Public officials, trail supporters and residents recently gathered at a workshop in Ballston Spa to plan a new network of trails that will connect Saratoga, Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties. The workshop was held by the Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) in partnership consultants Behan Planning and Design and the Chazen Companies. According to Mike Allen of Behan Planning, the workshop’s goal was to draw up a network of trails that could create opportunities for alternative transportation between counties and communities. “The Capital District trails plan is really a transportation initiative. It’s about connecting different cities, towns, and villages with regional trails,” Allen told The Saratogian. “The idea is, we have a single regional trail network that connects three municipalities. This planning effort is about looking at what trials we have existing right now and working with different groups to figure out the connections or missing gaps that we have to create in this new parkland network.”
The Saratoga County workshop was one of four public workshops being held for this initiative. The other three will take place in Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties to ensure that the coalition of trailblazers can incorporate ideas from all around their budding trail network. At the Saratoga County meeting, representatives of Saratoga Springs, Malta, Ballston Spa, Clifton Park and Halfmoon used markers to connect existing trails with new paths they envisioned. “Ask yourself, where do we want to connect to and how do we make those connections,” Allen told the paper. Added Maria Trabka, Executive Director of Saratoga PLAN and a workshop attendee, “We’re excited to see the connections made between communities. It’s people-power transportation. The Northway is packed with cars so you can view this as the alternative Northway.”
According to CDTC Senior Planner Jennifer Ceponis, this isn’t the first effort to connect up trails in the Capital Region. “In 2006 we did our first regional trails forum where we got information on three of the area’s major trails—the Mohawk-Hudson, Zim Smith and the Uncle Same Bikeway in Troy,” she said. “In 2016 we expanded our project to include nine trails. We’re [holding workshops] to learn what projects are coming, how to connect with them and any new corridors we’re unfamiliar with. We want a seamless transportation network.”
Locals interested in sharing their ideas for a bigger, better trail system can take the CDTC’s Trails Plan survey here.
As a regular gym-goer, I feel like I take pretty good care of my body. I’ve had a gym membership for the last 20 years, run a few times a week, lift some weights and stretch quite a bit. (I even meditate daily, if that counts.) I average about 3-5 days at Planet Fitness per week, which isn’t bad for a 38-year-old dude. I mean, I’m not logging the amount of reps I was when I was 21—and I sure as heck don’t want to get “ripped” like I did at 18. But I am actively trying to avoid the doctor’s office at all costs—and I absolutely hate feeling out of shape.
At Vent Fitness Studio on Tuesday, March 6, I felt desperately out of shape. The saratoga living staff engaged in a little friendly team building (and competition) at Vent Fitness Studio on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. The five of us—that is, Sara Francese, Chelsea Moore, Becky Kendall, Natalie Moore and I—took an hourlong class at the Studio together. We went in colleagues, and left soldiers.
The ‘saratoga living’ team getting its kickboxing on.
The afternoon’s workout regimen—which was hosted by Vent trainers Doug and Mike—kicked off with some tame appetizers, such as invisible rope-jumping in place and burpees to get our heart rates up. But shortly after, was the main event: In the dimly lit fitness room (see above), our team was introduced to a trio of body-busting circuits that included multi-speed treadmill running (walk, jog, all-out sprint); myriad repetitions of sit-ups and push-ups (of all shapes and sizes); and kickboxing-like combinations. (With every gloved-punch, I pictured Microsoft Word prompting me to update it every five minutes.) By round two, I was wheezing and had a visible sweat semicircle on my gym shirt; by round three, to quote Duncan Sheik, I was barely breathing.
All the while, mind you, each of us had a heart-rate monitor strapped around our bare chests, with our vitals and “trophy points” flashing up on a big screen. (That’s basically the currency in the Vent Fitness Studio workout room; if you’re lacking in “trophy points,” you’re winning backwards.) The other way of knowing whether you’re winning or not was if your screen was green. If it flashed to red, then, well, you were a champ.
