Khruangbin, Bleachers, and CAKE are slated to headline the second edition of The Capitol Groove, downtown Hartford’s premier festival, returning to Bushnell Park June 28-29.
Presented by GoodWorks Entertainment, the festival will feature 14 artists over two days with performances from Thundercat, Sammy Rae & The Friends, Thee Sacred Souls, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Fantastic Negrito, Steel Pulse, Ripe, Improvement Movement, Ghost Funk Orchestra, The Greeting Committee, and Spectre Jones. These titillating acts are ones you’ll certainly want to see live.
Beyond the music, The Capitol Groove will also boast a lineup of local craft vendors and food trucks to be announced closer to the festival. Situated in the heart of downtown Hartford, Bushnell Park’s ample green space and natural beauty provides festivalgoers the perfect backdrop for two days of live music, all within easy reach of Hartford’s rich history and vibrant arts scene.
This upcoming festival is the second ever in the fest’s history. The Capitol Groove saw much success last summer and hopes to reach new heights with an even more exciting lineup. Acts like Khruangbin, Thundercat, Bleachers, and CAKE are must sees. These artists are known to bring the absolute groove to new levels wherever they go.
For more information and to purchase tickets to The Capitol Groove festival, click here.
On February 3 and 4, Artistic Director Ted Sperling leads the 120–member MasterVoices Chorus in the premiere of the acclaimed opera, “Blind Injustice.” The show takes place at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
“Blind Injustice” features music by Scott Davenport Richards and libretto by David Cote. The opera tells the true story of the Ohio Innocence Project’s work to overturn the convictions of six men, women, and teens who were wrongly imprisoned for violent crimes they didn’t commit. The opera is based on the book of the same name by Mark Godsey and the casework by the Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. The inspiring 90-minute work in staged presentation showcases an operatic score infused with jazz, gospel, funk, hip-hop, and musical theater. The shows take place on Feb 3 and 4 at 7:30pm.
“Blind Injustice” makes its New York premiere following a critically praised world premiere at Cincinnati Opera in 2019 and a subsequent production at PEAK Performances at Montclair State University (MSU) with Ted Sperling conducting and members of the MasterVoices Chorus joining MSU choristers in February 2024. Immediately following each performance, there is a 30-minute moderated conversation with four exonerees portrayed in the opera: Nancy Smith, Laurese Glover, Clarence Elkins, and Rickey Jackson, as well as artists and experts working in the field of criminal justice reform. Conversations are free to ticket holders.
Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center
MasterVoices (formerly The Collegiate Chorale) was founded in 1941 by legendary American choral conductor Robert Shaw. Under the artistic direction of Tony Award winner Ted Sperling since 2013, the group is known for its versatility and a repertoire that ranges from choral masterpieces and operas in concert to operettas and musical theater. Season concerts feature a volunteer chorus of 100+ members from all walks of life alongside a diverse roster of world-class soloists from across the musical spectrum.
Conductor Ted Sperling
One of today’s leading musical artists, Tony Award-winning Maestro Ted Sperling is a classically trained musician whose career has spanned from the concert hall and the opera house to the Broadway stage. Presently Artistic Director of MasterVoices, he has led such symphony orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Boston Pops, San Diego Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, the Iceland Symphony, Czech National Symphony, and BBC Concert Orchestra, as well as New York City Opera and Houston Grand Opera. Put simply, you’ll want to catch him live conducting this opera in February.
For more information on the upcoming “Blind Injustice” opera performed by MasterVoices at Lincoln Center, click here.
Playhouse Stage Company is set to kick off its 37th season with A Christmas Story: The Musical from Dec 4 to 22.
Cohoes Music Hall opens with the musical on Wednesday, December 4 at 7pm. Performances continue through December 22nd, with 7pm evening performances Wednesday through Saturday, as well as 2pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. The season kicks off with holiday season entertainment for young and old alike.
