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Upbeat on the Roof – Popular Free Summer Concert Series Thursdays at The Tang

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College presents the 23rd season of its popular summer concert series, Upbeat on the Roof, which will run each Thursday through Aug. 15. Also returning this season are art-making activity kits for kids, called Crafts on the Grass.

The musical acts this season include returning favorites, rising stars, and award-winners of the vibrant Capital Region music scene, as well as a new collaboration with The Orchard Project, a theater and performance incubator in residence at Skidmore. 

Visitors are invited to bring blankets, camping chairs, food, and drink to picnic on the lawn. Craft kits will be available at 5:30 pm; concerts begin at 6 pm. 

The Lineup

July 18: Great Mutations — Indie rock. The Troy based rock band that plays melodic, literate songs about love, work, and death. Since their formation in 2012, they have released four studio albums, including their most recent LP, Gifted Kids, in April. 


July 25: Dust Bowl Faeries — Dark cabaret. Celebrating their tenth year in 2024, Dust Bowl Faeries perform a faerie-tale medley of dark cabaret and gothic polka music, infused with a dose of witchcraft and a dusting of woodland magic. The accordion driven freak-folk ensemble hails from the New York Hudson Valley. 

Later this summer: Aug. 1: Drank the Gold — Contemporary traditional Irish and American tunes; Aug. 8: Dan Carr and the Cure for Asthma — Indie rock; Aug. 15: Reese Fulmer & The Carriage House Band — Americana. 

Before each concert, Tang museum educators will offer Crafts on the Grass: art-making kits for kids starting at 5:30 pm. A different kit with a craft project will be available each week. All projects are suitable for children aged 5 and up, with adult supervision. Materials will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Tang galleries will be open before and after the concerts. In the case of inclement weather, the art-making activities and concerts will be held inside the museum.

Admission is free. For more information, visit the Upbeat on the Roof event pages at  https://tang.skidmore.edu/calendar/category/20-upbeat-on-the-roof. 

Final Preparations: New York City Ballet Season Opens Tuesday at Saratoga

Written by Thomas Dimopoulos on . Posted in Entertainment.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The wardrobe department for New York City Ballet works on the final costume preparations July 8 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in preparation for New York City Ballet’s annual residency from July 9-13.

Among the costumes prepared at SPAC for the ballet’s Saratoga residency: dozens of swan tutus for George Balanchine’s Swan Lake designed by Alain Vaes; intricate men’s and women’s costumes for Balanchine’s Jewels and Stars and Stripes designed by the great Karinska; dozens of children’s skirts and tutus for Balanchine’s Coppelia designed by Karinska; a pink lace doll tutu and toy soldier costume designed by David Mitchell for Balanchine’s The Steadfast Tin Soldier;  striking red unitards designed by Holly Hynes for the return of Ulysses Dove’s Red Angels; bold streetstyle costumes designed by fashion designer Humberto Leon for Justin Peck’s The Times Are Racing; beautiful flowing red designs by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung for the SPAC premiere of Pam Tanowitz’s Gustave Le Gray No. 1; and sweeping yellow tulle costumes designed by NYCB Director of Costumes Marc Happel for the SPAC premiere of Amy Hall Garner’s Underneath There is Light. 

Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s 2024 New York City Ballet season features four unique programs from July 9-13 as part of NYCB’s historic 75th anniversary and its 58th season in Saratoga.

New York City Ballet at SPAC:

Tuesday, July 9 at 7:30 p.m. – NYCB On and Off Stage.

Wednesday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, July 11 at 2 p.m. – Jewels.

Thursday, July 11 and Saturday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m. – Contemporary Choreography.

Friday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 13 at 2 p.m. – Swan Lake & Stars and Stripes.   

For more information, go to: spac.org

Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman: Journey to Nature’s Underworld Opens July 13

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman (with Aaron Delehanty, Loud Cow Studio), American Landscape, 2022, mixed-media diorama with taxidermy, found objects, and painted background, 96 inches x 16 feet x 87 inches. Courtesy the artists and American Federation of Arts.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Journey to Nature’s Underworld, a monumental exhibition surveying 30 years of artist Mark Dion’s and Alexis Rockman’s work, goes on view from July 13, 2024, through January 5, 2025 at the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College.

