ALBANY — Featuring the razor-sharp wit and bitter irony of “Angela’s Ashes” author Frank McCourt The Irish… And How They Got That Way offers audiences a musical chronicle of the Irish and their journey to and within America. 

A buoyant score, complete with fresh arrangements of over 30 songs ranging from classics to holiday favorites, provides a lively backdrop for the festivities. The show’s cast perform each song live, with the actors taking duties on several musical instruments.

The play transforms theREP’s stage into an Irish pub. Show posters and mementos from previous productions at theREP decorate the space, allowing revelers to raise a glass to the storied theatre’s past. 

Previews for “The Irish…” take place Nov. 19- 21. Opening night is Tuesday, Nov. 23. Regular performances continue through Sunday, Dec. 19. 

Capital Repertory Theatre, 251 N. Pearl St., Albany. Tickets range from $27–$62. Students with valid ID: $16 all shows. For tickets and information, call the Box Office at 518-346-6204 or visit www.capitalrep.org.

 ALBANY — The Egg has announced that Steve Hackett will be performing on Sunday, April 10 as part of the Rhythm International concert series.

Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett reignites the musical mastery of the legendary band’s classic line up performing their live album, SECONDS OUT along with a variety of highlights from his solo career.

Tickets are $38, $48 and $58 and are currently on sale online at www.theegg.org or by telephone at 518-473-1845, or in person at The Egg Box Office Monday – Friday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

GLENS FALLS — The Arts District of Glens Falls has completed the most visible piece of its Arts Trail to date, with seven electrical boxes along the trail featuring painted murals by artists.

“This is only the beginning,” spokesperson Chad Rabinovitz, former artistic director of Adirondack Theatre Festival and co-owner of The Candy Space in Lake George, said in a statement. “We have major plans for public art, from large-scale murals on buildings to statement sculptures. You won’t be able to come to Glens Falls without knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is a place that loves the arts.”

Artists chosen for the electrical box project were Hannah Williams, Shelley Fairbanks, Rodney Allen Bentley, Olga Aleksandrova, Kevin Clark, Stephanie Vaus and
Leah Hofgesang.

Also in the works is a Rain Art public art project — quotes from literature, chosen by the Teen Center at Crandall Public Library, spray painted onto the sidewalk outside the library with clear paint so the quotes are only visible when it rains.

Other components of the project to establish an Arts District, seven years in the making, include banners demarking the border of the Arts District, a website at www.artsdistrictgf.com, both of which are already completed. 

Coming soon: Expect to see sidewalk stamps around the border of the Arts District, and bike racks that will soon be installed at the ten arts destinations representing 14 arts organizations within walking distance from one another.

Funding has come from the Glens Falls Foundation, the Touba Family Foundation, and several individual donors. Establishing the Arts District was part of the Glens Falls Downtown Revitalization Initiative’s plans, and a fundraising campaign to bring the art to life is now underway, under the umbrella of LARAC (Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible.

Donate $100 and become an official Arts Hero. The Arts District is sending out pins to each Arts Hero who donates $10 or more to ten different arts organizations in Glens Falls, including the Arts District of Glens Falls, in the year 2021. Donations are tax-deductible. Fill out the form at: www.artsdistrictgf.com/hero. Six 1,000 sponsorships are available for a large Adirondack chair to be installed at the heart of Downtown Glens Falls, featuring a cityscape of Glens Falls by Anthony Richichi. 

Sponsorships are available for large scale murals and sculpture that are planned. Contact kate@advokate.net or 518-353-2121 to express your interest.

SCHENECTADY — The national tour Broadway’s hit musical comedy THE PROM will play in Schenectady at Proctors, beginning with performances on March 1, 2022, and running through March 6.