Look, at the end of the day, none of us left that workout studio a loser. We all worked as hard as we possibly could, and when it was over, as much as I felt like I wanted to vomit, I also knew I’d accomplished something Herculean. It’s not every day you get forced to your limit, physically. Especially, in front of your co-workers.
Now, as I sit here and write this, my mind is as sharp as a knife, and while I’m not looking forward to the multi-Advil-swallowing pain I’m going to be experiencing tomorrow morning, I do know this: I’m going to sleep like a baby tonight.
I never gave much thought to the Paralympics. The Olympics always captivated me, but after two weeks of being glued to the TV, my hype would die down, just in time for the third, less-talked-about week of sports coverage. Misty May Treanor and Kerry Walsh were my idols, but I couldn’t name one US Paralympic athlete. Then, in 2016, my dad, skiing/hiking/biking extraordinaire, had a spinal stroke and became paralyzed.
For someone who lived for powder days, Wednesday night mountain bike rides with his buddies at Spier Falls and hiking the Adirondack High Peaks with his daughters, losing function of his lower body was devastating. A year passed, full of doctor’s visits, physical therapy and designing a handicap accessible house. But after settling in to his new life, my dad was ready to get back out there. He was awarded a grant from the Kelly Brush Foundation for a handcycle—a three-wheeled, low-to-the-ground bike powered by the upper body. He took sailing lessons through the Y Knot program at Camp Chingachgook and won his first regatta. And this winter, he finally got back on the snow through adaptive ski programs at Pico Mountain, Jiminy Peak and Windham Mountain.
Now that I’ve seen, firsthand, the strength and determination it takes for a person with a disability to participate in sports, my respect for Paralympic athletes has increased exponentially. The same is true for US Paralympics Nordic Skiing Director and Saratoga Springs native John Farra. After competing on the 1992 US Olympic cross-country skiing team in Albertville, France, Farra began working with the Olympic team and traveled to the 2010 Games in Vancouver as the Nordic Director for the US Ski Team. In 2011, he made the switch to working with the Paralympic Nordic Team and is headed to PyeongChang for this year’s Winter Paralympics.
John Farra will be traveling with the US Nordic Ski Team to PyeongChang for the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games. (James Netz)
Farra, who now lives in Heber City, UT, was featured as one of saratoga living’s Hometown Olympians in the “I Do!” issue this February. I circled back with him to discuss the US’ chances at the Winter Paralympics.
Why did you make the switch from the Olympic to the Paralympic Nordic Team? I was called by someone at the US Olympic Committee and I told him, “You have the wrong guy,” since I didn’t know anything about Paralympic athletes and didn’t feel I could add any value to the program. And frankly, I was doing the job I felt well suited for as the Nordic Director at the US Ski Team, and we were starting to have some success with our programs. But he asked to chat for five minutes and pointed out that these are elite athletes that need the same kind of high-performance strategies that Olympic athletes need, and I was inspired to see if I could help build the program numbers and ultimately, the results of the program.
What does your job as Paralympics Nordic Skiing Director entail? I manage our domestic development and our international competition programs with our National Team and Development Team’s athletes and staff.
In what ways does working with Paralympic athletes differ from working with Olympic Athletes? Do the mindsets of the athletes differ in any way? It’s really not terribly different. Our top National Team athletes need the same kinds of elite strategies—physiology, strength, nutrition/recovery and performance psychology—that Olympic athletes require. The biggest difference is helping to manage and advance the specialized equipment that’s required for the sitting class of Nordic skiers, and making sure we have hotels that are accessible in the remote locations that we travel to around the world.
How do you think the US Paralympic Nordic Team will do in PyeongChang? Is there a specific athlete to watch? We enter these games with terrific progress with our program since Sochi. Six of our 13 athletes have won medals in World Championships and World Cup competition within the past year, so if we all execute wherever possible, I would expect we could significantly improve our three-medal result in Sochi. Our sitting athlete Oksana Masters comes in as a World Champion in Cross Country and Biathlon, so she’ll be one particular athlete to watch for sure.
