Bernadette Peters from Hello, Dolly!, and Follies fame will host the 10 Anniversary High School Theatre Festival for NYC public schools on March 25 at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway.
The Shubert Festival celebrates six outstanding high school student productions from the 2023-24 school year, selected from more than 20 productions across the city by professional theatre artists and theatre educators. Throughout the festival’s ten-year history, school productions from all five boroughs have performed at the event.
The Broadway Festival is hosted by Bernadette Peters – author, actress, and singer famously known for her role in a broadway star-packed movie tick, tick…Boom! alongside Academy Awards nominee Andrew Garfield. Apart from theatre and music, Peters was presented with the Animal Medical Center Brooke Astor Award in 2018 in recognition of her lifetime dedication to animal welfare, which includes the “over 2,000 adoptions” she has made at Broadway Barks events.
Other guest Broadway presenters will include James Caverly, Miguel Cervantes, Charlotte d’Amboise, Jeanna de Waal, Treshelle Edmond, Drew Gehling, Tamar Greene, Anika Larsen, Apollo Levine, Julian Elijah Martinez, Gary Perez, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Seth Rudetsky, Brandon Uranowitz, and Kara Young.
This year, student presentations will present excerpted scenes and musical numbers, including Titanic by Professional Performing Arts High School from Manhattan, Joseph, And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Lexington School For The Deaf from Queens, Mamma Mia! By Curtis High School from Staten Island, Zanna Don’t! by Repertory Company High School For Theatre Arts from Manhattan, Titanic by Frank Sinatra School Of The Arts from Queens, and Urinetown by Brooklyn High School For The Arts from Brooklyn.
The Shubert High School Theatre Festival highlights the vital lives and theatrical skills of collaboration, artistry, discipline, focus, literacy, student voice, self-awareness, presence, and empathy, in addition to showcasing the outstanding theater currently being produced in NYC public high schools. The evening’s main focus is how a dedicated theater program may benefit students and school communities by encouraging them to consider theater and the arts as possible career options.
This year’s annual theatre education experience for NYC students is presented by The Shubert Foundation and the NYC Department of Education Arts Office and for more information fans can visit www.shubertfoundation.org.
Multi-faceted alt rock band Slow Fiction have released their enticing new single “Monday” ahead of the band’s live performance at No Fun venue in Troy on March 27
Brooklyn based band Slow Fiction consists of five members that bring together amazing performances, distinctive songwriting and innovative vocals delivered by their lead vocalist Julia Vassallo. Their new single “Monday” is a first single from the band’s upcoming EP record Crush set to be released on May 24 via So Young Records.
Emerging within a music community shattered by lockdowns, Slow Fiction was woven together from a tapestry of friendships from hometowns and college connections. As boundaries disappeared and audiences expanded, the band became closer, utilizing the changes to play around with their content and achieve ever-greater and more powerful heights.
Inspired by the raw, sweeping fuzz of bands like Sonic Youth and The Jesus and Mary Chain, the finished composition is a sonically explosive piece of work. A familiar guitar sound from the 2000s meets cutting edge modern angst to produce a sound that is both nostalgic and enticing. The band was liberated as their confidence increased through their live performances, and they used all they had learned to start working on “a lot more cohesive and bigger sounding” project.
Slow Fiction is fast making a name for themselves as one of the most captivating and intriguing live performers coming out of New York’s thriving scene at the moment. Their new EP goes over and above to demonstrate their potential by combining nostalgic overtones with unquestionably heavy emotional content and stark realities. The band is slowly becoming one of the most intriguing artists to come out of the current music scene because of their skillful blending of personal suffering with a wide range of musical inspirations and dreamy, euphoric tones.
Following the announcement of their new EP Crush, and the release their new single “Monday” which was accompanied by a visualizer that features a footage taken out the window of a NYC subway, the band has also announce a slew of upcoming tour dates, including a stint at SXSW and shows supporting Hinds and Sprints.
To learn more about the band and pre-save their new EP, fans can visit here and Tickets for their tour can be found here.
Indie band Sauce City has shared their new music video for their soulful single “Lens of One” ahead of the bands’ live performance at Drom in the East Village on April 19.
The East Village-based band Sauce City have shared that their music video was also a submission to the 2024 Tiny Desk Contest. This year’s Tiny Desk contest has received over 6,600 entries so far, with mostly being from the independent artists who make up the community.
The trio shared that they named their band “Sauce City” because they love sauces more than food. The two, Paul and Eric first met at a band camp on Long Island whilst they were still middle schoolers. The two later met Kirin while she was their collegiate in an a cappella group. After networking with a drummer and bassist, the trio moved to NYC and started jamming together in April of 2022 and Sauce City was born.
