The Courthouse Gallery is located at the side entrance of the Old County Courthouse, corner of Canada and Lower Amherst St, Lake George. Regular Gallery hours may change due to COVID-19 public health concerns and protocols. For updates call 518-323-5499 or  email laura@lakegeorgarts.org or visit www.lakegeorgearts.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Jewish Community Arts and Temple Sinai, with a supporting grant of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern NY, invites the community to a panel discussion of the documentary “The Outrageous Sophie Tucker,” directed by William Gazecki, at 7 p.m. on May 2.

In the documentary, Gazecki lays out the life of Sophie Tucker, with commentary by Barbara Walters, Tony Bennett, Carol Channing, Michael Feinstein, Shecky Green, and others. The film can be viewed on YouTube. Registration is required in advance of the discussion for Zoom access by emailing sjca.sjcf@gmail.com  Follow online for updates at www.saratogajewishculturalfestival.org, www.saratogasinai.org  and Facebook.

Congregation Shaara Tfille and The Jewish Community Center of Saratoga Springs is also extending an invitation to join them in ‘Exploring Identity at The Jewish Museum: The Language of Art.’  This private virtual tour will be held at The Jewish Museum in New York City at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27. 

Attendees will be led through a selection of artworks from the museum’s stellar collection of 30,000 paintings, sculpture and ceremonial objects while investigating the ways in which artists address themes of immigration and identity. The one-hour program will conclude with an opportunity for questions and answers.  This is a limited event -first-come, first-serve.  For reservations, contact likebertrand518@gmail.com.   

GLENS FALLS — On April 28, The Park Theater will host the next event in their ‘Dinner & A Movie’ series featuring science fiction drama, Arrival, accompanied by a 3-Course Prix Fixe menu presented by executive chef, Matthew J. Delos. 

Arrival (2016) is a masterfully crafted, thought-provoking science fiction drama filled with suspense and hope. 

In addition to the film, executive chef, Matthew J. Delos, has curated a menu that is out of this world. The first course will feature a choice of Roasted Carrot Bisque or Baby Arugula Salad. The second course will feature a choice of Grilled Spring Vegetable Lasagna or Roasted Loin of Beef. All meals will be served with Milky Way Cheesecake for dessert. 

The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner service will begin at 6. The film will begin at 6:30 p.m. Ticket price: $60 per person. There will be limited seating and tickets must be purchased in advance. Make your reservations early. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit  parktheatergf.com or phone The Park Theater Box Office at 518-792-1150. 

The Park Theater will also host Rochmon Record Club for a series of listening parties from April to June. Hosted by Chuck Vosganian, a Rochmon Record Club Listening Party is a multi-media event designed to educate and inspire. Audiences will learn about the history of the performers, and dive deep into the songs and stories that informed these iconic albums. 

The first listening party, Thursday April 29, will focus on the Eagles’ legendary fifth studio album, Hotel California (1976). The second listening party, May 26, will focus on Carole King’s masterful second studio album, Tapestry (1971). The third listening party, on June 30, will focus on Queen’s groundbreaking fourth studio album Night at the Opera (1975).

Audiences will have the opportunity to listen to these albums on the Park Theater’s state-of-the-art sound system. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event will begin at 7. There will be a bar and food available for purchase. Ticket Price: $12 per person. There will be limited seating and tickets must be purchased in advance. Make your reservations early. 

The Park Theater offers a state-of-the-art fresh air ventilation system with MERV 13 filters for their indoor space, and is closely following all NYS and CDC guidance to maintain your utmost safety.

SCHENECTADY — Proctors has announced the new dates for eight postponed productions from two previous Key Private Bank Broadway Series at Proctors seasons; the dates of three other previously scheduled shows are still to be determined. 

The Key Private Bank Broadway Series lineup at Proctors starts roughly 45-60 days later than a typical fall-to-spring cycle, which is “a good thing” according to Proctors Collaborative CEO Philip Morris. “The touring industry can’t come back until we can seat audiences near or at capacity. The economics won’t work otherwise. All projections suggest we should be able to return to full capacity by December,” Morris said in a statement. “And it goes without saying we will be fully compliant with all state and federal safety guidelines to assure patron safety.” 

Key Private Bank Broadway Series at Proctors schedule:

SUMMER – The Donna Summer Musical Dec. 7-12, 2021; Come From Away Jan. 25-30, 2022; The Prom March 1-6, 2022; Dear Evan Hansen March 22-27, 2022; CATS May 3-8, 2022; My Fair Lady May 17-22, 2022; Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird June 14-19, 2022; Mean Girls June 28-July 3, 2022. 

