Displaying items by tag: Proctors

SCHENECTADY — Proctors Collaborative has announced the First National Tour of Mean Girls — the record-breaking new musical comedy produced by Lorne Michaels, Stuart Thompson, Sonia Fried-man, and Paramount Pictures based on the hit film — will be coming to Proctors from Tuesday, June 28 to Sunday, July 3, 2022. 

“Mean Girls features a book by Tina Fey, based on her screenplay for the film, music by Jeff Richmond; and lyrics by Nell Benjamin. Casey Nicholaw directs
and choreographs.

Single tickets are available from the Proctors box office by visiting Proctors.org, or by calling 518-346-6204. For more information, go to: www.proctors.org. 

SCHENECTADY — Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” will be coming to Proctors Tuesday, June 14 to Sunday, June 19, 2022.

Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s classic novel tells the story of racial injustice and cultural change in the American South through the eyes of 6-year-old Scout, daughter of lawyer Atticus Finch. 

Single tickets are on sale and available from the Proctors box office by visiting Proctors.org, or by calling 518-346-6204. For more information, please visit proctors.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Proctors new Collaborative Studio, and Tango Fusion Dance Company of Saratoga have worked together on a new dance show that will be broadcast on Thursday nights. 

Tango Fusion Ballroom Dance Show will feature eight episodes at 7 p.m. on Thursday nights through the months of April and May. 

The eight-part series starts with four beginner Salsa Lessons and will be followed by four beginner Swing Lessons.  Each week, Tango Fusion instructors Diane Lachtrupp Martinez and Johnny Martinez will lead a warm-up, review what was taught the week before and add on new steps and techniques. The program will also include some improvisational social dancing as well as a featured fun fact of the day about the dance. 

Viewers do not need to have a partner or experience.  The series would also be a good review for dancers who have danced Salsa and Swing before.  The series is free to viewers but there is an opportunity to donate to the project.

In addition to the lead instructors, Johnny and Diane, the show features additional professional instructors Juan Soler and Jen Cornell, as well as two college students Lucas Martinez and Alanah Cohen-Tigor. 

The goal of the show is to provide entertaining, quality instruction to a new audience of dancers of all ages.

The series will broadcast on the following platforms: Spectrum Cable Channel 1302, Verizon Fios Channel 37, Any Smart TV (just download the Collaborative Studios App), and Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC-2mrbG7kelNj3XOG-ltC9A. 

Diane Lachtrupp Martinez and Johnny Martinez are award-winning Tango, Salsa and Swing dancers. They are co-directors of Tango Fusion Dance Studio in Saratoga that offers group classes and private lessons to both adults and children. They have worked with area organizations such as Capitol Repertory Theater, Park Playhouse, Opera Saratoga, Proctors, UPH, Charles Wood, HMT, SLOC, Fort Salem Theater, Nacre Dance Company and the National Museum of Dance. 

SCHENECTADY — Proctors Collaborative – the organization which reopened Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs on Feb. 29 – announced March 18 it is furloughing roughly 80 percent of its workforce and that remaining staff will receive pay reductions.

The decision is the result of careful analysis about how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the organization in the near- and long-term, the organization announced in a statement. 

Proctors Collaborative has postponed programming at all three of its venues – Proctors, Universal Preservation Hall and Capital Repertory Theatre – through April 12. With the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that gatherings of 50 people or more be postponed or cancelled for eight weeks, it could be mid-May or later before Proctors Collaborative venues reopens its doors for performances and classes.

“It’s an extraordinary time with daily new and revising understandings about the virus and about its implications on what we, in the performing arts, do: share, connect, celebrate, embrace,” said Philip Morris, CEO. “It’s incredibly painful but for the near future, what we do must simply stop for the good of our whole community and by extension the country.”

The circumstances come at a historic juncture for the organization. Proctors Collaborative just opened UPH in Saratoga Springs on Feb. 29, and is planning to open a new Albany home for theREP in July. Patrons are encouraged to hold on to their tickets for postponed performances and to subscribe to the 2020-21 seasons at Proctors and theREP. “We need to ensure we have full houses as soon as we reopen our doors,” Morris emphasized. “That support will accelerate our recovery.”

SCHENECTADY — Proctors Collaborative leadership on Feb. 24 unveiled a series of shows that will be staged at Proctors, and at Capital Repertory Theatre (theREP) during the 2020-2021 season.   

Highlighting the list of touring Broadway productions coming to Proctors is the Schenectady premiere of Mean Girls (Feb.  2-7, 2021), as well as the celebrated Lincoln Center Theater production of the classic My Fair Lady (Nov. 10-15), Aaron Sorkin’s critically acclaimed adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird (Dec.  29, 2020 – Jan.  3, 2021), contemporary Broadway hit The Prom (March 30 – April 4, 2021) and the dazzling production of Pretty Woman: The Musical, Dec. 2-6. 

