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Gotta Have Arts

A Happy Hudson Valley Holiday: 10 Cultural Events that Celebrate the Joys of the Season

December 1, 2019 by Robin Chwatko

Photo Courtesy of Salzburg Marionette Theater

This holiday season, there’s no need to travel far to soak up the holiday spirit. Whether you are looking for something traditional or off the beaten path, here’s a roundup of some of Westchester’s best cultural arts events to delight the biggest Scrooges or the tiniest Sugar Plums.

1. Holiday Tea Musicale

Caramoor, Katonah
caramoor.org
December 4–21
$32.50-65

Feel the magic of the season with Caramoor’s holiday tradition of classical concerts with charismatic musicians, festive decorations, a chance to sing-a-long, and tea service in the majestic Music Room.

2. Holiday Sing-along with the Chappaqua Orchestra

Robert E. Bell School, Chappaqua
chappaquaorchestra.org
December 7
FREE

Guest conductor Mina Kim leads the orchestra’s annual Holiday sing-along followed by the New Castle Historical Society tree lighting at the famous Horace Greeley House.

3. It’s a Wonderful Life

Bedford Playhouse, Bedford
bedfordplayhouse.org
December 8
$14

Frank Capra’s heartwarming masterpiece continues to endure, and after 70 years, this beloved classic still remains as powerful and moving as the day it was made. Presented in 4K!

4. The Chordsmen: ‘Tis The Season Winter Concert

First Presbyterian Church, Ossining
chordsmen.org
December 8
$20-25

The Chordsmen is an all-male chorus that sings in 4-part a cappella harmony, often in the barbershop style. This lively concert features a selection of seasonal songs by the entire Chorus and selected quartets.

5. Mr. Dickens Tells a Christmas Carol

Lyndhurst, Tarrytown
lyndhurst.org
December 13-29
$40

This timeless event recreates the famous performance tour by Charles Dickens in 1867 with his classic tale bringing the travails of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim alive.

6. Canadian Brass: Holiday Time is Here

Performing Arts Center, Purchase
artscenter.org
December 15
$16.25-$72.50

Renowned for genre-bending versatility and joyous performances, the award-winning quintet delights with holiday favorites from classical presentation to music served up with lively dialogue and theatrical effects.

7. The Magic Dreidels

White Plains Performing Arts
Center, White Plains
wppac.com
December 26 & 30
$17-22

When young Jakob meets a goblin who offers him dreidels that work miracles, the boy and others learn the true meaning of Hanukkah. By Jenna Zark, adapted from the book by Eric A. Kimmel.

AND..A Nutcracker for Everyone!

8. Salzburg Marionette Theatre: The Nutcracker

Westchester Community College, Valhalla
sunywcc.edu
December 8
$8-28

From Austria with love, these marionettes have delighted children since 1913 worldwide. This original production features live actors with their marionettes bringing the famous holiday tale of The Nutcracker to sparkling life while set to Tchaikovsky’s beloved score.

9. The Nutcracker Westchester Ballet Company

County Center, White Plains
westchesterballet.org
December 13-15
$23-35

Westchester Ballet Company’s crown jewel is its annual Nutcracker production. This classic is chock full of exquisite choreography, stunning costumes, and exciting special effects.

10. Nutcracker Short & Sweet

Paramount Hudson Valley, Peekskill
paramounthudsonvalley.com
December 21
$13-15

Only one hour long and fully narrated from the point of view of Clara, this show is sure to hold the attention of even the youngest ballet fan.

Filed Under: Gotta Have Arts Tagged With: 'Tis the Season, Arts, Chappaqua Orchestra, Cultural Events, Holiday Shows, It's a Wonderful Life, Joys, season, Sing-along, The Nutcracker

How to Obtain Your Second Act: An Interview with Local Actress Diana Schiro

December 1, 2019 by Stacey Pfeffer

photo courtesy of Diana Schiro

The concept of emotional quotient or EQ comes up a lot in my interview with local resident and budding actress Diana Schiro. In order to be a great actress, one needs to be deeply in touch with their emotions and be able to jump into character and emote as that character would. It’s a difficult craft to master and something Schiro always wanted to do but was afraid to take the proverbial leap.

