Entertainment
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Looking for something fun and exciting? Our entertainment news has that "something" for people of all ages.  The different faces of Cinderella 08/06/08 Families will be able to experience three different sides of one of the most famed fairy tales of all time this weekend as Steamer No. 10 Theatre presents a production of “Cinderella Tales” at Saratoga Arts Center on Broadway in... More Indian Ladder Farms in Altamont, in conjunction with the Classic Theater Guild, is bringing one of the most beloved books and films of all time to the stage with a production of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” Friday and Saturday, Aug. 1... More The long-running Briansky Saratoga Ballet Center will be holding a dance workshop demonstration at Skidmore College Saturday, July 26.
The demonstration will be put on by the ballet’s teachers and will be held in the Skidmore Dance... More A few years ago, Shawna Thompson and Kathy Boyle were kayaking together when they had an idea to use their hobby to raise money.
The women both belong to the Alplaus Ladies Auxiliary of the Alplaus Volunteer Fire Co., which had been... More When Marty Swiatek was a kid, his parents took him to polka concerts and dances throughout his native Connecticut, and he was hooked.
There were often lots of other people his age in the crowd, he said, and together they’d enjoy the... More Taylor Wright-Sanson always had a lot of energy, so when he was about 9, his parents bought him a unicycle.
“It was mostly just to slow him down and challenge him,” Wright-Sanson’s father, Robert Sanson, remembered.
Soon enough,... More The Old Songs Festival might have some things in common with other festivals in the area, like music and children’s entertainment, but festival director Andy Spence believes its cozy atmosphere makes Old Songs unique.
“It’s not like... More When Chuck Brouillette was a kid in Albany, he went down to a local store and gave the comic book rack a spin.
Something he saw changed his life.
Brouillette, who had read a few Disney and “Archie” comics to that point, was... More About a decade ago, leaders at Schenectady’s Hamilton Hill Arts Center were looking for a fair or festival that they could make their signature summer event.
They decided on Juneteenth, a national commemoration of the end of slavery.... More About 15 years ago, Joe Miller realized he was hearing a common complaint from fellow professional musicians around the Capital District: They missed playing complex, involved pieces like they had when they were studying in... More Dan Cole has spent most of his 26 years playing football in the Capital District.
He grew up playing the sport in Colonie. He played it for Bishop Maginn in high school. He played it for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy. And... More When Cicilia Sedvall first came to the United States from Sweden to take part in a cultural exchange with the New York State Theatre Institute, she was able to lean on other actors to help overcome her unfamiliarity with... More Nearly 40 years ago, the parishioners at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church on Whitehall Road in Albany decided to hold a festival to showcase some authentic Greek foods.
“Every year, it’s gotten bigger and bigger,” said Maria Neal,... More When WAMC began airing the NPR quiz show “Wait Wait ... Don’t Tell Me!” a few years ago, Kathy Jarvis was an instant fan.
But Jarvis, the director of marketing for Proctors, didn’t know the show occasionally went on the road to tape... More Michael Cee dreams big.
Wanting to raise awareness of AIDS and HIV, the virus that causes it, he decided to hold a fundraising concert in Lake George.
The event’s Web site touts it as “the greatest four-day event in HIV-AIDS’... More For years, Liz Vigoda had a pottery studio in downtown Albany where she would regularly host open houses for customers and the curious alike to check out her work.
But the building was eventually sold, and Vigoda now works out of her... More They Might Be Giants are no strangers to the Albany area, or The Egg, where they’ll be performing on Saturday, April 19.
The group, made up of John Flansburgh and John Linnell both from Brooklyn, was so captivated by the unique... More In the early 1990s, Michael Burns decided to start a local improv comedy group.
There was only one problem: Improv hadn’t quite caught on in the Capital District.
“There was no one with improv experience here,” Burns said.
A... More When the Northeast Family Chocolate Festival kicks off this weekend, it will be bigger and better than ever, organizers say.
“We’re really excited,” said Shari Noonan, executive director of The Addictions Care Center of Albany,... More Last summer, Mohonasen Athletic Director Joseph Scalise started looking into ways the district could raise money for a new scoreboard at the football field.
He decided on a basketball game that would pit the district’s faculty... More Dr. Joel Goodman is serious about his mission to help people get more “smileage” out of work and life.
In 1977, Goodman founded the Humor Project in Saratoga Springs. It’s the first organization in the world to focus full time on the... More An outdoor show might not seem like a typical place to take kids, but the Northeast Outdoors Show strives to offer something for all ages.