THE PROM features direction and choreography by Tony Award winner & 2019 Tony Award nominee Casey Nicholaw (Mean Girls, The Book of Mormon), a book by Tony Award winner & 2019 Tony, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle Award nominee Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone) and 2019 Tony, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle Award nominee Chad Beguelin (Aladdin), music by 2019 Tony & Outer Critics Circle Award nominee Matthew Sklar (Elf) and lyrics by 2019 Tony, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle Award Chad Beguelin.

Single tickets are available from the Proctors box office by visiting Proctors.org, or by calling 518-346-6204. For more information, visit https://www.proctors.org/. Tickets to THE PROM are also available as part of the Key Private Bank Broadway Series subscription package at Proctors.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 2021 Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards has announced its musical line-up and emcee for the 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14 ceremony at Universal Preservation Hall. 

Schenectady’s DJ Ketchup is serving as emcee for the third iteration of the Eddies Music Awards. 

Performing are:  Dark Honey. The band bills itself as “lyrically rich, guitar-driven indie-pop-rock with the heart of a singer-songwriter and the soul of an emo kid.” 

Sawyer Fredericks with band. The band is coming off its fall U.S. tour to perform at the Eddies Music Awards. Americana singer-songwriter Fredericks won season 8 of NBC’s The Voice. 

 Boomhauer. Megan Houde, a well-versed singer / guitarist of rock and other genres, brings an all-star team from the Capital Region’s top North Country acts – Erick Hofmanis (The Schmooze), Matt LaFarr (King’s English) and Mateo Vosganian (Wild Adriatic) – to perform. 

 Sirsy. The rock duo of Melanie Krahmer and Rich Libutti has achieved considerable success for over two decades performing not only in the Capital Region but throughout the country. 

 For more information, go to: www.theeddiesawards.com. Tickets for the event are available at www.univeralpreservationhall.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Tuesday, Nov. 16 Rochmon Record Club will converge Live at Caffe Lena, to listen to, and learn about, Bruce Springsteen’s “Darkness On The Edge Of Town.” 

Under a contractual “lockdown” – during which Springsteen contributed the song “Fire” to Robert Gordon and Link Wray, and the framework of “Because The Night” to Patti Smith – he went on the road with the E Street Band for three years after the release of his epic, career defining album, “Born To Run.”

Legal issues resolved, Springsteen and band re-entered the studio and recorded arguably their finest album. From the album opener “Badlands” to “Candy’s Room,” “Racing In The Street,” to “Prove It All Night,” Springsteen navigates a cautionary tale of the price of getting everything you want.

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

Caffe Lena has returned to full capacity. Proof of vaccination required. For more information, go to: www.caffelena.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Former Post-Star editor Ken Tingley will be holding a book signing for his new book, “The Last American Editor,” from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6 at Northshire Books, on Broadway. 

The book is a collection of 83 columns from Tingley’s three decades of award-winning writing for The Post-Star as editor and sports editor.

“Ken Tingley not only writes from the heart, but he writes about the hearts of others,” wrote Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto. “He tells great stories for those who live in his unique part of the world. Buy his book. Put it on the table next to your bed. When you’ve had a hard day, open it up: You can turn almost to any page and feel your heart restored.”

For more information, go to: www.northshire.com 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) announces that its student artist submission portal for The 2022 Adirondack Trust Company Festival of Young Artists (FOYA) online gallery is now open for submissions in visual, literary and performing arts at www.spacfoya.org.

New for the 2022 festival and online gallery will be the participation of Presidential Inaugural Poet and SPAC Visiting Artist Richard Blanco, who will select the literary arts finalists and lead a mentorship program with those students. 

Back by popular demand are the “FOYA 2022 Outstanding Artist” awards featuring $500 scholarships for students in each of the three categories – Visual Art, Literary Art, and the Performing Arts. Submissions are strongly encouraged to incorporate the festival theme of Interdependence, inspired by Richard Blanco’s poem. The deadline for all submissions is Jan. 7, 2022.