When describing the inspiration behind the single, Kirin shared that in July 2023, her NYC apartment was burglarized just before their big single-release show the next day leaving her without a guitar to play. Kirin added “In the kindest of gestures, our close family friend, Glenn Coleman, gifted me a beautiful Epiphone to use from his personal collection. Having solely founded the company “Coleman Audio”, Glenn was a pioneer in the recording industry. Legends such as Stevie Wonder and Joan Jett not only used his unique analog consoles to record, but also developed personal relationships with Glenn over the years”.
After the set back from the inherent trauma, Glenn texted Kirin to “take all these feelings and write a song” as he gifted her his guitar right before he passed from his long battle with cancer three months later.
But in the midst of all the turbulent series of events, and in following Glenn’s wise advice, Kurin wrote “Lens of One”. A soulful single that reminds many of how the world is full of beautiful, radiant highs but also dark, and sometimes scary lows. “The culmination of these, however, is what gives us our own unique perspective on the world – our “Lens of One”,” She added.
After sharing their music video for the contest, the band will also be performing at Drom in the East Village on April 19th, with tickets available on Drom’s website.
To learn more about the soulful band, fans can visit here.
Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) has announced Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s 2024 summer season with six Sunday afternoon programs from June 16 to August 18 at the infamous Spa Little Theater.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s summer season will open with “Romantic Masterpieces,” showcasing works from Brahms and Arensky on June 16, followed by “Musical Mosaics” featuring Mozart, Puccini, Brahms and Dvořák on June 23.
“Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Brahms” with the Escher String Quartet will follow on July 14, an “Enchanting Winds” program on July 21 and “Beethoven, Ravel, and Schumann” on August 11. The season will close with “The Carnival of the Animals” on August 18, in its original instrumentation for chamber ensemble.
Announcing the exciting season, Elizabeth Sobol, the President and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center shared that the summer season will “open the the Spa Little Theater doors for our community to experience world-class chamber music – now year round — is an important part of our expanded mission” and they’re also looking forward to continuing this new tradition with their partners at CMS under the brilliant direction of Wu Han and David Finckel.
Anchored by Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Artistic directors Wu Han (piano) and David Finckel (cello), this season’s guest artists also include violinists Bella Hristova, Chad Hoopes, Kristin Lee, Adam Barnett-Hart, Brendan Speltz, Danbi Um, and Francisco Fullana; violists Paul Neubauer, Pierre Lapointe, Matthew Lipman, and Guillermo Figueroa; cellists Dmitri Atapine, Brook Speltz, Nicholas Canellakis, and Sterling Elliott; double bassist Nina Bernat; pianists Wu Qian, Anna Geniushene, Evren Ozel, and Michael Stephen Brown; clarinetists Romie de Guise-Langlois and David Shifrin; flutists Demarre McGill and Sooyun Kim; Hugo Valverde on horn; bassoonist Peter Kolkay; harpist Bridget Kibbey; percussionists Ian David Rosenblum and Ayano Kataoka, and The Escher String Quartet.
SPAC is a very special place to hear music. We always find the brief journey from the highway into the park totally transformative, preparing us to experience the greatness of music surrounded by the glories and miracles of nature. SPAC is so much more than a park: it’s a place for communal appreciation of the finest the world has to offer, and CMS is immensely proud to be a part of it.
CMS Artistic Directors Wu Han and David Finckel
The summer season follows two previously announced spring concerts offered by CMS. The final spring performance is slated for May 11 with pianist Wu Han, violinist Chad Hoopes, and cellist David Finckel featuring works by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Smetana.