“Hadestown,” “The Lion King” and “Pretty Woman: The Musical” will all be rescheduled. 

At other Proctors Collaborative venues, announcements are forthcoming. Proctors, theREP and UPH are partners in the Proctors Collaborative. 

Tickets for concerts and other events for the third and fourth quarter at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs are expected to go on sale by summer.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Home Made Theater will be presenting a seasonally themed event, Spring Fling, on Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2. There will be two performances each day, at noon and 2 p.m.

The hour-long, family-friendly event will feature singing, dancing, scenes, and monologues, performed by cast members of Home Made Theater productions past. Selections will include “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” from Oklahoma, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from Gypsy, and a dance number by members of the Tango Fusion dance company.

Space is limited to 75 attendees per performance. Tickets are $10 per person and must be purchased in advance. There will be no tickets sold at the door.

The event will be held outdoors in the field adjacent to the Spa Little Theater in Saratoga Spa State Park. Audience members are asked to bring their own blankets or chairs. Expect to have your temperature taken and to fill out a brief health screening questionnaire, or for faster check-in, bring your Excelsior Pass if you prefer. Masks will be required.

Tickets can be purchased on Home Made Theater’s website, www.HomeMadeTheater.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Albany Symphony’s “Haydn and Schubert” Concert will be livestreamed in real time at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 24 from Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. 

The concert will feature exemplary works by beloved classical composers as well as the award-winning Violin Concerto No. 2 by George Tsontakis, and the latest premiere by ASO American Music Festival alumna Tanner Porter. There will be a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. and a post-concert question and answer session with artists for season subscribers.

The 2020-2021 season continues through the American Music Festival in June. Concerts will be live and virtual, with the ability to purchase access online at www.albanysymphony.com or by calling the Albany Symphony Box Office at 518-694-3300. Subscribers are also invited to attend a pre-concert chat and a post-concert, real-time “talk-back” session with guest composers, soloists, and Maestro Miller.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – In a joint decision by Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) and New York City Ballet (NYCB), SPAC has announced that due to the ongoing health and safety concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic and guidelines mandated by the State of New York, NYCB will not return to its summer home in Saratoga Springs with the full company this July.

Instead, a small group of NYCB dancers and musicians will present NYCB On and Off Stage, an intimate, up-close look at selected excerpts from the company’s extraordinary repertory of ballets. This series of educational programs has never before been presented for Saratoga audiences.

NYCB On and Off Stage is slated for six shows from July 14-17 and will feature two special presentations. All shows will be hosted by a NYCB Principal Dancer who will introduce the excerpts and provide insights on each ballet.  

SPAC and New York City Ballet have also confirmed that the traditional residency engagement with the full company will be presented in 2022 from July 12-16. 

The NYCB On and Off Stage presentations will be offered in compliance with the current guidelines from the Governor to ensure the health and safety of artists, audience members and staff. As required by New York State, all attendees of the series will be required to show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72-hours of the event. 

NYCB On and Off Stage will showcase two distinct programs suitable for audiences of all ages including an “All Balanchine” presentation, illuminating the expansive repertory of Founding Choreographer George Balanchine with excerpts from masterworks including Apollo, The Four Temperaments, Agon, Jewels, and Who Cares?, and a program entitled “Short Stories,” exploring beloved narrative ballets like Firebird, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Western Symphony, Fancy Free, and The Concert.

Both programs will feature an ensemble of 15 New York City Ballet dancers in costume performing excerpts from the Company’s world-renowned repertory, with live musical accompaniment provided by pianists from NYCB.

This new format represents an innovative and safe way to bring dance to the community, while adhering to carefully mapped out, socially distanced seating and rigorous COVID protocols both in SPAC’s public spaces and backstage.

“While we will miss the big, lush productions for which City Ballet is renowned, the safety of the artists, audience members and staff is our greatest priority,” said Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of SPAC, in a statement.

“When thinking about SPAC and re-opening, in addition to considering the audience members in our public spaces, we also have to make certain that the backstage, dressing rooms, rehearsal spaces and stage are all safe. This would not be possible with the complete NYCB organization of nearly 100 dancers, 62 orchestra members in the pit and the many production crew members and staff members backstage, as is necessary for a full-scale NYCB engagement. Bringing this new format to SPAC for 2021 ensures that we will be able to effectively create a safe environment for all,” Sobol said.

The full schedule is as follows:  WEDNESDAY, JULY 14 @ 7:30 PM – Short Stories; THURSDAY, JULY 15 @ 2 PM – All Balanchine; THURSDAY, JULY 15 @ 7:30 PM – Short Stores; FRIDAY, JULY 16 @ 7:30 PM – All Balanchine; SATURDAY, JULY 17 @ 2 PM – Short Stories; SATURDAY, JULY 17 @ 7:30 PM – All Balanchine.

