Music
Jan 1: Bach at New Year’s
The Berkshire Bach Society rings in the new year with a program of two Brandenburg concertos as well as wind pieces from Vivaldi, Handel, Corelli, and more.
Troy Music Hall, 518.273.0038, www.troymusichall.org
Jan 3: Albert Lee
Lee is a legendary session guitarist, famous for his work with Emmylou Harris and Eric Clapton. His fingerstyle technique has made him one of the most famous, and most distinctive, country rock guitarists, and his vibrant solo career can prove it.
Daryl’s House Club, Pawling, 845.289.0185, www.darylshouseclub.com
Jan 4: Martin Sexton
You may have heard this bluesy songwriter playing over shows like Parenthood and Scrubs, and he has been praised in Billboard and Rolling Stone. With special guest Chris Trapper.
Towne Crier Café, Beacon, 845.855.1300, www.townecrier.com
Jan 5: The Kennedys
This beloved husband-and-wife duo have been serving up pretty songs and prettier harmonies for the better part of 30 years. Performing songs from 2018’s Safe Until Tomorrow and telling stories from husband Pete’s memoir,
Tone, Twang & Taste. Turning Point Café, Piermont, 845.359.1089, www.turningpointcafe.com
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Jan 5: Buffalo Stack
This blues-rock combo, based around Andy Stack’s buttery licks, met at the late Levon Helms’s barn, and their sound emulates both The Band and modern groups like The Black Keys.
Towne Crier Café, Beacon, 845.855.1300, www.townecrier.com
Jan 10: Greensky Bluegrass
High-energy, high-octane string music, down-home but reaching for the rafters, Greensky Bluegrass pumps up originals and standards with the muscle of rock and roll.
Palace Theatre, Albany, 518.465.4663, www.palacealbany.org
Jan 18: Rufus Wainwright
Famous songwriter and member of the illustrious Wainwright family will perform originals, covers, and standards solo on piano. Half-sister Lucy Wainwright Roche makes it a family affair by opening.
The Egg Center for the Performing Arts, Albany, 518.473.1845, www.theegg.org
Jan 18: James Maddock
The “Another Life” singer was born in the UK, performed with Springsteen, and currently lives in NYC. He’ll perform songs from 2017’s Insanity vs. Humanity, among others.
Daryl’s House Club, Pawling, 845.289.0185, www.darylshouseclub.com
Jan 18: Luann de Lesseps — Countess & Friends
The Real Housewives of New York cast member, author, and musician will attempt to launch a touring cabaret show, performing her original dance hits and bringing out unknown friends for a night from the 1 percent.
Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, 914.631.3390; www.tarrytownmusichall.org
Jan 19: Tyrone Cotton Band Louisville’s Cotton mixes influences from soul, blues, folk, and jazz, with finger-picked guitar and soft, wispy vocals. Will perform songs from throughout his 30-year career.
Turning Point Café, Piermont, 845.359.1089, www.turningpointcafe.com
Jan 30: Young the Giant
These LA alt-rockers bring hit singles and other songs from 2018’s Mirror Master for a night of big guitars and sinewy rhythms. With special guests Sure Sure.
Palace Theatre, Albany, 518.465.4663, www.palacealbany.org
Theater and Dance
Jan 11-13: Rehearsing for Oscar
This comic series of vignettes focuses on actresses young and old, and their quests for the coveted award. Written by Rhinebeck native Roselee Blooston and directed by Emily DePew.
Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, Rhinebeck, 845.876.3080, www.centerforperformingarts.org
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Jan 12: Met Live — Adriana Lecouvreur
This grand tragedy features Anna Netrebko in the title role of this tale of doomed lovers, with ornate sets that include a working replica of a baroque theater. Leslie Gerber, of Marist College, will give a pre-show talk.
Bardavon, Poughkeepsie, 845.473.2072, www.bardavon.org and Ulster Performing Arts Center, Kingston, 845.339.6088, www.upac.org
From Jan 18: Disgraced
This Pulitzer Prize-winning story of love, freedom of speech, and religion centers around a Pakistani-American lawyer, his wife, and a dinner party that spirals rapidly out of control. With A.M. Bhatt and Meghan Lane in the starring roles.