What has been the best moment of your career working with the Paralympics? The most powerful moments are when our team finds success at the Paralympic Games and at the World Championships, but I am guessing my best moment is still to come…when we hear our National Anthem in PyeongChang!
Why should Saratogians—and the world—care about the Paralympics? Watching the best athletes in the world compete at the highest level of sport is always a thrill for me, but watching athletes who must deal with limb deficiency, visual imparity or a spinal cord injury adds a level of intensity and respect for how hard the pursuit of excellence must be for these athletes. I went to the Olympics for Cross Country skiing, but I often wonder if I would have been tough enough to compete with one of these impairments…not so sure!
How did growing up in Saratoga facilitate your involvement in Nordic skiing? I had a very unique entry into Nordic Sport, as my folks ran the Farra Family Ski Touring center out of the Saratoga Springs State Park facilities on the weekends in the winter. I had the chance to be on skis every weekend of the winter, so when the lollipop races happened for the kids, I was always able to score one with my unfair advantage of being on skis all the time.
What do you miss most about living here? Saratoga Springs is my hometown, and I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to grow up there. I miss the Izzo family, which was my second family growing up; and Roma Foods, which has the best provolone and Genoa salami on the planet; and Bruegger’s Bagels, which I can’t get out here in the mountains of Utah!
Saratoga County Restaurant Week kicks off this Thursday, March 8, and there’s never been a better time to treat yourself to some of the area’s top restaurants—for a deal. Through Friday, March 16, just under 40 local restaurants will offer three-course dinners for $20-30 (not including tax and tip).
“We are excited to welcome new, curious guests who might not have otherwise stopped by,” says Diana Murphy of Dunning Street Station Bar & Grill, a Restaurant Week Participant and past Chowderfest award-winner. “Our chefs purposely created a great menu of special plates so all of our supporters or returning guests have a menu of new choices for the week.”
As if cheap eats weren’t enough, restaurant-goers will also be able to enter to win a gift-card package to all participating restaurants, with a $1,500 value. You can put your name in the running here.
Wondering whether your favorite restaurant will be offering discount dining? Here’s a full list of participants:
This year’s Oscars, airing this Sunday, March 4, at 8pm on ABC, comes as the Academy has attempted to play a long-overdue game of catch-up, adding younger and more diverse members to a voting body that has traditionally skewed very old and very white. Maybe this accounts for the fact that many of this year’s nominees are actually pretty great. This in turn makes this year’s awards harder to predict than ever. But that hasn’t stopped me from attempting to pick the winner in each category, as well as stumping for some personal favorites.
If you still haven’t caught up on the nominees, there’s still time! One-third of this year’s Best Picture crop—Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; The Post; and The Shape of Water—will be playing at the Bow Tie Cinemas in Downtown Saratoga over Oscar weekend. The Spectrum in Albany is playing those three alongside a trio of other nominees (Lady Bird; Phantom Thread; Darkest Hour) and programs featuring the year’s nominated short films. And if you’re wondering where next year’s nominees might turn up in the Capital District, be sure to consult my crib sheet that’s already online.
‘Darkest Hour’ has no chance for Best Picture, says SL movie critic Jesse Hassenger. (Focus Features)
Best Picture Call Me By Your Name Darkest Hour Dunkirk Get Out Lady Bird Phantom Thread The Post The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Will Win: It’s the least clear race in ages, with at least three strong possibilities in play. But I think the actors (the largest single voting bloc in the Academy) will push Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri into the winners’ circle. Should Win: Most of these movies are terrific (sorry, Darkest Hour), but the low-key yet perfectly crafted Lady Bird is the best of the bunch.
Daniel Kaluuya’s reactive performance in ‘Get Out’ is the kind of strong yet subtle work the Academy almost never honors. (Universal)
Best Actor
Timothee Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq. Will Win: Gary Oldman’s long and storied career, plus the impersonation factor and the transformation factor, has his role as Winton Churchill locked. Should Win: Daniel Kaluuya’s reactive performance in Get Out is the kind of strong yet subtle work the Academy almost never honors; maybe it should start.
