SARATOGA SPRINGS – Recorded in the fall of 1971 and released the following year, “The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars” will be celebrated by Rochmon Record Club at Caffe Lena on Jan. 18. 

Bowie and his band The Spiders From Mars – which featured guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey, first toured the U.S. in support of “Ziggy” in 1972, and in New York performing at Carnegie Hall, visiting with Andy Warhol at The Factory, meeting Lou Reed and Iggy Pop at Max’s Kansas City, and going to see the New York Dolls at Mercer Arts Center. A new post-60s scene, initiated, arguably, by Marc Bolan a short while earlier, was blossoming in major cities across the globe. 

“The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars,” which will be played and discussed in its entirety at Caffe Lena, includes the Bowie classics “Five Years,” “Moonage Daydream,” “Starman,” the title track, and “Suffragette City.”

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., the show begins at 7 with a live audio and video presentation by Chuck Vosganian aka “Rochmon” and his sidekick, Alyssa, aka “The Button Pusher!” 

Caffe Lena has returned to full capacity. In order to ensure everyone’s safety proof of vaccination for all attendees is required. The Rochmon Record Club will also be streamed live on Caffe’ Lena TV. Tickets and more information at: www.caffelena.org 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – On Jan. 22, Caffe Lena will host “Crossing the Water” a tribute concert celebrating the life and legacy of Bill Staines. The songwriter died in December after a battle with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, according to his website. He was 74. 

Staines had performed at Saratoga Springs coffeehouse Caffe Lena twice a year from 1968 to 2021. He enjoyed a decades-long music career that began during the folk revival movement of the 1960s. He was said to have driven more than 65,000 miles every year to perform at music festivals, churches, concert halls and even in private homes.

“For many years I have referred to him as an anchor to our heritage,” says Executive Director Sarah Craig, in a statement. “So much has changed over the years. But Bill has remained a constant.”

On January 22, Capital Region musicians will perform a tribute to Staines at the venue. It will be streamed live for those unable to attend in person.

“Crossing the Water: A Tribute to Bill Staines” will take place on the date that would have been Staines’ winter show for 2022. It will be emceed by Christopher Shaw and will feature Staines’ songs, passages from his autobiography, and video clips from his final concert at the venue on Sept. 17, 2021. Selections will be performed by Dan Berggren, Kate McDonnell, Vivian Nesbitt and John Dillon, Wanda Fischer, Kevin McKrell and Arlin Greene, Jonny and Annie Rosen, and John Kirk and Trish Miller.

In-person attendees must present proof of vaccination and masks are required. For those unable to attend in-person, a free live stream will be available on Caffe Lena’s YouTube channel. Tickets and streaming information is available at www.caffelena.org 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Mary Fahl first achieved fame as lead singer and co-founder of the mid-1990s NYC- based Folk-Chamber Pop group October Project, whose hallmark of sound depicted Fahl’s power vocals over gorgeous melodies. 

As a solo artist, the expressive, emotional singer/songwriter has written and recorded songs for movies (the theme for the Civil War epic “Gods and Generals,” among them), singing arias and medieval Spanish songs for Sony Classical or releasing a unique album-length take on Dark Side of the Moon. 

Fahl’s recent releases have garnered an Indie Acoustic Award for Best Live Album for “Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House” (filmed for PBS) and an Independent Music Award for her recent holiday album, “Winter Songs and Carols.”

Her latest release, a Blu-ray 5.1 surround DVD, “From the Dark Side of the Moon,” was mixed by the legendary Bob Clearmountain, and has been called “Immersive Album of the Year” by Life in Surround.

Showtime: 8 p.m. on Feb. 5 at Caffe Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs. Tickets: $30-42. Call 518-583-0022 or go to: www.caffelena.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Celebrating his fifth decade of touring, Tom Rush will perform two shows at Caffe Lena on Feb. 6, when he will be joined on stage by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Matt Nakoa. Shows are at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $65 in person, $10 live stream, Go to: www.caffelena.org.

