Hudson Hall Announces Summer/Fall 2019 Season

Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House invites audiences to embrace a sense of adventure with a new season of music, theater, exhibitions, film, book launches, special events, and community programs this August to December. Season highlights include a celebration of Herman Melville's 200th birthday and Hudson's history as a whaling town with spoken word, music, talks and a rare chance to see Gare St Lazare Ireland's stunning one-man adaptation of Moby Dick; three nights of jazz artists on the brink of stardom with Catskill Jazz Factory, the return of Hudson's longest running culinary adventure, Movable Feast; an epic collaboration between "leaders of the raga renaissance" Brooklyn Raga Massive and the spontaneously conducted GO: Organic Orchestra, a host of free family events and community workshops and the 23rd anniversary of Columbia County's favorite winter festival, Winter Walk.

For more information or tickets, visit hudsonhall.org or phone (518) 822-1438.

Kicking off the season on August 9, music fans can catch legendary singer/songwriter Natalie Merchant on her summer tour of the Northeast, while photographer Tema Stauffer uncovers the beauty and decay of Columbia County in her stunning photographic exhibition UPSTATE, opening August 10. The musically adventurous can jump on the A Train with Catskill Jazz Factory on August 24 in a journey of Harlem-inspired jazz featuring an octet of hot new talent including vocalist Shenel Johns and trumpeter Dominick Farinacci, who make their triumphant return Hudson Hall following a sold out, standing ovation debut this past June. CJF discovers more fresh artists on the rise this season with The Steven Feifke Big Band (November 16) and pianist and MacDowell Fellow, Dan Tepfer (December 14). Curious epicures with a soft spot for surprise will revel in the chance to dine in one of Hudson's loveliest homes and shops with the 24th annual Movable Feast (September 21), a night of delectable drinks and fine dining all to benefit Hudson Hall.

The sense of adventure continues with the epic search for a legendary giant of the ocean by a literary giant with acclaimed Irish actor Conor Lovett's one-man adaptation of Moby Dick, the anchor in a three-part event series celebrating the 200th anniversary of Herman Melville's birth and Hudson's unique history as a whaling town. Two unique musical collectives, the ever-popular Brooklyn Raga Massive and Go: Organic Orchestra, also cross the seas and traverse time with their unique synergy of classical Indian and new contemporary music (November 2).

In keeping with the season's theme, young explorers can discover the wonders of our own backyard with Hudson Hall and the Columbia Land Conservancy's free Nature Explorers summer program (August 12-16), while young bookworms can dig into a variety of award winning books with the Hudson Community Book Club. Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and dance instructor Bill Blowers also return this season to offer kids the chance to defy gravity or discover their groove in two more free workshops set to inspire (and tire!) your budding adventurers.

Finally, the season and year ends with the 23rd anniversary of Columbia County's favorite winter festival (2014-2018), Winter Walk, set once again to light up the first Saturday in December with brightly decorated storefronts, food, fireworks, family events and festive cheer.

For further information on Hudson Hall events, programs or workshops, visit hudsonhall.org or call (518) 822-1438.

HUDSON'S MERCHANTS & WHALERS

This August marks the 200th anniversary of Herman Melville's birth in New York, one of America's greatest writers and author of Moby Dick, a literary masterpiece penned in nearby Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Hudson Hall honors Melville's legacy and Hudson's fascinating history as a whaling town with a series of theater, talks, spoken word, and music.

THE HISTORY OF HUDSON'S MERCHANTS & WHALERS

A talk by Carl Whitbeck, Jr.

Thursday, October 17, 6pm
Hudson Area Library, 51 N 5th Street, Hudson
Free, reservations encouraged

Presented in partnership with the Hudson Area Library's Local History Speaker series, this fascinating talk covers the history of commerce in Hudson from the time of its inception as a city in 1785 to the present day. Mr. Whitbeck, a local resident whose family has deep roots in the area, will be displaying and discussing items from his own extensive local history collection.

