The Fisher Center at Bard Reveals SummerScape 2026’s Spiegeltent Programming
The season will feature Martha Redbone: Guardian Spirit: The Words of bell hooks, Justin Vivian Bond, BenDeLaCreme and more.
The Fisher Center at Bard has revealed its SummerScape 2026’s Spiegeltent programming, June 26 – August 15. Curated by Jason Collins, the Spiegeltent programming will showcase a blend of music, comedy, and cabaret, creating an inclusive gathering place for live performance, dancing, drinks, dining, and revelry all summer long in the idyllic Hudson Valley. The season will again be emceed by Adrienne Truscott, who also returns with a headlining show on July 24.
One work, Martha Redbone’s Guardian Spirit: The Words of bell hooks, is a co-commission of Fisher Center LAB and Apollo Theater. The artist, whose powerful music has become a Spiegeltent pillar, will come to the Fisher Center for a developmental residency leading up to performances of this new multidisciplinary musical celebration of bell hooks (July 11 & 12). Expanding the Fisher Center’s engagement with a vast range of artists, this year also features 14 Spiegeltent debut performances.
The program also includes:
Underground System kicks off the Spiegeltent season with a night of New York eclecticism combining Afrobeat, dance punk, disco, and electronic music, June 26.
A standup set from James Austin Johnson, known for his Donald Trump impression, June 27.
Tray Wellington Band returns to the Spiegeltent with another concert blending banjo-led virtuosity with intricate rhythms, improvisation, and a modern sonic palette that pushes the boundaries of acoustic music, July 3.
Chanel Ali brings her one-person comedy show Relative Stranger, equal parts humor, heartbreak, and healing, July 17.
Samora Pinderhughes performs an evening of song continuing his ongoing The Healing Project, July 18.
Comedian and performance artist Adrienne Truscott and drag artist Le Gateau Chocolat collaborate on Grey Arias, where comic banter turns personal, political debates erupt, and grey areas (and arias) are exposed, July 24.
Jacqueline Novak brings her 2026 tour to the Spiegeltent, July 25.
Grammy-nominated American Patchwork Quartet, whose style mirrors America’s cultural mosaic, performs in concert, July 31.
Singer-songwriter and Kingston local Al Olender performs songs from her second full-length album The Worrier, August 1.
Justin Vivian Bond presents a Heated Rivalry-themed cabaret, Heated Revelry, August 7–9.
BenDeLaCreme appears in her most candidly personal work yet, August 14–15.
On Thursdays, the Bluegrass on Hudson series celebrates the contemporary bluegrass and roots music of America. Guest-curated by Ruth Oxenberg and Rob Schumer, it features concerts from The Fretliners (July 2), The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project (July 16), Darol Anger and Bruce Molsky (July 23), Kittel & Co. (July 30), The Onlies (August 6), and Big Richard (August 13).
A marvel of engineering derived from a beloved nineteenth-century Belgian tradition, the Spiegeltent is a glittering, majestic mirrored pavilion with an interior of carved wood surfaces, parquet floor, beveled mirrors, stained-glass windows, and sumptuous velvet canopies. Since 2006, it has enchanted guests with boundary-breaking and entertaining performances in the Fisher Center’s awe-inspiring setting.
On Fridays and Saturdays, for patrons 21 and up, the Spiegeltent festivities continue long after performances end with Spiegeltent After Hours; the space remains open until 12:30 am, with dancing, DJs, and food and drink at the Spiegeltent Garden Bar.
Spiegeltent programming is part of Bard SummerScape 2026, which runs June 25 – August 16, with seven weeks of music, opera, dance, and theater. SummerScape serves as an incubator for adventurous works that often go on to have extended lives and make significant impacts on the performance landscape in New York and around the country and world. This year, in addition to Spiegeltent offerings, it includes the world premiere of Suddenly Last Summer, a new opera by Courtney Bryan, with libretto by Gideon Lester and Daniel Fish, based on the Tennessee Williams seldom performed play of the same name, and directed by Fish (June 25 – July 19); a program of premiere and revived works from celebrated choreographer Lucinda Childs, Lucinda Childs: Momentary Reprise (June 26–28); a rare staging of Richard Strauss’s opera The Egyptian Helen, with a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, directed by Christian Räth, with the American Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leon Botstein (July 24 – August 2); and the 36th Bard Music Festival: Mozart and His World (August 7–16).
Underground System
Friday, June 26 at 8 pm
Underground System is a shape-shifting, larger-than-life force in New York City's dance music scene, fusing Afrobeat, punk, and disco into a sound that’s as unpredictable as it is infectious. The band’s debut LP, What Are You, earned cult status for its David Byrne meets Soulwax energy and propelled them onto global stages like Eurockéennes and Fusion Festival. Led by Domenica—returning to Bard SummerScape after playing flute for Illinoise in 2023—Underground System launches the Spiegeltent season with an unforgettable night of exuberant dance music that blooms out into countless directions.
James Austin Johnson
Saturday, June 27 at 8 pm
Comedian and actor James Austin Johnson makes his Spiegeltent debut with a stand-up set showcasing the sharp wit and chameleonic impression skills that have made him one of today’s most exciting comedians. Named one of SNL’s most versatile celebrity impressionists, Johnson is widely recognized for his portrayal of Donald Trump and is currently in his fourth season as a cast member on the show. Fresh off appearances in film (A Complete Unknown, Inside Out 2), television (Barry, Better Call Saul), and podcasting, Johnson brings a bold, unpredictable night of comedy to the Spiegeltent.
