SARATOGA SPRINGS —The New York State Summer Writers Institute will offer evening readings by an extraordinary line-up of distinguished writers this June and July. Except where noted, the readings, which are free and open to the public, will begin at 8 p.m. and be held on the Skidmore College campus. Note, Tickets are required for Caffe Lena events.

Monday, June 24, 8 p.m.: Cristina Garcia (fiction) & Megan Fernandes (poetry) Reading, Dining Hall (upstairs)

Tuesday, June 25, 8 p.m.: Margot Livesey (fiction) & Daniel Torday (fiction) Reading, Dining Hall (upstairs)

Wednesday, June 26, 8 p.m.: Phillip Lopate (non-fiction) & Elizabeth Benedict (fiction) Reading at Caffe Lena

Thursday, June 27, 8 p.m.: Honor Moore (memoir) & Rosanna Warren (poetry) Reading, Dining Hall (upstairs)

Friday, June 28, 8 p.m.: NY Times Columnist John McWhorter: Conversation w/ Bob Boyers, Davis Auditorium

Saturday, June 29: Film, Leon Morin, Priest @ 6:30 p.m., 8 p.m. Conversation w/Phillip Lopate, Davis Auditorium

Monday, July 1, 8 p.m.: James Hannaham (fiction) & Richard Blanco (poetry) Reading, Davis Auditorium

Tuesday, July 2, 8 p.m.: Francine Prose (fiction) & Campbell McGrath (poetry) Reading, Dining Hall (upstairs)

Wednesday, July 3, 8 p.m.: Elisa Gonzalez (poetry) & Vinson Cunningham (fiction) Reading, Dining Hall (upstairs)

Thursday, July 4, 8 p.m.: Jenny Offill (fiction) & April Bernard (poetry) Reading, Dining Hall (upstairs)

Friday, July 5, 8 p.m.: Poetry & Jazz: An Evening with Robert Pinsky and Todd Coolman at Caffe Lena

Monday, July 8, 8 p.m.: Joyce Carol Oates (fiction) & Henri Cole (poetry) Reading, Gannett Auditorium

Tuesday, July 9, 8 p.m.: Mary Gaitskill (fiction) & Amy Hempel (fiction) Reading, Dining Hall (upstairs)

Wednesday, July 10, 8 p.m.: Jerald Walker (non-fiction) & Sandra Lim (poetry) Reading, Dining Hall (upstairs)

Thursday, July 11, 8 p.m.: Rick Moody (fiction) & Adam Braver (fiction) Reading at Caffe Lena

Friday, July 12, 8 p.m.: Louise Gluck Memorial: Henri Cole, Kathryn Davis, Peg Boyers, Dining Hall (upstairs)

Saturday, July 13: Film, Death In Venice @ 6:30 p.m., discussion 9 p.m. TBA, Davis Auditorium

Monday, July 15, 8 p.m.: Thomas Chatterton Williams (memoir) & Peg Boyers (poetry) Reading, Dining Hall

Tuesday, July 16, 8 p.m.: Paul Harding (fiction) & Karan Mahajan (fiction) Reading, Dining Hall (upstairs)

Wednesday, July 17, 8 p.m.: William Kennedy (fiction) & Chase Twichell (poetry) Reading, Dining Hall (upstairs)

Thursday, July 18, 8 p.m.: Caryl Phillips (fiction) & Binnie Kirshenbaum (fiction) Reading at Caffe Lena

Friday, July 19, 8 p.m.: Panel on the 2024 November Election: Poet Tom Healy and Historians Jennifer Delton & Beau Breslin, Gannett Auditorium 

Led by directors Robert Boyers and Adam Braver, the New York State Summer Writers Institute has been offering students the opportunity to learn from an extraordinary faculty of distinguished writers since 1987. The program is an offshoot of the New York State Writers Institute created by Albany native and Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Kennedy. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — For two weekends, starting on Friday, June 7, Home Made Theater will present the musical, The Secret Garden, music by Lucy Simon, book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Marsha Norman. The Secret Garden is based on the classic 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Orphaned in India, 11-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald. The estate’s many wonders include a magical garden which beckons Mary with haunting melodies and spirits from her past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing The Secret Garden’s compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.

The Director and Scenic Designer of The Secret Garden is Home Made Theater’s Executive and Artistic Director, Eric Rudy. The Musical Director is Richard Cherry, and the Choreographer is Heather D’Arcy. The artistic team also includes Lighting Designer Matt Kopens, Sound Designer Tom Moeller, Costume Designer Sharon Greene, Properties Designer Maura Pickett and Production Stage Manager Christine MacLellan.

The cast of The Secret Garden will feature several performers familiar to the Home Made Theater audience, including Travis Brunell, Maleri Davis, Marilyn Detmer, Doug Gladstone, Jack Holick, Claire O’Donnell, Lesley O’Donnell, Eric Rudy, Sonya Sidhu-Izzo, and Olivia Wilkerson. 

There will also be a number of new faces in the cast. These include Nate Beynon, Georgianna Bull, Heather-Liz Copps, Abraham Huestis, Katie Huestis, Michael Lotano, Patrick Nyhan, Sarah Paulsen, Carolyn Shields, Noah Unser, and Sophie Waling. The child roles have all been double-cast, and those actors will alternate performances. 

