Heather Christian is a Drama Desk Award winner, a two-time Obie Award winner, and a Sundance Fellow whose work has been staged at the National Theater in London and BAM.

On May 30 and 31, they bring their newest collaboration to Ancram Center for the Arts, a 100-seat performance hall in southern Columbia County.

“Clarence, in a Pause: A Listening Party” — Ancram Center for the Arts, Ancram, NY | May 30–31 A listening party format at one of Columbia County’s more adventurous small arts venues. The Ancram Center has built a reputation for programming that refuses easy categorization, and a listening party as a ticketed theatrical event is consistent with that identity.

“Clarence, in a Pause: A Listening Party” is a quasi-baroque oratorio in which a concerned citizen confronts an imagined version of Clarence Thomas before a wildly reimagined Supreme Court — justices past, present, future, and dreamed. Mac wrote the libretto. Christian composed the music. Both are MacArthur Fellows.

According to Mac’s official biography, judy [Mac’s prefered gender pronoun, a homage to Judy Garland and to gay culture as a whole] is the author of seventeen full-length works of theater, among them “Hir,” “The Walk Across America for Mother Earth,” and “The Lily’s Revenge.” Judy is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, a Kennedy Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award — and has performed at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Sydney Opera House, Chicago’s Steppenwolf, London’s Barbican, and hundreds of other theaters, opera houses, and festivals around the world.

The MacArthur Foundation describes Christian as a composer, lyricist, playwright, and vocalist whose work explores the possibility for the sacred and spiritual in contemporary music theater, with a sound that draws on the jazz and blues of her Southern upbringing, Catholic and Baptist liturgical music, and European choral traditions. A 2025 MacArthur Fellow, she is also a Richard Rodgers Award winner and a Sundance Institute Fellow, according to her biography at HERE Arts Center. She teaches vocal-based music composition at NYU, owns and operates her own recording studio in Beacon, and performs regularly with her band Heather Christian & the Arbornauts, according to her official website.

The two have been collaborators for nearly two decades. According to Rural Intelligence, Mac cast Christian in “The Lily’s Revenge” in 2009, and Christian sang backup in “A 24-Decade History of Popular Music” in 2016. “Clarence, in a Pause” marks Christian’s debut as composer on a Mac work.

The work is not a polemic. Mac and Christian have described it as a prayer for understanding, a consideration, an act of wondering — an attempt at radical empathy in the face of political polarization.

“Truth is a meditation, not an accomplishment,” Mac told Berkshires Week of the project.

The Ancram showing is part of the center’s Play Lab series, a development program for new work. Audiences will hear a selection of songs from the piece — not a full production — followed by a conversation with Mac and Christian about the ideas and themes the work raises. According to the Ancram Center event page, the evening ends with the artists teaching the audience a song from the show, with the stated intention of leaving the room having de-escalated the rhetoric of polarization to the tempo and poetry of song.

That is a more ambitious goal than most theater sets for itself. In a 100-seat room in Columbia County, it also has a reasonable chance of working.

“Every single person who comes into one of my shows is carrying with them an expectation of what kind of experience they’re going to have,” Christian said in an interview with the MacArthur Foundation. “And that is a kind of formality that I want to spend the performance gently obliterating.”

Tickets and information are available at ancramcenter.org.

—Michael

FOMO Fodder

🍽️ Food, Drink & Social

$1 Oyster Happy Hour — Jack’s Oyster House | Ongoing A Albany institution offering one of the better recurring deals in the city. Jack’s has been at this since 1913; the oysters don’t need a promotion, but the price makes it easy.

Burger Mondays — The City Beer Hall | Mondays, recurring A weekly burger promotion that gives Monday a reason to exist. Details worth confirming before you go.

Focaccia Fridays — The City Beer Hall | Fridays, recurring A weekly bread-forward promotion that signals a kitchen confident enough to lead with something simple. Worth tracking down the venue.

Happy Hour — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | Sunday–Thursday, recurring A reliable weeknight promotion at a room that has built its calendar around exactly this kind of steady offering.

Pizza & Pints — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | Mondays, recurring Monday pizza and beer through late June. Simple and effective.

Martini Mondays at Chianti — Chianti Il Ristorante | Mondays, recurring A weekly promotion at one of Saratoga’s more consistently good Italian restaurants. The martini is the occasion; the room is the reason.

Fat Tuesdays — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | Tuesdays, recurring A weekly promotion that stretches the spirit of Mardi Gras well past its calendar date.

Happy Hour at Salt & Char — Salt & Char | Tuesday–Friday, recurring One of the better happy hours in the city, at a restaurant that takes its bar program seriously.

Flex Your Mussels — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | Wednesdays, recurring A Wednesday mussel special with its own following. The name earns a reluctant pass.

Harvey’s Famous DJ Trivia — Harvey’s Restaurant and Bar | Wednesdays, recurring Trivia with a DJ. Harvey’s has made Wednesday nights reliable.

Filet Night Out — Salt & Char | Wednesdays, recurring A mid-week steak promotion at a restaurant built for exactly this. Worth planning around.

Prime Rib Night — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | Thursdays, recurring A Thursday prime rib special that signals a kitchen confident in its anchor dish.

The Carnivore Experience — Salt & Char | Thursdays, recurring A meat-forward weekly program at one of the region’s better steakhouses. The name commits fully to the premise.

Salt & Sea — Salt & Char | Fridays, recurring A Friday seafood program at a steakhouse that knows its way around a fish. Worth noting.

Industry Night — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | Sundays, recurring A weekly gathering for those who work in hospitality. The industry taking care of itself.

Hattie’s Annual Crawfish Festival — Hattie’s Restaurant | May 25 A Saratoga institution celebrates one of the season’s more specific culinary traditions. Hattie’s has been doing this long enough that it has become a calendar event in its own right.

Bingo Night — Wolf Hollow Brewing Company | May 27 A Wednesday night bingo at a brewery that has made its midweek calendar more interesting than most. The format is simple and the room is good.

Blooms and Brews — Wolf Hollow Brewing Company | May 28 A floral and brewing combination that leans into the season. Wolf Hollow continues to find productive pairings for its space.

Wine Pairing Dinner — Thirsty Owl Saratoga | May 28 A curated wine dinner at a restaurant that takes its beverage program seriously. Worth reserving ahead.

Oh Honey Class — Ladylily’s Place | May 29 A honey-focused baking or confection session at a spot that has built its niche around this kind of specialized small-group instruction.

Memorial Day Friday Social Dance — Dance Fire Studio | May 29 A social dance event timed for the holiday weekend. Dance Fire Studio has built a consistent following for accessible, community-oriented programming.

Havana Night Summer Series — Wolf Hollow Brewing Company | May 30 A Latin-themed evening that opens Wolf Hollow's summer series. The brewery has built a varied programming calendar that rewards repeat visits.

🥦 Capital Region Farmers Markets

Albany Farmers’ Market — Water Avenue & Ferry Street, Albany | Saturdays through November 21, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Now in its new home along the waterfront near Monteith Riverpark, which is a better setting than the one it left. The market has been running since 1978 and shows no signs of slowing down. Free parking nearby; restrooms available at the park.

Troy Waterfront Farmers Market — River Street, Troy | Saturdays through November, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. One of the region’s most established markets, with a vendor roster that runs deep into local agriculture, prepared food, and artisan goods. The riverfront setting remains one of the better reasons to be in Troy on a Saturday morning.

Delmar Farmers Market — Bethlehem Central Middle School, 332 Kenwood Ave, Delmar | Saturdays through October, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Operating at a new location this year, which gives the market more room than it has had before. Now in its 18th year, with roughly 50 local farms, food vendors, and artisans each week.

Schenectady Greenmarket — Washington Square Park, Schenectady | Sundays through November, recurring The outdoor greenmarket continues its season in one of the city’s most public spaces. One of the more reliable weekly anchors in Schenectady’s civic life.

