Photo courtesy of Bard College
A Celtic concert in Albany, the return of Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, and maple syrup weekends make the month unforgettable.
UPDATE: Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many of these events have been canceled or postponed. Please call ahead to confirm whether the events are still scheduled.
Special Events
Mar 7: Enter the Haggis Bearing one of those names the band probably wishes it could make a second pass on, Enter the Haggis have been playing amped-up Celtic anthems filled with as many bagpipes and tin whistles as rock crowds will allow. The Egg, Albany, 518.473.1845
Mar 14: Celtic Heels Irish Dance Joan McGrenaghan’s group performs traditional Irish dance, choreographing their reels, hornpipes, and more to a lively soundtrack. Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, Rhinebeck, 845.876.3080
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8hiPValxAl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Mar 16-29: Hudson Valley Restaurant Week With dozens of participating restaurants, Restaurant Week (now extended over two weeks, twice a year) is a can’t-miss for local gourmands. Special deals, prix fixe multi-course meals, and more allow even budget-conscious foodies a chance to taste what some of the region’s top chefs have been cooking up. Check the website for a list of participating restaurants. Throughout the Hudson Valley
Mar 18: Women’s Work: A Highlights Tour Docents lead a free tour through the collection, to highlight the many works by women artists whose contributions to art history don’t deserve to be overlooked. Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, 914.963.4550
Mar 21-22, 28-29: New York Maple Weekend This New York-wide event allows the curious to gain access to the sugar houses where regional sap is transformed into luscious maple syrup. Music, crafts, and other festivities typically accompany the peek behind the curtain. Various locations and farms, 317.877.5795, www.crownmaple.com
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Our Pick
Bard College serves as a training ground for many of the world’s finest young dancers. Come see the fruit of their labors at the Spring Dance Concert, which is choreographed and performed entirely by Bard students with access to professional costume designers and lighting personnel. It takes place in the Fisher Center’s blackbox LUMA Theater. Mar 5-7, The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, 845.758.7900
Music
Mar 1: Ana Popovic Popovic is the former front-woman for all-Serbian rock group Hush, and in her solo career has moved into blues, jazz, and funk, garnering praise from fellow axe-grinders like Carlos Santana and Bruce Springsteen along the way. Her last album, Like It on Top, explored various forms of female empowerment through a number of rocking tunes. Daryl’s House Club, Pawling, 845.289.0185
Mar 5: John Scofield The modern jazz innovator performs a special solo guitar set, flying easily between R&B, funk, and post-bop. Presented as part of the Emelin Jazz Circle, an all new jazz series at the theater. Emelin Theatre for the Performing Arts, Mamaroneck, 914.698.0098
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8b3OiUBVvb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Mar 6: Caroline Rose Rose writes power-pop alt-rock anthems pumped full of wit, attitude, and cheeky wordplay. Her live shows are a hoot, with plentiful energy and as much banter as you can handle. She will make this stop in Albany around the release of her brand-new Superstar.The Hollow Bar + Kitchen, Albany, 518.426.8550
Mar 6: Kasim Sulton’s Utopia The former bassist for Todd Rundgren’s Utopia group, for whom he sang the Top 40 hit “Set Me Free,” Sulton performs selections from the progressive rock band’s catalog with his own band. Daryl’s House Club, Pawling, 845.289.0185
Mar 6: Tanya Tucker Country musician Tucker has been a star for most of her life, scoring a hit with “Delta Dawn” when she was only 13, and in the time since she’s had 56 more Top 40 singles. The CMT Next Women of Country Tour pairs this lifelong performer with up-and-comer Madison Kozak. Levon Helm Studios, Woodstock, 845.679.2744
Mar 7: Peter Asher & Jeremy Clyde These two Brits made their mark during the ’60s invasion, as respective halves of the folk groups Peter & Gordon and Chad & Jeremy. Decoupled from their partners of yore, Asher and Clyde trade hits, banter, barbs, and wit during their acclaimed solo tours. Rockland Center for the Arts, West Nyack, 845.358.0877
Mar 13: Archers of Loaf These indie rock maestros set the tone for the ’90s underground, crafting scruffy, fiercely independent anthems that stuck in the brain like a burr. They’re set to return in a big way in 2020, and Woodstock is their only New York-area date so far. This intimate show will likely sell out, so grab your tickets early. Colony Woodstock, Woodstock, 845.679.7625
https://www.instagram.com/p/B84ZAB5hB1i/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Mar 13: Dustbowl Revival With the onset of climate change, the dust bowl might indeed make a comeback sooner than we think. But until then, dig into this super-smooth mash-up of folk, funk, bluegrass, and blues, a throwback that might turn out to be fairly prophetic. The Egg, Albany, 518.473.1845