“We get a lot of families,” said Kate Masterson, the show’s director. “Husbands and wives... More About 50 years ago, CarolLynn Langley saw a woman on television playing the mountain dulcimer. Langley was captivated by the instrument’s sound and vowed to own one herself someday.
That day didn’t come for many years, as Langley was... More When the Dance Plus Festival was launched at Skidmore College 18 years ago, the idea was to bring people of all ages and backgrounds together.
“Anyone can dance,” said Mary DiSanto-Rose, Skidmore’s dance department chair.
That... More Proctors has been looking for a show that would appeal to a younger demographic, maybe bring some people to the theater for the first time.
Kathy Jarvis, Proctors marketing director, thinks “4ISH” is that show.
“4ISH” is a mix of... More It’s not uncommon for Beth Bidwell to hear “Oh my gosh, it’s the bird lady!” when she’s out shopping.
That’s because Bidwell is well-known in the Capital District for her “Birds of Prey” program. Bidwell, the executive director of... More As Lynn Moskowitz drove to the Clifton Park Halfmoon Public Library Monday, Jan. 28, a little before noon, she thought of the perfect title for her photograph.
She decided the piece would be called “Autumn of Late” because she was... More Actor Timothy Stickney wants people to leave theater thinking. That’s why he has delayed performing in William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” until now.
The New Jersey-based actor, best known for his portrayal of R.J. Gannon in ABC’s “One... More If you and yours are suffering from a nasty case of cabin fever due to chilly temperatures and bad weather, the Albany Pine Bush Preserve has the cure. The preserve has activities all year round to get you learning about and... More Madison Willey’s skis each look to be about 3 feet in length.
“This is her first season out here,” says her father Chris Willey of Rotterdam.
“We were here this past Wednesday, so it’s her second time out so far.”
Madison... More In the glitzy world of Hollywood, it is often easy to forget that behind the performers is a whole world of creative minds that write, arrange, direct and conduct all the parts to make an even greater final product. Enter Rogers and... More Capital District high school students have been given a rare opportunity.
Beginning Jan. 4, Cohoes Music Hall will be one of only two places – the other being Broadway – where audiences can catch aa stage performance of the Victor... More End of year revelers will have their pick of festivals in the Capital District this year.
Saratoga Springs will host its 13th annual First Night celebration just a few days after their neighbors down the Northway host the second... More For some, it is a lifelong calling that impels them to reach for the paintbrush or sit behind a potter’s wheel and create compositions with colors and textures that draw the audience in. For others, it is the happenstance of an... More This week’s offerings of live theater have a decidedly winter theme, as fish take to skating rinks; a snow queen appears; and a timeless Christmas classic takes to the stage. And, everyone’s favorite redhead is back … singing about... More It’s the holiday season and with the celebration comes cold weather, family get-togethers, presents and now, nights out to take in a show. Two theaters in the Capital District are preparing for opening night with their family-friendly... More Holiday classics and local talent abound this season in regional theaters. The New York State Theater Institute will perform “Miracle on 34th Street,” while the Schenectady Civic Players and the Classic Theatre Guild of Voorheesville... More Albany’s Washington Park is getting ready for the 11th annual Capital Holiday Lights display, a Capital District tradition that hasdelighted children and families for more than a decade.
This year, audiences can expect almost an... More Days are getting colder and nights are getting longer. In olden days, that meant gathering around the fire for an evening of conversation and stories.
The past will be the present again on Sunday, Nov. 18, when the Story Circle’s... More Schenectady Light Opera Company’s 81st season is set to begin next week by showcasing some of the hottest young talent in the Capital District.
SLOC is performing “The Music Man” and “Annie” in November, both geared toward a younger... More Everyone comes expecting the helicopter, Artistic Director Jim Charles said of “Miss Saigon,” now being staged by C-R Productions at Cohoes Music Hall. When the show first opened on Broadway, the real helicopter used on stage became the... More Capital District residents will have an opportunity to celebrate and learn about different cultures this weekend during the 36th annual Festival of Nations Sunday, Oct. 28.
The Festival of Nations encompasses 25 different cultures... More Playwright Warren Leight’s father was a traveling musician, and he relied on those memories to write the Tony Award-winning play, “Side Man.” Now almost 10 years after the play’s release, the Home Made Theater is performing the play at... More The New York State Theater Institute is once again producing the classic comedy “Arsenic and Old Lace.”