Schiro as Maya in The Year of the Solar Eclipse
PHOTO BY FRED LAM

However on the cusp of turning 40, Schiro did and worked her way up from scoring spots in commercials for companies such as Polaroid and Kartrite Resorts to her latest role as Maya, a psychotherapist in the off-Broadway production of The Year of the Solar Eclipse which opens at the Wild Project, an East Village theater on December 3rd. Tickets are available at www.theyearofthesolareclipse.com The play follows three millennial females in a year of love lost, love found & self-discovery.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Schiro and hear her top ten tips on how she obtained her second act – from a suburban mom working part-time for a local real estate firm to auditioning in the city and ultimately landing on the off-Broadway stage.

1. Embrace your inner voice – Schiro recalls that from the time she was eight years old growing up in Long Island, she always wanted to be an actress and while she took acting classes in middle and high school, she felt that her insecurity when she was younger prevented her from truly following her passion. Nevertheless, she had this nagging voice in her head to follow her passion.

2. Be the best version of yourself – For Schiro, she always envied those in theater. She didn’t want her envy to turn into jealousy or resentment. “I always knew I had the capacity and emotional bandwidth to act” so she flipped her thought process and decided to turn those envious feelings into inspiration and motivation.

3. Be brave in the face of fear – According to Schiro, being brave isn’t the same as being fearless. She contends that she still has fears and is nervous about her upcoming performance. “When you are fearless, you take all kinds of risks” but for her, auditioning was something that was intentional and well thought out.

4. Maintain authenticity – Schiro who is a mom to 11-year old Sarina and nine year old Jared was always encouraging them to try new things but didn’t want to “have a personal narrative of I wish I had done this [acting]. I knew I had to do this in order to be an authentic parent.”

5. Utilize technology to your benefit – “There are resources for acting professionals that I knew about such as backstage.com, so I filled out a profile on them and checked out jobs everyday. I also created eco cast videos where instead of going for live call backs in the city, you can audition virtually with casting directors.”

6. Stay organized and prepare – For Schiro, this new lifestyle is a complete 180 for her family. She now commutes into the city for rehearsals in the afternoon, so staying organized is key. She blocks time on her calendar to look for new jobs and also spends time each day rewriting her lines. She prepares meals for the family in the morning and adheres to a rigorous exercise routine to maintain physical and mental strength.

7. Seek supportive family and friends who genuinely root for you. – Schiro credits both her husband Michael and her local CrossFit community and friends for unwavering support. “I’m totally overwhelmed by the support in the community. I surround myself with mentors and role models particularly in the fitness world and I lean on them to learn and grow.”

8. Continue learning and ask questions – The cast consists of 20 somethings with acting credentials so Schiro asked the director and playwright, Aileen Kyoko for additional guidance.  “I said I am the least experienced here, what should I do or read to help me?”, she recalls. Schiro now is reading what she calls her acting bibles such as “How to Stop Acting.” Taking that first step to ask for help can be daunting but is worthwhile. She also takes private acting lessons with one of the show’s executive producers Mark St. Cyr to accommodate her busy schedule.

9. Follow a healthy lifestyle – Schiro is a certified health coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Fueling her body with the right foods is essential for her just like her workouts. Especially when making major life changes, exercise and nutrition shouldn’t fall by the wayside, says Schiro.

10. Make time, not excuses – Just like Schiro schedules Acting 2.0 on her calendar to study her lines and look for jobs after this play, it takes commitment to obtain a second act. Schiro didn’t want to live a “what if” life and to obtain a second act, you need dedication. With her determination and focus, she just might make it to the Great White Way.

Filed Under: Gotta Have Arts Tagged With: Diane Schiro, inner voice, Judy Blue Eyes, Local Actress, Off Broadway, Organized, Second Act, Year of the Solar Eclipse

The Hudson Valley Electric Jazz Band at ChappPac on Saturday, December 7

November 27, 2019 by Inside Press

The Hudson Valley Electric Jazz Band is a jazz pop and fusion instrumental and vocal group covering artists such as George Benson, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Chaka Kahn, Stevie Wonder, John Scofield, Michael Brecker and many more.  The band’s music has accessible, strong melodies, both as instrumentals and vocal tunes with a feature of at least one of the soloists showing their virtuosity at some point during each piece. We will show that we have tight arrangements with an expressive moody side as well.

