ALBANY — Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia will perform “It’s OK To Be Different – The Stories of Todd Parr” at The Egg 3 p.m. Sunday, April 30 as part of the “Family Wonders” performance series.
Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia brings three stories by Todd Parr to the stage with their innovative approach to puppetry and playful original music for which the company has earned worldwide praise.
It’s Okay to Be Different delivers the important messages of acceptance, understanding, and self-confidence. Equally whimsical and heartfelt, The Earth Book, is a sweet homage to our beautiful planet inspiring readers of all ages to do their part to keep the Earth happy and healthy. This is My Hair is a funny exploration of how silly hair can be and that no matter how your hair looks, always feel good about yourself.
Tickets are $15 and are available at The Egg Box Office at the Empire State Plaza, by telephone at 518-473-1845 or on line at www.theegg.org. Adults accompanied by a child are admitted free of charge – limited to one adult per child.
Saratoga Arts is now accepting proposals for new indoor murals.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Arts is accepting proposals for new indoor mural in the classroom spaces at the Arts Center in downtown Saratoga Springs. This will become a ‘paint by numbers’ collaborative community project.
Overall inspiration for the design is the four seasons and the history of Saratoga Arts’ and its mission. Priority will be given to applications that consider and include references to all genres of the arts, the historical significance of the building and its location within Congress Park, how arts and culture benefits and impacts the community.
Apply by Friday May 5. Winner will be notified by May 9.
The proposal should include a rendering of the finished mural but the selected artist(s) will be tasked with translating their design onto our primed white wall as a ‘Paint by numbers’ from May 17-21. The color will be added by members of the community from Aug. 21- Sept. 1, with a celebration and grant opening on Sept. 2.
The winning Artist will receive a stipend of $1,500 to come up with the mural and transpose as a paint by numbers design onto the wall in the allotted timeline. The budget for any supplies needed to achieve this should not exceed $500 and must be itemized and submitted within one week of being selected. Saratoga Arts will order and have these supplies on site for the artist(s) to begin for May 17. An additional $700 in paint supplies has been set aside to complete the second phase of community engagement and color application.
Physical Space:
Saratoga Arts’ main hallway wall in our first-floor classroom area. Wall Material: Drywall, will be primed flat matt white prior to start day May 17th. Wall Dimensions: 94 inches tall x 480 inches wide
All applicants are required to submit:
1. A written description of their project and how it relates to the theme Arts for All Seasons.
2. Sketches or renderings of the design, in both phases – finished product and paint by numbers.
3. A clear description of their timeline and methods used to complete the mural.
4. A comprehensive materials list for both phases of the project including paint colors and preferred supplier
4. Examples of prior work and any other reference support materials
Willie Nelson performing at past Outlaw Music Fest. File Photo
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Willie Nelson, who will celebrate his 90th birthday on Saturday, has planned a return to Saratoga Springs in September as part of his Outlaw Music Festival Tour.
Set to appear at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Sept. 15: Willie Nelson & Family, Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros. featuring The Wolfpack, The String Cheese Incident, Los Lobos, and Particle Kid.
“I can’t wait to keep the celebration of my 90th birthday going into the fall with this great lineup of artists, my friends and family, and of course, the amazing fans,” Nelson said in a statement announcing the tour.
The inaugural Outlaw Music Festival made its debut in 2016. Over several decades, Nelson has built a globally celebrated career as a musician, author, actor, and activist.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Caffè Lena is located on Phila Street in Saratoga Springs. For a full list of upcoming shows and events, go to: caffelena.org.
Emerging Artists of the Month: The Sweet Lillies. Sunday May 7. An acoustic string-band lineup of guitar, viola, and upright bass give flight to ethereal, vocal harmonies that float like a dream.
Blues & Folk-influenced singer/songwriter Andrew Duhon. Wednesday, May 10. New Orleans native Andrew Duhon is a writer with an undeniable voice: weighted and soulful. His release, The Moorings, was nominated for a Grammy.
Open Stage: Jam Sessions and Workshops. Bluegrass Jam with Blue Spruce. Wednesday May 17. The Bluegrass Jam is about sharing songs, making new friends, and enjoying a relaxing and casual evening of irresistible string band music. Open jam session and all are welcome. $5 at the door.
Must See: The Slambovian Circus of Dreams – Unplugged! Saturday May 27. Hudson Valley, New York-based band which is sometimes described as “Hillbilly Pink Floyd,” or “Punk Classical Hillbilly Floyd.”
Additional upcoming notable appearances: Gil Gutiérrez Trio (May 12); The Ballsoom Thieves (May 18); Garnet Rogers (May 20); Al Olender (May 21).
Kendra Farstad, work inspired by Creative February. Photo provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The works of fine artist and muralist Kendra Farstad will be on exhibition at Spring Street Gallery from April 28 – June 23.
