Out & About in January 2011

The Bacon Brothers belt out some tunes, West Point hosts Fiddler on the Roof, and Vassar College turns 150

Bringing home the Bacon

Plenty of famous actors have tried to stretch their talents by joining a rock band. Most have failed, usually in spectacular fashion. But movie star Kevin Bacon — who, along with sibling Michael, makes up the aptly named Bacon Brothers — is the real deal. Although they’ve been making music together since they were kids, the brothers have been a bona fide rock act — with a devoted following — since the mid-1990s. Their 2008 release, New Years Day, features hard-driving tunes and edgy lyrics, all written by the pair. The Bacons sizzle at the Bardavon on Jan. 30 at 5 p.m. in a benefit concert for Healing the Children Northeast. $50-$100.

La kayim, to life!

Set in Tsarist Russia, Fiddler on the Roof is the story of a Jewish father of five daughters who tries to maintain his religious traditions in a changing world. But this landmark Broadway musical is so much more than that. The original production, which began in 1964, didn’t end until 1972 — after a record-setting 3,242 performances. It garnered nine Tonys and features a score loaded with hummable hits (“Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “If I Were A Rich Man”). The show’s most recent revival (there have been four) ended in 2006; the touring company from that production arrives this month at Eisenhower Hall Theatre at West Point. Jan. 23 at 4 p.m. Call for ticket information.

modfest

Candles aplenty

The year 2011 promises to be an exciting one for the folks at Vassar College. The Poughkeepsie institution marks its 150th anniversary with a yearlong series of special events and happenings. The ninth annual Modfest — a 17-day celebration of contemporary fine arts — kicks things off on Jan. 20. Designed to showcase the school’s various academic departments, the fest offers a bit of everything: from full-length opera (with a libretto by faculty member Richard Wilson) to a screening of the film Dr. Strangelove (through Feb. 5; all events are free; click here for complete schedule). Later in the month, the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center reopens after a seven-month hiatus for roof repairs. The featured exhibit, 150 Years Later, showcases the work of three contemporary photographers, who were commissioned by the college to train their lenses on the campus itself. Rather than depicting the natural and architectural beauty for which the college is renowned, these artists uncover a more idiosyncratic side of life at the school (Jan. 28-Mar. 27, call for hours).

» Check out HV’s coverage of Vassar’s sesquicentennial anniversary here

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