| Out & About ARTS PICKS Funfest by the lake Summer-Lovin’ Funfest continues today through Friday at Shepard Park in Lake George and includes live music, fireworks, the North Country’s first drone show, crafts, bounce houses, food trucks and more. Proceeds from the event go to support the organization Kelly’s Angels, which provides grants to Capital Region families to benefit children whose lives have been forever changed by the loss of a parent or sibling to cancer. The Jonathan Newell Band will perform this evening starting at 4:40 p.m., followed by Bluz House Rockers and Funk Evolution. Fireworks will begin at 9:45 p.m. On Friday, Bluz House Rockers will return at 6 p.m. followed by the New York Players. For information, visit kellysangelsinc.org. Shakespeare, abridged The Schenectady Light Opera Company’s season finale opens tonight with “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).” Director Jeannie Marlin Woods describes the show as “a send-up of all things Shakespeare. It cleverly weaves together actual Shakespeare text and hilarious popular culture references — giving free play to our feelings of inadequacy about the greatest playwright in the English language.” The show stars Ellen Cribbs, Joey Engh and Chad Reid (as themselves). The cast also welcomes Caroline Jameson (“The Glorious Ones”) as Props Mistress Quickly and Keaton Poore as the understudy to all roles. It’s produced by Amy E. Jessup, with help from assistant director Dan Woods, stage manager Diana Chabai-Booker and assistant stage Manager Jess Hoffman. Performances are July 13, 15, 16, 20, 21 and 22 at 8 p.m., and July 17 and 23 at 3 p.m. at Schenectady Light Opera Company, 427 Franklin St., Schenectady. Tickets are $19-$22. For tickets and information, call 518-730-7370 or visit tickets.sloctheater.org. Also starting tonight, Saratoga Shakespeare Company will present “Twelfth Night,” a comedy of love, loss, mistaken identities and siblings reunited. Held on the Alfred Z. Solomon Stage in Congress Park, the production runs from Thursday through Sunday and again from July 19-22. All shows are scheduled for 6 p.m. The show is directed by Helena Binder, who is best known for her work in opera, directing products for the New York City Opera, Dallas Opera, Minnesota, Atlanta and Palm Beach Operas, to name a few. This will be SSC’s third production of “Twelfth Night.” The first was its inaugural production in 2000. Johnstown concert series The Johnstown Midsummer Concert Series starts tonight with a performance by blues/soul group Stretchin’ the Truth at the Charles Jenner Memorial Bandshell on West Main Street. Organized by Johnstown Arts & Music Inc., this year’s concert season will span five consecutive Thursday evenings, including performances by The Swingin’ Palms, The Rubber Band, Caroga Lake Music Festival ensembles and Organ Fairchild. Each of the free concerts will begin at 7 p.m. In the event of rain, shows will take place inside St. John’s Episcopal Church, which is adjacent to the park. Guests for outdoor concerts are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets. For information, visit the Johnstown Arts & Music page on Facebook. Sweet & Sly Alive at Five continues tonight, this time celebrating classic rock with Sweet as well as Sly Fox and the Hustlers. The latter has been a mainstay at festivals across the country, including the local Adirondack Independence Music Festival. The glam rockers Sweet continue to carry on the music tradition of former member Steve Priest, who died in 2020. The show starts at 5 p.m. at Jennings Landing. For information, visit albanyevents.org. Paintings on exhibit Schenectady Trading Company will host an artist reception tonight from 5-7 p.m for the exhibit “Art of Getting Along,” which features work by local artist Peter Watrous. The exhibit includes Watrous’ figurative paintings. The Trading Company is located is 609 Union St. Beyond the reception, exhibit hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays; and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays. Country strong “Honky Tonk Angels,” a musical about three women from diverse backgrounds determined to better their lives via some of the greatest hits of country music, is set to open next week at Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany. Previews begin Friday, with an opening scheduled for Tuesday. The show is directed and choreographed by Gary John La Rosa. The book was written by Ted Swindley and the music is by some of country’s greatest songwriters. Three women drawn together by their love of country music and their desire to leave their current lives behind decide to travel to Nashville to find themselves — and hopefully a successful singing group in the process. With one bus trip, Darlene, Angela and Sue Ellen go from complete strangers with totally different lives to singing partners and lifelong friends. Hit songs such as “I’ll Fly Away,” “Stand by Your Man,” “9 to 5,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “I Will Always Love You,” “These Boots Are Made for Walking” and more are intertwined through the journey of these women looking to give another chance to forgotten dreams. The show will run through Aug. 20. Regular performance times from July 18-Aug. 20 are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and matinees at 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Wednesdays (starting July 26) and Sundays. Tickets range from $27-62. For information, visit capitalrep.org. Bound for Broadway GLENS FALLS — Adirondack Theatre Festival’s season continues this weekend with “Pump Up the Volume,” based on the 1990 cult classic film starring Christian Slater and penned by Allan Moyle. ATF will present a concert of the new rock musical in development for Broadway. The story follows Mark, a teen outcast who rocks a small town by launching an underground pirate radio station from his bedroom. By day, Mark’s a quiet loner at Hubert Humphrey High. But under cover of darkness, he is the raucous, no-holds-barred, shock jock “Hard Harry,” howling anonymously over stolen airwaves to other teens desperate to be understood. ATF audiences will be the first in the U.S. to hear the new Broadway-bound version, directed by Dave Solomon, with a book and lyrics by Jeremy Desmon, music by Jeff Thomson and music supervision by James Sampliner, presented by special arrangement with CM Stage Productions. This concert presentation will run at the Charles R. Wood Theater for four performances from July 14-16. Single tickets range from $25 for audience members ages 18 and under to $49 with no additional ticketing fees. Tickets can be purchased at atfestival.org or by calling the Wood Theater Box Office at 518-480-4878, or in-person at the box office at 207 Glen St. The box office is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. “Pump Up the Volume” is recommended for audiences ages 16 and older. For information, visit atfestival.org. Ballet is back The New York City Ballet will return to Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Tuesday for a five-day run of performances. Tuesday opens with “NYCB On and Off Stage,” which will offer audience members a chance to see excerpts from the week’s ballets including “Swan Lake,” “Fancy Free,” “Fire-bird,” new works “Play Time,” “Love Letter (on shuffle),” Copland Dance Episodes and more. Hosted by principal dancers Tiler Peck and Adrian Danchig-Waring, the program starts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday evening will feature a host of NYCB SPAC premieres highlighted by music from Solange Knowles, James Blake and Arvo Pärt. For tickets and information, visit spac.org.
SLYFOXANDTHEHUSTLERS.COM Sly Fox and the Hustlers will play Alive at Five tonight at Jennings Landing in Albany.
| |