A hilarious and heart-warming crowd pleaser, A Christmas Story: The Musical tells the story of nine-year-old Ralphie Parker, who has pinned his hopes on getting a “Red Ryder Carbine Action BB Gun” for Christmas. The musical, with a book by Joseph Robinette, features all the iconic moments from the film, from the leg lamp award, to the bunny suit, to Ralphie’s friend Flick getting his tongue stuck to a frozen metal pole.
It boasts a soaring, energetic score by Pasek and Paul, known for their work on Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman and more. The show is based on the 1983 MGM film, as well as the film’s inspiration, the novel In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd. The musical adaptation premiered on Broadway in 2012, in a production that featured two Playhouse Stage Company students and Capital Region natives, Jack Mastrianni and George Franklin.
“A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL.”
A Christmas Story: The Musical is directed by long-time PSC Director Michael LoPorto, returning to the company after most recently directing the celebrated 2023 production of Something Rotten at Park Playhouse. LoPorto is joined by frequent collaborator Brian Axford as Musical Director. Playhouse Stage Teaching Artist and performer Gabi Bazinet-Douglas makes her PSC choreography debut on A Christmas Story after appearing as Brooke Wyndham in this past summer’s Legally Blonde: The Musical.
The cast is led by well-known Capital Region actor and Sage Theatre Institute Professor David Baecker, as the show’s narrator, Jean Shepherd, as well as by PSC student Jack Holick as young Ralphie Parker. Joining them in the 26-person cast are Playhouse veterans Molly Rose McGrath and Nick Martiniano as Ralphie’s parents, and PSC Director of Education and Associate Artistic Director Ashley-Simone Kirchner, returning to the stage for the first time since 2019’s Avenue Q to play Ralphie’s teacher, Miss Shields.
The 37th Playhouse Stage Company Season continues in February with the dark musical comedy Heathers: The Musical, adapted from the 1989 cult classic film. In addition to productions at Cohoes Music Hall, the company will return to Park Playhouse in Albany’s Washington Park, and Guilderland Performing Arts Center in Tawasentha Park to present free, outdoor musical theatre for the community during Summer, 2025. Details about title selection and schedule will be announced in January.
For more information on the upcoming show at Cohoes Music Hall – A Christmas Story: The Musical and to purchase tickets, click here.
Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs has announced four-piece jazz project, “Old Friends Beckoned, New Sounds Reckoned,” slated to hit the stage on January 11, 2025.
Matt Steckler, Yayoi Ikawa, Lonnie Plaxico & Tony Lewis present an evening of original jazz that draws upon collective inspiration, touching the heart with one cohesive brushstroke. The names Steckler, Ikawa, Plaxico and Lewis suggest four musicians who have intersected at different points on a jazz timeline. With the project Old Friends Beckoned, New Sounds Reckoned, their shared histories converge as singular new ideas emerge. Using original scores as a canvas, the quartet strives for a deeper vibe rooted in shared sacrifice.
Matthew Steckler, aka Matty Stecks, performs and composes in several musical settings internationally. Primarily as a saxophonist, he brings a dynamic, holistic approach to the live musical experience. As a composer and bandleader, Matthew has been recognized for his seminal work with the projects Pretzil Stex, Dead Cat Bounce, Persiflage & Musical Tramps, and been featured at festivals and major concert series in North America and Europe.
Born in Tokyo, Japan, but raised musically in New York, pianist/composer Yayoi Ikawa is an experience of ingenuity and compassion. After recording a straight-ahead jazz piano trio on Nippon Crown release “Angel Eyes” in 2004, she self-produced “Color of Dreams” displaying her original compositions. Since then, her group has featured in various music festivals and concerts in the U.S., Italy, Japan, Costa Rica, Guadeloupe and Martinique. Yayoi believes that Jazz is a social activity, and strives to learn from elders, collaborate with peers and pass it on to future generations.
Bassist Lonnie Plaxico’s musicianship is probably best expressed in his masterful integration of different forms combining the rigorous technique of classical, the improvisation of jazz, and the rawness of funk into one exhilarating musical experience. Plaxico’s recording and performance catalog is equally impressive for its caliber, depth and diversity. He has appeared with such luminaries as Sonny Sitt, Junior Cook, David Murray, Alice Coltrane, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Sample, Abbey Lincoln, and Dizzy Gillespie. He has also recorded five critically acclaimed albums as leader.