Rounding out the subscription series, and continuing the trend of productions choosing to tech and launch tours in the Capital Region, are Hadestown (Oct.  13-18) and a new production of Elton John and Tim Rice’s award-winning Aida, March 16–21, 2021.      

This upcoming season will feature the first full year of programming hosted in theREP’s new state-of-the-art facility at 251 North Pearl St. in Albany. The series kicks off in September with a behind-the-curtain look at Albany’s Democratic political machine in The True, Sept. 25 - Oct.  18. Subscribers will enjoy an eclectic slate of shows, including a production of The Wizard of Oz featuring actor-musicians, the world premiere of 2017 ‘NEXT ACT! New Play Summit’ winner The Way North, the powerful story of the Tuskegee Airmen in Fly, and the continuation of the summer musical tradition with the toe-tapping hit, Jersey Boys. 

In addition to the shows featured on both venues’ subscription series, subscribers will have priority access to this year’s exclusive title – the highly anticipated Capital Region return of Disney’s The Lion King, April 15 – May 2, 2021. Subscriptions also include a cross-venue ticket, allowing patrons to visit their sister venue for a performance of their choice. 

Subscriptions for the 2020–2021 Key Private Bank Broadway Series at Proctors and the 2020–2021 Season at Capital Repertory Theatre are on sale at the Box Office at Proctors, 432 State St., Schenectady, and by phone at 518-346-6204. 

SCHENECTADY – When renovations are completed at Universal Preservation Hall and the 700-seat theatre-in-the-round opens its doors next year, expect to see a lot of this new Proctors Collaborative logo attached to it.

The logo depicts a new regional umbrella brand embracing Proctors and Universal Preservation Hall, as well as Capital Repertory Theatre. The brand logo was announced Aug. 28.

“Proctors Collaborative simply puts a name on what we’ve already been doing, which is bringing the arts together on a regional scale,” Proctors CEO Philip Morris said, in a statement. “Sharing resources and information, trading thoughts and ideas, is the way forward.”

UPH, a former Methodist church built in 1871 on Washington Street, is undergoing a $5.5 million renovation for its transformation into an acoustically perfect theater-in-the-round that will stage live music, Broadway cabaret and theater, among its anticipated 200 annual events. 

On Nov. 8, UPH Campaign Director Teddy Foster will deliver a presentation titled “Universal Preservation Hall:  The Road to Opening Night & Beyond,” at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.  

SARATOGA SPRINGS – A scatter of workers amble through the vintage chambers of Universal Preservation Hall, exploring the possibilities. Design plans sprawl across tabletops beneath stained-glass windows and free-standing easels boast colorful images of what will be. Soon, the heavy lifting will begin.

When the $8.7 million restoration of UPH is complete, in late 2019, the 19th century building will provide Saratoga Springs with something it has sorely been missing: a mid-range capacity venue with state-of-the-art sound, open year-round and expected to stage more than 200 events.

“It’s going to be a huge performance venue,” says Teddy Foster, whose association with UPH goes back more than a decade - from board member to president to its current campaign director.

“We’re going to be a huge music room, that’s how it’s being designed. We anticipate doing some Broadway cabaret and some live theater; we will be a place of collaboration for SPAC, for Caffe Lena, for people from the community, you name it,” Foster says, standing in the middle of a vacant 20-foot by 24-foot space on the main floor where the staging area for the 700-seat theater-in-the round venue will be constructed.

Tiered seating will be installed at the far end of the main hall – where the current stage sits – and at the opposite end, the balcony will be extended and fitted with seats that descend to the main floor. It will be handicap accessible with an elevator that navigates between floors, and a glass atrium will serve as the new entry way, off Washington Street, in “a super cool alleyway inviting people to come in,” Foster explains.

Event booking will be handled by Proctors, with whom UPH struck an alliance in 2012, and whose event management has included staging everything from major Broadway shows and cutting-edge film festivals to snagging pop music acts on national tours. Proctors’ stated mission: To be a catalyst - through arts and community leadership - for excellence in education, sustainable economic development and rich civic engagement to enhance the quality of life in the greater Capital Region.

Approximately 100 local jobs will be employed during the construction phase, which begins in earnest sometime between May and July. After the $8.7 million project is completed – expected to be in late 2019 - and the venue re-opens for business, it is anticipated UPH will bring approximately 65,000 visitors to the Spa City each year. “We will fill the hotel rooms and the restaurants during the off-the shoulder season,” Foster says. UPH also plans to hire six full-time employees and a number more on a part-time basis.

