Proctors, Capital Repertory Theatre And Universal Preservation Hall To Present A Multitude Of Events In 2023

A tribute to the queen of soul, a dash of history and stories by a beloved children's author are all coming to Proctors Collaborative in 2023!

The Queen of Soul is coming to you with a concert experience like no other! Right Angle Entertainment, Maple Tree Entertainment and Quatro Entertainment proudly announce the cast of the North American debut of R.E.S.P.E.C.T., an electrifying tribute experience celebrating the legendary Aretha Franklin, is coming to Proctors in Schenectady 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 9, 2023.

In Saratoga Springs, Universal Preservation Hall has programming for all ages coming to the Great Hall. iTheatre Saratoga/AND Theatre company's acclaimed production stars Broadway veteran Jeff McCarthy as the legendary Kunstler-a self-described "radical lawyer" and civil rights activist. Famous for defending the Chicago Seven and his involvement at Attica and Wounded Knee, attorney William Kunstler had an outsized personality and a tremendous appetite for life. Jeffrey Sweet's play Kunstler, directed by Meagen Fey, will be in the Great Hall 8 p.m. Friday, February 3, 2023, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, February 4 and 2 p.m. Sunday, February 5. Joe and Justin, The Okee Dokee Brothers, record and perform family music with the goal to inspire children and their parents to step outside and get creative. They believe this can motivate kids to gain a greater respect for the natural world, their communities and themselves. They'll be in the Great Hall 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 31, 2023. Three beloved stories by Eric Carle, award-winning children's book illustrator and author, are retold on stage through the magic of black light and fanciful puppets in Eric Carle from Head to Toe with both an evening performance at 6 p.m. and a student matinee 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 26, 2023.

theREP is happy to host Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate NY in the second production of their 2022-2023 season, Knock Me A Kiss by Charles Smith, directed by Barbara Howard 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays as well as Thursday, November 3 and 4 p.m. and Sundays starting October 28 through November 6. Knock Me a Kiss is a fictional account based on actual events surrounding the marriage of W.E.B. Du Bois' daughter Yolande to one of Harlem's great poets, Countee Cullen.

Coming to all three venues in the Collaborative is Harriet Tells It Like It Is, by Karen Jones Meadows and directed by Margaret E. Hall. Travel back in time and journey north on the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tubman in this special adaptation. Harriet shares her story of bravery, resilience, and triumph as she fights for her freedom and the freedom of countless other African American slaves. Harriet Tells It Like It Is is coming to the Great Hall at UPH March 4, 2023, the GE Theatre at Proctors March 11, 2023, and the MainStage at theREP March 18, 2023, all at 11 a.m.