Tony Lewis is a drummer/songwriter from the South Bronx, New York who has worked with a variety of stellar artists including Little Richard, Sting, B.B. King, Dizzy Gillespie, Vernon Reid, Cyndi Lauper, Me’Shell N’degeocello, Rakim, Sam Moore (Sam & Dave), Michael Hill’s Blues Mob, and Craig Harris. As a child growing up in the Bronx, Tony’s early influences being around family and friends would prove to be a launching pad that led him to attend New York’s prestigious LaGuardia High School of the Arts.
Together, this 4-piece union of ultra-talented jazz musicians are sure to light up Caffe Lena with an amazing display of their capabilities. Tickets are available online and are currently at $30.37. The exciting new show takes place on January 11 from 8:00-9:00PM. Caffe Lena is located at 47 Phila Street in Saratoga Springs.
For more information on “Old Friends Beckoned, New Sounds Reckoned” and to purchase tickets, click here.
The Salt City Waltz returns this year to Homer Center for the Arts for its eighth edition, celebrating the music of legendary rock group The Band.
With over 40 performers, Salt City Waltz is a virtual who’s who of all-star Central New York talent. The 2024 edition will bring a few fresh faces and several new musical numbers to the show. As always, the vibe will transform the room into a 1970’s Winterland Ballroom and transport concert goers to a different time and space. It’s a beautiful, special show that feels like no other, you simply have to come and experience it for yourself. Be there November 30, as tribute is paid to one of the greatest acts in Rock & Roll History, The Band.
The Salt City Waltz; A Homegrown Celebration of the Music of The Band. Features Syracuses’ Los Blancos joined by Scott Ebner, Mark Westers. Special guests the Salt City Waltz Ensemble w/Gary Frenay, Cathy Lamanna, Chris Eves, Jonah Smith, Joe Whiting, Mark Hoffman, Liz Friedel, Maureen Sheriden-Henesy, Donna Colton and Joanna Jewett. There are over 30 Guest performers including Andy Comstock, Bill Ali, George Rossi, Ronnie Leigh, Steven Cali, Joe Altier, Pete McMahon, Rex Lyons, and special appearance by the Levon Helm Studio Horns.
Homer is a community of artists, art lovers, music makers, and creators. The Center for the Arts is well known for hosting national music concerts, but also features film screenings, a community theater program (Center Players) and showcase artwork by regional, national, and international visual artists in the art gallery. The Center also hosts classes, workshops and programs throughout the year, and adds to the economic vitality of Central New York. The facilities are available to other community organizations and individuals for a variety of educational purposes, events and private functions.
For more information on this year’s Salt City Waltz, the Homer Center for the Arts, and to purchase tickets, click here.
Championing artists and their creative process for each step from studio to stage, the Works & Process Spring 2025 season starts in January across New York City and Long Island.
Works & Process Artists-in-Residence, provided with fully funded, week-long LaunchPAD residencies, gather for the first Dance Out East on Long Island on January 9–11, in partnership with The Church in Sag Harbor, Guild Hall of East Hampton, and The Watermill Center.
Also kicking off the season is the third Works & Process Underground Uptown Dance Festival at the Guggenheim New York on January 9–13, as part of JanArtsNYC. The Underground Uptown Dance Festival is one of the city’s largest and most influential arts gatherings and draws more than 45,000 performing arts leaders, artists, and enthusiasts from across the globe.
The 40th season of Works & Process at the Guggenheim continues in the museum’s Peter B. Lewis Theater with events that highlight creative process by blending artist discussion and performance. A highlight of the programming will be a series of social dances in the Guggenheim’s rotunda, including a swing social to open the first Uptown Rhythm Dance Festival in partnership with 92NY.
