Saratoga Spring’s Universal Preservation Hall has a riveting slate of shows coming up this fall, spanning from Sept. 13 through Dec. 21. The lineup includes comedy shows, concerts, theatricals, and holiday performances.
Fall 2024 brings a versatile group of performers to Universal Preservation Hall. The first new show announced is comedian, Gary Gulman on September 13, who’s making a stop as part of his “Misfit” comedy tour. Gulman is widely beloved by many comedy fans and has performed in prestigious venues all over the country.
On Sept. 26, Grand Ole Opry member, Chris Janson will bring his hits like the four-time platinum “Buy Me A Boat,” and the nominee of CMA Song of the Year, and winner of ACM Video of the Year, “Drunk Girl.” Janson’s shows are lively and entertaining, as Rolling Stone declared him “a live legacy in the making.” This show is not one to miss and fans of country and music in general can look forward to an amazing performance.
Toward the end of the season, UPH will host a series of holiday shows, as it gets closer to Christmas. These events include “Merry Swift-mas: Taylor Swift Holiday Dance Party” on December 6 and a special Christmas show from country and bluegrass duo, The Gibson Brothers on December 21, the last show of the year. Moreover, the variety of shows allows people with any musical interests to experience a show in the Christmas Spirit.
Other announcements made are singer-songwriting duo, The Bengsons, with The Keep Going Concert as well as beloved country singer, LeAnn Rimes.
For the full Universal Preservation Hall fall show and event schedule and to purchase tickets visit atuph.org
UPH Newly Announced Fall Shows
September 13- Gary Gulman
September 26- Chris Janson
November 8- The Bengsons
November 10- LeAnn Rimes
December 6- Merry Swift-mas: Taylor Swift Holiday Dance Party
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Five for Fighting is going on a show-stopping String Quartet tour this upcoming September and October. Joining him on tour is a quartet of renowned stings players with heavy experience on Broadway and as touring musicians, showcasing decades of Five for Fighting’s beloved music.
The mastermind behind Five for Fighting, John Ondrasik will bring his music to life on a whole new level with the extravagant ensemble accompanying him on his forthcoming tour. On violin is Katie Kresek, a Tony winner and co-orchestrator of Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Melissa Tong, who toured with Post Malone will also join Ondrasik’s show on violin.
The rest of the quartet includes Chris Cardona playing viola. Cardona has been a part of countless Broadway orchestras. Lastly, cellist, Peter Sachon contributes to music all over New York City. Having not only played on Broadway and on Broadway artists’ records but also in classical, jazz, and rock ensembles, Sachon continuously proves that he can flourish in any genre.
Even without the quartet, Ondrasik’s band is monumental. Made up of drummer Randy Cooke (Mick Jagger, Ringo Starr, Dave Stewart), guitarist Peter Thorn (Chris Cornell, Melissa Etheridge, Don Henley), and bassist Whynot Jansveld (Matchbox Twenty, The Wallflowers, Sara Bareilles), audiences are undeniably in for a show.
To share the stage with such incredible musicians every night is a gift that keeps giving. Such an intimate format allows me to share the stories behind the songs, and the adventures along the way.
John Ondrasik
Attendees will get to indulge in six albums, and many hits such as “100 Years” and “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” which are now considered classics. By bringing new light to these songs, Ondrasik can present them more profoundly than ever before.
The Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra has announced its 91st Concert Season, consisting of nine concerts. This new concert season will feature a host of shows in both Schenectady and Saratoga Springs.
Since its founding in 1935, the SSSO has prided itself in community involvement. Throughout its history, the SSSO has employed not only professional musicians, but also highlighted local amateur musicians. The orchestra has been a platform for local musicians, dance troupes and school choruses, helping to launch musical careers throughout the Schenectady-Saratoga region. Through its concerts and musical mentoring, the SSSO has become one of the greatest musical assets of the Capital Region.
This concert season will continue the SSSO’s history of involvement by hosting a series of guest musicians and incorporating new visual elements to enhance concerts. Soloists like trumpeter Robert Sullivan, and Lisa Leonard will join the SSSO for orchestral classics and new works. This season will feature a new visual elements and projections to enhance the concert experience. SSSO’s artistic director Glen Cortese says the “Visuals and projections will accompany many of our concerts to add another layer to the audience’s live music experience.” With this new aspect to their live shows, audiences will have their eyes, as well as ears stimulated at this year’s concerts.