Saratoga Farmers’ Market — High Rock Park, Saratoga Springs | Wednesdays & Saturdays, through fall The city’s primary market, running twice a week at High Rock Park. One of the more robust vendor rosters in the region, with a loyal audience that has made it a weekend institution.

Spa City Farmers’ Market — Saratoga Springs | Schedule varies A supplemental market option for the city, worth checking directly for current hours and location.

Capital District Regional Market — Menands | Saturdays, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. (hours unconfirmed — verify before going) The grandfather of Capital Region markets, operating year-round out of the Menands facility. Conflicting hours have been reported across sources for 2026 — call ahead or check cdregionalmarket.com before making the trip.

Washington Park Farmers Market — Knox Street Mall, Washington Park, Albany | Saturdays July through September, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. A later-starting market set beneath the tree canopy in Washington Park. Caps its season with a Harvest Festival on the first Saturday in October.

Hudson Farmers Market — 6th & Columbia St., Hudson | Saturdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. A Columbia County staple with a vendor mix that reflects the area’s deep agricultural roots and its newer food-culture arrivals.

Kinderhook Farmers Market — Kinderhook | Schedule varies A smaller market with a focused vendor list. Contact (518) 755-9293 for current schedule details.

Waterford Harbor Market — 1 Tugboat Alley, Waterford | Sundays June through October, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. A canal-side market that makes good use of Waterford’s waterfront. One of the more scenic market settings in the region.

Note: Most markets accept SNAP/EBT. Several participate in the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program and Fresh Connect Checks. When in doubt about opening dates or hours, check the market's website or social channels directly — schedules can shift.

🎶 Music & Live Performance

Live Music: Jeff Brisbin — The Hideaway at Saratoga Lake Golf Club | May 25, recurring A Monday residency that has become part of the week’s rhythm. Brisbin shows up reliably, which counts for something.

Open Mic — Caffè Lena | May 25 The weekly open mic at one of the country's oldest folk venues. The room has heard a lot of first performances. Some of them turned into careers.

David Lee Roth — Proctors | May 26 The original Van Halen frontman, still performing at an age when most of his contemporaries have either retired or are going through the motions. Roth has never been accused of going through the motions. Proctors is the right scale.

Live Music: Tim Wechgelaer — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | May 26, recurring A Tuesday night set in a room that has built its weekly calendar around live music. The format rewards regulars.

Rich Ortiz — Caroline Street Pub | May 26, recurring A Tuesday residency on the street that defines Saratoga’s bar circuit. Ortiz has made himself a fixture.

Rich Ortiz — The Hideaway at Saratoga Lake Golf Club | May 26, recurring A second weekly slot, which says something about demand.

Carla Page Forever Fun Club Performance — Rivers Casino & Resort | May 27 A live performance at one of Schenectady's most consistent entertainment venues. Rivers Casino continues to fill its calendar with acts that draw across generations.

Opera Saratoga Presents: Festival Artist Portrait Concert — Saratoga Arts | May 27 Another installment of Opera Saratoga’s pre-season showcase. An early look at voices that will be heard in larger rooms before long.

Air Supply — Proctors | May 28 The Australian soft rock duo whose catalog has proven more durable than anyone predicted in 1980. Proctors is a comfortable room for an act that has always suited seated listening.

Howlin' at the Moon with High Horse — Mabee Farm Historic Site | May 28 A live music event at one of the Mohawk Valley's oldest and most atmospheric farmsteads. High Horse at Mabee Farm is the kind of booking that makes the historic site feel alive rather than preserved.

Peak Jazz Series: The Levin Brothers — Caffè Lena | May 28 Pete and Marc Levin bring a jazz sensibility rooted in tradition and shaped by decades of serious playing. Caffè Lena's Peak Jazz Series continues to earn its curatorial reputation with bookings like this.

Saratoga Film Forum Weekly Screening — Saratoga Arts | May 28, recurring Independent and curated film, every week, in a room that takes cinema seriously. The region remains lucky to have it.

Steve Laureti Piano — Rivers Casino & Resort | May 28 A solo piano performance at Rivers Casino, which has made its lounge spaces work harder than most casino entertainment rooms in the region.

Suzy Bogguss: Kevin Richards' Country Concerts Closeup — Cohoes Music Hall | May 28 A Grammy winner and multi-platinum country artist in an intimate format that suits her catalog well. Kevin Richards' Country Concerts Closeup series has built a reputation for putting serious artists in close quarters with audiences who know the material. Bogguss is a worthy entry.

Opera Saratoga Presents: “Happy End” — Universal Preservation Hall | May 28 & May 30 Brecht and Weill’s 1929 work, staged by Opera Saratoga at one of the region’s most atmospheric venues. “Happy End” has spent decades in the shadow of “The Threepenny Opera” and deserves the reconsideration a production like this can provide.

BRO Country with Vinny Michaels Acoustic — Frog Alley Brewing | May 29 A Friday night acoustic set at a brewery that has made live music a consistent part of its identity. Frog Alley continues to find good uses for its room.

Captain Fun Lunchtime Listening Hour — Caffè Lena | May 29 A midday Americana listening program that takes the format seriously. Caffè Lena has always understood that listening rooms work at any hour.

Hit N Run — Rivers Casino & Resort | May 29 A Friday night act at Rivers Casino. The format suits the room and the Memorial Day weekend crowd.

Start Making Sense: A Tribute to Talking Heads with opener Jon Fadem — Cohoes Music Hall | May 29–30 A seven-piece ensemble devoted to the Talking Heads' full catalog, including the visual elements that made the band's live shows as much theater as music. If you're going to tribute David Byrne, you have to commit to the whole thing — and Start Making Sense does. Two nights at Cohoes Music Hall.

Jazz Evenings with Matty Stecks & The 518 — The Landing Hotel | May 29 A jazz evening at one of Schenectady's more polished hotel venues. Matty Stecks has built a regional following, and The Landing Hotel is a fitting room for this kind of intimate performance.

Live Music: Jeff Brisbin — Henry’s Irish Tavern | May 29, recurring A Friday night slot at a Saratoga institution. Reliable in the best sense.

Momentum Series: Jay Collins & Northern Resistance — Caffè Lena | May 29 Collins is a saxophonist and bandleader with a sound that sits at the intersection of jazz, soul, and roots music. The Momentum Series has made a consistent case for emerging and mid-career artists who deserve a room this good.

Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon — miSci | May 29 A full planetarium presentation of one of the most spatially conceived albums in rock history. miSci’s dome remains the right vessel for it.

Rusticator — Wolf Hollow Brewing Company | May 29 A Friday night set at a brewery that has built its live music calendar with care. Rusticator has a regional following worth tracking.

Sophistafunk & Friends ft. Tim Palmieri with The E-Block — Putnam Place | May 29 Albany’s own Sophistafunk brings a funk-forward Memorial Day weekend bill to Putnam Place. Tim Palmieri adds a jam-guitar dimension that suits the room and the occasion.

Benny Benack III: The Magic of Manhattan — Universal Preservation Hall | May 29 A jazz trumpeter and vocalist with a sound rooted in the Great American Songbook and a stage presence that fills rooms larger than this one. Universal Preservation Hall is a good fit.

Brave Strangers — Proctors | May 30 A Saturday night performance at Proctors, which continues to program across a wide range of genres and audiences.

Beats & Brunch — Standard Fare | Saturdays, recurring A weekly brunch with a DJ, which Standard Fare has made a consistent reason to show up on Saturday mornings.

Jazz Evenings with the Kaitlyn Fay Trio — The Landing Hotel | May 30 The second installment of The Landing Hotel’s jazz series, with a trio format that suits the room’s intimate scale. Kaitlyn Fay has established herself as one of the region’s more consistent jazz voices.