An opening reception will be held at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 13. 

Journey to Nature’s Underworld invites visitors on a voyage of discovery into the depths of our threatened natural world through large-scale painted and sculptural works that will occupy the Tang’s two largest galleries. 

Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman have, for decades, been addressing humankind’s strained relationship with the environment and its vast ecological consequences. Although working in different media, Dion and Rockman engage similar approaches and strategies, informed by intensive research and fieldwork, borrowing from scientific methodology and models, and using allegory, dark humor, and references to popular culture. 

In addition to the public reception on Saturday, numerous events will be centered around the exhibition. On Saturday, July 20, the Tang’s annual community open house, Frances Day, will feature tours, music, and artmaking for all ages inspired by the exhibition. 

Admission to the museum is free. For more information, contact the Tang Visitors Services Desk at 518-580-8080 or visit https://tang.skidmore.edu.

Adirondack Theatre Festival Features Broadway, Television Veterans

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

Parris Lewis. Photo provided.

GLENS FALLS —Adirondack Theatre Festival’s 30th Anniversary season is in high-gear and will feature multiple Broadway and television veterans to join local talent for a showcase of new work.

ATF will present a developmental reading at the Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council (LARAC) Lapham Gallery from July 12 – 14 in partnership with the Lake George Theater Lab.   

Broadway stars arrive at ATF for The King’s Wife, a concert presentation of the new pop musical with a score by Grammy-nominated Nashville songwriter Jamie Floyd, running July 19 -22. Parris Lewis (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical – first national tour) plays Catherine of Aragon and Matthew Griffin (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical – Broadway) plays Henry VIII. 

The season closes with Jeffrey Hatcher’s edgy new adaptation of Dial “M” for Murder. This stylish twist on the thriller made famous by the Alfred Hitchcock film features Nicholas Baroudi (Law and Order: Organized Crime and Fosse/Verdon) alongside Yesenia Iglesias, Dennis Schebetta, and Sigrid Sutter. Dial “M” for Murder runs Aug. 1 – 7.

Single tickets for Todd vs the Titanic, The King’s Wife, and Dial “M” for Murder at the Charles R. Wood Theater range from $25 to $49. Tickets for the reading of Worth: an Intimate Exhibition at LARAC are $15. Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.atfestival.org, or by calling the Wood Theater Box Office at 518-480-4878, or in-person at the Box Office at 207 Glen St. The Box Office is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 5 pm.

The Orchard Project Presents Variety of Events in Saratoga This Month

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

On Thursday July 11, contemporary showtunes from works-in-progress musicals, including a performance by Ryan Miller (lead singer of Guster), will be presented at the Tang in conjunction with The Orchard Project. Photo: tang.skidmore.edu.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Orchard Project will present a variety of upcoming events which will allow OP artists to share their works-in-progress with the Saratoga Community. 

This summer’s public events include Open Rehearsals and Industry Days, Classical Training Workshops led by Fiasco Theater (July 8 – 11), the annual Orchard Project Summer Arts Festival Weekend (July 11 – 13), and Bloodstock to Broadway (July 24). 

The Orchard Project’s company-in-residence, Fiasco Theater Company, will teach several sessions for performers of all ages, making the text of Shakespeare accessible and fun to perform. The four-day intensive is a primer on Fiasco’s approach for rehearsing classical texts most efficiently, effectively and joyfully. Workshops for College-Aged Students + Professionals: Rehearsing Shakespeare take place at Saratoga Arts; Mon – Wed 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Thu 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM from Monday, July 8 – Thursday, July 11. 

Summer Arts Festival: Thursday, July 11 – Saturday, July 13:

Thursday, July 11 at 6 PM:

The Future of Broadway: A Musical Showcase of Contemporary Composers. 