CALL ME ISHMAEL
A STORY OF EXPLOITATION

Friday, August 2, 8pm
Second Ward Foundation, 71 North 3rd Street, Hudson
Tickets, $10

Conceived and performed by Shanekia McIntosh
Original Sound Design by Chris Garneau
Visuals by Rebecca Borrer

After Party DJs: Mostly Girls

Expanding on the narrative themes of Moby Dick and the start of modern environmentalism, Call Me Ishmael is a collaborative performance piece utilizing poetry, video and sound. This one-woman performance uncovers a historical through line connecting the brutality of the whaling industry, the black migration experience, and the birth of the Save the Whales movement, giving voice to the stories from the frontline of modern-day environmental conditions - those of exploitation, disenfranchisement and convenience.

MOBY DICK

By Herman Melville

Friday, October 4, 7pm
Saturday, October 5, 7pm
Sunday, October 6, 5pm
Running time: 105 min without intermission
Tickets: $35

Adapted for the stage by
Judy Hegarty Lovett and Conor Lovett, Gare St Lazare Ireland
Directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett
Performed by Conor Lovett
Musical accompaniment by Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh
on the hardanger d'Amore fiddle
Lighting Design by Aedin Cosgrove
Produced by Maura O'Keeffe

A work of immense detail, charismatic characters and revenge, Gare St Lazare Ireland's adaptation compresses Melville's epic novel into a daringly original production directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett. Hailed by the Irish Times as a brilliant "distillation of Melville's genius," starring the acclaimed Irish actor Conor Lovett and with live musical accompaniment by 10-string fiddler Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh, this unforgettable one-man show makes Moby Dick as relevant today as when it was written.

MOVABLE FEAST

Saturday, September 21, 2019
6pm cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, 7:30pm dinner

Tickets:
$100 Movable Feast Tickets

$150 Movable Feast "Locavore" Tickets
(includes 6 Winner-Take-All "For the Foodie" Raffle tickets)

$250 Movable Feast "Omnivore" Tickets
(includes 15 Winner-Take-All "For the Foodie" Raffle tickets)

Dreaming of dining in some of Hudson's most beautiful homes and shops? Or are you a consummate host who delights in meeting new people? Tickets regularly sell out to this popular evening of delectable drinks, delightful food, and fascinating people, so reserve your seat at a table now or join our list of dinner hosts for this year's Movable Feast, all to benefit Hudson Hall.

WINTER WALK

Hudson's largest, liveliest and most colorful event of the year!

Saturday, December 7, 5 - 8pm

A cherished Hudson tradition, Winter Walk lights up the early December night once more with stunning storefront displays, roaming carolers, Mr. & Mrs. Claus, street performers, and a magical firework display from the Hudson River. In its 23rd year, the 2019 Winter Walk is the perfect way to celebrate and support the creative economy re-energizing Hudson. So layer up and join our radiant community for a night of warm hearts and festive cheer!

Major Support thanks to the City of Hudson, Columbia Economic Development Corporation, Taconic Biosciences, Harney & Sons Tea, WellNow Urgent Care, and The Upstate Coalition for a Fair Game.

RIP THE NUT

A festive, family pantomime conceived and choreographed by Adam H. Weinert

Winter Walk, on the Main Stage at Hudson Hall
3 performances from 5:15 - 7:45pm
Free and open to the public

Choreographer Adam H. Weinert's RIP THE NUT is a pantomime-style, Hudson Valley-inspired mash-up of the Rip Van Winkle story and Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite. Dancers Brett Perry, Davon Rainey, JM Tate and Michele Mola join Weinert, the young students of Hudson Hall's youth workshops and a host of community partners for three enchanting performances filled with music, dance, comedy, slapstick, and that special, only-at-Winter-Walk charm.

KWANZAA

Umoja Community Celebration

Saturday, December 21, 4pm
Doors open 3:30pm
Free and open to the public

Presented in partnership with Operation Unite NY, come celebrate African-American culture and unity with friends and family. Join us for an afternoon of arts and crafts for children, dancing, drumming, a candle-lighting ceremony, and the sharing of Nguzo Saba, the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

EXHIBITIONS

TEMA STAUFFER: UPSTATE

August 10 - September 29, 2019
Opening reception with the artist: Saturday, August 10, 5-7pm

Combining poetry with realism, Tema Stauffer's UPSTATE is a series of color photographs exploring urban and rural environments and relics in or around Hudson, New York. The images express a quiet beauty and mystery in the vernacular architecture and artifacts of the region, and its shifting economic realities over time.