The presentations will all be approximately 75 minutes long with no intermission. Each program will be hosted by a beloved NYCB Principal Dancer who will be retiring from the company during the 2021-22 New York Season – Maria Kowroski will host the Short Stories presentation; and Gonzalo Garcia will host the All Balanchine presentation

Ticketing information:   

SPAC Members will have early ticket access depending on membership level, beginning on May 3. Tickets for the public will be available to purchase on May 10. Designated pods of two will be allocated and reserved for ticket buyers in the amphitheater, while designed pods of two and four will be available on the SPAC lawn. Amphitheater tickets start at $80 per pod, which seats up to two people. Lawn tickets are available to purchase for $60 for a two-person pod, or $120 for a four-person pod. Single tickets will be extremely limited and available starting at $40 for the amphitheater and $30 for the lawn. Advance ticket purchases are strongly advised as ticket availability will be limited. If available, tickets will be on sale on the day of, but are subject to an additional fee. 

COVID-19 Safety & Protocols:

 SPAC will be adhering to all mandated NYS guidelines and therefore all attendees are required to show proof of a completed vaccination no sooner than 14 days prior to the event or a negative 72-hour COVID-19 test. In addition, attendees are required to complete a health screening questionnaire and pass a mandatory temperature check prior to entry. Guests are required to wear a face mask at all times, regardless of proof of vaccination or negative test. Guests are permitted to bring factory sealed water bottles and essential personal items only. Restrooms will be available with social distancing and enhanced cleaning and sanitation protocols in place in accordance with recommended guidelines.

For proof of vaccination, either a vaccination card or NYS Excelsior Pass is acceptable, according to a SPAC spokesperson. Visit spac.org for more details.   

SARATOGA SPRINGS — It wasn’t prompted by a premonition of a global shutdown of live music due to a deadly pandemic, but the fact that the timely, existential refurb of the venerable Caffè Lena included a better-than-needed(?) audio upgrade and multi-camera video installation was, nonetheless, prophetic. 

At this writing, fourteen months from the onset, we’re not out of the woods, but we have started to let small, pre-screened patrons into the rarified air, (literally), that has, even in the throes of COVID-19, continuously echoed with live music for more than 60 years.  The streaming, the suddenly commonplace connection that allowed our gregarious nature to find digital refuge, will continue. 

Purists may argue that the experience, the visceral, touchy/feely, sing-along, chocolate chip, in-person version is diminished by being teased out over the internet.  I prefer to think that the two, very unique, experiences form a complimentary new hybrid. 

Being physically present has layers of sensory stimuli that we are still unable to produce remotely; the natural sound, of course and the aromas and the lights, the clamor and the camaraderie, the exchange of energy between audience and performer, the afterglow and the merch… did I mention the cookies?  But the music, the words, the melody and harmony, the pluck of a string and beat of a drum, the poetic truth that stirs our souls and imaginations and taps our toes cannot complete its journey from thought to pen to paper until its performance reaches some ears, and the more ears, the better. 

From coast to coast, Canada to South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, Caffè Lena’s concert streams are broadening the outreach of the venue’s dedication to the art while expanding the fan base of some of the world’s finest musicians.  And…in a more perfect world…when it’s safe, perhaps some of those new, streamer fans in Brazil or Senegal or Kuala Lumpur will find their way to Phila St.  We have cookies.

Joel Moss is a Grammy Award-winning record producer, Saratoga Springs resident and the Caffè Lena streaming producer and archivist.

ALBANY — The second half of April features a quartet of Capital Repertory Theatre virtual play readings with several actors known to theREP audiences as well as works by young playwrights. 

The series includes the dramatic short play, “Third Grade” by Dominique Morisseau airing April 14-17; the classic “Alice in Wonderland” in an adaptation co-created by theREP’s Producing Artistic Director Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill and Associate Artistic Director Margaret E. Hall; airing April 21-24; a sneak peek of a new play, “American Fast” by 2020 Next Act’s winning playwright Kareem Fahmy on April 28; and readings of theREP’s Young Playwrights Contest top 10 finalists’ short plays on April 29.

Each event will be livestreamed on the Collaborative Studios’ YouTube channel and through the Collaborative Studios app on Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV. And two – “Third Grade” and “Alice in Wonderland” – will be available on demand at openstagemedia.org/video-on-demand for several days after the premiere. 

The readings are free, but there is a suggested donation of $15 to benefit the theatre’s new play development work.