Featuring Ryan Miller (Guster), Nick Blaemire, Jesse J. Sanchez, Zack Zadek, Anna Denoia, + more. Upbeat on the Roof @ The Tang; picnic starting at 5:30 PM. Miller is working on a new musical “Safety Not Guaranteed.” 

Friday, July 12 at 6 PM:

Work-in-progress sharing by Fiasco Theater Company.

The Haunting of Shirley Jackson: a reading of a new play by Kate Walat. Location + time TBA.

Saturday, July 13 at 7 PM:

Safety Not Guaranteed: a special concert presentation of a new musical premiering in NYC this fall by Nick Blaemire and Ryan Miller of indie rock band Guster. Saratoga Winery.

The Orchard Project is a preeminent artistic development laboratory and accelerator for creators of performance and dramatic stories. Through programs in New York City, Saratoga Springs, and online, the organization inclusively supports and empowers dramatic storytellers from the United States and around the world. Through summer labs and other year-round programs that provide resources including community, accountability, and opportunity for artists at multiple stages of their careers.

More information about all public events is available online on The Orchard Project’s website at www.orchardproject.com.

SPAC: GE Vernova Named New Lead Sponsor Of Saratoga Jazz Festival, Beginning in 2025

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Saratoga Performing Arts Center announced that GE Vernova will serve as the new lead sponsor of Saratoga Jazz Festival, beginning in 2025. 

The two organizations will embark on a five-year partnership, with $200,000 committed from GE Vernova for each year, ensuring the vibrancy and longevity of Saratoga Jazz Festival, one of the largest jazz events in North America. The sponsorship also signals the alignment of SPAC’s and GE Vernova’s shared values of tradition, innovation, community and sustainability. 

 “We are elated to welcome GE Vernova as the new sponsor of the Saratoga Jazz Festival. Our two organizations share deep roots in the Capital Region, and we are uniquely aligned in our commitment to tradition and innovation – much like Jazz itself — steeped in rich history, yet ever-vibrant and evolving,” Elizabeth Sobol, President & CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center, said in a statement. 

 “The festival is one of the longest-running jazz festivals in the world, but we are always looking ahead. This new relationship will be the bedrock for us to move through these next few years into the 50th festival, in 2027, and beyond. It is a gift for us, the artists, the Saratoga Springs business community, and for our audience,” said longtime festival producer Danny Melnick, President of Absolutely Live Entertainment.

 Initially founded as “the Newport Jazz Festival at Saratoga” the weekend event was renamed Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival from 1998 to 2024. In 2025, the festival will be titled Saratoga Jazz Festival, presented by GE Vernova and is slated for June 28-29. Visit spac.org for more details. 

Pousette-Dart at Caffe Lena July 14

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Jon Pousette-Dart. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — An active performer and recording artist for more than 40 years, Jon Pousette-Dart will be staging a show at Caffe Lena July 14. 

Pousette-Dart founded The Pousette-Dart Band and carved a place in the landscape of American music in the 1970s, going on to record a series of albums for Capitol Records, two of which (Amnesia and Pousette-Dart Band 3) made the Billboard album chart. Their single “For Love” reached #83 on the Billboard singles chart in 1979.

 A mainstay of album-oriented radio, and a busy touring groups in the U.S., he worked with such acts as The Byrds, Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat, The Eagles, James Taylor, and others. 

After the original group disbanded in the early 1980’s, Pousette-Dart continued performing and recording, releasing five solo albums including 2015s “TALK,” a cohesive selection of his best songs to date. 

For tickets and more information, go to: caffelena.org. 

Zimbabwean Superstars Mokoomba to Open Music Haven’s 34th Season July 7

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SCHENECTADY —Mokoomba, a vibrant guitar-and-vocal-driven sextet hailing from the southern bank of the Zambesi River, open the 34th Music Haven season at Central Park in Schenectady at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 7.

