SARATOGA SPRINGS — Could the quaint city of Saratoga Springs produce a serial killer?
In “Marion,” a forthcoming novel that reimagines the plot of the classic horror film “Psycho,” the protagonist is a Saratoga native cast in the Marion Crane role. But rather than succumb to the knife-wielding, mother-obsessed, shower-stalking Norman Bates, this Marion fights back.
Author Leah Rowan (a pen name) used “Psycho” as the basis for her plot but altered much of the original story. What emerged is an unpredictable, twist-heavy thriller in which Saratoga Springs plays a key role.
“I think it’s an interesting location because it is very far from New York City, but then it’s got its own culture and all these hotels,” Rowan told Saratoga TODAY. “It’s a destination in its own right.”
The book’s Marion character, much like her movie counterpart, steals a large sum of cash and boards an Upstate-bound bus in Manhattan. But the bus breaks down in New Paltz, where the Norman character operates an aging motel that he insists is on the brink of major renovations. When Marion finds that the handsome and seemingly friendly Norman isn’t quite right in the head, her anger towards the abusive men she’s encountered in her life suddenly gushes forth, much like the blood that spills out of certain characters’ bodies.
“Psycho” was set in Arizona, and as Rowan noted in her interview with Saratoga TODAY, the exact location of the story isn’t terribly crucial. But since the author splits her time between Brooklyn and the Catskills, her familiarity with New York State helped inform Marion’s movements and destinations. Although only a relatively small percentage of the novel takes place in Saratoga, the city looms large in the story, right up until the final sentences.
Attentive readers will spot references to the Times Union newspaper, the Saratoga Springs train station, the Children’s Museum at Saratoga, and the Saratoga Casino Hotel. But it may be hard to focus on these details when absorbed in the story, which manically twists in all directions like a killer’s knife plunged into a victim.
“I don’t know what this says about me, but I had so much fun writing this book,” Rowan said. “Literally, more fun than I’ve ever had… I think horror is really having a moment. I think it’s because there are a lot of horrors in the world. I think writing about them in a way that’s fun and almost absurd, at times, helps us process things.”
Of course, the idea of a psychotic killer running amok in Saratoga is absurd. Why, Saratogians wouldn’t even harm a fly.
Soprano Eileen Egan Mack and pianist Michael Clement perform the musical program “A Song of Yaddo: Music of Katrina Trask” at the Canfield Casino on March 19. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Katrina Trask is well-known to locals as one of the driving forces behind Yaddo, the artists’ community that helped foster the talents of James Baldwin, Truman Capote, Sylvia Path, and many others.
Less known is that Trask was herself an artist. She was a poet, author, playwright, and songwriter with a handful of titles to her name, perhaps most notably the anti-war play “In the Vanguard,” written on the eve of World War I.
At the Canfield Casino last Thursday evening, Trask’s original music compositions were performed by soprano Eileen Egan Mack and pianist Michael Clement. Songs attributed solely to Trask included “The Pine Tree,” “The Crimson Rose,” “Courage, O Heart,” “Lord of the Heavenly Host,” “Thine Eyes,” and “Darling, Darling.” These poetic ballads tended to sound a bit like religious hymns with perhaps elements of what we would today identify as singer-songwriter or jazz.
The program also included songs with lyrics written by Trask, including “Come Into the Garden,” (music by Bertha Remick); “A Song of Yaddo,” (music by A. Parsons); “Consolation,” (music by Dudley Buck); and “God Understands,” (music by R. Nathaniel Dett). In the early 20th century, Dett was a leading Black composer who incorporated elements of African American music into classical compositions. Trask’s collaboration with him is especially notable, considering Dett was born just 17 years after the end of the Civil War.
Rounding out the evening were a few samples of music created by Trask’s contemporaries, such as “Vocalise” by Sergei Rachmaninoff, a unique composition that has no lyrics and is sung with only one vowel.