The production was met with critical acclaim during its run in both New York City and London during the thick of World War... More Estelle Kessler Yarinsky works out of a studio at Delmar’s Four Corners. Colorful pieces of cloth cover the shelves; labeled bins are on the floor and on the wall, there’s a work-in-progress, its key elements hidden by pinned-on bits of... More In Charlie Brown’s classic cartoon, Linus camped out in the most sincere pumpkin patch he could find to wait for the Great Pumpkin.
Most of us won’t be spending a night surrounded by orange orbs, but many families will be visiting... More Tennessee Williams’ classic tale of a southern American family is on stage at Curtain Call Theater.
“The Glass Menagerie” opened on Friday, Sept. 7, and actor Barbara Richards and director Cindy Brizzell-Bates said the show has... More As autumn comes to upstate New York, people will flock to the region to see the leaves change color. Soon, brilliant oranges will contrast with the green that’s been on the trees all summer.
But a chance to revel in those same... More Going into its fifth season, CR Productions is scheduled to perform “Chicago” at the Cohoes Music Hall during the month of September.
CR Productions was founded by Cohoes native Jim Charles and Tony Rivera in 2002. The pair have... More You’re standing in a field, the noon sun beating down on the rustling grass. Fifty pipe bands blare in harmony around you, shaking the ground.
No, this isn’t Scotland 500 years ago. It’s the Scottish Games at the Altamont Fair, held... More Chris, Roman and Abby are tough customers.
The two 5-year-old boys and the 3-year-old girl are yelling at the woman behind the diner counter as she struggles to balance a block of cheese, a piece of sushi and an entire chicken on a... More It’s a party the Village of Ballston Spa has waited 200 years to throw. Everyone is invited, and best of all, it’s all free.
This year’s bicentennial celebration will culminate in a homecoming event, a parade, and a family day of... More The historic Altamont Fair will take place Tuesday, Aug. through Sunday, Aug. 19 this year, and the folks responsible for making it all come together worked extra hard to bring in a packed schedule of exciting entertainment for people... More Sure, there are the horses. But as long as you’re headed that way, check out a few of the other activities the Spa City offers for a family.
Congress Park
The park just off Broadway is a great picnic spot. Families often pack a... More Even Shakespeare doesn’t seem so stuffy when it’s performed in the open air and bucolic setting of Congress Park in Saratoga Springs.
Entering its eighth year, the Saratoga Shakespeare Company has established a tradition of serving... More Never before has a labor dispute been so much fun.
The Not So Common Players of Clifton Park are performing their annual summer show, “The Pajama Game” based on the 1953 book “7 1/2 cents” by Richard Bissell.
The performances are... More The on-stage version of “Grease” will premiere at Park Playhouse in Albany this week, and fans of the 1978 movie musical will be given a taste of something familiar, yet unique.
“People will come and feel nostalgic watching... More Children of children who came to Shakespeare & Co. are now enjoying the shows put on in the Lenox, Mass., theater.
“Some of the actors here came to Shakespeare & Co. as children, and saw our productions in their schools,” said... More Get out your red, white and blue, the Fourth of July is approaching. Here are some places you can find the rocket’s red glare and bombs — well, OK, fireworks — bursting in air.
Schenectady County
The first Independence Day event in... More Get ready to tune your guitar and warm up your voice because the Old Songs Festival of Traditional Music and Dance is coming to town this weekend.
Now in its 27th year, the event will showcase performers of folk, Celtic and world... More Alive at Five kicked off its 10-week summer concert series last week, once again drawing thousands of those looking to get an early start to the weekend to Albany’s happening riverfront scene.
A notably more mature crowd was in... More Ever wondered if your life has the makings of a musical? If you’re game, Wit & Will’s comedy troupe will give it a try.
“Your Life, The Musical” is one of many games that the troupe performs at its monthly improvisation shows,... More After taking note of the events that have sprouted in big cities like New York, San Francisco and Boston, that celebrate and showcase each city’s unique artistic culture, Michael Weidrich decided it was time for Albany to start showing... More A bottle of wine discovered in 1970 by archaeologists in Albany’s Ten Broeck Mansion and later sold at an auction generated sufficient funds to preserve the structure for future generations, according to Sue Kastan, executive director... More If it’s May, it’s time for the Greek Festival at St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church in Albany.
But be prepared: in addition to souvlaki and baklava, The Greek Warriors will be adding a live taste of ancient Greek warfare to the... More This weekend, thousands of visitors from across the region will descend upon Albany’s Washington Park to welcome spring at the city’s 59th annual Tulip Festival.