Josh Cox and the Rattlesnakes — Rivers Casino & Resort | May 30 A Saturday night act at Rivers Casino with a roots-rock energy that suits the Memorial Day weekend room.

Planet KPOP: The Ultimate K-Pop Tribute Concert — Palace Theatre, Albany | May 30 A full-scale K-pop tribute production at one of Albany's most storied venues. The Palace is a fitting room for a genre that has always understood spectacle as inseparable from the music itself.

Scott Hopkins Roots Trio with Special Guest Luke Franco — Caffè Lena | May 30 A roots trio with a special guest on a Saturday night at Caffè Lena. The format is unhurried and the room rewards it.

Spontaneous Broadway — MOPCO Improv Theatre | May 30 MOPCO’s long-running format in which an entirely improvised musical is created from a single audience suggestion. Two performances this evening, which signals demand.

The Doug Villano Band with The North Allen Duo — Frog Alley Brewing | May 30 A Saturday double bill at a brewery that has earned its reputation as one of the city’s more reliable live music rooms. Frog Alley continues to make itself useful.

Electric City Summerfest — Broadway & Liberty | Thursdays, recurring through June 25 Schenectady’s summer street festival series launches on Broadway. The weekly outdoor format has become one of the more reliable warm-weather anchors in the city’s public life.

Little Feat: The Last Farewell Tour — Troy Savings Bank Music Hall | May 31 One of the most distinctive bands in American roots music — built on the tension between Lowell George's slide guitar and a rhythm section that never played anything straight — announces its farewell. Troy Savings Bank Music Hall is exactly the right room to say goodbye. VIP options available; tickets are limited.

Super 400 — Caffè Lena | May 31 The Hudson Valley power trio closes out the weekend with a set that earns its reputation for volume and precision in equal measure. Super 400 has been making the case for guitar-driven rock at Caffè Lena for long enough that the pairing feels inevitable.

Virtues & Music — Saratoga Springs Recreational Center | May 31, recurring A Sunday program that pairs music with something more intentional. Worth knowing about.

Live Music: Triple Trouble & Special Guests — Artisanal Brew Works | May 31, recurring A Sunday closing set. Good beer, live music, low stakes. The formula holds.

Opera Saratoga Presents: Rodgers and Hammerstein at the Mansion — The Mansion of Saratoga | May 31 Two performances of an intimate Rodgers and Hammerstein program at a venue that suits the format perfectly. The Mansion setting gives the material an appropriate elegance.

2026 Summer SPACtacular — Saratoga Performing Arts Center | May 29 SPAC opens its summer season with a showcase event on the grounds. The SPACtacular has become its own kind of seasonal marker — the moment the campus reminds the region what it’s there for.

🎭 Arts & Culture

“Hedwig and the Angry Inch” — Albany Civic Theater | Through May 31 One of the more demanding musicals of the past thirty years — in terms of both performance and audience — given a full run at the Civic. A bold choice for a company that has been making bolder choices lately.

“A Turning of the Tide” — Siena University Theatre & Northeast Theatre Ensemble | Through June 7, multiple venues A co-production that spans multiple locations, which signals an ambition the material apparently requires. Worth checking the listing for venue-specific performance details.

"John & Jen" — Berkshire Theatre Group, Unicorn Theatre, Stockbridge, MA | Through June 7 A two-person musical that covers thirty years of a sibling relationship with an economy of means that makes it one of the more emotionally efficient shows in the off-Broadway repertoire. The Unicorn Theatre is an ideal room for material this intimate.

Poetry Open Mic Featuring Cheryl Clarke — Caffè Lena | May 26 A poetry open mic with a featured reader whose work spans decades of serious engagement with race, gender, and politics. Clarke's presence elevates the evening beyond the standard open mic format. Caffè Lena has always understood that poetry and music belong in the same room.

“Driving Miss Daisy” — Barrington Stage Company | May 27–July 5, multiple venues Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, running through the summer at Barrington Stage. A company with the ensemble depth to make it work, and a production length that signals confidence in both the material and the audience.

Opera Saratoga: Festival Artist Portrait Concert — Saratoga Arts | May 27–June 10 A recurring showcase for Opera Saratoga’s festival artists running through the first week of June. An early look at voices that will be heard in larger rooms before long.

Opera Saratoga Presents: “Happy End” — Universal Preservation Hall | May 28–30 Brecht and Weill’s 1929 work, staged by Opera Saratoga at one of the region’s most atmospheric venues. “Happy End” has spent decades in the shadow of “The Threepenny Opera” and deserves the reconsideration a production like this provides.

“Monsters of the American Cinema” — Bridge Street Theatre, Catskill | May 28–June 7 Bridge Street Theatre takes on a play about classic Hollywood horror, which is either a natural fit for the company’s adventurous programming instincts or proof that they will try anything. Either way, worth the drive to Catskill.

“Three Sisters” — Voice Theatre, Bethany Hall, Kingston | May 28–31 The final weekend of Chekhov’s most quietly devastating play in Kingston. Voice Theatre has treated the material with care throughout the run.

"A Turning of the Tide:" Immersive Theatre at Mabee Farm — Mabee Farm Historic Site | May 29 A second weekend of the immersive theatrical production set at one of the Mohawk Valley's oldest surviving Dutch Colonial farmsteads. The combination of living history and theatrical staging remains one of the more genuinely inventive programming decisions in the region this spring.

Clay Night Out — Saratoga Clay Arts Center | May 29 An evening open studio session at the Clay Arts Center. The format suits anyone who wants to work with their hands without committing to a full class series.

“A Chorus Line: Teen Edition” — Kennedy Talent Management, Theatre Institute at Sage, Troy | May 29–31 A youth production of one of the most technically demanding musicals in the American canon, staged at the James L. Meader Little Theater at Sage. Kennedy Talent Management has a track record with ambitious material, and “A Chorus Line” asks everything of a young ensemble.

“Some Enchanted Evening” — Not So Common Players, Clifton Common, Clifton Park | May 29–June 7 A Rodgers and Hammerstein revue staged outdoors at Clifton Common, which is exactly the right setting for this kind of material on a warm spring evening. The Not So Common Players have made outdoor programming their signature.

“The Lightning Thief” — Debuts Youth Theater Company, Rotterdam | May 29–31 A youth production of the Percy Jackson musical, which has become one of the more popular properties in school and community theater. Debuts Youth Theater Company brings it to Rotterdam for a three-performance run.

4th Annual Mayfly Film Festival — Jay Street Marketplace | May 30 Now in its fourth year, Schenectady’s short film festival has found a home in Jay Street Marketplace that suits its scale and ambition. The Mayfly has built a quiet reputation for presenting work that rewards the audience willing to find it.

Community History Night: Taverns and Inns of Schenectady — May 30 A locally focused history program that takes the city’s drinking establishments as its subject, which turns out to be a more revealing lens on urban history than most formal presentations. Venue details were not included in the listing — worth confirming before you go.

“Clarence, in a Pause: A Listening Party” — Ancram Center for the Arts, Ancram, NY | May 30–31 A listening party format at one of Columbia County’s more adventurous small arts venues. The Ancram Center has built a reputation for programming that refuses easy categorization, and a listening party as a ticketed theatrical event is consistent with that identity.

Spontaneous Broadway — MOPCO Improv Theatre, Schenectady | May 30–June 6 MOPCO’s long-running format in which an entirely improvised musical is created from a single audience suggestion. The results vary, which is precisely the point.

Jay Street Marketplace Sidewalk Sale — Jay Street Marketplace | May 30–31 A two-day sidewalk sale that turns Jay Street into a browsing destination for the Memorial Day weekend. The format rewards showing up without a specific agenda.