Dance will to a key aspect of this Works & Process season, with new dances by BalletX, Ballet Hispánico, Andy Blankenbuehler, New Jersey Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and the Vail Dance Festival. All events feature post-performance receptions that continue the conversation and help foster understanding, appreciation, and community.
The upcoming season sees shows at a multitude of venues including the Guggenheim Museum, Manhattan West, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, The Watermill Center, National Sawdust and more. The season also sees multiple sub-series including the 40th Guggenheim Series, Dance Out East in Long Island, Underground Uptown Dance Fest, Rotunda Social Dances, and more.
The season plans to include step by step showcases of various Broadway plays, detailing behind the scenes actions that prepare the play for the big stage. SMASH, inspired by the hit TV show, is finally coming to Broadway this spring.
SMASH is a hilarious behind-the-scenes rollercoaster ride about the making of a Marilyn Monroe musical called Bombshell, it’s got all the iconic songs, kick-ass choreography, and backstage pandemonium that make Broadway the beloved institution it is today. The production will be helmed by five-time Tony Award–winner Susan Stroman and feature a score by Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award–winning duo Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who wrote over two dozen songs for the television show (many of which will be heard in the musical); a book by Tony Award–nominee Rick Elice and Tony Award–winner Bob Martin; and choreography by Tony Award–nominee Joshua Bergasse. Members of the creative team will participate in a moderated discussion and excerpts will be performed in advance of previews.
40th Works & Process at the Guggenheim Series – Performance Highlights and Discussions
Boston Lyric Opera: The Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi, libretto by Sarah Ruhl with Anthony Roth Costanzo, Sarah Ruhl, Zack Winokur, and Pam Tanowitz – Jan 14
Miami City Ballet: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Pam Tanowitz – Jan 25
Buena Vista Social Club by Marco Ramirez with Saheem Ali, Patricia Delgado, and Justin Peck – Jan 26
Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Phylicia Rashad– Jan 27
SMASH by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Rick Elice, and Bob Martin, with Susan Stroman and Joshua Bergasse – Feb 3
Never Alone by Andy Blankenbuehler – Feb 7
Williamstown Theatre Festival: Jeremy O. Harris’s New Play First Look – Feb 9
BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical with Jerry Mitchell – Feb 10
Ballet Hispánico: Tango with Alejandro Cervera, Graciela Daniele, and Matthew Neenan – Mar 3
San Francisco Opera: THE MONKEY KING (猴王悟空) by Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang with Diane Paulus – Mar 9
BalletX: Maslow’s Peak by Jennifer Archibald – Mar 23
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: This House by Ricky Ian Gordon, Lynn Nottage, and Ruby Aiyo Gerber – Apr 6
Glimmerglass Festival: The House on Mango Street by Derek Bermel and Sandra Cisneros – Apr 7
New Jersey Ballet: Maria Kowroski and Harrison Ball – Apr 14
The Metropolitan Opera: John Adams’s Antony and Cleopatra – Apr 28
Vail Dance Festival – May 4
The Works & Process 2025 season begins on January 9 and comes to a close on May 15, 2025. To see a complete calendar of events for the upcoming season, and to purchase tickets to any of the events, click here.
The Albany Symphony plans to take the holiday season to new heights with their “Magic of Christmas” concert at The Palace Theatre this December.
The award-winning Albany Symphony provides a whole lot of extra sparkle this holiday season in one of the Capital Region’s favorite holiday musical traditions. On Sunday, December 8, “The Magic of Christmas” fills The Palace Theatre with festive holiday music, family fun and special guests. The Albany Symphony and its sleigh-full of hometown talent will delight and entertain audiences of all ages with an afternoon of holiday musical favorites, a carol sing-along and a visit from the big man in the red suit.
In keeping with the Albany Symphony’s longtime role as a collaborator, the orchestra is proud to be joined by community partners, including The Music Studio, Capital District Youth Chorale, Rince go Brach (formerly Boland) School of Irish Dance, Northeast Ballet, Saratoga Springs High School Choraliers, and Schalmont High School Concert Choir.
