Theater

A Spooky Spoof

Young Frankenstein, The Musical, Sept 30-Oct 9 

Based on Mel Brooks’ 1974 comedic film, this show plays on the popularity of horror movies in the 1930s. This live stage adaptation, put on by The Two of Us Production Company, follows a young Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of the famous Dr. Frankenstein, who wants nothing more than to escape his family’s macabre legacy. But when he suddenly inherits the family estate in Transylvania — and gets his hands on the first Frankenstein’s journals — his goals take a 180-degree turn and he takes up his grandfather’s work of reanimating the dead. Needless to say, things don’t go according to plan… 

Fri and Sat, 3 and 7:30 pm, Performing Arts Center at Taconic Hills, 73 Rte 11A, Craryville; 518.325.2800

Abracadabra!

Masters of Illusion: Believe the Impossible, Oct 2

This live stage adaptation of the PAX TV program has gained so much steam it’s become the largest touring magic show in the world. These performers present impossible-to-believe spectacles like levitating ladies, vanishing acts, and inexplicable reappearances. The show’s charm comes as much from the sleight of hand tricks as it does from a heavy dose of comedy. 

7 pm, Ulster Performing Arts Center, 601 Broadway, Kingston; 845.339.6088

Local Opera

Roscoe, Oct 15

Take an acclaimed novel full of local charm, mix it with an opera star, and throw in two of the Capital Region’s best orchestras and you’ve got a recipe for success. Based on Pulitzer Prize-winning William Kennedy’s novel of the same name, this equally tragic, comic, and poignant new opera follows Albany political mogul Roscoe Conway, a man who wants nothing more than to retire. But just when he thinks he’s about to enjoy a life of peace, the old political machine starts to drag him right back in. Albany Pro Musica teams up with the Albany Symphony Orchestra to create the musical landscape and Grammy-nominted Deborah Voigt lends her lyric soprano to the show. 

7:30 pm, Palace Theater, 19 Clinton Ave, Albany; 518.465.3334

Campaign Calamaties

Farragut North, Oct 28-Nov 26

Theater-goers get into the election spirit at this regional premiere of Beau Willimon’s play. The 2005 original script won the Dayton Playhouse FutureFest, a festival that puts the spotlight on new plays, and received accolades from audiences. Centering on Press Secretary Stephen Bellamy, the story details his career advances and mistakes he makes as he attempts to make his boss a presidential candidate. But everything threatens to come crashing down after an ominous late-night phone call. 

3 pm, 7:30 pm, and 8 pm, Curtain Call Theatre, 210 Old Loudon Rd, Latham; 518.877.7529

Political Parody

The Capitol Steps, Nov 6

This acclaimed group knows how to poke fun at politics better than any other. These Senate staffers turned comedians got together in 1981 to satirize their bosses and the hectic world in which they worked. Ever abreast of the current political scene, their song-and-dance routines are based on whatever ridiculous headlines are currently making news. 

7 pm, Bardavon 1869 Opera House, 35 Market St, Poughkeepsie; 845.473.2072