by Michael Janairo

Albany Symphony Orchestra and Albany Pro Musica @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, 10/13/12

By Mary Jane Leach

TROY — The Albany Symphony and Albany Pro Music, two stalwarts of the Capital District music scene, combined forces Saturday night in a thoughtful and well executed concert to a full house of enthusiastic and appreciative concert goers.

When evaluating a musical composition, it’s always a pleasure to notice recurring motifs or ideas. It’s even nicer when these concepts can be extended to an entire concert program, which this concert fulfilled. In this case it was the musical line, or thread (chain). It’s also interesting to see how a decision on one piece can affect the rest of the program. I had been wondering how the ASO would deal with the instrumentation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Magnificat,” the last piece of the night, and was relieved to see that it had streamlined the string section, which was then reflected in the rest of the program.
Continue reading →

by Michael Janairo

Remember when? The Doors Backstage Saratoga Performing Arts Center Footage 1968

Hat tip to Don Drewecki, but here is the Doors backstage at SPAC in 1968.

Check it out. Were you at the show?

Continue reading →

by Michael Janairo

Times Union launches Preview reader survey

The views and opinions of our audience are very important to us. So we look to you, our most devoted readers, to tell us what you value about Preview and what you would like Preview to be in the future.

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts at http://timesunion.com/PreviewSurvey before Monday, Oct. 15.

Everyone who completes the survey can enter into a drawing to win a $50 gift card to Regal Theaters and a $50 American Express gift card so you can enjoy dinner and a movie.

by Michael Janairo

SPAC plans new routine

Saratoga Performing Arts Center Chairman of the Board Susan Phillips Read, center, listens to Marcia J. White, President and Executive Director, left, speak during a SPAC board meeting at the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce, on Oct. 4, 2012 in Colonie, NY. Ed Lewi is at right. (Philip Kamrass / Times Union)

By STEVE BARNES

As the Saratoga Performing Arts Center looks toward welcoming two new dance companies next summer and returning the New York City Ballet to a two-week season in 2014, the organization reported essentially flat attendance and modest income gains for classical programming during its 2012 season.

The City Ballet and its longtime resident sibling at SPAC, the Philadelphia Orchestra, over the summer each drew audiences about 4 percent smaller than in 2011. Their attendance was approximately 35,000 and 34,000, respectively, according to figures released by SPAC at Thursday’s meeting of the SPAC board of directors.

The ballet company’s ticket income for its two-week July residency was about $991,000, an increase of 6 percent, while the orchestra generated approximately 7 percent more ticket revenue, about $970,000 over three weeks in August, the board learned at the meeting, held at the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce office. Continue reading →

by Michael Janairo

SPAC’s 2013 dance season a major win

Artists of the National Ballet of Canada in Giselle (Photo by Bruce Zinger)

By Tresca Weinstein

Longtime supporters of the New York City Ballet may have gotten their feathers ruffled by SPAC Executive Director Marcia White’s recent announcement that, come summer, the company will no longer be the only ballet game in town. But no one should feel threatened — there’s room for lots more tutus in what was formerly NYCB’s territory.

The addition of other ballet companies (Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada) to SPAC’s 2013 offerings should in no way dilute or detract from City Ballet’s time-honored place in the Capital Region’s cultural firmament.

If anything, it will shed light on the company’s strengths and versatility by providing a context in which different perspectives and artistic visions can coexist. Each of these three companies brings something exciting and valuable to the stage; together, they may even expand the region’s dance audience. Continue reading →

by Michael Janairo

Mirk in the running for Ernie Ball Battle Of The Bands grand prize

The 2012 Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival tour hit SPAC this summer, and the Albany band Mirk won a spot as an opener at the concert. Now Mirk is in the running against 27 other local market finalists for the Grand Prize package which includes a coveted spot on the 2013 Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival, the opportunity to record an EP with legendary producer Jay Baumgardner at NRG Recording Studios in Hollywood, CA, $10,000 worth of music gear and other prizes. For details, visit www.RockstarUPROAR.com/battleofthebands.

Mirk and the other winners are being evaluated through Oct. 30 by a panel of music industry professionals and artists including: Jose Mangin from Sirius XM, Avenged Sevenfold guitarist Zacky Vengeance, legendary producer/mixer Jay Baumgardner, and music industry veteran Bill McGathy.

The winner will be chosen soon after, so stay tuned.

Good luck, Mirk!

by Michael Janairo

Photos: How to Train Your Dragon behind the scenes

Check out these great shots behind the scenes, publicity images and production shots of “How to Train Your Dragon.” Are you going to go?

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“How to Train Your Dragon”
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday; 11 a.m. 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Times Union Center, 51 S. Pearl St., Albany
Tickets: Prices vary by day and time, range from $19.50-$69.50
Info: 800-745-3000; http://timesunion.com

Be sure to pick up Thursday’s Times Union to read about the show in Preview, the weekly entertainment section.

by Michael Janairo

Tedeschi Trucks Band to play Palace on Dec. 2

The Palace Theatre announced this morning that the Tedeschi Trucks Band will return to Albany for a Dec. 2 show.

Tickets — which range from $39 to $79 — go onsale at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 5, though members of the  Palace can purchase tickets beginning Thursday.

The Tedeschi Trucks Band made its Capital Region debut last year, in an October show at The Egg, in which the 11-member band is fronted by the blues powerhouse couple of guitarslinger Derek Trucks and vocalist Susan Tedeschi.

For more information, visit http://www.albanypalace.com or call 465-3334.

Read the review of TTB’s Oct. 19, 2011, show.

by Michael Janairo

Mixed feelings about MoHu 2012

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The MoHu Arts Festival is back.

The 10-day event begins Friday, Oct. 5, as a way to draw attention to the diversity of arts offerings in the region. And once again I have mixed feelings.

Yes, it’s great the event supports the arts in all its diversity. That includes big-name guests to our region: Nobel Prize-winning novelist J.M. Coetzee at the New York State Writers Institute on Oct. 12 or Warren Haynes on Oct. 13 at The Egg come to mind.

It also includes plenty of homegrown talent, from small-scale classes such as Beginning Crochet with Barbara Neu-Berti on Oct. 7 at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts (limited to 12 students) to a big collaboration by Albany Pro Musica and Albany Symphony Orchestra, who will perform Bach’s Magnificat on Oct. 13 and 14 at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. You can find more information about these events at http://www.mohufest.com. Continue reading →