Founded in 1930 in New York’s Capital Region, the Albany Symphony serves a diverse regional audience covering more than seven counties and parts of three states. In addition to an eight-concert subscription season, an annual multi-day American Music Festival including performances by the orchestra’s genre-bending ensemble Dogs of Desire, and a host of education and community outreach events, the Albany Symphony regularly serves as an ambassador for new music and Upstate innovation beyond the Capital Region.
“The Magic of Christmas” takes place from 3:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday, December 8 at The Palace Theatre in downtown Albany. Conducted by David Alan Miller, prepare for an afternoon of festive family fun and cheer. Sponsored in part by Price Chopper and Market 32, the concert is jam-packed with holiday classics. Like everything the Albany Symphony does, the afternoon includes a medley of familiar and brand-new tunes, including “Joy to the World,” “Sing Noel,” “Santa’s Holly Jolly Little Christmas,” Nutcracker selections with dancers, and much more. In traditional joyful fanfare, audiences join in a Christmas sing-along to close the program.
For more information on “The Magic of Christmas” concert at The Palace Theatre on Dec 8 and to purchase tickets, click here.
Park Avenue Armory in NYC has announced its 2025 season that features bold, transformative artistic experiences from various notable names – Yoko Ono, Jamie xx, and Anne Imhof – among the many.
Comprised predominantly of world and North American premieres, the 2025 season builds on the Armory’s history of presenting masterpieces in spatial music, site-specific concert experiences, genre-defying theatrical works, and elevating singular artistic perspectives from across the world. In the expansive Wade Thompson Drill Hall, these productions will engage with the Armory’s iconic architecture in unexpected ways, offering unique settings for audiences to experience music, photography, and performance.
The historic period rooms will host intimate Recital Series performances and Artists Studio programs curated by Jason Moran, showcasing the talents of visionary artists across genres. These programs will be complemented by Making Space at the Armory, a series of talks and symposia.
Jamie xx
The Armory’s 2025 Wade Thompson Drill Hall programming begins in January with Jamie xx’s In Waves, a co-presentation with Bowery Presents that launches the North American tour for the artist’s first solo album in 10 years. Returning to the Armory following his sold-out residency with The xx in 2014, Jamie xx will perform a career-spanning set with an emphasis on his newest album, In Waves, which captures the bliss, volatility, and introspection of a night out.
Revolutionary artist and activist Yoko Ono will bring the largest installation to date in North America of her ongoing work Wish Tree to the Armory in February. Featuring a grove of 92 trees installed in the Wade Thompson Drill Hall to mark the artist’s 92nd birthday, the work will invite visitors to write and attach wishes to the branches, creating a large-scale yet personal activation. Ono’s work will be the topic of a two-day symposium as part of the Armory’s Making Space series, which will emphasize her legacy of advancing female empowerment, creativity, and peace.
Yoko Ono
Multifaceted contemporary artist Anne Imhof will transform the Armory with her new performance piece DOOM. Working across painting, drawing, video, music, and sculpture, Imhof is best known for creating large scale installations that meld various media, including endurance performance, to create singular compositions— one of which, Faust, received the Golden Lion at the 2017 Venice Biennale. Commissioned specifically for the Armory and curated by Klaus Biesenbach, DOOM marks Imhof’s largest performative work to date and will take over the Drill Hall. This sequential, durational performance punctuated by dramatic tableaux vivants of performers, sound, and scenography, will invite audiences into a shared experience that juxtaposes apathy and anxiety with resistance and optimism.
One of the most original and influential photographers of the twentieth century, Diane Arbus captured the wide breadth of humanity in postwar America with iconic documentary-style photographs that continue to resonate with artists and viewers today. Following Arbus’ death in 1971, a photographer and student of hers Neil Selkirk began printing for the Arbus Estate and remains the only person authorized to create prints from her negatives. Presented at the Armory in its North American premiere, Constellation brings together all prints from the set of more than 450 that Selkirk produced—the largest and most complete assemblage of Arbus’s work to date. Presented as an unconventional “constellation” of photographs, the exhibition invites visitors to wander freely among the works, revealing new connections between the images and highlighting the imperceptible architecture of chance, chaos, and exploration that underlies all creations.
