Legend Has It
Nine-time Grammy Award winner John Legend headlines the Bardavon’s 2014 gala this month. Renowned for his soulful and sensual vocal style on hits like “All of Me,” the 35-year-old has collaborated with a cross-section of today’s hottest artists, from Kanye West and Jay-Z to the Black Eyed Peas and Fergie. Legend offers an acoustic performance, accompanied by a guitarist and a string quartet. Funds raised benefit Bardavon programs that bring artists and musicians to local schools, among other worthy projects. May 22 at 7:30 p.m. $100-$200. • The Bardavon Opera House. 35 Market St., Poughkeepsie. 845-473-2072 or www.bardavon.org
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Lupone Lights It Up
Broadway diva Patti Lupone appears at two Valley venues in May. Best-known for her 1979 Tony-winning performance as Eva Peron in Evita, Lupone grabbed a second statuette for her portrayal of Mama Rose in the 2007 revival of Gypsy. More recently, she’s become a frequent small-screen presence, appearing in TV shows like 30 Rock, American Horror Story, and Girls. The chanteuse performs her one-woman show, “Gypsy in My Soul,” at Tarrytown Music Hall on May 2 (8 p.m. $48-$95. 13 Main St., Tarrytown; 877-840-0457 or www.tarrytownmusichall.org), and appears with pianist Seth Rudetsky in a gala event at the Woodstock Playhouse on May 3 (7:30 p.m. $150-$250. 103 Mill Hill Rd., Woodstock; 845-679-6900 or www.woodstockplayhouse.org).
Rach-ing out
Now in its 55th year, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic brings its current season to a close with a concert entitled “Rach 3.” The centerpiece of the program, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto no. 3, is one of the most technically challenging piano works in the classical repertoire. Joining the orchestra for the performance is Fei-Fei Dong at the keyboard, who was a finalist in the prestigious Van Cliburn piano competition held last year. Higdon’s Concerto for Orchestra is also on the bill. May 3 at 8 p.m. $32-$55. • The Bardavon Opera House. 35 Market St., Poughkeepsie. 845-473-2072 or www.bardavon.org
Festival 2.0
Bethel Woods — site of the original Woodstock festival — hosts the very first multi-day music event since that fateful weekend in August 1969. Mysteryland, a two-day electronic music festival that’s been held annually in the Netherlands for two decades, makes its American debut at the end of this month. The event combines EDM (electronic dance music, produced primarily by DJs) with theater, movies, installation art, street performers, and other diversions, creating a 21st-century weekend of “peace, love, and music.” May 24-25. Tickets start at $109, camping available.• 200 Hurd Rd., Bethel. 866-781-2922 or www.mysteryland.us
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Art at Olana
Olana, the Persian-style mansion built by painter Frederic Church, ushers in its summer season with an exhibit entitled All the Raj. The show focuses on the relationship between Church and Lockwood de Forest, a fellow artist and distant relation of the Hudson River School master who studied with him as a young man in the 1870s. De Forest went on to become a sought-after designer/decorator who provided Indian and Far Eastern decorative artworks to Gilded Age clients (including Church himself). On view are a dozen sketches and paintings — as well as a selection of Olana’s furniture and accessories — executed by de Forest. May 11-Nov. 2. Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $9, $8 seniors & students, under 12 free. • 5720 Rte. 9G, Hudson. 518-828-0135 or www.olana.org