Earlier this week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the venue will be awarded $750,000 to help redevelop the hall into a performing arts center. UPH represents Saratoga Springs’ sole recipient of the Restore New York Communities Initiative – which awards funding for projects that will reinvigorate downtowns and generate new economic opportunity in communities.  

The Washington Street venue, which is a non-profit community performing arts center, is also entering into an energized public fundraising phase. The goal is to raise $5.5 million. “We’ve raised most of it,” Foster says. There is just under $1 million to go to reach that goal.

“I’m a huge music lover and I would love to see music of all kinds in that room,” says Foster. “You know this was built as a place where people could come together for all different kinds of things. That’s how we’ve kept it alive all these years. And that’s really what I want to have here: a place that all Saratogians can experience.“  

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Rochmon Record Club returns to Caffe Lena Tuesday, March 20 to indulge in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s 1970 album, “Déjà Vu.” Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and a $5 donation is suggested, which goes to the restoration funds of Caffe Lena and Universal Preservation Hall.

In 1969, the trio of Crosby, Stills and Nash – born from the fracturing of The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and Hollies, respectively - released their debut collaborative album and sought the addition of a fourth member to round out their sound. After being rejected by John “hot town, summer in the city

back of my neck getting dirty and gritty” Sebastian, and Jimi Hendrix, the trio brought electric guitar wizard/ moody folkie Neil Young into the fold. (Jimi Hendrix, by the way, recorded a rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock” with Stephen Stills guitar months prior to CSN’s offering - a recording of which was for the first time, coincidentally released this week).  

CSNY made their stage debut as a foursome at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, then promptly manned the main stage at Woodstock the following evening. Their 10-song album was released in March 1970 and generated the Top 40 singles: “Teach Your Children,” “Our House,” and “Woodstock.”

Following the event Caffe Lena, the Rochmon Record Club a/k/a Chuck Vosganian will hit the road to Schenectady, to preside over a Beatles tribute night at Proctors.

The event, which the venue is billing as a new concert series, showcases local musicians performing their renditions of Beatles’ songs culled from the “White Album,” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

The lineup includes Bryan Brundige Collective, Clear Mind, Eastbound Jesus, Girl Blue, Let's Be Leonard and Wild Adriatic.

Tickets for the “Capital Records Live” event, which takes place 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 23 at the GE Theatre at Proctors, are $25 and available at the Proctors box office at 432 State St., Schenectady; by phone at 518-346-6204, or and online at proctors.org.

SCHENECTADY – This week, Proctors and Capital Repertory Theatre announced the 2018–2019 Key Private Bank Broadway Series at Proctors and the 2018–2019 Season at Capital Repertory Theatre.

Dates for “Hamilton,” which will play its premiere Capital Region engagement and anchor the 2018–2019 season - and is also featured in both subscription packages—were revealed, along with a calendar of touring Broadway and regional theatre offerings.

2018–2019 Key Private Bank Broadway Series at Proctors

Anastasia: Oct. 9–14. This epic 2017 Broadway hit takes us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Anastasia features a book by celebrated playwright Terrence McNally, a new score by Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics), with direction by Tony Award winner Darko Tresnjak.

A Bronx Tale: Oct. 23–28. Broadway’s hit crowd-pleaser takes you to the stoops of the Bronx in the 1960s—where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he’d love to be. Robert De Niro and Tony winner Jerry Zaks direct this streetwise musical—based on Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri’s story—that The New York Times hails as “A Critics’ Pick! The kind of tale that makes you laugh and cry.”

Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical: Dec. 5–9, 2018. Discover the magic of Dr. Seuss’ classic holiday tale as it comes to life on stage. Featuring the hit songs “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas,” The Grinch discovers there’s more to Christmas than he bargained for in this heart-warming holiday classic. Max the Dog narrates as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is “two sizes too small,” decides to steal Christmas away from the Whos, an endlessly cheerful bunch bursting with holiday spirit.

School of Rock: Feb. 5–10, 2019. Based on the hit film, “School of Rock” follows Dewey Finn, a wannabe rock star posing as a substitute teacher who turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. This high-octane smash features 14 new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber, all the original songs from the movie and musical theatre’s first-ever kids rock band playing their instruments live on stage.

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Feb. 26–March 3, 2019. It's the perfect recipe for a delectable treat: songs from the original film, including "Pure Imagination," "The Candy Man" and "I've Got a Golden Ticket," alongside a toe-tapping and ear-tickling new score from the songwriters of “Hairspray.”

The Phantom of the Opera: April 24–May 5, 2019. Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera will make a triumphant return to Schenectady as part of its North American Tour. The production, overseen by Mackintosh and Matthew Bourne, boasts many exciting special effects including the show’s legendary chandelier. The beloved story and thrilling score—with songs like “Music of the Night,” “All I Ask of You” and “Masquerade”—will be performed by a cast and orchestra of 52, making this Phantom one of the largest productions now on tour.