Mar 14: Melanie Kraut A very different kind of jukebox musical, trained coloratura soprano Kraut brings out Broadway stars like Lisa Datz and Ryan K. Baller for a journey through an updated American songbook, covering rock, country, and musical theater standards during this benefit for WhyHunger’s Artists Against Hunger and Poverty, and the Coalition for Ending Racism Through Education. Emelin Theatre for the Performing Arts, Mamaroneck, 914.698.0098
Mar 14: Tom Chapin and Friends Brother of Harry and son of Jim, Chapin is part of a long-running folk-singer lineage, but with his own particular twist: “Happy Birthday,” his best-known song, takes its lineage from a Franz Lehar opera. At this “Pi Day Double Birthday Concert Extravaganza,” Chapin turns 75 and his bandmate Michael Mark turns 70, with a number of musical friends brought in for backup. Audience members can gift non-perishable food items to St. Andrew’s and St. Luke’s Food Pantry. Towne Crier Café, Beacon, 845.855.1300
Mar 19: Celtic Woman Celebration This all-female spin-off of Riverdance pairs some of Ireland’s best young traditional musicians with the country’s rich folk music heritage. The 2020 edition will mark the show’s first-ever Kingston performance. UPAC, Kingston, 845.339.6088
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1A0-oGFOr8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Mar 20: Kat Wright Like Amy Winehouse with a little more country, or Bonnie Raitt with added soul, Wright’s music is defined by her towering voice, which snarls, simpers, and screams with equivalent ease. The former frontwoman of Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band is touring behind By My Side. Colony Woodstock, Woodstock, 845.679.7625
Mar 23: Bob Weir and Wolf Bros Still Dead after all these years, Bob Weir alternates time between tours with Dead & Company and this all-star solo act, a stripped-down crew featuring Don Was on bass and Jay Lane on drums. He will play songs from throughout his long career, including his group RatDog and his 2016 Grammy-nominated solo album Blue Mountain. Palace Theatre, Albany, 518.465.4663
Mar 25: Murder By Death These indie rock veterans have been carving their own path through the scene for many years now, their ever-evolving take on American music taking them from their emo-adjacent early work to blues, a wide swath of regional folk music, space rock, and more on excellent records like Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon. They are celebrating 20 years as a band by touring across the nation, so expect to hear a good many deep cuts and rarely-played tracks at this intimate show. Colony Woodstock, Woodstock, 845.679.7625
Mar 27: Winds of Change Closing out the 23Arts In the Snow festival, this special performance of saxophonist Alexa Tarantino’s Winds of Change features pianist Steven Feike for a brooding, expansive jazz vision. Mountaintop Library, Tannersville; Millbrook Public Library, Millbrook
Theater, Dance & Comedy
https://www.instagram.com/p/B844-DNDoyO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Mar 5: Todd Barry Barry has a sarcastic, deadpan sensibility, pitched somewhere between self-deprecation and sharp observation. He may be familiar from stand-out guest spots on shows like Flight of the Conchords. Colony Woodstock, Woodstock, 845.679.7625
Mar 13: Letterkenny Live This obscenely Canadian sketch show brings the lives of small-town Canucks to life. Expect your favorite local yokels, played by nine cast members, in all-new routines. The Egg, Albany, 518.473.1845
Mar 13-15: The Unkindness of Ravens Rik Lopes will direct this staging of his own musical, a story of stymied dreams and hidden secrets among artists, with original songs by Richard Koldewyn. Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, Rhinebeck, 845.876.3080
Mar 14: Welcome to Night Vale This popular podcast, written and performed by local residents Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, takes the form of an NPR-like broadcast from a desert community where all conspiracy theories turn out to be true. This live recording will double as a performance from the show’s large touring cast. Colony Woodstock, Woodstock, 845.679.7625
Mar 20-Apr 5: A Midsummer Night’s Dream This Shakespeare comedy is a perennial favorite for its whimsy and sense of fantasy. This production, directed by Lou Trapani, is inspired by Max Rheinhardt’s 1935 film adaptation, and will feature dancers from the Center’s dance school as well as the original Felix Mendelsohn musical score. Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, Rhinebeck, 845.876.3080
Art
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Feb 28-Apr 11: David Licata The glass sculptor David Licata is known for his elaborate chain pieces, which are formed out of links of finely sculpted glass. He will exhibit all-new work at this solo show. Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Larchmont, 914.834.8077
Feb 29-Mar 22: Patrick Rubinstein The Canfin Gallery presents a special international exhibition of the pop artist Patrick Rubinstein. The Paris-born Rubinstein overlays multiple visuals, like a digital counterpoint to Warhol’s layered screen prints, to create triptychs out of single images, with a focus on ‘60s and ‘70s iconography. Canfin Gallery,Tarrytown, 914.332.4554