The Saratoga Springs History Museum credited the research of Rumara Jewett with making the event possible. Jewett, the museum said, has uncovered a wealth of historical material about Trask’s music.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Inducted into the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame last year, Dan Berggren is one of a select group of musicians keeping the spirit and traditions of Adirondack music alive.
But what exactly is Adirondack music?
Ahead of his benefit concert scheduled for Friday, March 27 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Saratoga Springs, Saratoga TODAY spoke with Berggren to better understand the unique history and genre of Adirondack-style songwriting. Presented below is that interview in Q&A format, edited for length and clarity.
Saratoga TODAY: How would you describe Adirondack music?
Dan Berggren: The roots are in the days of logging, when, in the 1800s, a lot of Irish immigrants and a lot of French-Canadian immigrants ended up in the Adirondacks because of the demand for cutting trees and getting trees to market. These people brought their music with them, things that they had learned by ear from their parents. Some of the loggers brought songs from other places, and these songs existed over the decades because they just changed the name of the river or the name of the town where the logs were going to. In the case of Adirondack songs, they always mentioned the logs going to Glens Falls. I guess that’s part of the essence of folk music, taking something old and adapting it and making it either new or making it local. That’s the very essence of folk music, to me.
Saratoga TODAY: It seems like you have a history of collaborating with other musicians. Would you say that there’s a healthy community of people who are interested in writing about the Adirondacks, or carrying on the tradition of Adirondack music?
Dan Berggren: It’s a small group, but it’s a vibrant group. One example of this group is something that happens at Great Camp Sagamore in Raquette Lake every June. It’s called Roots & Branches. There’s John Kirk, Trish Miller, Sara Mionovich, Dan Duggan, Peggy Lynn and myself. So, six of us have been leading this Roots & Branches workshop that is open to young people, people in their 20s and 30s, who are interested in this pursuit of carrying on the tradition of folk music, of music that tells stories. Not only the old songs but writing new ones in that tradition. That comes up every June. Actually, it’s free for those who attend. They fill out an online form, and they don’t have to pay for this workshop.
Saratoga TODAY: How did you find yourself becoming someone associated with and interested in this type of music?
Dan Berggren: When I was a little kid, my older brother would bring records home from the public library. They were records like Pete Seeger, The Weavers, Lead Belly, or folk records. My brother went off to college, and when he would come home on vacation, he had a guitar with him, and he knew how to play the guitar. I thought, ‘Wow, that’s magic. Show me a few chords.’ When I was 13 or 14, I started playing the guitar. Jump ahead to after college, I was in the army, and upon arriving back in the Adirondacks in 1975, I discovered that there was this thing called Adirondack music. Marjorie Lansing Porter was a journalist who became the Essex County historian, and she would go door to door (this is in the late 40s, early 50s) looking for old songs, and she would record them on these acetate discs. I discovered this collection at the SUNY Plattsburgh library and wondered ‘How come nobody has ever mentioned Adirondack music to me before? How did I come upon this just by accident?’ I decided if I was going to sing and perform music, why not sing and write about my home? That was 1975 when I started writing songs and collecting songs and sharing them with audiences.
Saratoga TODAY: What is it about the Adirondacks that you think draws people towards them? Obviously, it’s very beautiful and people enjoy hiking, but there also seems to be something about it that inspires a lot of creative types.
Dan Berggren: I think it’s the magic of wilderness. Over 100 years ago, legislators in the state decided it would be a good thing to have 6 million acres, call it the Adirondack Park, and it’d be public and private. We won’t fence it off and have it be separate, but it’ll all be integrated as one park, and that wilderness can exist right next door to a K-12 school. It can exist right next to somebody’s farm. You can drive through little towns like Olmstedville, where I grew up, or bigger towns like Lake Placid, and you’re only minutes from the wilderness… I’ve never been anywhere else where there’s this integration of wilderness and private and commercial and industrial where they can exist in a space, and you can go off on a hike or paddle a canoe and not see another soul, if you want. You can go to Lake George. You can go to a big, populous area downtown, like Lake Placid. But you can also go to a pond and canoe for hours and never see or hear another human being. It’s a balm for the soul that lets you grow in another way.