Featuring live music, food, activities for kids and, of course,... More The Schenectady Light Opera Company is performing “Hello Dolly” for the conclusion of its 80th season.
Director Suzanne Rayome, a Scotia resident, said the audience should expect to see a very bright and colorful show, with lots of... More It’s infrequent that the title of a play overtly insults a classic, but “I Hate Hamlet” does exactly that.
The comedy, written by Paul Rudnick, will be presented by Homemade Theater (HMT), a nonprofit theater company in residence at... More Scott O’Donnell goofs off at work.
O’Donnell, the boss clown for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, calls his job “the best in the world,” and said it’s what he was born to do. “As a kid, I just always appreciated comedy,”... More Quit blaming the groundhog for the weather. The baby animals at Indian Ladder Farms prove that spring is here.
Indian Ladder’s annual spring event, Baby Animal Daze, not only brings smiles to visitors’ faces, but also represents... More Grief has many faces and they have come to life in Curtain Call Theatre’s regional premiere of ‘Rabbit Hole,’ a story of a middle-class couple who are mourning the loss of their son, Danny. In its last week, the play will run Wednesday... More Come see the Albany Symphony Orchestra take the “classic” out of classical music. If “classic” refers to traditional, old, and European, that is.
With three events in the next 10 days, which are part of the month-long American... More If you’re looking for a sampling of America, NYSTI’s “American Soup,” is a homegrown production with musical variety that promises to be as full of flavor as it sounds.
Saratoga resident Mary Jane Hansen, who also stars in the... More The Irish craze that started with Michael Flatley's spirited "Riverdance" may have abated a bit, but that doesn't mean that the next two weeks won't be full of all kinds of Irish entertainment.
The reason, of course, is St.... More A quirky cast of characters filed in and out of the audition space at the Capital Repertory Theatre in downtown Albany on Monday, Feb. 12. It was audition day for both equity and non-equity actors hoping to land a role in Capital Rep’s... More “The Faerie Queene this is not,” says Dr. Vivian Bearing in the stage production Wit, warning theater-goers of her battle with advanced ovarian cancer that will play out before them.
Though the subject matter is somber, playwright... More Gone are the days of boring winter school breaks filled with cabin fever. Parents and children will be able to enjoy a variety of activities next week, courtesy of our local museums and theaters.
Look heavenward
At the... More There are some skills that students can’t learn in the classroom. In fact, Aaron Marquise and John Scala said that they have learned a lot about people through their involvement with the New York State Theatre Institute in Troy.... More A message of acceptance, an eclectic cast of high school students and dedicated theatre professionals have all come together to bring Disney’s “High School Musical” to life.
C-R Kids Productions at the historic Cohoes City Music... More Delmar native Kirk Jackson, along with star New York Empires center fielder Darren Lemming, are in town for the Tony award-winning play "Take Me Out” which premiered Jan. 24, at the Capital Repertory Theatre in downtown... More Kids can break out of the mid-winter blues, munch French toast and sausage, sit in jets with open cockpits, and dream of taking flight at two special events this month at the Empire State Aerosciences Museum (ESAM) in Glenville.
The... More For more than 200 years, the Albany Institute of History and Arts has offered cultural and educational programs for all ages. The institute’s objective has been to preserve and interpret the art, history and culture of Albany and its... More The holidays are over, and Mother Nature isn’t brightening the bleakness of winter with her usual blanket of white snow. Even the prospect of going to the movies again seems humdrum.
But, wait, there’s a solution. The Palace Theatre... More If you want a bigger New Year’s celebration, go hang out with Dick Clark.
In the past 11 years, First Night Saratoga has gone from being the largest citywide winter festival in Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County to being the... More By JILL ADAMS
If the holidays present too much unstructured time for your kids, local museums are ready to fill the void.
The activities range from artistic to scientific, and all include educational components in fresh settings... More From Santa Claus art to the art of dance, downtown Schenectady is truly offering holiday entertainment for the whole family. The Electric City continues to strengthen its art and music scene, and the holiday season is the perfect time... More By JILL U. ADAMS
As we are comforted by the rituals of the holiday season, so are we enlivened by revisiting their lessons anew.
The New York State Theatre Institute (NYSTI) is offering one of those lessons in its holiday offering... More The Saratoga Springs City Center will be home to more than 250 trees, wreaths and centerpieces decked out for the holidays, as it hosts its 11th annual Festival of Trees from Wednesday, Nov. 29 to Sunday, Dec. 3.