Farstadt had been inspired to work this February through Creative February, an art movement begun by local artist Takeyce Walter. Creative February calls on artists to challenge themselves to develop artwork daily throughout the month of February. These creative endeavors range from drawing, sculpture and jewelry to poetry and performance art. Farstad’s work focuses on the use of oil paints on canvas and panel, taking inspiration from the landscapes that surround her.
The opening reception will take place at 5 – 7 p.m. on Friday, April 28, and the gallery will host an artist talk on Thursday, May 4 at 7 p.m.
A portion of the proceeds from the sales of this exhibit will benefit RISE Housing and Support Services, a human service agency that has been serving people in Saratoga and the surrounding counties since 1978.
Spring Street Gallery is located at 110 Spring St, Saratoga Springs.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Voices will present an afternoon of 19th and 20th Century French choral masterpieces at Skidmore College’s Zankel Music Center, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 13.
The program features guest Artistic Director Dr. Michael Lister, who has designed the program to showcase the powerful works of composers Gabriel Fauré (Pavane and Cantique de Jean Racine), Frances Poulenc (Gloria), and Maurice Duruflé (Requiem).
Lister explains that the three connect in Poulenc’s and Duruflé’s “inspiration toward the new and individualistic that they inherited from Faure, who began to explore new musical tonalscapes in his music of the Romantic Period.”
Tickets are available online at www.tickets.proctors.org or www.saratogavoices.org and will be sold at the box office on the day of the concert.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Shaken & Stirred Celebrity Bartender Party is returning in May to benefit Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. Chris Onorato, morning show anchor from NewsChannel 13, will join the event as the host.
Teams from local businesses up to compete against each other, bartending for the most tips. The team that raises the most during their shift wins. This year’s event will be 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursday, May 18 at the Saratoga National Golf Course. There is no cover charge and no tickets necessary.
All proceeds raised go toward education programs at UPH and the Collaborative School of the Arts.
For more information, go to universalpreservationhall.org.
Martine Gutierrez, Demons, Chin ‘Demon of Lust,’ from Indigenous Woman, 2018. Tang Teaching Museum collection.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College Family Saturday series continues April 29 at 2 p.m. with Family Saturday: Face to Face.
After learning about the exhibition Face to Face from the student curators in Associate Professor and Chair of Art History Saleema Waraich’s course “(De)Colonizing the Museum: Addressing Systemic Racism and Promoting Social Justice,” participants will create their own mixed-media portraits in response to Martine Gutierrez’s Demons, Chin ‘Demon of Lust,’ p93 from Indigenous Woman.
Family Saturdays, which are suitable for children 5 and older accompanied by an adult, aim to foster multigenerational creative cooperation through looking at artwork, discussing it, and engaging in a hands-on art-making activity. The programs run from 2 to 3:30 pm and are free and open to the public. No registration required; supplies provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
The spring season’s Family Saturdays conclude on May 13. Summer dates include June 24, July 29, August 12, and August 26, with details to be announced later. For more information, visit the Tang website at https://tang.skidmore.edu or contact the Tang Visitors Services Desk at 518-580-8080.
SCHENECTADY —The Schenectady premiere of “Jagged Little Pill” will be opening at on Tuesday, May 2.
The musical is inspired by the seminal rock album of the same name by seven-time Grammy Award winner Alanis Morissette.
Ignited by Morissette’s groundbreaking lyrics and music – from beloved hits such as “You Oughta Know,” “Head Over Feet,” “Hand In My Pocket,” and “Ironic”, to brand new songs written for the show – Jagged Little Pill features explosive choreography by Tony Award nominee and frequent Beyoncé collaborator Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and the raw power of an onstage band under the Musical Supervision, Orchestrations & Arrangements of Grammy, Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Kitt.
Jagged Little Pill officially opened on Broadway Dec. 5, 2019 at the Broadhurst Theatre after beginning previews Nov. 3. Prior to Broadway, JAGGED LITTLE PILL completed a record-breaking, sold-out run at American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Tickets to the Tony and Grammy award-winning production 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 proctors.org. Groups of 10 or more can get their tickets by calling 518-382-3884, ext. 139.
Banda Magda, killing it with multilingual polyrhythms on stage at Saratoga Performing Arts Center September 2019. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Banda Magda will return to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Thursday, May 4. Showtime is 7 p.m.
Led by performer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Magda Giannikou, Banda Magda comprises a diverse group of musicians from Greece, Japan, Argentina, USA, Colombia, Brazil, Turkey, Israel and the UK. Their all-new program of global music since they last played SPAC in 2019 will range from samba to French chanson, from Greek folk tunes to Colombian cumbia and Afro-Peruvian lando.
Tickets are $33 and are all general admission. Performance is at the Spa Little Theater. Visit SPAC.org or call 518-584-9330.
