Sample a melting pot of culture and history.
What kind of artist are you? In downtown Troy’s Monument Square, the Arts Center of the Capital Region is home to working potters, jewelers, painters, dancers and pretty much every corner of the arts community, while an intimate performing arts theater and four galleries exhibit their works. Enjoy performances, programs and readings that bring out the artist in you.
It’s been called one of the country’s great orchestras, and The Albany Symphony invites you to learn why. Upcoming concert appearances pay tribute to Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff in September, Bach and The Beatles in October, and Beethoven in December with guest conductor Daniel Hege.
The Sport of Kings is on glorious display at Saratoga Springs’ National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Located opposite historic Saratoga Race Course, its exhibits breathe life into thoroughbred racing history with sights and sounds of legends like Man o’ War and Secretariat, equine art, trophies and silks. Check out the newest exhibit, a Ready to Ride Racing Simulator.
As America’s oldest operating coffeehouse, Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs has a reputation to uphold. Opened in 1960, the famed café helped launch the careers of Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Ani DiFranco and many more. Live the tradition and climb the stairs to discover future stars performing just a few feet away. Open Mic events, Susan Trump and Guy Davis perform in October.
Cambridge boasts its own theatrical treasure, Historic Hubbard Hall. The 1878 opera house, with ornate Victorian chandelier, stenciled walls and chestnut woodwork, welcomes you to critically acclaimed resident theater and opera companies, dance and movement art programs. Join the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company on October 13 for The Junkman, a genre-bending musical explosion of JunkJam with oil drums, fly swatters, pot lids and plastic tubing. Take the JunkJam percussion workshop.
Schenectady’s emerging regional arts district has grown from the seed of Proctors Theatre, a nationally renowned 1926 vaudeville house that now hosts major Broadway shows, film festivals, and world famous entertainers like Spencer: Theatre of Illusion on October 19, a high-tech show that crosses the threshold of disbelief with elaborate stage illusions and dazzling special effects.
The Schenectady Museum has become miSci—the Museum of Innovation and Science—and there’s so much more to see. In September, enjoy hands-on science labs, Sky Tour planetarium shows, Fall Science and Hidden Power demos, do-it-yourself FETCH! Lab workshops and more. You’ll leave enlightened.
George M. Cohan, John Phillip Sousa, Jimmy Durante and Sarah Bernhardt all played the Cohoes Music Hall, a magnificent regional venue since 1874, and the stars keep on coming. See the regional premiere of Tony Award-winning In The Heights, September 13-23, and Hello Dolly, November 1-11.
Visit Capital-Saratoga for more information.