Art in Bloom — Jay Square | Sundays, recurring through November A weekly outdoor art market that anchors the Jay Square corridor through the outdoor season. One of the more consistent creative gathering points in downtown Schenectady.

M.A.D.E. Market — Jay Street Marketplace | Sundays, recurring through October A weekly market at Jay Street that draws makers, artists, and vendors. The recurring format rewards regular attendance.

Opera Saratoga Presents: "Something Wonderful" — The Mansion of Saratoga, Rock City Falls | May 31 A Rodgers and Hammerstein program at one of the region's most atmospheric historic properties. The Mansion setting gives the material an elegance that a conventional concert hall cannot manufacture. A fitting close to Opera Saratoga's opening weekend.

46th Annual Saratoga Antique Bottle Show and Sale — Saratoga County Fairgrounds | May 31 Now in its 46th year, which means the collector community has sustained this event through every possible disruption. The fairgrounds give it the floor space it needs.

Spring Antiques Festival & Flea Market — Clifton Park Elks | May 31 A regional antiques and flea market that draws dealers and browsers in equal measure. Worth arriving early.

🧠 Talks, Tech & Ideas

Foundations of Caregiving with the Alzheimer’s Association — Messiah Lutheran Church | May 27 A practical caregiving education program from the Alzheimer’s Association, offered in a community setting. Worth knowing about for anyone navigating a caregiving situation.

Flock U Coaches Show Presented by the Albany Firebirds — Rivers Casino & Resort | May 27 The Albany Firebirds’ coaches take the stage at Rivers Casino for a fan-engagement program that gives attendees a look behind the curtain. The arena football season gives this kind of event a natural audience.

Women's Expo — Saratoga Winery | May 27 A gathering of women-focused vendors, resources, and programming at a venue that suits the social format. The winery setting is not incidental.

Run the Show: Live Sound and Production Class — Caffè Lena | May 29 A practical course in live sound engineering and production, held in a venue that has been running sound for sixty-plus years. There are few better classrooms for it.

—Edgar

🧩 About Edgar

Edgar is my calendar editor — an AI-assisted system that scans public listings and describes events with the confidence and shorthand of a city insider. Selection and judgment remain human

It has been happening for 48 years. The East Durham Irish Festival — one of the longest-running Irish festivals in the United States — returns to the Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural & Sports Centre this Saturday and Sunday, May 23–24, drawing thousands of attendees to a stretch of Greene County that has been a destination for the Irish-American community since the mid-20th century, when New York City immigrants discovered that the rolling hills looked enough like home to stay.

The festival operates across four stages — the Michael Farrell Stage, the Five Furlongs Stage, the Beer Garden Stage, and the Cottage Stage — with programming running both days from morning through evening. Sunday opens with Holy Mass at 10:30 a.m., followed by a memorial for Michael Farrell and Father Fragomeni, which sets the tone for a festival that has always understood the difference between celebration and commemoration.

East Durham Irish Festival — Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural & Sports Centre, East Durham | May 22–24 The Catskills’ annual celebration of Irish heritage, music, and culture, held at the facility that has anchored the East Durham Irish community for decades. One of the more authentic Celtic gatherings in the Northeast, and a natural destination for anyone with roots in the tradition.

The lineup this year is a working document of Irish and Irish-American music in its full range. Derek Warfield & the Young Wolfe Tones, whose repertoire runs deep into the rebel ballad tradition, appear on both days. The Screaming Orphans — the Doherty sisters from Donegal, whose harmonies land somewhere between folk and power pop — return for back-to-back performances.

Shillelagh Law, the New York City Irish-American band with a loyal following built over three decades of St. Patrick’s Day residencies, closes out Saturday on the main stage. Sunday’s headliners include Andy Cooney, one of the most recognized voices in Irish-American music, and Michael English, whose career spans both country and gospel with a consistency that has made him a festival fixture.

The Pipes & Drums of Greene anchor multiple stages across both days, as do the Farrell School of Irish Dance and the An Clár School of Irish Dance, whose step dancers provide the visual counterpoint to everything happening on stage. The Cottage Stage — housed in the Donegal Cottage, which opens to the public during the festival — offers the most intimate setting, with Bobby Morrill, Richie Berger, Jimmy Gallagher, and Sean Feeney rotating through sets that reward the audience willing to find the smaller room.

For readers with Irish roots, the East Durham Irish Festival is not a novelty act. It is the thing itself — traditional music played by people who grew up with it, dance performed by students who have been training for years, and a community that has been gathering on this ground long enough that the festival has become part of the landscape.

The Catskills drive is an hour and change from Saratoga. The Donegal Cottage alone is worth the trip.

The 48th Annual East Durham Irish Festival runs Saturday and Sunday, May 23–24, at the Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural & Sports Centre in East Durham.

Full schedule and ticket information are available at eastdurhamirishfestival.com.

FOMO Fodder

🍽️ Food, Drink & Social

$1 Oyster Happy Hour — Jack’s Oyster House | Ongoing A Albany institution offering one of the better recurring deals in the city. Jack’s has been at this since 1913; the oysters don’t need a promotion, but the price makes it easy.

Burger Mondays — The City Beer Hall | Mondays, recurring A weekly burger promotion that gives Monday a reason to exist. Details worth confirming before you go.

Focaccia Fridays — The City Beer Hall | Fridays, recurring A weekly bread-forward promotion that signals a kitchen confident enough to lead with something simple. Worth tracking down the venue.

2 for $22 Lunch Special — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | Weekdays, recurring through May 22 The final week of a weekday deal that has done what it’s supposed to do all spring.

Happy Hour — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | Sunday–Thursday, recurring A reliable weeknight promotion at a room that has built its calendar around exactly this kind of steady offering.

Happy Hour at Salt & Char — Salt & Char | Tuesday–Friday, recurring One of the better happy hours in the city, at a restaurant that takes its bar program seriously.

Pizza & Pints — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | Mondays, recurring Monday pizza and beer through late June. Simple and effective.

Martini Mondays at Chianti — Chianti Il Ristorante | Mondays, recurring A weekly promotion at one of Saratoga’s more consistently good Italian restaurants. The martini is the occasion; the room is the reason.

Fat Tuesdays — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | Tuesdays, recurring A weekly promotion that stretches the spirit of Mardi Gras well past its calendar date.

Flex Your Mussels — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | Wednesdays, recurring A Wednesday mussel special with its own following. The name earns a reluctant pass.

Harvey’s Famous DJ Trivia — Harvey’s Restaurant and Bar | Wednesdays, recurring Trivia with a DJ. Harvey’s has made Wednesday nights reliable.

Filet Night Out — Salt & Char | Wednesdays, recurring A mid-week steak promotion at a restaurant built for exactly this. Worth planning around.

Prime Rib Night — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | Thursdays, recurring A Thursday prime rib special that signals a kitchen confident in its anchor dish.

The Carnivore Experience — Salt & Char | Thursdays, recurring A meat-forward weekly program at one of the region’s better steakhouses. The name commits fully to the premise.

Salt & Sea — Salt & Char | Fridays, recurring A Friday seafood program at a steakhouse that knows its way around a fish. Worth noting.

Industry Night — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | Sundays, recurring A weekly gathering for those who work in hospitality. The industry taking care of itself.

ThoroughbreDZ: First Pour on the Patio — Forno Bistro | May 20 A season-opening patio event that signals the outdoor dining season has properly arrived.

CulinaryArts@SPAC presents: A Kitchen on Goose Cove with Devin Finigan — The Pines @ SPAC | May 21 SPAC’s culinary series brings Maine-based chef Devin Finigan to the campus. Finigan’s restaurant, Aragosta, has a national reputation built on simplicity and seasonal rigor.

Trivia Night — Wolf Hollow Brewing Company | May 21, recurring A weekly trivia night at a brewery that has made Wednesday evenings reliable. Wolf Hollow continues to find good uses for its room.