The performance on Saturday, June 15 at 2 p.m. will be a special “sensory friendly” performance. This performance will be designed to make theater accessible to patrons who may be prone to sensory overstimulation, including those on the autism spectrum.

Performances the first weekend are Friday, June 7 at 7 p.m., Saturday June 8 at 2 p.m. and at 7, and Sunday June 9 at 2 p.m.

The second weekend will begin with a performance on Thursday, June 13 at 7. The rest of the weekend will include performances on Friday, June 14 at 7, Saturday, June 15 at 2 and at 7, and Sunday, June 16 at 2 p.m. 

All performances are at the Pitney Meadows Community Farm at 223 West Avenue in Saratoga Springs. Tickets are $35 and are available on Home Made Theater’s website, www.homemadetheater.org, or by calling 518-587-4427 during the box office hours of Monday through Friday, noon to 4:00 p.m.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Americana, Folk, and Acoustic Indie Rock sensibilities coexist comfortably in the musical world of Ray Hughes and Sian Chandler, collectively known as The Black Feathers. 

The duo, who have collaborated on several projects for more than a decade are traveling across the Big Pond and staging a show at Caffe Lena Friday, June 21. 

Check out the band’s sonic textures and visual performance at: https://theblackfeathers.com/videos. For more information and tickets to the local show, go to: caffelena.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Sitarist, vocalist and tabla player Ustad Shafaat Khan will perform 7 p.m. May 31 at Spring Street Gallery, 110 Spring St. in Saratoga Springs. 

Maestro Khan, who will be accompanied by percussionist Daniel Johnson, educates the audience about the history of Raags, Taal, instruments and techniques. He performs pieces that highlight Classical music and other light forms of music such as Qawwali, Ghazal, Thumri and Bollywood.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are: $25 Public, $20 Seniors and Youth under 12.

COHOES— Stryper brings their unplugged tour to the Cohoes Music Hall Tuesday, June 11. 

Titled “To Hell with the Amps,” the band is commemorating 40 years of recording and releasing music, and the tour follows on the heels of their successful studio project The Final Battle and their first-ever acoustic album Acousticyzed.

The 11-track acoustic collection features stripped-down versions of Stryper songs – ranging from energized tracks “Loud & Clear” and “Soldiers Under Command” to power ballad “Honestly” – plus a never-before-released version of enduring hymn “Amazing Grace.” 

“We’re excited to show people a totally different translation of these songs,” lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter Michael Sweet said in a statement. “Most of the acoustic shows will be set in smaller, more intimate venues, and the set is naturally more toned down. It will feel like a family affair, like everyone is sitting in our living room listening to us play.”

Stryper’s career album sales exceed 10 million worldwide, including 1986’s multi-platinum release To Hell with the Devil. The band also made history when it notched two songs simultaneously in MTV’s Top 10 with videos “Free” and “Honestly.”

Tickets are $49 to $79 depending on seating choice. Tickets can be purchased online at www.thecohoesmusichall.org or at the Cohoes Music Hall Box Office. For more information, call 518- 434-0776. The Cohoes Music Hall is located at 58 Remsen St., Cohoes.

LAKE GEORGE — There will be a free to the public two-day Americade Block Party at Blais Park on the “Bring It! Bike Show” stage on Beach Road near Canada Street, Lake George Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1.    

The Block Party is one of the highlights of Americade which is sponsored in part by the Lake George area and Warren County supervisors. Three bands will perform each afternoon and evening between 4:00-10:00 p.m.   Here is the performance schedule for the bands:

FRIDAY, MAY 31

4 – 5:30 Southbound Renegade

6 – 7:40 Blue Moon Band

8 – 10 Bluz House Rockers

SATURDAY, JUNE 1

4 – 5:30 Toulouse Street

6 – 7:40 Dirt Cheap

8-10 Matt Mirabile Band

Music fans welcome and event is not restricted to those attending Americade. Six bands, two great nights of music. Free to the public.  Food and beverage vendors will be available.

HUDSON FALLS — The Strand Theatre welcomes Joe Barna and Sketches of Influence at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4 for an evening of jazz.

Barna is a Jazz Drummer/Composer/Bandleader originally from Troy, whose passion and dedication to music have taken him across the globe and back. 

He has performed with 3-time Grammy Award winners The Celtic Tenors, 7-time Grammy Award recipient Gary Smulyan, world renowned classical violinist Peter Fisher and 4-time Grammy Award recipient Ralph Lalama. 

Sketches of Influence include saxophonist Stacy Dillard, pianist Fima Chupakhin, bassist James Robbins, with Joe Barna on drums & cymbals.

$15 general admission. Tickets are available at the Strand Box Office; cash or check only. For more information, please go to www.mystrandtheatre.org. The Strand Theatre is located at 210 Main St, Hudson Falls, NY.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – At its annual meeting on May 16, 2024, leadership and staff of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center reflected upon the successful 2023 season and looked ahead to the upcoming 2024 summer season. 