HUDSON FALLS – The Strand Theatre and Mark Abodeely Productions kick off The Guitar Master Series on Saturday, Jan. 15, with the legendary Albert Lee Band and opening act The Strand House Band at 7:30 p.m. 

For over 6 decades Albert Lee has played with the biggest names in music including Eric Clapton, The Everly Brothers, The Crickets and more. 

The Strand House Band will perform songs by The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Eric Clapton and features Marc Clayton, Jonathan Newell, Alan Dunham, Ernie LaRouche and Michael Craner. 

Tickets are $35 and available by calling The Strand Theatre box office at 518-832-3484 or visiting www.mystrandtheatre.org.  Join us for Albert Lee’s Belated Birthday Party. 

The venue is located at 210 Main St. Hudson Falls. 

For more information, call 518-832-3484 or go to www.mystrandtheater.org . The Hudson River Music Hall, Productions, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College presents Radical Fiber: Threads Connecting Art and Science, a new exhibition featuring historical artifacts and contemporary art that demonstrate the ways in which fiber craft techniques and materials have influenced and impacted scientific fields like mathematics, digital technology, medicine, and more. The exhibition runs Jan. 29 through June 12. 

Visitors will encounter works that span centuries and are made by artists, scientists, and mathematicians alike. 

A 15th-century Incan khipu-the oldest work on view-presents a system of cords, knots, and dyes that recorded local and state administrative information and narratives. Mathematician Daina Taimina’s Hyperbolic sketch, 2006, offers a crocheted representation of the mathematical theory of hyperbolic space; she was the first to create a functional model of this theory after more than a century of claims that such a feat was impossible. 

Artist Dario Robleto’s The Creative Potential of Disease, 2004, presents a Civil War-era doll that was made by an amputated Union soldier as a self-portrait as part of his recovery

The exhibition also features the Saratoga Springs Satellite Reef, a collaborative artwork made up of hundreds of crocheted corals created in the last year by amateur crafters and professional artists from the Capital Region and beyond. The reef installation is one of nearly 50 such satellite reefs created around the world as part of the Crochet Coral Reef project by Christine and Margaret Wertheim and the Institute For Figuring. 

The public reception will take place 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29. Admission to the museum is free. All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination and to wear masks. For more information, call the Visitors Services Desk at 518-580-8080 or visit tang.skidmore.edu. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Greenwich native and Skidmore College graduate Josh Chambers made a name for himself around Saratoga in the 1990s as both a musician, playwright and director. Chambers passed away Feb. 12, 2021 at the age of 45. 

Spa City born hometown rockers The Figgs will perform in a special tribute to the life and legacy of Josh Chambers, 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 20. In-person tickets are $12.50-$25. Proof of vaccination is required for attendees.

For more information and a complete calendar of upcoming events at Caffe Lena, go to: caffelena.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Opera Saratoga has announced a return to large scale performances this summer with a new festival model that embraces partnerships with multiple venues across the region. Those venues include: Proctors in Schenectady; The Egg in Albany; The Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs; The Round Lake Auditorium in Round Lake Village; The Barn at French Mountain in Lake George Village; and The Mansion Inn in Rock City Falls. 

At the heart of the 2022 Summer Festival will be performances of Rossini’s bel canto comedy The Barber of Seville on Proctors MainStage, as well as his Petite Messe Solennelle at The Round Lake Auditorium; Sky on Swings by Lembit Beecher and Hannah Moscovitch at The Egg, which explores the journey of two women living with Alzheimer’s disease; and Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway masterpiece, Sweeney Todd, on the Amphitheater Stage of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. 

Additional events will include A Broadway Cabaret at The Mansion Inn; A Juneteenth Celebration at Proctors’ GE Theater; and a series of master classes featuring members of Opera Saratoga’s Young Artist Program, to be announced. In addition, the 2022 Opera Gala will take place on Sunday June 5th at The Barn at French Mountain, in Lake George Village. 