Bingo & Bites — Via Aquarium | May 24, monthly Bingo at an aquarium, monthly on the fourth Sunday. The combination is unexpected in the best way.

🎶 Music & Live Performance

Beats & Brunch — Standard Fare | Saturdays, recurring A weekly brunch with a DJ, which Standard Fare has made a consistent reason to show up on Saturday mornings.

Live Music: Jeff Brisbin — The Hideaway at Saratoga Lake Golf Club | May 18, recurring A Monday residency that has become part of the week’s rhythm. Brisbin shows up reliably, which counts for something.

Live Music: Tim Wechgelaer — Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro | May 19, recurring A Tuesday night set in a room that has built its weekly calendar around live music. The format rewards regulars.

Rich Ortiz — Caroline Street Pub | May 19, recurring A Tuesday residency on the street that defines Saratoga’s bar circuit. Ortiz has made himself a fixture.

Rich Ortiz — The Hideaway at Saratoga Lake Golf Club | May 19, recurring A second weekly slot, which says something about demand.

The Garcia Project — Putnam Place | May 19 A Grateful Dead tribute focused on Jerry Garcia’s catalog, at a venue that has made this kind of programming its own. Putnam Place is the right room for it.

Hudson-Mohawk American Theatre Organ Society — Proctors | May 19 A gathering of the region’s theatre organ enthusiasts at Proctors, which houses one of the more impressive instruments of its kind. The society keeps alive a form of musical performance that most venues have long since abandoned.

The Outsiders — Proctors | May 19 The touring Broadway musical based on S.E. Hinton’s novel, which has made the transition from page to stage with more integrity than most adaptations manage. Proctors is the right scale for it.

Leonid & Friends — Hart Theatre at The Egg, Albany | May 20 A Ukrainian ensemble that has built an international following by performing Chicago's catalog with a precision and affection that exceeds most tribute acts. The Hart Theatre is an ideal room for a band this specific in its focus.

Live Music: Jeff Brisbin — The Iron’s Edge | May 20, monthly A monthly Wednesday slot at a Saratoga bar that keeps its live music calendar active.

Opera Saratoga Presents: Festival Artist Portrait Concert — Saratoga Arts | May 20 & May 27 Two installments of Opera Saratoga’s pre-season showcase for festival artists. An early look at voices that will be heard in larger rooms before long.

The Protones — Rivers Casino & Resort | May 20 A live act at one of Schenectady's more consistent entertainment venues. Rivers Casino has made its performance spaces a reliable part of the city's weekend calendar.

Keegan James — The Eleven — Lark Hall | May 21 A Thursday night set at one of Albany's most reliably programmed rooms. Lark Hall continues to make itself useful for exactly this kind of mid-week live music.

Saratoga Film Forum Weekly Screening — Saratoga Arts | May 21, recurring Independent and curated film, every week, in a room that takes cinema seriously. The region remains lucky to have it.

THIRDSDAY NITE ft. Satyrdagg — Van Dyck Music Club | May 21 A Thursday night residency at one of Schenectady's more atmospheric music rooms. The Van Dyck has earned its place in the city's live music landscape.

Bobby Motyl — Wolf Hollow Brewing Company | May 22 A Friday night set at a brewery that has made live music a consistent part of its identity. Wolf Hollow continues to find good uses for its room.

Dark Sarcasm: A Pink Floyd Tribute — Frog Alley Brewing | May 22 A Pink Floyd tribute act at a brewery, which is either the most logical or the most ironic booking imaginable. Frog Alley is a good room for it either way.

Indie Whims: The Disco Ball — September's Too | May 22 A disco-themed indie event that signals a crowd willing to dress for the occasion. Featuring Eddie Award-nominees Keegan James and Aila Chiar, and Eddie Award-winner Shannon Tehya, The Indie Whims series has built a following by committing fully to its premises.

Legacy Featuring DJ Show — Rivers Casino & Resort | May 22 A DJ-forward evening at Rivers Casino. The format suits the room and the crowd it draws on a Friday night.

Live Music: Jeff Brisbin — Henry’s Irish Tavern | May 22, recurring A Friday night slot at a Saratoga institution. Reliable in the best sense.

Marshall & Purple Xperience — Rivers Casino & Resort | May 22 A Prince tribute act with a reputation for full-production shows. Rivers Casino's Event Center gives it the stage the material requires.

Sawyer Fredericks — Caffè Lena | May 22 & May 23 The Hudson Valley singer-songwriter who won “The Voice” at sixteen has spent the years since building a catalog that earns the original promise. Two nights at Caffè Lena is the right setting for where he is now.

Marty Wendell & His Tour Band — Mount Ida Preservation Hall, Troy | May 23 A Listen Up Music Award winner and multi-year Eddies nominee brings his bluegrass, country, and Americana set to one of Troy's more atmospheric smaller venues. Doors at 6:45, show at 7:30. Wendell is a known quantity in the 518 roots music scene, and Mount Ida Preservation Hall is exactly the right room for it.

Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon — miSci | May 23 A full planetarium presentation of “The Dark Side of the Moon,” which is either the obvious or the overdue way to experience the album. miSci’s dome is the right vessel for it.

Scars N’ Stripes Featuring DJ Mix It Up — Rivers Casino & Resort | May 23 A Memorial Day weekend event at Rivers Casino with a patriotic framing and a DJ-forward format. The casino does this kind of holiday programming consistently well.

Songs of Love and Freedom: The Music of Mother Ann Lee — 1848 Meeting House, Albany | May 23 A program of Shaker music performed in a space with direct ties to that tradition. The 1848 Meeting House gives the material a setting that most concert venues simply cannot provide.

TV Doctors at Indian Ladder Farms — Defazio's Pizza Garden, Altamont | May 23 An outdoor afternoon set at one of the region's most beloved farm destinations, in the pizza garden that already makes the drive worthwhile on its own. TV Doctors bring their sound to a setting that suits the season perfectly.

Bob Dylan Birthday Tribute — Caffè Lena | May 24 An annual tradition at one of the venues most entitled to observe it. Dylan played Caffè Lena in 1961. The birthday tribute has always felt earned rather than obligatory.

Virtues & Music — Saratoga Springs Recreational Center | May 24, recurring A Sunday program that pairs music with something more intentional. Worth knowing about.

Live Music: Triple Trouble & Special Guests — Artisanal Brew Works | May 24, recurring A Sunday closing set. Good beer, live music, low stakes. The formula holds.

🎭 Arts & Culture

America 250 at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site — Catskill | Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays through December The Thomas Cole site marks the nation's 250th anniversary with programming that connects the Hudson River School's vision of American landscape to the country's founding ideals. Cole's home and studio remain among the most evocative historic sites in the region.

Art in Bloom — Jay Square | Sundays, recurring through November A weekly outdoor art market that anchors the Jay Square corridor through the outdoor season. One of the more consistent creative gathering points in downtown Schenectady.

Clay Night Out — Saratoga Clay Arts Center | May 22 An evening open studio session at the Clay Arts Center. The format suits anyone who wants to work with their hands without committing to a full class series.

Candle Making with Bella Blends — Petal + Hive | May 21 A hands-on candle making session at a venue that has built its programming around deliberate making.

In Bloom: YWCA NorthEastern NY's Annual Art Show — The Stockade Inn | May 21 The YWCA's annual art exhibition, now in its community-facing role as both cultural event and fundraiser. The Stockade Inn is among the more elegant settings in the city for this kind of show.

Plant This Not That — Northshire Bookstore | May 21 A program that reframes the home garden conversation around native and ecologically sound choices. Northshire is a good room for practical environmental programming.