“We want to make sure that there are at least a few songs that the audience is familiar with so we mix in some Motown and R&B vocal numbers so the audience isn’t just listening to a group of performers playing complicated riffs and soloing all night long,” said Jeff Weiner, the band’s drummer who is also helping produce the event.

The Hudson Valley Electric Jazz Band will perform LIVE on Saturday, December 7th from 8 pm to 9:30, at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center.

General seating, first come first serve.

Two sets. Each set is 60 minutes in length. 15 minute intermission.

For tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/83000373351

New courtesy of the Hudson Valley Electric Jazz Band; to learn more, visit www.hvejb.com

 

Filed Under: Gotta Have Arts Tagged With: Chappaqua Performing Art Center, concert, Hudson Valley Electric Jazz Band, Jazz, Motown, music, R & B, Soloists

Michael Douglas Holds Court at Jacob Burns Film Center Silver Screen Circle Dinner

November 22, 2019 by The Inside Press

Academy Award-winning actor Michael Douglas was the guest of honor at the Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) annual Silver Screen Circle dinner held on November 13 at the Film Center in Pleasantville. Douglas and JBFC Board President Janet Maslin were on stage to entertain the audience with film clips and conversation before the seated dinner. 

PHOTOS BY Russell Peborde

Actor Michael Douglas and Jacob Burns Film Center Board President, Janet Maslin
Jeff Geller (Chappaqua – L), Susan Habermann (Water Mill), Frank Linde (Chappaqua), and Debbie Geller (Chappaqua – R)
Kate Lombardi (Chappaqua – L) with Bob Battel (Rye) and Amy Linde (Chappaqua)
Richard Rieger (Bedford – R), Michelle Kraushaar (Chappaqua) and Robert Harwood (Dobbs Ferry)
Abby Rosmarin (Chappaqua), David Schunter (Armonk) and Flo Wiener (Pleasantville)
President and CEO of The Westchester Bank John Tolomer (Chappaqua –L), John Holzinger (North Salem) Liz Tolomer (Chappaqua) and Jackie Holzinger (Chappaqua – R)
Academy award winning actor Michael Douglas with Judah Kraushaar (Chappaqua)

Filed Under: Gotta Have Arts Tagged With: Conversation, fundraiser, Jacob Burns Film Center, Michael Douglas, Silver Screen Circle Dinner

A Staged Reading of ‘Employee of the Month’

November 11, 2019 by The Inside Press

HSC logo

Please join us for this reading of a new play!

Hudson Stage Company’s 21st season continues

FRIDAY Dec 6th at 7:30pm
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
by Brian Dykstra, directed by Margarett Perry
 
Join Hudson Stage on Friday, December 6th at 7:30pm for a staged reading of the new play, EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH from the mind of actor, playwright and HBO Def Poet Brian Dykstra. Directed by Margarett Perry (director of A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2).
 
Featuring actors Vince Gatton, Tracey Conyer Lee, Larry Powell and Lori Prince.
What starts out like a Who’s on First sketch about an out-of-service staircase turns into a sly commentary on office politics, glass ceilings, income inequality and racism in Corporate America. Be a part of the process: A  Q&A with all participating artists will immediately follow the performance.
“Brian Dykstra is a master of language!”
 
Vince Gatton
Tracey Conyer Lee
Larry Powell
Lori Prince
Reading is $10 general admission, no reservations necessary.
Whippoorwill Theatre, North Castle Public Library, Kent Place, Armonk, NY 10504
For more information: www.hudsonstage.com or call the HSC Hotline 914-271-2811
 
These programs are made possible, in part, by ArtsWestchester with funds from Westchester County government.

Hudson Stage Co, Inc.

www.hudsonstage.com

 
 

Filed Under: Gotta Have Arts Tagged With: Employee of the Month, Hudson Stage, playwright, Staged Reading

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