UPSTATE, a catalog of photographs by Tema Stauffer and essays by Xhenet Aliu and Alison Nordström accompanies the exhibition.

MERCE CUNNINGHAM: PASSING TIME

Photographs by Stephanie Berger and JAMES KLOSTY

Through August 4, 2019

Featuring James Klosty's black and white photographs of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company's early years (1969-1972) and Stephanie Berger's color-saturated photographs from the final years of the last company of dancers from MCDC (1996-2011), Passing Time gives viewers a lens into Cunningham's groundbreaking genius.

LIGHTFIELD FESTIVAL

Curated by Anna Van Lenten

October 12 - December 21, 2019
Opening reception: Saturday, October 12, 5-7pm

Celebrating its third year at Hudson Hall, the 2019 LightField Festival focuses on the Hudson River Valley and climate change. The exhibition includes new commissions and existing landscape photography, mid-19th century Hudson River Art painting, and data visualizations about tree ring science. The Festival aims to treat landscape not as wall decoration but as an event brimming with imaginative responses to the tensions of our time.

Artists include Sarah Bird, Tim Davis, Christopher Griffith, Tanya Marcuse, and Laura Plageman, with more to be announced, and work from LightField's Annual Young Photographers Workshop. See www.lightfield.vu for more information.

MUSIC

A SUMMER EVENING WITH Natalie Merchant

Friday, August 9, 8pm
Tickets: $45

"I've reached a point in my career of wanting unique experiences on tour, of not settling for the predictable routing and venues. Last July, Erik and I had a very pleasant experience touring the United Kingdom as an acoustic duo. This summer, we've decided to do a tour of New England following the same format as last year, steering clear of big cities and playing unique and intimate venues in small, picturesque towns. We're looking forward to seeing the rocky coast of Maine, the green rolling hills of Vermont, the historic village squares and white steepled churches of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut. I imagine we will meet many locals and visitors seeking the same sort of experience that we are, and I expect the audiences and the setting will inspire us." - Natalie Merchant

HUDSON JAZZ WORKSHOP CONCERT

Sunday, August 11, 4pm
Tickets: $20 general admission, $16 for members and seniors
Free for students 18 and under

Now in its 13th year, pianist Armen Donelian and saxophonist Marc Mommaas' immersive Hudson Jazz Workshop culminates with a concert at Hudson Hall featuring renowned saxophonist Billy Drewes as guest artist. Drewes performs with Donelian and Mommaas alongside an international line-up of workshop musicians performing original new works created during the workshop process.

CATSKILL JAZZ FACTORY PRESENTS

THE SPIRIT OF HARLEM

Saturday, August 24, 7pm
Tickets: $25 Patron, $40 Premium

Dominick Farinacci, trumpet
Patrick Bartley Jr., saxophone
Russell Hall, bass
Shenel Johns, vocals
Michela Marino Lerman, tap percussion
Mathis Picard, piano
Kyle Poole, drums
Christian Tamburr, percussion
Narration by Orland Watson

Drawing on Harlem's rich musical past and featuring some of today's hottest jazz stars, take a journey on the A Train to Minton's Playhouse and Carnegie Hall, paying homage to Duke Ellington, James P. Johnson, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, and Charlie Parker along the way. Catch this outstanding octet before they head off to headline the New Generation festival in Florence, Italy with Catskill Jazz Factory.

THE Steven Feifke BIG BAND
STANDARDS OLD, NEW & BLUE

Saturday, November 16, 7pm
Tickets: $25 Patron, $35 Premium

A fixture on NYC jazz scene since its inception, The Steven Feifke Big Band heads up the Hudson to deliver a night of selections from Feifke's library of original and arranged works for his 17-piece big band.