In addition to welcoming back resident companies New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, SPAC will also continue to grow its year-round programming and educational outreach. 

“SPAC has been transformed, while staying true to its identity as the long-time summer home of New York City Ballet and the great Philadelphia Orchestra,” said Elizabeth Sobol, president & CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center at the Annual Meeting. 

Sobol, who completed her seventh year at SPAC in October 2023 added, “Over the course of these seven years, we have expanded our season into all 12 months of the year, exponentially grown our education program, and enlarged and deepened our sense of purpose to serve art, artists, our community, and to be agents of change for a more harmonious world.” 

The organization also announced its 27-year relationship with Freihofer’s Baking Co. supporting the Saratoga Jazz Festival will be coming to an end after this year. 

“It is with sadness, but also deep gratitude, that we share that our treasured partnership will come to an end following the 2024 Festival,” Sobol said. The bakery and its parent company Bimbo Bakeries USA have committed more than $2 million in sponsorship over the course of its 27 years of support. “We are firmly committed to honoring the legacy that we have built together, while also looking forward to the festival’s vibrant future, which will continue to embrace community, connections and great live music.”

 The Saratoga Jazz Festival, now in its 47th year, is one of the largest, most prestigious, and longest consecutive running jazz music events in North America.

This year’s festival takes place June 29 & 30 and features two stages during the course of the two-day event with 22 artists, Norah Jones, Stanley Clarke, and Lake Street Dive, among them. 

In all, the 2024 summer season will span three months, with 28 performances, 21 artists and groups making their SPAC debut, and nine SPAC premieres.

Closing the summer season on Aug. 25 is Beethoven for Three with Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos, and Yo-Yo Ma with special guest Antoine Tamestit. Proceeds from this performance will go toward establishing a programming fund for the Spa Little Theater, SPAC’s year-round performance home. 

Since taking over the operations of Spa Little Theater in 2022, SPAC has presented more than 50 public and private events in the theater and welcomed more than 17,000 guests, with 34% of the audiences attending Spa Little Theater events being new to SPAC.

A 2023 economic impact analysis, commissioned by Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency and performed by Camoin Associate, reported that SPAC annually contributes $105 million in economic impact to the region.

“The economic health of our region is vitally important and we are committed to growing our already significant impact year over year. One of the ways we plan to expand this reach is through cultural tourism,” Sobol said. 

SPAC ended the year with approximately $100,000 in operating reserves – attributed to fundraising efforts supported by members, the Board of Directors and the general public. The reserves will be used to help SPAC navigate the challenging 2024 season ahead. 

SPAC administration and the board of directors thanked Susan L. Dake who completed her term as the board chair. The board welcomed Charlie Wait, Jr. as the new chairman of the board and Will Aldrich and Lisa Vollendorf, Ph.D. as new board members.

2024 Summer Residency Dates at Saratoga Performing Arts Center include: Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, June 16 – Aug. 18 at Spa Little Theater, the New York City Ballet from July 9-13, and The Philadelphia Orchestra July 31- Aug. 17. 

LAKE GEORGE — This year’s Memorial Day weekend festival in Lake George features Dispatch, The Revivalists and more.

The Memorial Meltdown event takes place at the Charles R. Wood Park in downtown Lake George on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday May 26. 

Headliners include The Revivalists (Saturday) and Dispatch (Sunday), along with performances by Ryan Montbleau Band, The Mallett Brothers Band and Rob Beaulieu Band on Saturday and Mihali (Live Band), The Samples and Annie in the Water on Sunday.

Formed by Chadwick Stokes and Brad Corrigan, Dispatch has forged its own path outside the mainstream music industry as one of the most successful bands in the roots rock scene, selling out three nights at Madison Square Garden and drawing over 100,000 fans to a massive outdoor show in their adopted hometown of Boston without any traditional radio or major label support.

Eight-piece rock ‘n’ roll collective The Revivalists have made the journey from hole-in-the-wall gigs to sold-out shows at hallowed venues, multiplatinum success, more than 800 million streams and major media praise.

The two-day event will also feature a variety of food and craft vendors.  Gates open each day at 2:30 p.m. with music set to begin at 3:30 p.m. and run until about 11 p.m. Tickets for this all-ages event are on sale at: www.memorialmeltdown.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — “Women Aren’t Funny,” the all-female comedy show, is celebrating its one-year anniversary at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs on June 5. 

 Since its debut one year ago, Women Aren’t Funny has been packing the community room at UPH on the first Wednesday of each month, when talented women from the Capital Region and beyond have brought audiences non-stop laughter and entertainment.

 “I can’t believe it has been a year already,” said the show’s creator and host, Erin Harkes. “I’m so grateful to the fans who come each time, the talented women who have performed each month, and the venue for believing in this show.”

The anniversary show will feature a lineup of hilarious comedians with Harkes headlining as she begins work on her next album. 

Harkes has two albums, one YouTube special, and performs regularly in NYC as a host at New York Comedy Club. She has also opened for Craig Robinson, Demetri Martin and Mark Normand. 

The one-year anniversary of Women Aren’t Funny will be staged at Universal Preservation Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5. Tickets are available at atuph.org or erinharkes.com.