The online gallery www.spacfoya.org will re-launch in May 2022 to showcase Interdependence, featuring the accepted student submissions for the upcoming 2022 Festival. All students with accepted submissions will be notified in March 2022 to make arrangements to showcase their work at SPAC’s live festival event scheduled for June 5, 2022.

Three students who submit literary submissions will be selected to work with Presidential Inaugural Poet and Visiting Artist Richard Blanco in two two-hour virtual workshops during the months of March-May. 

In addition to selecting numerous works to be showcased in the online gallery and live event, Saratoga Performing Arts Center is awarding one student in each of the three categories – Visual Art, Literary Art, and the Performing Arts – with the distinction “FOYA 2022 Outstanding Artist.”  Works of the selected visual, literary, and performing artists will be featured on SPAC’s website and social media channels. Collaborations with multiple students, especially those that showcase multiple art forms are encouraged. 

Each of the three artists selected will receive $500 to support the further development of their craft. 

Students considered for a FOYA 2022 Outstanding Artist Award must meet the following criteria:

• Student must be enrolled in grades 9-12

• Students must live in or be part of an organization or school located in one the following NY counties:   Albany, Essex, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Rensselaer, Warren, Washington

• Students’ submitted work should adhere to the Festival theme of “Interdependence,” inspired by the poem, Declaration of Interdependence by presidential inaugural poet, Richard Blanco. Definition: The state of being dependent upon one another. 

Works inspired by the Festival theme are strongly encouraged. However, it is not mandatory to adhere to the festival’s theme in order to be considered for inclusion in the exhibit. All submissions are welcome.

*PLEASE NOTE* In accordance with the Dignity for All Students Act, any works of art that are deemed discriminatory, derogatory, intimidating, violent, harassing, taunting and/or bullying will not be accepted into this festival.

The Adirondack Trust Company Festival of Young Artists is a curated online gallery space and live event. Therefore, only a select number of submissions will be chosen and showcased on spacfoya.org and in the potential live event in the spring. All Artists will be notified by email whether their submission was or was not accepted by March 1, 2022.

For more information visit www.spacfoya.org or contact the SPAC Education team at education@spac.org.

CAMBRIDGE — Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education in Cambridge present the world premiere of ”My Witch,” by John Ahlin during the month of November. 

Starring Jean Tafler as Margaret Hamilton, My Witch tells the story of Margaret Hamilton, the actor who played The Wicked Witch of the West in the classic movie The Wizard of Oz. 

A one-woman tour de force, the funny and moving performance is about Margaret Hamilton’s life, her craft, and her experiences behind the scenes of The Wizard of Oz. 

Six shows only. The show stages Nov. 5-14: Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Audiences will be masked and socially distanced, with viral air filters running throughout. A maximum of 70 seats per show. Tickets are $25 for Adults and $10 for Students 18 and under. Go to www.hubbardhall.org or call 518-677-2495, ext. 314 for tickets and more information. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Voices will perform a semi-staged version of George Frideric Handel’s oratorio, Judas Maccabaeus next month at Universal Preservation Hall. 

“The story is incredibly relevant today. The music is fiery, triumphant, beautiful and engaging,” Dr. William Jon Gray, Artistic Director of Saratoga Voices, said in a statement. 

Judas Maccabeus was a Jewish freedom fighter and military genius who defended his country from invasion and secured freedom of religion for the Jewish people in 160 BC. Handel composed this oratorio, which is the story of Judas’ life set to music, in 1746. It has become Handel’s most popular oratorio, second only to The Messiah.

Tenor Thomas Cooley sings the title role of Judas Maccabaeus and baritone Jesse Blumberg sings the equally heroic role of Simon, the brother of Judas.

The event takes place 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov.19 at Universal Preservation Hall, on Washington Street. 

Tickets for Heroic Handel! Are $40/$35 seniors and can be purchased at the UPH box office – www.UniversalPreservationHall.org – or by calling the box office at 518-346-6204. To learn the story of Saratoga Voices, go to their website at www.SaratogaVoices.org