35 local children (24 cast, with understudies) will take the stage at Saratoga Performing Arts Center this summer in New York City Ballet’s production of Balanchine’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” from July 8 to 11. Photo provided by SPAC.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Sunday, March 15 at 10 a.m., New York City Ballet Children’s Repertory Director Dena Abergel auditioned approximately 125 Capital Region children to dance with the New York City Ballet during its Saratoga season from July 8 to 11.
Auditions were for 24 children’s roles in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” George Balanchine’s full-length adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most cherished comedies.
“Presenting four performances of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ — the very ballet that opened the SPAC stage in July 1966 — is a remarkable moment for our community and our young dancers,” said Elizabeth Sobol, CEO of SPAC. “Here in Saratoga, these talented children bring the story to life with joy and wonder, creating a magical experience that is uniquely ours.”
Casting for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” included roles for 24 girls who were 9-13 years old at the time of the audition. At least three years of ballet training was encouraged for all of the roles. Understudies were also cast.
Returning in celebration of SPAC’s 60th anniversary and its historic partnership with New York City Ballet, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was the first performance presented on the SPAC stage at the venue’s grand opening in July 1966. Inspired by the music of Mendelssohn, Balanchine captures the play’s infinite colors: the bumbling comedy of the Rude Mechanicals, the feisty feuding between Titania and Oberon, the romantic confusion of the young lovers chasing each other through the Athenian forest, and of course the mischief-making Puck.
Featuring a large cast of children from the Capital Region, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was the first wholly original full-length ballet Balanchine created in America and is one of the most popular ballets in the New York City Ballet’s repertoire.
The full-length production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be performed at SPAC on July 8, 9, and 10 at 7:30 p.m. and on July 11 at 2 p.m.
Local children selected for the performance included: Arden Gravley (Glens Falls), Edie Kurera (Ballston Lake), Emma Corlew (Queensbury), Leah Smith (Gansevoort), Madeline Del Prete (Gansevoort), Olivia Conklin (Saratoga Springs), Samantha Fowler (Saratoga Springs), Alex Lambie (Ballston Spa), Maeve Tacy (Ballston Spa), and Uma Bharti (Watervliet).
“God of the Woods” book cover via Riverhead Books.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A critically acclaimed, New York Times-bestselling novel with ties to the Saratoga area will be adapted into a Netflix series starring Maya Hawke of “Stranger Things” fame.
“The God of the Woods,” primarily set in the Adirondacks but containing references to the Spa City, revolves around the mysterious disappearance of 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar. The multi-generational drama explores the wealthy Van Laar family’s past, which could be connected to Barbara’s case.
According to Deadline, Hawke will play investigator Judy Luptack, who attempts to unravel the mystery.
“God of the Woods” author Liz Moore headlined the 2024 Saratoga Book Festival, and has made a number of appearances across the Capital Region. In July 2024, Moore and actress Amanda Seyfried visited the Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs as part of a “God of the Woods” promotional event. Last year, Seyfried starred in the Peacock series “Long Bright River,” which is based on one of Moore’s novels.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — How many poets does it take to screw in a lightbulb? On Wednesday, April 1, at Saratoga’s Whitman Brewing Company, a dozen area poets will celebrate April Fool’s by reading their original comedic poetry.
The event starts at 7 p.m. in the downstairs lounge at Whitman, located in the old Saratogian building at 20 Lake Avenue.
The evening, hosted by Saratoga Poet Laureate Jay Rogoff is billed as “April is the Foolest Month,” a twist on T. S. Eliot’s calling April “the cruelest month.” It will feature stand-up poems from such local wordsmiths as Joe Bruchac, Jackie Craven, David Graham, Carol Graser, Maggie Greaves, Elaine Handley, Susan Kress, Marilyn McCabe, Mary Sanders Shartle, Barbara Ungar, Nancy White, and Dan Wilcox.