SSSO Schedule
Free Pops Concert (not on subscription)
7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10 at Music Haven Stage in Schenectady’s Central Park
A tribute to the great composer John Williams.
“Realize”
7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Zankel Music Center
3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20 at the MainStage at Proctors
Featuring soloist Lisa Leonard in Prokofiev’s “Piano Concerto #3,” Adamo’s “Overture to Lysistrata” and Respighi’s “Fontana di Roma” and “Pini di Roma.”
Poinsettia Pops (not on subscription, add-on)
7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Great Hall at UPH
3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 at the Great Hall at UPH
Featuring guest soloists Jeanine Ouderkirk, Mowgli Giannitti and Elizabeth Sterling.
“Reminisce”
7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 at the Great Hall at UPH
3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025 at the MainStage at Proctors
Featuring Trumpeter Robert Sullivan in Glen Cortese’s “Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra (Gabriel’s Signal),” Snider’s “Eye of Mnemosyne” and Mendelssohn’s “Symphony #4.”
“Reach”
3 p.m. Sunday, March 2, 2025 at the Great Hall at UPH
The program features John Musto performing his “Litany” and “Piano Concerto #2,” Debussy’s “Children’s Corner” and guest vocalist Ann Marie Adamick with Mahler’s “Songs of the Wayfarer.”
“Remember”
3 p.m. Sunday, April 13, 2025 at the MainStage at Proctors
The Octavo Singers and surprise special guests join SSSO for Verdi’s great “Requiem.”
Season Tickets are currently on sale for $65. Individual tickets are $17-24, with children under 18 getting free entrance with a ticketed adult. For more ticketing and concert information visit the SSSO website here.
Opera Saratoga announced its 2024 summer festival, featuring three new productions at Universal Preservation Hall from June 27 to July 7. For more information on tickets and the season, visit here.
Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, began with a production of Die Fledermaus at the Diamond Point Theatre on July 5, 1962, playing to an audience of 230. The Company now calls Saratoga Springs home and performs for more than 25,000 people. Opera Saratoga celebrates its 60th Anniversary this season, serving the communities of Saratoga Springs, the Lower Adirondack, and New York State Capital areas by providing access to world-class opera through the production of an annual Summer Festival, as well as year-round activities including extensive educational programs, mentorship of emerging operatic artists, and unique opportunities for the public. The company has performed 106 fully-staged works by 66 composers, including 42 works by American composers and 14 premiere productions.
“This season pays homage to Saratoga Springs’ history as a pleasure-seekers paradise and betting destination while looking to the future by pushing the definition of what opera can be – and how it can be made – forward,” said Mary Birnbaum, General and Artistic Director. “We hope to tempt risk-takers to the festival by dazzling them with reinventions of two classics in addition to a totally unique creation that they can only see in Saratoga.”
In 2023, the company hired its 10th Artistic and General Director, Mary Birnbaum. She has directed opera and music theater around the world, including staging critically acclaimed productions of L’Orfeo, Proving Up, and The Rape of Lucretia at The Juilliard School and The Classical Style at Carnegie Hall. She has also directed productions at Opera Philadelphia, Seattle Opera, Opera Columbus, Virginia Opera, Virginia Arts Festival, the Ojai Festival, Montclair Peak Performances, and Boston Baroque in the U.S, as well as in Taiwan (National Symphony Orchestra), Central America (National Theatre of Costa Rica and Guatemala), Australia and Israel.
She most recently directed the world premiere of In A Grove by Christopher Cerrone and Stephanie Fleischmann at Pittsburgh Opera and will direct the world premiere oratorio ÉMIGRÉ at the New York Philharmonic in collaboration with the Shanghai Symphony. On the faculty of the Juilliard School since 2011, she teaches acting to singers and serves as a Dramatic Advisor to the MMGD program. She also teaches and coaches for the Lindemann Young Artists Program at the Metropolitan Opera.
For more information on tickets and the season, visit here.