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center residency is presented by Charles Schwab – Maureen Parker from June 16 – August 18
June 16: Romantic Masterpieces
Wu Han, piano
Wu Qian, piano
Bella Hristova, violin
Dmitri Atapine,cello
Arensky – Six Children’s Pieces for Piano, Four Hands
Arensky – Trio No. 1 in D minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello
Brahms – Selections from Hungarian Dances for Piano, Four Hands
Brahms – Trio in C major for Piano, Violin, and Cello
June 23: Musical Mosaics
Chad Hoopes, violin
Kristin Lee, violin
Paul Neubauer, viola
Matthew Lipman, viola
David Finckel, cello
Dvořák – Drobnosti (Miniatures) for Two Violins and Viola
Puccini – Crisantemi for String Quartet
Mozart – Quintet in C minor for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello
Dvořák – Selections from Cypresses (Echo of Songs) for String Quartet
Brahms – Quintet in G major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello
July 14: Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Brahms
Escher String Quartet
Adam Barnett-Hart, violin
Brendan Speltz, violin
Pierre Lapointe, viola
Brook Speltz, cello
Anna Geniushene, piano
Mozart – Quartet in B-flat major for Strings
Mendelssohn – Quartet No. 1 in E-flat major for Strings
Brahms – Quintet in F minor for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello
July 21: Enchanting Winds
Evren Ozel, piano
Demarre McGill, flute
Romie de Guise-Langlois, clarinet
Juri Vallentin, oboe
Hugo Valverde, horn
Peter Kolkay, bassoon
Rossini – Quartet No. 4 for Flute, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon in B-flat major
Saint-Saëns – Sonata for Oboe and Piano
Taffanel – Quintet in G minor for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn
Poulenc – Sonata for Flute and Piano
Mozart – Quintet in E-flat major for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Piano
August 11: Beethoven, Ravel, and Schumann
Michael Stephen Brown, piano
Nicholas Canellakis, cello
Danbi Um, violin
Beethoven – Sonata in G minor for Cello and Piano
Ravel – Sonata for Violin and Cello
Schumann – Trio No. 1 in D minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello
August 18: The Carnival of the Animals
Wu Han, piano
Wu Qian, piano
Sooyun Kim, flute
David Shifrin, clarinet
Bridget Kibbey, harp
Ian David Rosenbaum, percussion
Ayano Kataoka, percussion
Richard Lin, violin
Francisco Fullana, violin
Guillermo Figueroa, viola
Sterling Elliott, cello
Nina Bernat, double bass
Biber – Sonata representativa in A major for Violin and Continuo
Bach – Concerto in A major for Keyboard, Strings, and Continuo
Vivaldi – Concerto in D major for Flute, Strings, and Continuo
Ravel – Introduction et allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet
Saint-Saëns – Le carnaval des animaux for Ensemble
All summer 2024 CMS events will be held at the Spa Little Theatre in Saratoga Springs, with tickets and subscriptions being available starting March 13, and fans can visit spac.org for more information
The Open Eye Theater of Margaretville, NY has announced their exciting 2024 season including spring, summer and fall events with schedule set to kick off in April 2024.
Established in 1972 in New York City, The Open Eye Theater was started by the renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell and dancer-choreographer Jean Erdman, who sadly passed away. Jean Erdman’s groundbreaking idea of “total theater,” which combined dance, drama, music, and myth, made her an internationally acclaimed artist in the modern theater movement.
Under Amie Brockway’s direction as producing creative director in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the theater became known for creating and presenting cutting-edge plays for audiences of all ages. The theater’s primary focus since moving to the Catskill Mountains and setting up shop in Margaretville, New York, has been on the creation and presentation of new plays, showcasing the works of up-and-coming, well-known writers. Annual Summer Shortcuts, a series of eight 10-minute plays by Catskills, national, and international playwrights, has proven popular among the producers.Â
The Open Eye Theater started working along with WIOX Radio 91.3 FM, WIOXradio.org, and MTC Channel 20 television in 2020 and their exciting new 2024 season set to start in April.
The 2024 season will kick off on April 21 at 3:00pm with The Tempest, by Catskill Mountain Shakespeareâs touring company. Once in the Time of Trolls, a radio play, by Sandra Fenichel Asher will follow on May 9-19. The play is based on Norwegian folk tales and adapted by the playwright to include sound effects.
The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, by Paul Zindel will follow from July 18-28. This full-length play won the Pulitzer Prize in 1971 and is recommended to be best enjoyed by older teens and adults.
In August, the theatre will finish their summer with The One Hundred Acre Wood, which was conceived and directed by Amie Brockway from the stories of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne. The show will be held in August 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.
Summer Shortcuts XIV, will be held from August 15-25. The right original ten-minute plays will be performed for general audience. Legends & Tales, stories with music for children, will be held in September and October matinee at 12 noon.
The Theatre will close its season in the fall with Enough! 2024, Plays Against Gun Violence set to play in November and It’s A Wonderful Life, the radio play by Joseph Landry based on the short story The Greatest Gift by Phillip Van Doren Stern in Mid-December with the date TBD. For more information fans can visit here
The Hudson-based music organization Basilica Hudson have received a statewide recognition from the Preservation League of NYS with the Award reception to be held on March 14 at the Rainbow Room in NYC.
Founded in 2010 by director Tony Stone and performer Melissa Auf der Maur, Basilica Hudson is located on the Hudson River in Hudson, New York, in a renovated 1880s industrial facility powered by solar energy. Over 20,000 people attend the organization’s genre-pushing music festivals, sizable marketplace events, frequent cinema screenings, artist-in-residence program, public installations, and other community activities each season. Most of its offerings are sliding scale or free.