East Durham Irish Festival — Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural & Sports Centre, East Durham | May 22–24 The Catskills' annual celebration of Irish heritage, music, and culture, held at the facility that has anchored the East Durham Irish community for decades. One of the more authentic Celtic gatherings in the Northeast, and a natural destination for anyone with roots in the tradition.

Wine and Walk: Beyond the Pines — Schenectady County Historical Society | May 22 A guided walking tour with wine, organized by one of the county's most active historical institutions. The format makes local history accessible to people who wouldn't otherwise seek it out.

"Benjamin Franklin Was Here, 1776" — Chapman Museum, Glens Falls | May 23–September 27 An exhibition opening on May 23 that traces Benjamin Franklin's 1776 presence in the Lake George region. The Chapman Museum has a track record of grounding national history in specific local geography, and the America 250 context gives this one added weight.

"A Turning of the Tide:" Immersive Theatre at Mabee Farm — Mabee Farm Historic Site | May 23 An immersive theatrical production set at one of the Mohawk Valley's oldest surviving farmsteads. The Schenectady County Historical Society has found an inventive way to use a historic site, and the combination of living history and theatrical staging is worth the drive.

🧠 Talks, Tech & Ideas

Racing at the Dawn of the United States — National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs | Through December 27 A long-running exhibition that situates the early history of horse racing within the broader context of the new American republic. The Racing Museum continues to find ways to make its collection speak to larger historical narratives.

FREE Mental Health Panel Inspired by Walt Whitman — Whitman Brewing | May 20 A public mental health panel at a brewery that has committed to being more than a place to drink. The Whitman framing gives the evening a through-line.

Foundations of Caregiving with the Alzheimer's Association — Messiah Lutheran Church | May 20 A practical caregiving education program from the Alzheimer's Association, offered in a community setting that makes it accessible to those who need it most. Worth knowing about for anyone navigating a caregiving situation.

Bridles & Bootleggers: When the Mob Owned the Spa City — The Trifecta Tour — Saratoga Springs History Museum | May 21 The History Museum’s organized crime series gets a walking tour format. Saratoga’s past is more complicated than the horse racing brochures suggest, and this tour leans into that.

Homeschool Day at the Museum — miSci | May 21, monthly A monthly dedicated museum day for homeschool families, now running through December. miSci has made this a reliable resource for a community that benefits from it.

YWCA NorthEastern NY’s 137th Annual Meeting — The Stockade Inn | May 21 A milestone annual gathering for one of the region’s oldest service organizations. 137 years of sustained work in the community is not a number to pass over without noting.

"Repose of the Fallen:" Reinterment of Historic Remains — Lake George Battlefield Park | May 22 A solemn ceremony marking the reinterment of historic remains at one of the most significant Revolutionary and French and Indian War sites in North America. Lake George Battlefield carries more history per acre than most places in New York, and this event honors that weight appropriately.

🌱 Community & Civic Life

Tours of the USS Slater — Albany | Wednesdays–Saturdays & Sundays, through November The only restored Destroyer Escort still afloat in the United States, docked on the Hudson in Albany. The Slater is one of the region's most undervisited historic assets, and the regular tour schedule makes it easy to remedy that.

Locking Through on the Canal — Hudson Crossing Park | Mondays, recurring through September A weekly canal lock demonstration program that begins its summer run. The kind of living history that rewards bringing someone who has never seen it.

Hikes and History Cruises — Hudson Crossing Park | Tuesdays, recurring through September A weekly program pairing guided hiking with canal history. Hudson Crossing continues to find ways to make the waterway worth returning to.

Rotterdam Carnival 2026 — ViaPort Rotterdam Mall | May 18–25 A week-long carnival at ViaPort, which gives the mall's outdoor space a reason to draw a crowd. The format is reliable and the audience tends to be multigenerational.

Town of Duanesburg Memorial Day Parade — Village of Delanson | May 19 A small-town Memorial Day parade that reflects the kind of community observance that larger cities tend to lose. Worth attending if you're in the area.

Inclusive Paddling on the Canal — Hudson Crossing Park | May 19 An adaptive paddling program on the canal, making direct use of the accessible kayak launch Hudson Crossing opened this spring.

Bokashi Composting Workshop — Pitney Meadows Community Farm | May 19 A practical introduction to bokashi fermentation composting, which handles food scraps most composting systems won’t. Pitney Meadows is the right setting for applied sustainability education.

Repose of the Fallen Procession — City Hall, Saratoga Springs | May 20 A solemn procession in advance of Memorial Day. The city has maintained this tradition with appropriate gravity.

Scotia-Glenville Memorial Day Parade — Collins Park | May 20 One of the region's more established Memorial Day parades, anchored at Collins Park. The Mohawk River setting gives it a backdrop that suits the occasion.

64th Annual Town of Rotterdam Memorial Day Parade — Town of Rotterdam | May 21 Now in its 64th year, which makes this one of the longer-running Memorial Day observances in the county. The consistency is its own kind of community statement.

CulinaryArts@SPAC presents: A Kitchen on Goose Cove with Devin Finigan — The Pines @ SPAC, Saratoga Springs | May 21 SPAC's culinary series brings Maine-based chef Devin Finigan to the campus. Finigan's restaurant, Aragosta, has a national reputation built on simplicity and seasonal rigor. The Pines is an interesting room for it.

Connecting Tots to Nature — Central Park, Schenectady | Wednesdays, recurring through June 17 A weekly outdoor program for young children in Central Park. The consistency is the point.

Afterschool Outdoors: Central Park — Central Park | May 22, final session The last Friday afternoon of this spring’s outdoor afterschool program. Hudson Crossing continues to make the waterway accessible to younger audiences.

Voorheesville 77th Annual Memorial Day Parade — Voorheesville | May 23 The village's annual parade, now in its 77th year, takes on added resonance this year with a theme marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. Lineup begins at 9 a.m. on Scotch Pine Drive; parade steps off at 10. TV Doctors will be performing on the Indian Ladder Farms float, which makes this particular stretch of the route worth watching for.

Miles on the Mohawk 10M — Mohawk Harbor | May 24 A ten-mile road race along the Mohawk, which is one of the more scenic race courses in the region. Mohawk Harbor has become a natural anchor for events that use the waterfront well.

M.A.D.E. Market — Jay Street Marketplace | Sundays, recurring through October A weekly market at Jay Street that draws makers, artists, and vendors. The recurring format rewards regular attendance.

Outdoor Schenectady Greenmarket — Sundays, recurring through November The outdoor greenmarket continues its season. One of the more reliable weekly anchors in the city’s public life.

Schenectady County Wide Flea Market and Farmer’s Market — ViaPort Rotterdam Mall | May 23 A county-wide flea and farmers market at ViaPort. The scale makes it worth the trip for browsers and buyers alike.

Country Line Dancing with DJ Kevin Richards — Rivers Casino & Resort | May 21 A line dancing event at Rivers Casino that turns a weeknight into something worth putting on your boots for.

Men’s 3v3 Basketball League — Schenectady YMCA | May 23, final week The closing week of the spring 3v3 league. The YMCA has made recreational basketball a consistent community offering.

🧘 Health, Wellness & Lifestyle

Adult Skate — Rollerama Skating Center | Tuesdays, recurring A weekly adult skate session at one of the few remaining roller rinks in the region. The format rewards regulars and is more meditative than it sounds.

Flow on the Farm Yoga — Pitney Meadows Community Farm | Thursdays, recurring through October A weekly outdoor yoga practice on working farmland. The setting earns its place in the program.

Flow on the Farm Yoga — Pitney Meadows Community Farm | Saturdays, recurring through October The Saturday edition of the farm yoga series. An unhurried way to start a weekend.

Joy Circle — Petal + Hive | Tuesdays, recurring through June A weekly gathering focused on cultivating joy as a practice rather than a feeling. Petal + Hive has made space for exactly this kind of intentional programming.