Mar 8-Apr 19: Perspectives This group show will focus on art which analyzes cultural identity and personal storytelling from a select group of artists. Jayoung Yoon, Russ Ritell, and more will exhibit paintings, multi-media works, and even pieces made from human hair at this unique grouping. Rockland Center for the Arts, West Nyack, 845.358.0877
Film
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8uAFNjpc6M/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Mar 3: Viceroy’s House This 2017 drama takes place in the titular home of the titular Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, whose disastrous choices lead both to partition and incredible violence. Taking an upstairs/downstairs approach, the film dramatizes both the partition of India and Pakistan, as well as a love story between Mountbatten’s servants, for whom the division of their nation will have serious consequences. Starring Gillian Anderson, Manish Dayal, and Michael Gambon. Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville, 914.747.5555
Mar 9: Key Largo John Huston’s noir film stars Humphrey Bogart as a WWII vet who gets wrapped up in a mob conflict when gangsters take over the hotel owned by a late comrade’s wife, played by Lauren Bacall in peak femme fatale mode. Palace Theatre, Albany, 518.465.4663
Mar 12: The Watermelon Woman Cheryl Dunye wrote, directed, and starred in this romantic comedy, as a video store employee who spends her time researching the titular woman, an actress from the 1930s famous for playing a number of stereotypical mammy roles. For its creator’s lesbian identity, the film became a flashpoint in the mid-90s culture wars over National Endowment for the Arts funding, and was lambasted by Congressional republicans at the time. Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville, 914.747.5555
Mar 16: It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Has there even been a bigger comedy than Mad World, with its cast of dozens, high-octane stunts, and cross-country settings? Doubtful. This classic follows a group of motorists as they race throughout America trying to discover the buried fortune of a crook who has died in the traffic jam they have all been caught in. Starring, amongst others: Spencer Tracy, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, Ethel Merman, Jonathan Winters, and many more. Palace Theatre, Albany, 518.465.4663
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8UYQZJAoRc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Mar 20: King Kong No movie monster is more iconic, or more tragic, than King Kong, the great ape brought from his home on Skull Island to New York City, exploited for his size and killed for the fear it inspires. Though its black-and-white visuals and stop-motion special effects might strike modern viewers as quaint, they take on a particular charm on the big screen, in a dark house filled with other viewers. Tickets are $6. UPAC, Kingston, 845.339.6088
Mar 24-Apr 7: Jacob Burns Film Center’s Jewish Film Festival This annual film festival always shows off a remarkable selection of world cinema, and 2020 should be no exception. Highlights include an opening night screening of Elise Otzenberger’s My Polish Honeymoon, as well as a screening of Synonyms, the Nadav Lapid farce which took home the Golden Bear at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival. Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville, 914.773.7663
Family
Mar 1: The Boy Who Grew Flowers Jennifer Wojtowicz’s book-turned-play tells the story of Rink Bowagon, a young boy who, per the title, blooms every full moon, a trait which his peers despise. But when the young Angelina moves to town, Rink’s life takes on unexpected new facets. The Treehouse Shakers bring to life this story with a mix of music, shadow puppetry, and dance. The Egg, Albany, 518.473.1845
Mar 7: The Wizard of Oz This special production of the classic L. Frank Baum story follows Dorothy’s friends, the Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and the Tin Man, who rely on kids in the audience to prove their mettle against the Wicked Witch in special interactive moments. Begins at 11 a.m. Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, Rhinebeck, 845.876.3080
https://www.instagram.com/p/B68_FRRhqSe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Mar 7-8: Sesame Street Live! This music-heavy Let’s Party! show features the whole gang, from Oscar and Cookie Monster to Elmo, Big Bird, and Rosita, encouraging kids to get on their feet for an all-new, high-energy story. Palace Theatre, Albany, 518.465.4663
Mar 14: 1 2 3 Andrés Andrés and Christina’s Latin Grammy-winning act travels from one end of the Americas to the other, teaching Spanish through high-energy music, sing-alongs, and bilingual storytelling. Emelin Theatre for the Performing Arts, Mamaroneck, 914.698.0098
Mar 29: The Peking Acrobats If your plans are still up in the air, why not check out the Peking Acrobats? Trick cycling, balance acts, tumbling, and juggling are all part of the program for this acrobatic troupe, who have been performing, with accompaniment from Chinese instruments, since the mid-80s. Emelin Theatre for the Performing Arts, Mamaroneck, 914.698.0098
Workshops / Classes / Lectures
Mar 15: Derrick Adams Artist Talk Adams and Hudson River Museum director Masha Turchinsky discuss the artist’s career, his exploration of race and popular culture, and his exhibition Buoyant. Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, 914.963.4550