Best Actress
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Meryl Streep, The Post Will Win: In a category overflowing with crazy talent, Frances McDormand seems likely to take home her second, much-deserved Oscar (her first was 21 years ago for Fargo). Should Win: McDormand is a powerhouse—really, everyone nominated this year is deserving—but extra credit should go to Saoirse Ronan for embodying a teenage girl’s awkward, self-conscious yearning (plus rocking a flawless American accent) in Lady Bird. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that Kristen Stewart (Personal Shopper), Anne Hathaway (Colossal), and Aubrey Plaza (Ingrid Goes West) gave some great under-the-radar performances this year that film fans should be seeking out at home.
A scene from ‘The Shape of Water,’ which also has multiple nominations. (Fox Searchlight)
Best Supporting Actor
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Will Win: Sam Rockwell has been taking just about every pre-Oscar prize and though this is his first nomination, his character-actor career makes him feel overdue. He’s got it in the bag. Should Win: I bow to no one in my love for Rockwell, one of the most welcome sights in movies. He’s great in Three Billboards, and I hope he does one of his signature weirdo dance moves on his way up to the podium. That said, Dafoe really is a quiet, gentle revelation in The Florida Project, the best movie of 2017.
Best Supporting Actress
Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water Will Win: Most of the signs have been pointing to Allison Janney, who as Tonya Harding’s cruel-yet-quippy mother certainly delivers the kind of scene-stealing, attention-grabbing part that tends to triumph in this category. But of the four acting categories, this one seems most open to an upset, and I think in the end, voters will throw their support behind another mom character with a lot more depth, putting Laurie Metcalf one step closer to an EGOT (the 30 Rock-coined status of having won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony). Should Win: Metcalf; Janney is always great, but she’s doing shtick that nearly threatens to turn her character’s abusiveness into a campy joke.
Greta Gerwig will likely not win Best Director for ‘Lady Bird,’ but she’s definitely deserving of the honor. (A24)
Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread
Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape of Water
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Jordan Peele, Get Out Will Win: Picture/Director splits have become much more common in recent years, and those usually reward a director taking on some kind of visually stunning technical challenge. That points to Guillermo Del Toro for Shape of Water’s lushly captured Cold War fairy tale. Should Win: Any of these massively talented filmmakers would be deserving, though I’d probably vote for Gerwig. (You may have gotten the impression that I really loved Lady Bird. I did!)
Best Original Screenplay The Big Sick Get Out Lady Bird The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Will Win: This might be the most competitive race of the night. Typically, Original Screenplay winds up rewarding a movie that is more innovative and interesting than whatever gets Best Picture as sort of a consolation prize (call it the “future classic” award; past winners include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Almost Famous, Her and Pulp Fiction). This year, with so many Picture and Director nominees in play here, there are a lot of ways to spread the love around, and if that’s really voters’ prerogative, Lady Bird’s Greta Gerwig or Get Out’s Jordan Peele look like strong bets. But Academy folks might just vote for the script they liked best, and Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards has a lot of memorable characters and dialogue for them to chew on. A gut feeling says Get Out will eke out a win here, but it’s a close one. Should Win: In the happy alternate universe where Gerwig wins Best Director, I’d be happy to share the love and give Get Out or Three Billboards a trophy here.
Best Adapted Screenplay Call Me By Your Name The Disaster Artist Logan Molly’s Game Mudbound Will Win: Call Me By Your Name is the only Best Picture nominee. Should Win: In a relatively weak group, I’d give in to my geeky side and vote for Logan, the only X-Men movie that has ever received a screenplay nomination (and, let’s be real, probably the only one that ever will).
Best Of The Rest
Film Editing: This often, though not always, goes to the Best Picture recipient. But I think the trickiness of the three WWII narratives powering Dunkirk will allow it to sneak in a well-deserved win here. The real question is how did the editors neglect to honor the snappy, story-propelling cutting of Lady Bird, probably the best-edited movie of last year?