Gallery Flow Yoga — Saratoga Arts | May 19 Yoga in the gallery, which puts the body in direct conversation with the work on the walls. Saratoga Arts continues to find good uses for its space.

—Edgar

🧩 About Edgar

Edgar is my calendar editor — an AI-assisted system that scans public listings and describes events with the confidence and shorthand of a city insider. Selection and judgment remain human

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Judy Collins didn’t find “Send in the Clowns,” not in the way songwriters sometimes romanticize the astral dance between themselves and their muse. No.

The song most closely associated with the acclaimed singer-songwriter is not hers. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Stephen Sondheim wrote the ballad for the 1973 musical “A Little Night Music.” By the time a cast recording reached Collins soon after, she had already established herself with an ethereal voice and a career that moved fluidly between folk standards and contemporary songwriters.

Her biggest commercial success was behind her. An a cappella rendition of “Amazing Grace,” from her 1971 album “Whales and Nightingales,” had become a defining recording. Her voice cuts through the silence in the opening verses with remarkable clarity. When joined by a choir, it continues to rise above. The Library of Congress later preserved the recording as “aesthetically significant.”

Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra presents Judy Collins: Wildflowers in Concert — Feb. 22
A legacy folk figure revisits her 1967 album Wildflowers in an orchestral setting, pairing early original work with catalog staples. Seated, nostalgia-forward programming with PBS-scale recognition and symphonic backing.

Collins had also aligned herself with the political and cultural movements of the 1960s. A self-proclaimed hippie, she recorded Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides, Now,” earning a Grammy Award in 1969. That same year, she sang Pete Seeger’s “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” from the witness stand during the Chicago Seven trial.

But by the early 1970s, she was in need of the right song.

It came through a friend.

“I was in my apartment, and my friend Nancy Bacal … called me up and said, ‘OK, I’m sending over this record of this cast album,’” Collins shared with Colorado Public Radio’s Ryan Warner on Colorado Matters in 2011.

“‘And, I want you to play this song,’” she said.

Bacal had built a career in journalism with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation before turning to teaching. From her Los Angeles home, she hosted weekly writing gatherings and later led workshops at the Esalen Institute. There, she guided writers through what she called “The Writers Way,” a discipline rooted in listening, reflection, and craft.

“Over the past years, I’ve worked with hundreds of writers, coaxed them into territories beneath the surface of the obvious,” Bacal said, according to her 2023 obituary. “I assured them if they dared to write beyond shame, beyond the constraints of someone else’s sense of propriety, they would discover a universe of creative adventure equal to any exploration on the earth’s surface.”

Her own life had moved through the “intoxication of events” in England and New York during the 1960s. As a journalist, she interviewed figures such as Ravi Shankar and Nelson Mandela. She later produced the documentary Raga about Shankar and edited “Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs” by Leonard Cohen, who had introduced her to Collins.

It was Bacal who sent the Sondheim recording.

“I had no idea who Sondheim was, I didn’t know what ‘A Little Night Music’ was,” Collins said. “[Bacal] sent it over, and I put the needle on the cut, and I played ‘Send in the Clowns.’ And I said, ‘Oh, well. This is it.’”

Inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s “Smiles of a Summer Night”, “A Little Night Music” unfolds as a romantic comedy of miscalculation. Set in turn-of-the-century Sweden, it traces a web of relationships defined less by passion than by poor timing.

At its center is Fredrik Egerman, a middle-aged lawyer married to Anne, a young bride who has yet to fully enter the marriage. His son Henrik, studying for the ministry, harbors feelings for Anne. Fredrik, meanwhile, rekindles a connection with his former lover, the actress Desirée Armfeldt, who is herself entangled with the jealous Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm. The Count’s wife, Charlotte, sees more than she lets on.

Written almost entirely in waltz time, the musical moves in circles, mirroring its characters’ patterns of pursuit and retreat. By its conclusion, there is no grand tragedy. Only recognition. As Desirée sings “Send in the Clowns,” she reflects on love misjudged and timing gone awry. It is a meditation on regret and irony, its title a plea for distraction from romantic folly.

Collins recognized something immediate in it.

“I was shaken to my very toes, weeping and laughing at the same time because this song said everything,” she wrote in a tribute to Sondheim published in The Nation in 2021. “Here on my turntable was the answer to my prayers.”

Producer Hal Prince cautioned her that more than 200 artists, including Frank Sinatra, had already recorded it. She persisted. Her version became a major hit, reaching the Top 10, twice.

“And the rest is history,” Collins said. “It was an awfully good song.”

—Michael

FOMO Fodder

Fodder

🎭 Arts & Culture

The Roommate — Albany Civic Theater | Feb. 21–Mar. 1
A contemporary two-hander staged in an intimate community theater setting. Character-driven, small-cast, performance-forward.

The Crucible — Saratoga Music Hall | Feb. 21–Mar. 1
A revival of Miller’s moral allegory mounted by a regional company. Larger ensemble, period staging, audience familiarity baked in.

BSC’s 10 x 10 New Play Festival — Barrington Stage (St. Germain) | Feb. 21–Mar. 15
Ten short works presented in repertory format. Developmental energy, rotating casts, steady audience turnover.

Disney’s Frozen: The Musical — The Arts Center of the Capital District | Feb. 26–28
Youth-centered staging of a contemporary Disney property. Family-scale, recognizable score, short-run engagement.

The DaVinci Code — Curtain Call Theatre | Feb. 26–Mar. 15
Stage adaptation of the bestselling thriller. Plot-driven, mystery-forward, mid-size run.

Peter and the Starcatcher — Theater Institute at Sage (Schacht Fine Arts Center) | Feb. 27–Mar. 5
Prequel adventure to the Peter Pan mythology staged by a collegiate program. Ensemble-heavy, design-driven.

Ride the Cyclone — Charles R. Wood Theater | Feb. 27–Mar. 1
Cult-favorite musical with dark humor and tight cast size. Youth-leaning audience, concentrated weekend run.

The 21st Annual One-Act Festival — Dorset Playhouse | Feb. 27–Mar. 1
A multi-piece short-play format emphasizing variety and experimentation. Festival structure invites repeat attendance.

The Lion in Winter — Albany Masonic Temple | Feb. 27–Mar. 8
Historical family drama mounted in a downtown venue setting. Dialogue-heavy, actor-centered production.

Wanda Webster Theatre Festival: Black to Broadway — Love Albany Center | Feb. 27
Festival programming spotlighting Black theatrical traditions and performance lineage. One-night format, mission-driven.

Wanda Webster Theatre Festival: Soulful-Land — Youth FX | Feb. 28
Second installment in a themed festival series. Community-based venue, culturally centered storytelling.

Wanda Webster Theatre Festival: When We Come Home — Black Chamber of Commerce & Social Club | Mar. 1
Closing festival performance positioned in a civic space. Intentional site selection underscores community focus.

🎶 Music & Live Performance

Music and Movement — Bethlehem Public Library | Feb. 24 & Feb. 26
Early-childhood rhythm programming emphasizing participation over performance. Structured, short duration.

Arch Stanton Quartet – Shadow and Act: Music Inspired by Invisible Man — Catskill Library (Catskill, NY) | Feb. 24
A jazz quartet presenting music thematically tied to Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, framed as a library recital. Small ensemble, literary tie-in, community venue scale.

Kevin Carey Trio — Lark Street Tavern (Albany, NY) | Feb. 24
A neighborhood jazz trio playing a late-evening set in a local tavern. Bar-room listening scale with an emphasis on regulars and local patrons.

Arch Stanton Trio — Dove + Deer (Albany, NY) | Feb. 25
A pared-down ensemble set in an intimate, nontraditional music space. Jazz trio format signals close listening in a casual environment.