Elmwood Playhouse, Nyack, 845.353.1313, www.elmwoodplayhouse.com
Jan 26: Met Live — La Traviata
This famous opera by Verdi centers around the conflict between a lover and a controlling father over heroine Diana Damrau’s affections. With a pre-show talk by Marist’s Leslie Gerber.
Bardavon, Poughkeepsie, 845.473.2072, www.bardavon.org and Ulster Performing Arts Center, Kingston, 845.339.6088, www.upac.org
Jan 26: Bindlestiff Cirkus — Cabin Fever Cabaret
The veteran bawdy burlesque troupe combines acrobatics and erotics in a show that is definitively not for kids. Expect contortionists, sword swallowing, and juggling, as well as original live music for this monthly cabaret show. Once a month, all winter long.
Club Helsinki Hudson, Hudson, 518.828.4800, www.helsinkihudson.com
Jan 29: The National Ballet Theatre of Odessa — Sleeping Beauty
A sumptuous, fully staged performance of the fairytale classic, with Tchaikovsky’s score and choreography by Marius Petipa. The 55-strong NBT has never before toured the United States, making this a show you shouldn’t miss.
Palace Theatre, Albany, 518.465.4663, www.palacealbany.org
Art
From Jan 1: Panel Series by Michael Larry Simpson
Simpson paints individual birch ply panels with unique patterns, combining and separating them to reflect the disparate assemblage of colors encountered across our day-to-day.
D’Arcy Simpson Art Works, Hudson, 201.452.7101, darcysimpsonartworks.com
From Jan 19: Larry Kagan — Shape and Shadow
The RPI professor emeritus is featured in a retrospective of his more than 40 years of sculpting. The Troy resident transforms a vast variety of materials, from cast acrylic to salvaged scrap steel, into unusual shapes and textures.
Albany Institute, Albany, 518.463.4478, www.albanyinstitute.org
Through Jan 20: Kahnscious — Photographing Architecture
This installation includes photographs, audio documents, and notes, focused around the photographer Scott Benedict’s obsession with the public and private work of architect Louis I. Kahn.
Hudson Hall at the Historic Hudson Opera House, Hudson, 518.822.1438, www.hudsonhall.org
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From Jan 23: Linda Montano — The Art/Life Hospital
Saugerties resident Linda Montano has been a leading feminist and performance artist for the better part of five decades. This exhibition focuses on her video work, and features new commissions and a special performance.
Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, 845.257.3844, www.newpaltz.edu/dorskymuseum
From Jan 26: Bejeweled and Bedazzled — Jewelry and Personal Adornment
This special exhibition, drawn from the Institute’s library, focuses on personal objects of luxury. The 100 pieces on display tell stories about their origins and their owners, as well as how they reached the present.
Albany Institute, Albany, 518.463.4478, www.albanyinstitute.org
From Jan 26: Cecil TOUCHON — New Works
This Texas-based artist uses the basics of graphic design to deform language, moving words like sliding puzzles to form abstract geometric shapes on a large scale.
Canfin Gallery, Tarrytown, 914.332.4554, www.CanfinGallery.com
Film
Jan 10: Stop Making Sense
Directed by the late Jonathan Demme, this all-time-great concert film finds the Talking Heads at the peak of their powers, in a performance full of funky riffs, iconic hits, and plenty of theatricality.
Bedford Playhouse, Bedford, 914.234.6704, www.bedfordplayhouse.org
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Jan 14: Clue
The classic comedy whodunit, famous both for the creative telling of its central mystery (think: multiple endings) and all-time comic performances from Tim Curry and Christopher Lloyd. $5.
Palace Theatre, Albany, 518.465.4663, www.palacealbany.org
Jan 21: Take This Hammer
This classic documentary follows author and activist James Baldwin as he meets with members of San Francisco’s black community in the spring of 1963, delving with unflinching honesty into the racism and anger that dominated their daily lives. A special Martin Luther King Jr. Day screening.
Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville, 914.773.7663, www.burnsfilmcenter.org
Special Events
Jan 9: Checking the Vital Signs of the Hudson
Scientist Steve Stanne of the sloop Clearwater will explain how the Hudson River’s health is measured, from the collection techniques to the ways in which scientists interpret the data. Followed by a tour of Maya Lin’s A River is a Drawing installation.
Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, 914.963.4550, www.hrm.org
Jan 26: 4th Annual Schenectady Soup Stroll
Take refuge from the cold, as dozens of participating restaurants throughout downtown ladle up their best broths. With each three-ounce cup costing a measly dollar, make sure to pace yourself so you can try creative soups from Italy, Germany, Mexico, and right here in the USA.
Downtown Schenectady, 518.377.9430; www.downtownschenectady.org
Family
Jan 12, 13, 26, 27: Seal Spotting Cruises
Every winter, harbor seals and gray seals make their home in the Long Island Sound. These boat cruises include chances to view the federally protected species and learn about their diets, habits, and natural histories with an aquarium educator.
Maritime Aquarium, Norwalk, 203.852.0700, www.maritimeaquarium.org
Jan 13: The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favorites
These puppet plays use the famed children’s author’s books as a jumping-off point for fantastical mixtures of the tactile and the musical. Besides the title work, adapted from Little Cloud and The Mixed-Up Chameleon.
The Egg Center for the Performing Arts, Albany, 518.473.1845, www.theegg.org
Jan 18: American Girl Live!
This special story brings your child’s favorite American Girls together at a sleepaway camp, where they share their stories and dreams with one another, illuminating the history of American femininity and the girls who experienced it. Special VIP tickets include photo ops.
The Egg Center for the Performing Arts, Albany, 518.473.1845, www.theegg.org
Jan 19: PBS Kids Live! Really BIG Tiny Adventure
Bringing all the faces from your kids’ favorite shows to the stage, this night of “edutainment” pulls out all the stops, with a unique story, music, and audience participation, as well as the opportunity to meet characters from Arthur, Nature Cat, and more in the lobby.
Palace Theatre, Albany, 518.465.4663, www.palacealbany.org
Jan 20: Pirate Songs and Stories
Pirates on the Hudson? Believe it! Teaching-Artist-in-Residence Jim Keyes will present a fun, all-ages concert to bring audiences up to speed on this little-known sliver of local history.
Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, 914.963.4550, www.hrm.org
Comedy
Jan 12: Monroe Martin
This is candid cringe comedy drawn from Martin’s life in the foster system, with plenty of wit and more than enough honesty. Martin has performed on several late-night shows and co-hosts the popular podcast No Need for Apologies.
Laugh It Up! Comedy Club inside Mahoney’s Irish Pub, Poughkeepsie, 845.418.3989, www.laughitup.net
Jan 23-24: Bert Kreischer
The veteran comedian will perform material from his latest special, The Machine, during a two-night stand at Albany’s Egg Theatre. The Trip Flip and Bert the Conqueror host will also bring classic bits from his many albums, late night appearances, and radio gigs.
The Egg Center for the Performing Arts, Albany, 518.473.1845, www.theegg.org
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Jan 24-26: Bill Bellamy
This comedy veteran has been a regular on Def Comedy Jam, starred on Meet the Browns and Castle, hosted MTV segments, and coined the phrase “booty call.” He is currently touring an all-new set and guesting on Insecure.
Nyack Levity Live, West Nyack, 845.353.5400, www.eimprov.com/nyack
Workshops/Classes
Jan 7, 14, 21: Bindlestiff After School
All the family-friendly stuff, so kids 8-12 can indulge their inner carny, learning how to spin plates, tumble, and balance like an acrobat with the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus’s own Amy Chen.
Hudson Hall at the Historic Hudson Opera House, Hudson, 518.822.1438, www.hudsonhall.org