Cinematography: Conventional wisdom says that the visuals of Blade Runner 2049 will finally result in a win for its much-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins, and that’s who I’d vote for. But I think the Academy won’t pay attention to the name next to the movie, instead choosing The Shape of Water.
Production Design: Another one where Shape of Water will beat out the more deserving Blade Runner sequel.
Sound Editing and Sound Mixing: These are two separate categories, covering effects (sound editing) and something more like sound design (sound mixing). Usually they have some overlap, but this year the same five movies are nominated for both. Good chance Dunkirk wins both, too.
Original Score: Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood has scored several Paul Thomas Anderson movies, but Phantom Thread is the first one where he’s been awards-eligible. I’m guessing it won’t matter, and Shape of Water will win another one here.
Original Song: I think the bizarre box-office longevity of The Greatest Showman (still playing in Downtown Saratoga, over two months after its release!) may be rewarded here.
Visual Effects: If Blade Runner 2049 gets any Oscars, this is where it happens.
Makeup and Hair: Darkest Hour, easily.
Costume Design: How can this not go to Phantom Thread, the movie about the fastidious dressmaker?
Foreign Language Film: I’m going to guess A Fantastic Woman.
Documentary Feature: Last Man in Aleppo seems to have the requisite super-seriousness on its side.
Animated Feature: Pixar’s Coco in a walk.
The Shorts: OK, I have no idea for the live-action or documentary shorts. But I did see all of the animated shorts, and the Kobe Bryant-penned Dear Basketball is looking like a favorite there.
Remember the name Grace Alberti; you could be seeing her work on Broadway soon enough. At just 16, Alberti founded her own theater company—Ad Astra Theatre Troupe, Ltd.—and staged her first production, Peter/Wendy, last May. Now, the precocious playwright and Saratoga Springs High School student is working on a play of her own, entitled Uprising, and artists and historians from across Upstate New York are lining up to get involved.
One such collaborator is Lale Davidson, an English professor at SUNY Adirondack. Last summer, Professor Davidson and Alberti began working on Uprising, a play about two orphaned sisters living in occupied Poland during the days leading up to the Warsaw Uprising; the eldest girl, 17-year-old Halina Dobosz, must decide whether or not to join the resistance. Davidson met Alberti through her daughter, a friend and fellow student at Saratoga High, and she says she became interested in working with Alberti after hearing her speak about her theater group, Ad Astra: “I was inspired by Grace’s drive and intelligence,” says Davidson. When Grace mentioned that she was interested in writing a play about the Warsaw Uprising, Davidson was intrigued. “I said to her, ‘You know, you could write it, and I could help you. I’m serious about this,'” she says. “I’ve always loved collaborating, and believe two or three heads are better than one.”
The cast of ‘Peter/Wendy,’ a play staged by Saratoga High School student Grace Alberti’s Ad Astra Theatre Troupe last May. (Carrow & Colasurdo)
The two set about their research, finding inspiration in Wearing the Letter P: Polish Women As Forced Laborers in Nazi Germanyby Sophie Knab and Warsaw 1944: An Insurgent’s Journal of the Uprisingby Zbigniew Czajkowski. Both are firsthand accounts of the occupation in Poland during World War II. They also worked with the handful of local historians who help put on Polish Fest in Latham. The idea to center the story around two sisters came from a news article about two daughters who joined the resistance against their father’s wishes.
“We quickly evolved from there,” Davidson says. And with that evolution came still more interested parties; Grace brought in a third writer, her friend, Catie LeCours. They wrote and revised Uprising, orchestrating readings with Ad Astra actors and integrating their feedback into new revisions. “Catie and Grace heavily revised the dialogue,” says Davidson. “Because of their acting background, they both have an excellent ear.” Six drafts later, Alberti, Davidson and LeCours are applying final touches to the script before a final read-through at the end of the month.
On March 24, the trio of playwrights will hold their first rehearsal. “We are all very happy with the play so far, and the teen actors are excited to be in an original production,” Davidson says. “I guess it’s fairly rare to have play that is written by and for teens with so many good parts. It’s a group effort, and it has been gratifying to be a part of it.”