“We’re so happy to... More After the turkey is digested, the nap is taken, and the football games are over, it’s official: the holiday season has begun, and it starts with light, sound and parades.
Light up the night
On Friday, Nov. 24, Albany’s Washington... More Two of Albany’s most famous sons will be bookending a special event that pays tribute to one of the area’s literary lions in a symposium set for this weekend at the Albany Academy on Academy Road in Albany.
William Kennedy, author... More In an era when thong underwear seem to be perpetually peeking out of the top of women’s low-slung pants, it’s hard to imagine that undergarments could elicit more than a raised eyebrow.
But at Capital Repertory Theater, laughter is... More When it comes to ski and snowboard equipment and apparel, an event this weekend will provide the best bang for you buck.
This Friday through Sunday, Nov. 3 through 5, is the 45th Annual Ski and Snowboard Expo, formerly known as the... More By CATHERINE LUKE
The Capital District has the whole world in its hands. Or, perhaps its belly would be the more correct anatomical part.
On Sunday, Oct. 29, Albany’s Empire State Plaza Convention Center will host the 35th... More Who says you have to be a kid to enjoy a good old spine-tingling scare this season?
Even if you’re too old to dress up as Dracula or the Bride of Frankenstein and go door-to-door accumulating a year’s worth of candy, there are... More There has never been a better time to bring your family to The Children’s Museum of Science and Technology (CMOST) located in the Rensselaer Technology Park in Troy.
After being closed for the entire month of September for the... More With a slight chill in the air and area trees taking on a beautiful hue, the change of seasons is upon us. Along with the bright colors of fall, October also brings with it the start of another season for one of the Capital District’s... More New York’s oldest historical district will be a busy place next weekend during its 47th annual Walkabout, which features tours of area homes dating back to the 1690s.
Some of the homes in the historic Stockade District are restored... More Autumn is a sensory season. There’s crisp air to inhale, the blaze of red and orange leaves to view, and the taste of tart McIntosh apples fresh from the tree.
The State Museum’s newest exhibit might just throw our already... More Everyone’s favorite purple dinosaur is coming to the capital district. “Barney Live, the Let’s Go tour,” will be at the Pepsi Arena and preschoolers from all over the area will be “catching raindrops and lemon drops,” as they get down... More Capital Repertory Theatre will commemorate the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., with a reading of a play written by veteran journalist Anne Nelson titled “The Guys,” followed by a... More Whether you take the high road or the low road isn’t important as long as the road leads to Altamont and the 29th annual Capital District Scottish Games this weekend.
Much more than an athletic competition, the Scottish Games is a... More For Massachusetts natives Terry and Michael Schmitz, a trip to the Latham Greens Family Fun Center seemed like a perfect way to pass the time while visiting the Capital District.
The Lee, Mass., natives were in town for a wedding and... More Dinner theater is something that’s big in certain parts of the country, like Branson, Mo., south Florida and the Midwest. It is not a particularly common thing in the Northeast.
So when the opportunity presented itself to take a... More The first Canal Splash is scheduled to take place this weekend. Over 90 events will be held in 20 different counties in an effort to celebrate the New York State Canal System and Canalway Trail. Locally, events will be held in the... More When the magic of Disney meets the oft-spoken-of magic of Park Playhouse, the combination is dazzling. Park Playhouse in Albany’s Washington Park opened its 18th season with the now-classic musical, “Beauty and the Beast.” The Alan... More Escaping the hustle and bustle of congested city life is something many people today dream about. Taking a break from the crime, politics and current events in order to seek out a place where the days consist of tranquility and peace... More The hills to the east are teeming with a summer onslaught of theatrical venues. Whether it’s Tanglewood and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Berkshire Theater Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, Shakespeare and Company, Williamstown Theatre... More Water seems to be the unavoidable theme this summer, and the upcoming Canalfest should be a summertime festival that will let the whole family take advantage of planned water routes in the Capital District. This celebration along the... More In 1928, Mabel Choate, doyenne of the Berkshire landscape, decided that the casino designed by famous architect Stanford White, located in the heart of Stockbridge, was an eyesore, since it had fallen into neglect and abandonment. A... More You can get jazzy or you can go folksy this weekend, as two festivals celebrate their longevity on the entertainment front.
At the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, The Freihofer's Jazz Festival will be the reason... More What do you get when you combine two outstanding performers, flawless stage direction, a wonderful set, great lighting and a script that makes you laugh and cry? You get "Tuesdays with Morrie" currently being presented at Curtain Call... More |
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