Tickets for each show are sold on the Park Avenue Armory website – for more information on the upcoming 2025 season and to purchase tickets, click here.
The Second City has announced their brand new, fast-paced, interactive holiday revue “Wreck the Halls” which debuts November 21 in Brooklyn.
Following the successful launch of The Second City New York earlier this year, the iconic comedy institution has announced their highly anticipated, interactive comedy revue, designed specifically for the holidays. Building on the legacy of its renowned Chicago and Toronto siblings, the New York outpost is debuting Wreck the Halls: The Second City’s New York’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays on November 21, 2024, and running through December.
The upcoming Mainstage show Wreck the Halls: The Second City New York’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays is an interactive comedy revue; packed with seasonal songs, sketches, and their signature improv. The show roasts all the things we love, and love to loathe, about the season. Opening November 22, the show promises to deliver plenty of laughs as The Second City’s brightest talents turn holiday traditions upside down.
Second City New York’s MainStage
The Second City opened its doors in 1959 as a small comedy cabaret and has since grown to become the world’s most influential name in improvisation and comedy, celebrating its 65th year in business in 2024. The Second City’s stages, Touring Companies, and Training Centers across North America have proudly been the launch pad and artistic home for many of the funniest performers, writers, directors, and comedic minds on the planet. For decades The Second City’s corporate education and entertainment arm, Second City Works, has supported global businesses using the same methods pioneered on its stages to drive individual growth and organizational improvement.
For more information on Second City’s upcoming Wreck the Halls – taking place at 64 N 9th St in Williamsburg – and to purchase tickets to any of the dates, click here.
Cohoes Music Hall has announced their 150-year anniversary celebration which includes three major events on Nov 23.
Saturday, November 23, 2024, marks 150 years since Cohoes Music Hall first opened its doors to the public, and the venue’s management entity, Playhouse Stage Company, will mark the momentous occasion with three public events throughout the day. Playhouse Stage Company has been producing free outdoor musicals at Albany’s Park Playhouse since 1989 and has been producing musical theatre at Cohoes Music Hall since 2016. The company has managed the Hall since August 2020.
From 10:00AM to 12:00PM, eventgoers can expect a free public event featuring music and activities for kids, including face painting, balloon animals, and live music from popular Capital Region children’s musician Andy the Music Man. Funny, quick-witted, warm, and tuneful, Andy Morse has been delighting young audiences for more than 27 years.
One of the oldest music venues in the state, Cohoes Music Hall celebrates a sesquicentennial anniversary on November 23
At 2:00PM, “London Assurance & A Toast to the Hall” begins. This special event will start with a champagne toast to Cohoes Music Hall’s 150-year history, followed by a staged reading of the play that first opened the Music Hall in 1874, and then reopened the building one hundred years later. London Assurance, adapted by Capital Region theatre artist Aaron Holbritter, will be co-presented by Creative License Theatre Collective and Playhouse Stage Company. The performance will feature Capital Region actors Ryan Palmer, Laura Darling, Amy Hausknect, Nick Martiniano, Jay Hunter, Ketih DuBois, Molly Kirby, Evan Jones, Chuck Kraus and Owen Smith.
“Get Zep! performing The Song Remains the Same” begins at 8:00PM. Get Zep!, presented by Guthrie Bell Productions, is an upstate super group consisting of Troy’s fabled rock band Super 400 and dynamic Hudson Valley vocalist Sean Matthew Whiteford. The group has been touring the region and beyond with tributes to classic Led Zeppelin albums, selling out Cohoes Music Hall on four occasions. For this event, they’ll play “The Song Remains The Same” in its entirety, and other Zeppelin hits.
Get Zep!
For more information on Cohoes Music Hall’s upcoming sesquicentennial celebration and to purchase tickets for November 23, click here.