Uprisingis set to be staged on June 8. For tickets, dates and more information, check out the Ad Astra Theatre Troupe’s Facebook page.
Welcome to The Calendar on saratogaliving.com—our expertly curated list of the top events, live music, readings, workshops and everything else in between hitting the Capital Region on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. As always, The Calendar will be updated on Thursdays, so that you’ll have a jump on your weekend plans. You’ll never have to ask “What’s going on in Saratoga?” ever again!
Saratoga Home & Lifestyle Show – March 2-4
This weekend, the Saratoga Rotary Club will host its annual Saratoga Home & Lifestyle Show at the Saratoga Springs City Center. Now in its 45th year, the Show, which takes place from March 2-4, hosts over 100 regional exhibitors showing off home improvement services, decor and furnishings, energy-saving products, outdoor living and landscaping tools, family recreation options and lifestyle products and services. Event-goers can enjoy both the Home & Lifestyle Show, as well as a fine arts and crafts fair taking place on the 2nd floor. The latter is completely free to get in, courtesy of the event’s sponsor, the Adirondack Trust Company.
“With such a wide variety of exhibits, as well as crafts and art to purchase, the show will appeal to homeowners, apartment dwellers and condo residents,” says Deb Czech of the Saratoga Springs Rotary Club. “The show is a fun community event and a chance for people to start planning their spring home and outdoor projects with the help of local experts.” The Saratoga Springs Rotary Club will direct funds raised from the Show to local nonprofit organizations such as the Salvation Army, Franklin Community Center, Saratoga Regional YMCA, Rebuilding Together, Shelters of Saratoga, Code Blue and Saratoga Community Health Center.
This year’s Show promises a few firsts. On Saturday, a handful of local restaurants including Longfellows, Bookmakers, Forno Bistro and Olde Bryan Inn will compete in the Rotary Mac ‘n Cheese Bake-off. Attendees can sample recipes from 11am to 3pm, then vote for their favorite. On Sunday at noon, the Show gets its first-ever Tool Demo, a workshop hosted by Allerdice Building Supply and Northern Dean that teaches event-goers how to properly use standard tools like drills, impact drivers and multi-tools, and provides tips for how to complete common household tasks like installing a towel bar and patching drywall.
Attention local laptop users, duking it out for the nearest coffeehouse outlet and free internet: There’s a new source in town. Just in time for spring, Congress Park is now offering free WiFi access through the Saratoga Free Public network. “This is a great step forward by the city led by Commissioner Michelle Madigan’s Smart City initiative,” says Todd Shimkus, President of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. The Smart City Project aims to find new and sustainable opportunities for economic growth and an overall enhanced quality of life for all Saratogians.
Commissioner Madigan spearheaded the initiative and leads the Smart City Commission, which is composed of representatives from the Saratoga Springs City School District, Saratoga Hospital, Saratoga Springs Public Library, Skidmore College, Empire State College, Saratoga County Supervisor, National Grid, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and the city itself. The various entities have been working on enhancing the Spa City’s telecommunications and broadband services since March of last year. The first step? Free public WiFi.
The service may be free for residents and tourists, but it didn’t come without a price-tag. It cost the city $7,000 to set up the necessary infrastructure, and it costs an additional $119.99 per month to make the free network available. Annual support and equipment maintenance costs $329 per year. Madigan originally hoped to make the Saratoga Free Public network available last summer, but the process took longer than expected. Now that it’s up and running, WiFi will be more accessible around the Canfield Casino, which the city hopes will help facilitate operations in the facility and make the location more attractive for events like weddings and fundraisers.
As for the next neighborhood with public WiFi, Madigan has her sights set on Broadway, followed by the area surrounding the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “I’m hoping we can light up more of the city in the days, weeks, months and years to come,” Shimkus continues. “I think we have a decent percentage of people who live here in Saratoga who work remotely for and with firms around the US and the world. I suspect you’ll see many of them, as well as students, out in Congress Park working on their laptops as the weather gets warmer.”
When Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson first joined Opera Saratoga, the regional company was somewhat of a fixer-upper. “The company was experiencing some challenges and we made some changes to our programing strategy,” Edelson says. “We’re doing much more to engage with audiences.” Under Edelson’s leadership, Opera Saratoga just finished its third consecutive year in the black. Year-round activities and new programs, including a performance of The Ugly Duckling that reached over 15,000 children at 50 schools across seven counties, have enhanced the company’s presence and support throughout the Capital Region.
Now Opera Saratoga is gearing up for its most ambitious season yet. This year, it will host the American premiere of Rocking Horse Winner, a play based on a short story by D.H. Lawrence that won five Dora Awards after its debut in Toronto. The story follows a boy who discovers that he can predict which horses will win at the track. “It’s an exciting story that I think local audiences will really get into, and it deals with the motivations behind gaming and gambling and really ties into our local passion for thoroughbred horse racing,” Edelson tells me. Rocking Horse Winner will be featured at Opera Saratoga as part of a double bill; the other half of it, Vinkensport, is based on true stories about a Flemish sport called “finch sitting,” a dog-show-like competition but for pet birds. Much like the popular mockumentary Best in Show, Vinkensport is a tongue-and-cheek retelling of the extreme lengths that competitors will go to get an edge on their competition.
Edelson says that unconventional operas like Vinkensport could be an entry point for people that may not have had a good experience with opera in the past. “There are as many types of opera as there are types of movies,” Edelson tells me. “So with our season, we try to present a variety of operas so that there’s something for everyone’s taste.”
While Rocking Horse Winner and Vinkensport are both geared towards mature audiences, Edelson says that Opera Saratoga’s new production of The Merry Widow, a waltz-driven, widely beloved operetta, will be popular with family members of all ages. Last but not least, The Consul, Opera Saratoga’s final summer must-see, is a tried-and-true Pulitzer Prize-winning political thriller that premiered on Broadway in 1950.
For more information about shows, tickets and dates, click here.
You could say it’s Showtime at Skidmore. From March 2-8, the Skidmore Theater will present an all-student production of Everything You Touch by Sheila Callaghan, the writer and producer of the Emmy Award-winning cable TV show Shameless. Callaghan’s play takes a darkly humorous perspective on the issue ofa woman’s body image and the struggles she faces against self-hatred in a society that overvalues physical perfection.
“It resonates with me personally, and I think it’s going to really resonate with the Skidmore and Saratoga community at large,” says the play’s director Rachel Karp, who is also a member of the class of 2018. “It addresses body image; specifically, how women are taught by society—the fashion industry, the media and even our parents and friends and peers— how their bodies should look. The play follows one woman’s journey to come to terms with and eventually put aside a lifetime’s worth of this inherited self-hatred.”
One-half of ‘Everything You Touch’ takes place in New York City in the 1970s. (Sue Kessler)
Everything You Touch has two distinct plot lines: One follows the story of a designer in the New York City fashion scene in the ’70s; while the other focuses in on a woman as she drives across the country to visit her estranged and dying mother, an ex-model. In both stories, the central characters must reckon with the problems surrounding the idealized female form—the designer weighs whether to design clothing for the general public or just the fashionably paper-thin, while the road-tripper faces a lifetime of body image issues she inherited from her mother. “It’s a really fast-paced, quick-moving, hour-and-a-half, no-intermission piece,” Karp says. She says Touch is “infused with a little bit of magic and fantasy,” as its ensemble of female actors transforms from ’70s models into actual set pieces—furniture, gumball machines and memories in the contemporary world—then back again.
The entire production is student-run, meaning that members of the Skidmore student body were not only responsible for the casting and acting; but also the set, lighting, sound and costume design; and stage management. “It’s all people who have been working together on various projects throughout the past few years,” says Karp. “We all really click and work well together.”
Opening night is already sold out, but you can order tickets for the nights following here.