Dan Tepfer
NATURAL MACHINES

Saturday, December 14, 7pm
Tickets: $25 Patron, $40 Premium

"Tepfer's work is a modern update of what Eno dubbed 'generative music'" - The New Yorker

Described by New York Magazine as "one of the moment's most adventurous and relevant musicians," MacDowell Fellow Dan Tepfer is changing the definition of what a musical instrument can be. Tepfer explores the intersection between the natural and mechanical by programming a Yamaha Disklavier to respond in real time to the music he improvises at the piano, while another program turns the music into stunning, animated visual art.

CLARION CONCERTS PRESENTS:
XAVIER FOLEY

Sunday, September 15, 3pm
Tickets: $25 Patron, $35 Premium

"Unforgettable was double bassist Xavier Foley's wrenching solo, which barreled with cadenza-like vitality into a ferocious finish." - The Cornell Daily Sun

The winner of 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant, double bassist Xavier Foley has captivated audiences with his "superbly executed performances" (Splash Magazine). At only 24-years old, he has already appeared as a soloist with the Atlanta Symphony, Nashville Symphony, the Brevard Concert Orchestra, the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, and with the Sphinx Virtuosi, both in Carnegie Hall and on a national tour. Foley plays Schubert, Mozart, Khaleghi, and Gliere, plus a new work commissioned by Clarion Concerts.

HAIT-TING CHINN
SCIENCE FAIR: AN OPERA WITH EXPERIMENTS

Saturday, October 26, 7pm
Tickets: $25 Patron, $35 Premium

An opera singer's love-song to science.

Conceived and performed by mezzo-soprano Hai-Ting Chinn, Science Fair uses physical demonstrations and experiments, a libretto created from the words of scientists, and original music to illuminate our current understanding of the natural world. Celebrating curiosities like the formation of our solar system, the structure of the atom, and the ancient legacy of DNA, Science Fair pairs light-hearted humor with luscious operatic vocals to uplift the ordinary into the realm of wonder.

THE ORCHESTRA NOW
RAVEL, MOZART & "MIDSUMMER"

Conducted by Zac Schwartzman

Sunday, November 24, 3pm
Free, reservations encouraged

Mendelssohn Selections from A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ravel Le tombeau de Couperin
Mozart Symphony No. 39

T?N's resident conductor, Zachary Schwartzman, leads the orchestra in selections from Mendelssohn's score for a Shakespeare classic, Ravel's tribute to composer François Couperin, and one of Mozart's final symphonies, his 39th.

BROOKLYN RAGA MASSIVE & GO: ORGANIC ORCHESTRA

Saturday, November 2, 7pm
Tickets: $30 in advance, $35 at the door

"This was certainly one of the year's most ecstatic performances - in any city, any festival, anywhere." - All About Jazz

Brooklyn Raga Massive has been making waves for its role in instigating what the New York Times, New Yorker, and Wall Street Journal have called a "Raga Renaissance," and the Go: Organic Orchestra with Adam Rudolph has been pushing musicians such as Yusef Lateef, Bennie Maupin, Don Cherry, Sam Rivers, Pharaoh Sanders, and L. Shankar.

This ambitious project brings together Brooklyn Raga Massive and Go: Organic Orchestra into a synergistic exploration of raga, India's classical music and contemporary creative music. Rudolph's hypnotic polyrhythmic explorations propel a spontaneously conducted group of over 20 musicians including legends of the African-American creative music, such as Hamid Drake and Gnawa master musician, Hassan Hakmoun.

BOOK LAUNCH

EUGENIA ZUKERMAN: LIKE FALLING THROUGH A CLOUD
BOOK LAUNCH

Sunday, November 10, 3pm
Free, reservations recommended

"If there is any writer who might reawaken your love of poetry, it's Eugenia Zukerman." - Alec Baldwin

Published to coincide with Alzheimer's Awareness Month, Like Falling Through a Cloud is an intimate, courageous, heartbreaking, lyrical, and uplifting account of acclaimed flutist, published novelist, and television commentator Eugenia Zukerman's struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Join Eugenia for a book launch and Q&A with Executive Director and CEO of the Northeastern New York Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, Elizabeth Smith-Bovin.