“While our decision to expand our geographic footprint this summer was catalyzed by the need for renovations at The Spa Little Theater, where we have been performing since 1998, it has also been inspired by our increased activity across the region throughout the year,” said Opera Saratoga’s Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson, in a statement.

“We began asking: with so many remarkable theaters in our region, might we be able to better serve our mission by reconceiving our Summer Festival in a way that doesn’t limit us to a single venue? While we remain committed to producing in Saratoga Springs, as the opera company of the Capital Region, our goal is to provide access to our Summer Festival programming in the same way we are able to do with our year-round programs.” 

PETITE MESSE SOLENNELLE – June 2 and June 3 @ 7:30 p.m. Presented by Opera Saratoga in partnership with The Round Lake Auditorium.

A BROADWAY CABARET – June 12 @ 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Presented by Opera Saratoga in partnership with The Mansion Inn.

A JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION WITH SIDNEY OUTLAW – June 19 @ 2:30 p.m. Produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with Proctors.

SWEENEY TODD – THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. June 29 and June 30 @ 7:30 p.m. Produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

SKY ON SWINGS – July 7 @ 7:30pm and July 9 @ 2 p.m. Produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with The Egg. 

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE | IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA. July 8 @ 7:30 p.m. and July 10 @ 2 p.m. Produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with Proctors. 

Tickets for the 2022 Summer Festival will be available through Festival Passes and Single Tickets. Festival Passes, which provide a 20% discount on single ticket prices and priority seating for all productions and events, will be available beginning February 1. Single Tickets will go on sale March 15. 

Opera Saratoga’s 2022 Summer Festival is made possible in part with the support of the New York State Council on the Arts and the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. 

Audience members will be required to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for all performances, and masks will be required based on prevailing conditions at the time of the Festival. 

Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, began with a production of Die Fledermaus at the Diamond Point Theatre on July 5, 1962, playing to an audience of 230. The Company now calls Saratoga Springs home and performs for more than 25,000 people annually. For more information, visit www.operasaratoga.org 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Home Made Theater has been awarded $49,500 grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the recovery of the nonprofit arts and culture sector. 

Following New York State’s $105 million investment in the arts for FY2022, NYSCA has awarded more than $80 million since June 2021. 

“The arts have long been a critical sector in our economy, and as we continue to rebuild a stronger New York, it’s essential we do all we can help this industry thrive once again,” NY Gov. Kathy Hochul said, in a statement. “These awardees represent the best of what New York’s vibrant communities have to offer and with this funding in hand, they will be able to not only continue their creative and inspiring work, but help spur revitalization in their own backyard as well.”

Home Made Theater will use the funds to help fulfill their mission to enrich the cultural life of the Capital Region and beyond by offering a diverse range of locally sourced live theater created by professionally minded artists, providing the opportunity for exciting and rewarding participation in all aspects of theater to the community. 

“2022 will continue to bring change and Home Made Theater will play a vital role in the renewal of our state’s economy and creative ecosystem,” said Mara Manus, Executive Director, NYSCA. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Congregation Shaara Tfille and The Jewish Community Center of Saratoga Springs host a live streaming Winter Film Festival from Dec. 31 – Jan 9.  The wide variety of exclusive, award-winning new full features and documentaries and are open to the entire community.

The films are presented by Menemsha Films, an organization that has worked for 20 years with a mission to preserve and share Jewish stories collected from around the world.  Menemsha has built the largest library of its kind anywhere outside of Israel.

The 20 full features include A Starry Sky Above The Roman Ghetto (Un Cielo Stellato Sopra Il Ghetto Di Roma), An Impossible Love, An Irrepressible Woman, Asia, Born in Jerusalem and Still Alive, Broken Mirrors, Here We Are, If You See My Mother, Labyrinth of Peace, Neighbours, Plan A, Shadow Country, The Crossing, The Sign Painter, Those Who Remained, Thou Shalt Not Hate, Tiger Within, Valiant Hearts, Wet Dog and Winter Journey. Website: www.saratogasynagogue.org. 

Email likebertrand518@gmail.com to obtain trailers and the live streaming links.