GUYS AND DOLLS
June 29–July 7
Universal Preservation Hall
The first of the trifecta, Guys and Dolls, features Mikaela Bennett (City Center Encores’ The Golden Apple, West Side Story at Glimmerglass), as Sarah Brown. The beloved gambling musical will feature direction by Mary Birnbaum, choreography by Caili Quan, and musical direction by Andy Einhorn (Broadway’s Carousel and Hello, Dolly!.), with scenic design by Kristen Robinson, lighting design by Anshuman Bhatia and costume design by Oana Botez. In addition to those already announced, the cast of Guys and Dolls will feature William Socolof as Nathan Detroit, Ariadne Greif as Miss Adelaide, Shavon Lloyd as Sky Masterson, Maximillian Jansen as Nicely Nicely Johnson, and Aubrey Allicock as Arvide Abernathy.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE
June 28–July 7
Universal Preservation Hall
Next is Mozart’s wager opera Così fan tutte, featuring GRAMMY-nominated bass-baritone Aubrey Allicock as the cynical Don Alfonso. The opera will also feature Nicoletta Berry as Despina, Julia Stuart as Fiordiligi, Anna Kelley as Dorabella, Maximillian Jansen as Ferrando, and Michael Hawk as Guglielmo.
INTI FIGGIS-VIZUETA WORLD PREMIERE OPERA
June 30 & July 5
Universal Preservation Hall
Finally, the biggest gamble of them all: a world premiere opera, devised and composed during the summer season by Composer-in-Residence inti figgis-vizueta. inti’s work explores the transformative power of group improvisation and play, working to reconcile historical aesthetics and experimental practices with trans & Indigenous futures. “The Festival Residency with Opera Saratoga is an incredible opportunity to explore the expressive world of contemporary opera, a first for me as a composer,” figgis-vizueta said.
LISTEN TO THIS: VOICES FROM THE FUTURE!
June 4, June 11, and June 18
Universal Preservation Hall
Listen to This is a three-part concert series that hands the mic to cutting-edge creators who break through boundaries of what opera can be through the lens of access and healing. The series is composed of: The Other Side of Silence, Winterreise, and finally, i woke up in the sky.
THE OTHER SIDE OF SILENCE
Tuesday, June 4 will feature work by RPI Director of Institute Ensembles Robert Whalen who is collaborating with librettists Mark Steidl, Katherine Skovira, and Sara Pyszka on a new opera for synthetic and acoustic voice The Other Side of Silence written by and for people who use Alternative Assistive Communication.
The Other Side of Silence explores what it means to be our true self, and which of our voices—our inner or outer voice— represents our identity. The Other Side of Silence examines technology’s role in the fabric of human society as seen through the lens of an AAC user – someone who uses a synthetic voice to communicate with the world.
WINTERREISE
On June 11, Director George Miller, Bass-Baritone William Socolof, and Pianist Chris Reynolds collaborate on the workshop of a contemporary staging of Schubert’s seminal song cycle Winterreise. Originally from Albany and Saratoga Springs, respectively, Miller and Reynolds bring their many accolades back to the Capital Region.
i woke up in the sky
On June 18, composer-performer Catherine Brookman shares her album i woke up in the sky with Opera Saratoga’s audiences. Her music deals with the experience of time passing, collapsing, unfinished business, heartbreak, loneliness, and depression.
Grammy-Winning Artists BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet will celebrate a half century of cajun music as they bring the bayou to Saratoga Springs’ Universal Preservation Hall on Thursday, April 18.
BeauSoleil is known to bring audiences to their feet, being born from the rich Acadian ancestry of members, created and driven by bandleader Michael Doucet’s spellbinding fiddle playing and soulful vocals, offering inspiring two-stepping, waltzing, and standing ovations wherever they go.
BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet can be credited with taking Cajun music from its regional roots in Louisiana to popularity worldwide. Their most recent album, and the 25th in their 45-year career, was titled From Bamako to Carencro, alluding to the cultural and migratory connection between Bamako, in Mali, West Africa, and Louisiana (symbolized in name by the Lafayette, LA suburb of Carencro), a connection that draws a sonic bloodline back to BeauSoleil’s roots.
Since becoming the first Cajun band to win a Grammy with L’amour Ou La Folie (their Traditional Folk Album–1998) and then a second Grammy in 2010, “Live at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival,” BeauSoleil has garnered many accolades, including 12 Grammy nominations.
Universal Preservation Hall hosts the multiple Grammy Award-winning group’s 50th anniversary tour 7:30 p.m. in the Great Hall Thursday, April 18 as part of the Passport Series-Music Haven at Proctors Collaborative.
Local Saratoga-based southern restaurant Hatties will serve free jambalaya samples alongside the bar in UPH’s lobby directly before the show for ticket holders.
Tickets are available through the Box Office at Proctors in-person, via phone at (518) 346-6204 Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. or online visit atuph.org.