FAMILY EVENTS

HUDSON HALLOWEEN

Sunday, October 27, 2019
2 - 4pm: Trick or Treat on Warren Street
4pm: Gather at 7th Street Park for Parade to the Costume Contest at Hudson Hall

Free, open to the public. Rain or shine!

Grab those fairy wands, superhero capes and werewolf teeth for a howwwwling good Halloween in Hudson! Trick or Treat along Warren Street before joining in the Halloween parade to the annual Costume Contest, held this year at Hudson Hall.

The Hudson Halloween Parade and Trick or Treat is made possible every year by the generous support of the City of Hudson, along with donations from local businesses.

LAYER THE WALLS

Thursday, October 10, 9:30am and 12:15pm
Free, Open to Hudson City School District students
Tickets available to the public by reservation

Created and performed by Liz Parker & Rachel Sullivan
Directed by Elise Thoron

In this original children's show, Liz Parker and Hudson native Rachel Sullivan use puppetry, masks and toys to dramatize the immigrant stories hidden in the layers of an old New York City tenement building's wallpaper.

This engagement of Layer The Walls is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS FOR YOUTH

COLUMBIA LAND CONSERVANCY NATURE EXPLORERS

August 12, 14 & 16 (Mon, Wed, Fri), 9am - 12pm
Ages 8-12
Free. Space is limited. Email hello@hudsonhall.org to register.

Become a Nature Explorer with the CLC as we explore two Public Conservation Areas and collect specimens to create your own art to take home!

HUDSON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB

Wednesdays, 5:30 - 7pm
Through August 21, resumes September 18
Ages 8 - 23
Free

In partnership with the Hudson City School District, students read a variety of award-winning books together with teacher Ellen Heummer over the course of the season. Free copies of books are provided to every student. This summer, the group will be reading The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett.

BILLY'S DANCE MOVES & MORE

Montgomery C. Smith Elementary School
Wednesdays, 3:00 - 4:30pm
September 11 - November 6
Grades 3 - 5
Free. For students enrolled in the Hudson City School District After School Program

Led by Bill Blowers, students learn dance techniques with an emphasis on cheers, chants, and pop music routines.

BINDLESTIFF CIRKUS AFTERSCHOOL

Grades 3 - 5
Free. Space is limited. Email hello@hudsonhall.org to register. In association with the Hudson Bluehawk Nation After School Program

Session 1 at Hudson Hall
Thursdays, 3:15 - 4:30pm
September 12 - November 7

Session 2 at Hudson Youth Center, 18 S 3rd St, Hudson
Mondays, 3:00 - 4:30pm
Nov 18 - Jan 31 (no class 12/23, 12/30, and 1/20)

Learn to juggle, spin a diabolo, use stilts, spin plates, and practice tumbling, acrobatic balance and more with Amy Chen and NaQuera Zhane Roach from Hudson's very own Bindlestiff family Cirkus.

KUUMBA DANCE & DRUM

Saturdays, October 26 - December 14 (no class 11/9 and 12/7)

African Drum Instruction: 10:30am - 11:30am
Bring a drum or share one of Kuumba's. For teens and adults.
Ages 12-18 free; adults $5

Family African Dance: 11:45am - 1pm
Ages 12 - 18 free; adults $5

Community Drum Circle
Saturday, October 12, 1 - 2:30pm
Pocket Park at 328 Warren Street* (directly across from Hudson Hall)
Free and open to the public

*In the event of inclement weather, the workshop will take place at Hudson Hall

Hudson Hall is a cultural beacon in the Hudson Valley, offering a dynamic year-round schedule of music, theater, dance, literature, workshops for youth and adults, as well as family programs and large-scale community events such as Winter Walk. Located in a historic landmark that houses New York State's oldest surviving theater, Hudson Hall underwent a full restoration and reopened to the public in April 2017 for the first time in over 55 years. The newly restored Hudson Hall reflects Hudson's rich history in a modern facility that welcomes residents and visitors from throughout our local community, across the nation, and around the globe.

Hudson Hall programs are supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.