Through its programs, Basilica Hudson strives to create experiences that are as grit, tough, and beautiful as its surroundings while also promoting the growth, production, and presentation of independent arts and culture. It is inspired by the cultural tradition and environmental advocacy of the area, as well as the long past of the City of Hudson, as well as the region’s artistic legacy and environmental advocacy.
One of the first co-founders, Melissa Auf der Maur, born and raised in Canada, is a musician, photographer, curator, and producer. Her most well-known role was bassist for two influential bands from the 1990s: The Smashing Pumpkins and Hole. Her shots from both bands have been featured in publications and shows including National Geographic, Spin Magazine, Sotheby’s NYC, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The other co-founder, Tony Stone-based in Lower Manhattan, is a filmmaker and builder. His latest film, Ted K which was distributed by Neon, carries on his exploration of the rugged and dark soul of America, and has been met with high acclaim.
The 2024 Pillars of New York also include Peggy King Jorde, Principal of King Jorde Culturals, Richard J. Moylan, the President of The Green-Wood Cemetery, and of course Melissa Auf der Maur & Tony Stone, the co-founders of Basilica Hudson and River House Project.
The English Punk-rock band Damned have announced their “Black Strawberry” Ball at the historic Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center on May 31
The Damned’s “Black Strawberry” Ball will feature special guests Lenny Kaye a guitarist, composer, and writer who is also a well known member of the Patti Smith Group, led by vocalist and poet Patti Smith. The show will feature a cerebration of The Dictators, a NY-based legendary rock band that has been making music for the past 50 years at Hammerstein Ballroom. The concert extravaganza will bring their full 80’s line-up back together in the US for the first time since 1989 with the return of Rat Scabies. The legendary lineup will include David Vanian, Captain Sensible, Rat Scabies and Paul Gray all together again after 35 years.
Following their formation in 1976, The Damned became the first UK punk band to officially release a single, “New Rose,” and an album,Damned Damned Damned. With 12 studio album releases and several UK chart singles, the band are claimed to be one of the few pioneers who emerged from the London punk scene, earning an ever-expanding fan base fueled by legendary live shows. The bands dark lyrics and Dave Vanian’s rich baritone vocals also catapulted The Damned to the forefront of the Goth-rock genre.
Following the bands “Black Strawberry” ball at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center on May 31 announcement, a limited number of presale tickets will go on sale to the the general public on Friday, March 8 at 10 AM ET. And for full event details and tickets fans can find here
The Copland House has purchased a school campus on the New York-Connecticut border, heralding a transformational programmatic and institutional expansion.
The expansion will be a home to a vibrant, multidisciplinary creative community centering the arts in ongoing public conversation, the property, known as Bluestone Farm. It will stand as a vital meeting place, both live and virtual, where artists, music lovers, cultural adventurers, and newcomers of all ages, backgrounds, and identities are welcomed into an exhilarating world of continuous exploration, discovery, and innovation.
The Copland House was formed by Aaron Copland who was one of the most celebrated and profoundly influential musical figures in American history. The composer lived and spent most of his time on a rocky hill atop three acres of woodland in the lower Hudson River Valley hamlet of Cortlandt Manor, less than one hour north of New York City. After his death in 1990, a coalition of local townspeople launched a genuine grassroots movement to preserve and restore this historic residence as the living, enduring embodiment of his seminal artistic and personal legacies and lifelong advocacy of American composers.
The Copland House offers public programs throughout the country, the infamous house also provides recordings, broadcasts, webcasts, film screenings, visual exhibitions, and an annual performance series at its vast new satellite venue at the historic Merestead estate in nearby Mount Kisco.
In 2020, its music ensemble, Music from Copland House was featured on Tiny Desk (Home) concert where they performed from home, and not so tiny writing desk, of Aaron Copland, one of America’s beloved composers. The $3-million, 24-acre complex nestled in the woods in Brewster expansion will allow the Copland House to substantially extend its artistic support, audience reach, public presentations, educational engagement, and programs that uniquely embrace and champion the entire artistic process.Â
The recently announced institutional extension will be an excellent addition to Rock Hill, Copland’s cherished, long-term home in neighboring Westchester County, which continues to play an important role. Even though a small private property cannot accommodate the demands of a nationally recognized arts organization, Rock Hill will always be Copland House’s indispensable institutional and inspirational home. Rock Hill, a National Historic Landmark and exceptional cultural, educational, and civic asset, embodies Copland’s principles and goals and links him to a location and era, even though his influence well surpasses both.