“We’re taught about poetry as serious stuff,” Rogoff said, “but it can also be extremely playful. I invited a bunch of poets whose work has sometimes made me laugh out loud. We’re living through stressful times, and poetry and laughter together can help us get through. And how wonderful to hold a reading in an establishment named for Walt Whitman!”
The reading is part of the Laureate Poetry Series and is free and open to the public. Whitman Brewing will have its beverages for sale, in addition to a range of non-alcoholic offerings.
For further information, contact Jay Rogoff at jrogoff@skidmore.edu.
Ellie Ushakov is joined by a group of musicians for the encore of her senior recital on March 20. Photo by Ava Goodemote.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Last Friday evening, Skidmore’s Arthur Zankel Music Center was transported to another world as Ellie Ushakov performed her senior recital. The atmosphere for the night was warm and inviting, a beautiful reflection of the performance Ushakov gave.
Her performance was a combination of solo and group songs, ranging from well-known works to some of her own compositions and songs. Her skill on the guitar produced soft and relaxing sounds that the crowd enjoyed immensely, followed closely by a duet she performed with her teacher, John Kirk, on the mandolin.
Kirk could be seen nodding and swaying along as he played, looking at Ushakov proudly as the crowd erupted into cheers at the closing of their duet. Ushakov was engaging and funny, capturing the crowd’s attention.
Ushakov’s songwriting was highlighted when she performed multiple original works. Her lyricism was creative and entertaining, with many of her lyrics eliciting a few laughs from the crowd. One of her songs required the crowd to sing the refrain with her.
Ushakov asked musicians from the crowd to join her on stage for her encore, which was an Irish song that transported the audience into an old tavern with an uplifting and jovial tune.
The night was a wonderful illustration of her range. The music hall was transformed into a brand-new place with each song. The audience was not shy to show their appreciation of her talent as they cheered and hollered between tunes. Her effect on the crowd was evident as she received a standing ovation at the closing of her last song.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A slew of pop performers recently announced they’ll be appearing at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) this summer.
The clock will “Tik Tok” until Kesha takes the amphitheater stage on Aug. 18. Opening for her will be Chromeo, the electro-funk duo, and Erika Jayne, a singer perhaps best known for starring in the Bravo reality TV series “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
On Aug. 27, “No Scrubs” sensation TLC will co-headline a concert with hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa. En Vogue, a girl group with a string of hits in the 90s, will open.
Tickets for both concerts went on sale this week and are available via spac.org or LiveNation.com.
Photo of Josh Groban and still from “Star Wars” provided by the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) will host the Philadelphia Orchestra for a three-week summer residency from Aug. 5 to 22.
Led by Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin, the season pairs classical masterworks with SPAC premieres and performances by world-renowned artists, including Tony, Emmy, and five-time Grammy Award–nominated singer Josh Groban; Grammy–nominated indie-folk singer Gregory Alan Isakov; and two-time Tony Award–winning Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell.
Additional performances include screenings of “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows — Part 1” and “Star Wars: A New Hope,” which will be projected onto screens in HD while the orchestra performs the accompanying film scores live; Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi and “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzolla; the Tchaikovsky Spectacular; Mozart & Mahler; “Pictures from an Exhibition” with Daniele Rustioni; Emanuel Ax Plays Beethoven; and Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.”
“Our 2026 Philadelphia Orchestra season marks a milestone celebration—60 years of extraordinary music at SPAC with the Orchestra,” said Elizabeth Sobol, CEO of SPAC. “Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which opened the Orchestra’s first season here in 1966, returns as the centerpiece of this summer’s season, led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. This monumental work, with its transcendent choral finale, offers our community a stirring experience that celebrates six decades of artistry and the enduring partnership between SPAC and the Orchestra.”
Highlighting the season is the Philadelphia Orchestra debut of Josh Groban on Aug. 14. Groban will perform a special Stage, Screen & Symphony program that blends musical theater hits, cinema classics, and symphonic arrangements. Groban has sold more than 35 million albums worldwide, headlined legendary venues on multiple continents, and entertained audiences with acclaimed film and television appearances.