Houston Person & Northampton Jazz Workshop — The Drake (Amherst, MA) | Feb. 25
A seasoned saxophonist paired with workshop participants in a late-evening jazz session. Intergenerational improvisation and pedagogy in a club setting.

Edward Simon Trio — Union College, Taylor Music Center (Schenectady, NY) | Feb. 25
A Venezuelan jazz pianist leads a trio with notable sidemen, performing material from his Venezuela: Latin American Songbook Vol. 2. Latin jazz exploration meets mainstream jazz tradition in an academic concert hall.

Arturo O’Farrill — Northampton Center for the Arts (Northampton, MA) | Feb. 26
A leading Afro-Latin jazz figure in a formal theater setting. Big-idea jazz programming with cultural lineage.

Marta Sanchez — Northampton Center for the Arts (Northampton, MA) | Feb. 27
An evening concert by a vocalist in a regional performance center. Solo artist focus with mid-size audience expectations.

Arch Stanton Quartet — 9 Maple Ave (Saratoga Springs, NY) | Feb. 27
A late-night jazz set by the same quartet heard earlier in the week. Club format, small scale, dance-floor adjacency.

Arch Stanton Quartet: “Exploring The Sheltering Sky: The Music and Words of Paul Bowles” — Albany Public Library-Pine Hills Branch (Albany, NY) | Feb. 28
A thematic performance linking jazz with Paul Bowles’s The Sheltering Sky. Literary integration in a library recital context.

Concert: New York Dulcimer Orchestra — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 28
An 18-piece dulcimer ensemble in a seated afternoon format. Multigenerational audience, performance-centered, library-scaled.

Wayne Horvitz — Northampton Center for the Arts (Northampton, MA) | Feb. 28
An experimental composer/keyboardist in a community arts venue. Forward-leaning jazz and improvisation space.

The Ed Palermo Big Band — The Falcon Main Stage (Marlboro, NY) | Feb. 28
A New York–based big band known for eclectic arrangements, including Frank Zappa interpretations. Large ensemble jazz with crossover repertoire elements.

Joe Barna Quartet — 9 Maple Ave (Saratoga Springs, NY) | Feb. 28
A classic quartet setting in a regional jazz room. Small ensemble, late evening emphasis.

Winter Jazz Festival Memorializing Lee Shaw — Van Dyck Music Club (Schenectady, NY) | Mar. 1
A multi-set festival honoring pianist Lee Shaw with large ensemble and trio performances. Extended afternoon/evening format signaling community remembrance and broad participation.

Jazz vespers with Tyler Giroux & Pete Toigo — First Reformed Church of Schenectady (Schenectady, NY) | Mar. 1
A contemplative jazz service set in a sacred space. Intimate listening environment blending music with reflection.

👗 Fashion, Design & Creative Economy

Make-It Monday: Potholder Looms — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 23
A structured children’s craft session built around traditional weaving techniques. Skill-based, contained, registration-scaled.

In Stitches — Bethlehem Public Library | Feb. 25
An ongoing fiber arts social for teens and adults. Informal mentorship model, repetition builds continuity.

🧠 Talks, Tech & Ideas

Beginner English Language Learning (ELL) — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 24
Foundational language instruction emphasizing communication and literacy. Multi-hour commitment model.

Citizenship Discussion Group — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 24
Civics-focused preparation for naturalization candidates. Substance-first, discussion-driven.

Using Siri and Voice Commands on Your iPhone — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 24
Applied technology instruction aimed at practical daily use. Infrastructure support over theory.

ZOOM: 10 Free Web Tools to Boost Your Productivity — Zoom | Feb. 25
A digital-skills workshop highlighting free online tools for organization and creativity. Remote-access format expands reach.

AI and the Environment — Bethlehem Public Library | Feb. 26
A teen-and-adult discussion exploring artificial intelligence through an environmental lens. Conversation-driven, registration-based.

Using Google Assistant on Your Android Phone — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 26
Companion workshop to Siri session, focused on voice-command literacy. Platform-specific, adult-scaled.

Treat Your Own Neck & Back Pain — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 26
An interactive wellness workshop emphasizing self-management techniques. Practical, instruction-forward.

📚 Books & Reading

Family Story Time — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 23 & Feb. 26
Recurring early-literacy block structured for caregiver participation. Consistent attendance model.

Winter Reading BINGO — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 23
Adult reading engagement built around light competition and book prizes. Seasonal retention programming.

Paws to Read — Bethlehem Public Library | Feb. 23
Therapy-dog literacy support for grades K–5. Low-pressure confidence building in short-format sessions.

Tiny Tots — Bethlehem Public Library | Feb. 24
Infant and toddler literacy block centered on rhythm and repetition. Caregiver participation required.

Virtual Author Talk: Tom Crouch — Zoom | Feb. 24
A Smithsonian Curator Emeritus discusses museum history in a moderated virtual format. Lecture-forward, registration-driven.

ZOOM: PJ Story Time — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 24
Evening virtual literacy session designed for at-home participation. Short-format, routine-driven.

Family Story Time — Bethlehem Public Library | Feb. 25
A midweek preschool literacy gathering. Consistent format, caregiver-integrated.

Preschool Story Time & Craft — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 25
Story-led early learning paired with hands-on activity. Structured, registration-based.

Preschool Story Time — Bethlehem Public Library | Feb. 26
A traditional story-led early learning block for ages 2–6. Routine-driven and capacity-aware.

Silent Book Club — MochaLisa’s Caffe & Books | Feb. 26
Off-site gathering blending quiet reading with informal literary conversation. Low-pressure, community-rooted.

Veterans Memorial Park Book Walk — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 28
Outdoor literacy installation pairing a children’s title with a walking path. Passive engagement, family-scaled.

Saturday Story Time — Bethlehem Public Library | Feb. 28
Weekend literacy option for families seeking a flexible schedule. Short-format, community scaled.

Winter Reading 2026 — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Ongoing
Multi-age seasonal reading challenge designed to incentivize sustained participation through February.

🌱 Community & Civic Life

Chess Club — Bethlehem Public Library | Feb. 23
Peer-based youth chess session supported by teen volunteers. Skill-building within a supervised social structure.

Toddler Sensory Play Time — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 24
Small-scale exploratory programming designed for developmental engagement. Registration controls capacity.

Baby Sensory Play Time — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 24
Infant-focused sensory exploration session. Structured, short-duration.

Reading Therapy Dogs — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 24
Micro-appointment literacy confidence sessions with therapy dogs. Targeted, low-pressure support.

Mahjong — Bethlehem Public Library | Feb. 25
An adult afternoon gaming block blending instruction and experienced play. Registration keeps scale manageable.

Coffee and Cookies with the Board — Bethlehem Public Library | Feb. 25
An informal governance conversation with trustees. Transparency-forward, civic in tone.

Family Play Time — Bethlehem Public Library | Feb. 25
Open-ended preschool socialization hour. Play as developmental infrastructure.

All Abilities Chair-Based Movement Workshop — Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library | Feb. 26
Low-impact adaptive movement series emphasizing accessibility. Registration-based wellness offering.

Sensory Play Time — Bethlehem Public Library | Feb. 27
Exploratory sensory stations for young children and caregivers. Open-format, supervision-centered.

—Edgar

🧩 About Edgar

Edgar is my calendar editor — an AI-assisted system that scans public listings and describes events with the confidence and shorthand of a city insider. Selection and judgment remain human.

Nate Smith to Bring the Groove to Vermont

Some musicians talk about rhythm as theory. Nate Smith plays it as language.

On Saturday, Feb. 21, the Nate Smith Trio brings that language to the Vermont Jazz…

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Eric Church’s country act is too big to be contained by Albany’s MVP Arena.

When the CMA Entertainer of the Year takes to the stage that evening, Regal Cinemas at C…

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Justin Furstenfeld traces his impulse to sing back to when…

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