The Book of Mormon: May 14–19, 2019.The New York Times calls it “the best musical of this century.” This outrageous musical comedy follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. Now with standing room only productions in London, on Broadway and across North America, The Book of Mormon has truly become an international sensation. Contains explicit language.

Waitress: June 11–16, 2019. Brought to life by a groundbreaking all-female creative team, and inspired by Adrienne Shelly's beloved film, “Waitress” tells the story of Jenna—a waitress and expert pie maker, who dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town's new doctor may offer her a chance at a fresh start, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes for happiness. But Jenna must summon the strength and courage to rebuild her own life.

Hamilton: Aug. 13–25, 2019. Hamilton is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Secretary. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway, “Hamilton” is the story of America then, as told by America now. With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, “Hamilton” is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.

The 2018–2019 Season at Capital Repertory Theatre includes: NEXT ACT! New Play Summit 7 (June 2–4); Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash (July 6–Aug. 12); The Royale (Sept. 21–Oct. 14); Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Nov. 23–Dec. 23); Red Maple (Jan. 25–Feb. 17, 2019); Shakespeare in Love (April 5–May 12, 2019).

For subscription series ticket and show information, go to: https://www.proctors.org/.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Galleries, museums and classic architecture. A cinema. Public parks. Taverns, restaurants and cafes. Together they are the elements that contribute to community vibrancy.

But, for the past half-century, one noticeably missing piece in this walkable city has been the lack of a year-round, mid-sized venue – an unfulfilled need since Saratoga’s 5,000-seat Convention Hall was destroyed by fire in 1966.

With an extensive renovation of Universal Preservation Hall set to get underway, that cultural vacancy is set to soon be filled. “This will be an acoustically perfect theater-in-the-round and will hold about 750 people,” said Teddy Foster, campaign director at UPH. “There will be a lot of music, Broadway cabaret and live theater.”

The current schedule of events will conclude in five weeks and a $5.5 million renovation of the historic building is slated to get underway in June. When UPH re-opens in the fall of 2018, it will house new heating and air conditioning systems, a kitchen, an elevator and new light and sound fixtures with acoustic treatments.

“It will have everything,” Foster said. The main room’s flexibility will allow for the relocation of seats as events dictate and a community room located on the building’s lower level will hold another 140 people. New entry doors will be set on the building’s Broadway facing-side to provide theater-goers close proximity to a 450-vehicle public parking garage on Woodlawn Avenue.

The Victorian Gothic structure on Washington Street was built in 1871 and served as a Methodist church and a gathering place. Teddy Roosevelt, Frederick Douglass and William Howard Taft to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg have each taken a turn atop the main stage during the building’s 146-year history. A century after its construction, the building began to fall into disrepair and the church sat empty for several years. In 2000, the city condemned the building and members of the community rallied to save the structure from demolition.

Today, the nonprofit group UPH owns the building and maintains a 21-person board of directors. A local Baptist congregation – which continues to host weekend services at the hall - owns the land on which the church sits. An initial wave of renovation work began in 2003 after $3 million was raised. The current Capital Campaign - The Road To Opening Night – is ongoing and has secured about 90 percent of the $5.6 million it seeks to raise, Foster says. A fundraiser will be held in May at Saratoga National.

In 2015, UPH got an added boost when it became an affiliate of Proctors. The Schenectady based organization will lend their expertise in securing programming and coordinating ticket sales and marketing, in addition to other areas. Proctors was built in 1926 in downtown Schenectady and was one of a dozen vaudeville houses along the east coast of the country. A half-century later, it was among the last standing theaters of a deserted downtown landscape. Like UPH, it also was saved from the wrecking ball.

Last week Proctors’ creative director, Richard Lovrich, and its publicist, Michael Eck, staged a slide show presentation and discussion at UPH based on the release of their new coffee-table book, “Encore: Proctors at 90,” which depicts everything from the backstage application of character makeup for a production of “The Lion King,” to images capturing gracious remembrances of a theater visit by Sophia Loren. It is a narrative of renewal and rebirth, and a tale of a city and a theater taking turns saving each other, the authors say.

After undergoing a transformative restoration of its own, the historic theater today features everything from ZZ Top, this weekend, to the staging of “Hamilton,” during its 2018-19 season. Of UPH, Proctors CEO Phillip Morris says he envisions a welcoming place to gather and a cultural heart of the city.

After the Saratoga Springs venue reopens with its 45-foot-tall ceilings, bell tower and walnut and ash staircases that feed into the main hall, it is anticipated it will stage 200 or so annual events. “I like to say I imagine the hall as Saratoga’s living room,” Foster said.