Indie-folk singer Gregory Alan Isakov will make his SPAC and Philadelphia Orchestra debut to close the season on Aug. 22. The Johannesburg-born songwriter brings songs such as “Miles to Go,” “Liars,” “Big Black Car,” and “Amsterdam” to the stage in sweeping orchestral arrangements. Isakov has collaborated with many symphonies, including the Colorado Symphony, as well as the Los Angeles Philharmonic—the latter of which was hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “a singular experience.”
Philadelphia Orchestra Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will return to the podium on Aug. 15 to anchor SPAC’s 60th anniversary season with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, featuring a cast that includes soprano Leah Hawkins, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, tenor Issachah Savage, and bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green, alongside Albany Pro Musica. The program will open with the SPAC premiere of William Grant Still’s rarely performed “Wood Notes,” a pastoral orchestral suite inspired by the natural beauty of the American South and the poetry of Joseph Mitchell Pilche. Continuing the 60th anniversary theme of “Seasons,” the residency will also feature paired performances of “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi and “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzolla, with concertmaster David Kim serving as leader and soloist on Aug. 19.
Kicking off the season with three performances is Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Guest Conductor Marin Alsop (Aug. 5-7), including the popular “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” program, followed by an evening featuring the SPAC premiere of Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 23,” with pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason in her SPAC and Orchestra debuts, and Mahler’s “Symphony No. 1.”
Returning for the first time since 2014, two-time Tony–winning Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell will lead, on Aug. 7, an “American Dreams” program highlighted by his narration of Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait,” a reflection on unity, equality, and democratic responsibility. In honor of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, the program also draws inspiration from Marian Anderson’s landmark performance of the work at SPAC 50 years ago. The evening features Broadway favorites, including “Wheels of a Dream” from Ragtime, in which Mitchell originated the leading role, and concludes with Dvořák’s “Symphony No. 9,” written during the composer’s time in the United States and inspired by American musical traditions.
Continuing this exploration of American music, New Zealand conductor Gemma New will make her SPAC debut on Aug. 20, leading Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” paired with Ravel’s “Piano Concerto in G” and Florence Price’s “Piano Concerto in One Movement,” performed by pianist Michelle Cann, who will also appear on the SPAC stage for the first time.
Also highlighting the season is the return of pianist Emanuel Ax on Aug. 13, performing Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 5,” one of the composer’s most iconic works, under the baton of newly appointed Principal Guest Conductor of The Metropolitan Opera Danielle Rustioni, making his SPAC debut. On Aug. 12, Rustioni will lead Musorgsky’s “Pictures from an Exhibition” and Korngold’s “Violin Concerto,” featuring the SPAC and Orchestra debuts of celebrated violinist Bomsori Kim.
Finally, the popular film nights will return with “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows — Part 1” on Aug. 8 and “Star Wars: A New Hope” on Aug. 21.
“August at SPAC will bring three remarkable vocalists across genres—Josh Groban, Gregory Alan Isakov, and Brian Stokes Mitchell—alongside classical music’s most in-demand artists, from Saratoga favorites and icons like Marin Alsop and Emanuel Ax to rising stars making their SPAC debuts, including Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, following the recent debuts of her siblings Isata Kanneh-Mason and Sheku Kanneh-Mason,” said Christopher Shiley, president of SPAC. “From masterworks and SPAC premieres to programs inspired by the themes of ‘Seasons’ and America’s 250th anniversary, this summer promises to inspire, uplift, and connect our community through music.”
Tickets are already available for members (tiered by level) and will be available to the general public on March 25 at 10 a.m. Visit spac.org for details.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Rappers Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz will perform at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on July 2, Live Nation announced on Tuesday.
The 2026 tour follows a successful 2025 run and continues the celebration of Wayne’s “Tha Carter” legacy, an album series that cemented his place as one of the most influential rappers of all time. Spanning more than two decades, “Tha Carter” albums have delivered multi-platinum milestones and record-breaking chart-toppers.
Presale began Wednesday, March 18. General on-sale begins Friday, March 20 at 10 a.m.