This transaction represents a big milestone for the Town of Southeast. Copland House plans on working with the Town to bring a wide spectrum of musical and cultural programs to the community. This will enhance the quality of life for all town residents in Southeast and the surrounding area.
Thomas LaPerch of Houlihan Lawrence Commercial, the dealâs lead selling broker
To learn or schedule visiting tours, fans can visit here.
Lola Vista, a singer and composer who has been living in New York for almost 20 years, has been crafting a sound that transcends boundaries and resonates with genuine openness right to the heart of New Yorkers.
Persistent and determination are two words fans could use to describe the London-based artist. Lola Vista has been playing and creating music for as long as she can remember. Drawing influences from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan and Tracy Chapman, Lola’s journey as a musician began when she started playing the piano, recorder and saxophone and even writing her own songs at at a young age as she quickly developed a deep appreciation for the power of storytelling through music.
Desperate to learn about the music business, Lola spent a few years working in the UK music industry for large and indie companies after earning a degree in social and political science from Cambridge University. After that, the singer relocated to New York, where she rose to prominence as a social, political, and cultural writer, commentator, and broadcaster. She used her writing and voice to offer sharp insights on a variety of topics, including politics, race, and the black experience.
She has been an advocate for the ability of the arts as a catalyst not only for self-expression but for social change.“I believe in the power of expression and in the power of using one’s voice and the gift of music, in order to make this world a better place”.
In her latest single “Get Up and Dance (Now)” the artist shared how she was inspired by 90s house music, acid jazz, funk and great vibes. “It’s a tribute to my musical influences as a kid of the 90’s and – more importantly – a celebration of life…I wanted to create a song that would make people happy and energized, and that would remind them of the joy of dancing and having a good time.” Lola believes in acknowledging issues and feelings and trying to find a solution which is where she got the inspiration from her single. “Essentially, “Get Up and Dance (Now)” is my solution to stress!”, the artist shared.
Lola Vista
Lola’s music is characterized by surreal melodies and strong voices that connect with listeners profoundly. Her songs are both melancholic and hopeful, with a depth and emotional resonance that captivates the listener, he continues to be a dynamic artist who is constantly pushing the envelope and finding new methods to express herself via music that are true to her broad taste in music and her passion for trying new things. In 2022 she released a single titled “Down Time” which she wrote in light of some very stressful times she was going through personally as well as conversations she had been having with her friends about post-pandemic life. The singer shared how people were still “stressed out” and the general sentiment at the time was “we can’t go on like this”.
In celebration of her single release, Lola shared that her and Joey, the producer and keyboardist Joeydkeyz who produced “Get Up and Dance (Now)” are working on more music together and there will be some good stuff coming soon. Fans should also watch out for some live shows which she will be announcing in the not too distant future and in the meantime, they can sign up to get more updates on her website here.
Cohoes Music Hall will host the Beatles vs. Stones tribute show featuring the tribute bands Abbey Road and Satisfaction – The International Rolling Stones Show on Thursday, May 9.
Since their initial chart encounter 61 years ago, there has been a discussion between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The argument at the time, and one that still persists, was that the Beatles were a pop group and the Stones were a rock band, starting the boys next door vs. the bad boys of rock debate. The two legendary bands will engage in a musical “showdown” this may at historic music hall Cohoes Music Hall in Cohoes.
When sharing the idea of the show, Chris LeGrand, who plays “Mick Jagger” in the show shared that, “Music fans never had a chance to see the Beatles and the Rolling Stones perform on the same marquee…now, music aficionados can watch this debate play out live on stage.”
The Cohoes show is part of a 125 stop tour of the U.S., Australia and Canada and has been touring since 2011. The show also performs long term residencies for a number of the Harrah’s Casino properties. Their production includes some of the more popular songs from the two rock pioneers and covers the scope of their musical careers, although the set list for Satisfaction usually includes Rolling Stones songs up to the 1980s, “they certainly have more pop songs but we’re a really great live show. The fans are in for an incredible night of music!” shared LeGrand.
During the two hour show, the bands perform three sets each, trading places in quick set changes and ending the night with an all-out encore involving both bands. The band members have their outfits custom-made, since avid fans know exactly what the Beatles and Stones wore onstage during different time periods in their careers. There’s a lot of good-natured jabbing between the bands as well. “Without Beatlemania, the Stones might still be a cover band in London…there’s no question that the Beatles set the standard.” said Chris Overall, who plays “Paul”.
The infamous Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown comes to the historic Cohoes Music Hall on Thursday, May 9. Tickets are $35/$45/$55, plus ticket fees, and may be purchased online at thecohoesmusichall.org, at the Box Office or by phone at 518.434.0776.