Revered worldwide for roof-shaking performances at venues like New York City’s famed Apollo Theater, London’s 100 Club and Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, Mokoomba, also a hit at the WOMAD World Music Festival, has shared stages with the legendary Hugh Masekela, Baaba Maal and Talking Heads’ Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth. The group’s latest disc, Tusona—another dose of soul/funk, reggae and African soukous—is subtitled “Tracings in the Sand.”

Supporting Mokoomba is Albany’s Jordan Taylor Hill, a West African drummer and educator, who will lead a hand-chosen selection of percussionists and dancers he trains in Afropop traditions. 

A variety of food and beverages will be available for purchase at all shows, beginning at 6 p.m. on 7 p.m. concert nights and throughout festivals and special events.

In the case of inclement weather, Proctors (432 State St. Schenectady) remains the official rain site for Music Haven. 

Open Call for Artists: Jazz at the Lake Gallery Exhibition – Synesthesia: Seeing Sound

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LAKE GEORGE — In celebration of Jazz at the Lake’s 40th anniversary, The Lake George Arts Project is putting together a groundbreaking exhibition, Synesthesia: Seeing Sound. Designed to challenge perceptions, blur the lines between sight and sound, and spark a visual dialogue that echoes the emotions and rhythms found in music. 

The exhibition will be on view Aug. 28 – Sept. 15 and will coincide with the 40th Anniversary Jazz at the Lake Festival Sept. 13-15 in Shepard Park. 

The juror for this exhibition is independent curator Dan Cameron. Cameron’s projects have long aspired to bring together visual and performing arts. After more than ten years as Senior Curator at the New Museum, in 2007 Cameron founded the triennial exhibition Prospect New Orleans, which has invited artists from around the world to create contemporary art installations throughout the birthplace of jazz.

Artists over the age of 18 living within 100 miles of Lake George are invited to submit up to two 2/D or 3/D works prepared for exhibition following the guidelines found on the Arts Project’s website: www.lakgeorgearts.org. All submissions must be made through the online form.

The deadline for submissions is July 5, 2024. 

For more information, please contact June Waters, Director of Exhibitions, via email at june@lakegeorgearts.org.

The Lake George Arts Project Presents 2024 Summer Concert Series Lineup

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Cassandra Kubinski will perform at the Lake George Arts Project’s Summer Concert Series on July 10.

LAKE GEORGE — For 44 years, the Lake George Arts Project’s Summer Concert Series has been a staple of summer evenings in Lake George. 

The tradition continues in 2024 with a lineup featuring the genre-bending violin virtuosity of Sons of Mystro to the Grammy-nominated Louisiana powerhouse the Pine Leaf Boys. Acclaimed singer-songwriters like Cassandra Kubinski and Angelina Valente will share the stage alongside legends Walter Parks & The Unlawful Assembly and Matt Schofield, a British-born blues legend, who has reshaped the boundaries of the genre. 

The Arts Project is also showcasing the best of the 518 and brings The E-Block, Eventually Epic, and Reese Fulmer & The Carriage House Band to the stage for the first time, alongside regional favorite, Big Medicine.

All concerts begin at 7 p.m. at Shepard Park in Lake George.  Admission is free.

Wednesday, July 3rd:  Eventually Epic (Rock, Pop, Bollywood); Wednesday, July 10th: Cassandra Kubinski (Singer-Songwriter); Wednesday, July 17th: Pine Leaf Boys (Cajun, Zydeco); Wednesday, July 24th: The E-Block (Indie R&B); Wednesday, July 31st: Big Medicine (Rock, Folk, Country, Blues)
; Wednesday, August 7th: Walter Parks & The Unlawful Assembly (Spirituals, Gospel, Blues); Wednesday, August 14th: Matt Schofield (Blues); Wednesday, August 21st: Angelina Valente (Indie Folk); Wednesday, August 28th: Reese Fulmer & The Carriage House Band  (Americana, Indie-Folk).

The Lake George Arts Project’s 2024 Summer Concert Series kicks off with a special Saturday show featuring Sons of Mystro on June 29. For more information about dates and performers, visit the Lake George Arts Project website at www.lakegeorgearts.org