Tray Wellington Band
Friday, July 3 at 8 pm
The Tray Wellington Band returns to the Spiegeltent with a forward-looking, high-energy performance that pushes the boundaries of acoustic music. Led by virtuosic banjo player Tray Wellington—winner of the Steve Martin Banjo Award and an International Bluegrass Music Association Award—the ensemble brings his compositions to life through rich instrumentation and inventive arrangements. Highly original and unconcerned with tradition, the Tray Wellington Band seamlessly fuses folk, bluegrass, jazz, and contemporary roots music into a thrilling, singular experience.
Martha Redbone: Guardian Spirit: The Words of bell hooks
Friday, July 11 at 8 pm
Saturday, July 12 at 8 pm
Artist, composer, vocalist, and Spiegeltent favorite Martha Redbone returns to Bard SummerScape with a musical celebration of the words and legacy of bell hooks. In this developmental work-in-process, Redbone and longtime musical collaborator Aaron Whitby embark on a multidisciplinary musical exploration of bell hooks’s landmark poetry collection, Appalachian Elegy: Poetry and Place. Known for their powerful and award-winning settings of poets Ntozake Shange in for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf and William Blake on the album The Garden of Love: Songs of William Blake, Redbone and Whitby channel bell hooks’s meditative, confessional, and political lyricism into a genre-defying soundscape that echoes the spirit of her Kentucky roots and heritage she shares with Redbone.
Guardian Spirit: The Words of bell hooks is a co-commission by the Apollo Theater and Fisher Center LAB, the Fisher Center’s artist residency and commissioning program, and includes a developmental residency leading up to performances. The presentation is co-presented with the Center for Indigenous Studies at Bard College and supported by the New York State Council on the Arts.
Chanel Ali: Relative Stranger
Friday, July 17 at 8 pm
Comedian Chanel Ali returns to the Spiegeltent with Relative Stranger, a triumphant comedy that blends the chaos of identity, family, and survival into a bold, hilariously raw theatrical event. Equal parts humor, heartbreak, and healing, the show details Ali’s tumultuous foster care childhood, her mother’s struggle with schizophrenia, and a court-ordered paternity test that led her to meet her father at age 18. A later DNA test revealed a previously unknown brother, deepening the story’s exploration of identity, accountability, and family.
The evening opens with TaTa Sherise, whose stand-up set brings signature charm, humor, and physical comedy.
Samora Pinderhughes: The Healing Project
Saturday, July 18 at 8 pm
Composer, pianist, vocalist, and activist Samora Pinderhughes makes his Spiegeltent debut with a powerful evening of song. Known for striking intimacy and carefully crafted, radically honest lyrics alongside high-level musicianship, Pinderhughes is widely recognized as one of the most affecting singer-songwriters working today. His accolades include being the first-ever Art for Justice + Soros Justice Fellow, a United States Artist Fellow, and a recipient of Chamber Music America’s Visionary Award, among others.
Adrienne Truscott and Le Gateau Chocolat: Grey Arias
Friday, July 24 at 8 pm
Adrienne Truscott and Le Gateau Chocolat—two multi-award-winning artists—collaborate on Grey Arias, a performance that explores identity, politics, and friendship through humor and music. As their comical banter turns personal, political debates erupt and boundaries blur. Featuring musical numbers that span Madame Butterfly to Annie, the show interrogates the complexities of identity and allyship while embracing theatrical spectacle and provocation.
Jacqueline Novak: 2026 Tour
Saturday, July 25 at 8 pm
Comedian and writer Jacqueline Novak brings her 2026 tour to the Spiegeltent. Her solo show Get On Your Knees sold out major New York runs and now streams on Netflix, earning an Emmy nomination. Novak co-hosts the podcast Poog with Kate Berlant and is a regular on Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show. Her memoir, How to Weep in Public, marks its tenth anniversary this year.
American Patchwork Quartet
Friday, July 31 at 8 pm
Making their Spiegeltent debut, the Grammy-nominated American Patchwork Quartet blends American folk traditions with jazz, country, West African, and East Asian influences. Their music reflects a deliberately crafted homage to America’s past while showcasing its evolving cultural identity, offering a deeply resonant and richly textured live experience.
Al Olender: The Worrier
Saturday, August 1 at 8 pm
Singer-songwriter and Kingston local Al Olender makes her Spiegeltent debut performing songs from her album The Worrier. Exploring themes of anxiety, sexuality, and change, Olender’s acoustic, blues-tinged melodies capture fleeting moments of beauty and emotional complexity with sincerity and nuance.
Justin Vivian Bond: Heated Revelry
Friday, August 7 at 8 pm
Saturday, August 8 at 8 pm
Sunday, August 9 at 7 pm
Justin Vivian Bond presents Heated Revelry, a cabaret infused with music, humor, and theatrical flair. Joined by her band, Bond delivers an evening of songs drawn from the Heated Rivalry soundtrack and beyond, blending irreverence, intimacy, and bold performance.
BenDeLaCreme
Friday, August 14 at 8 pm
Saturday, August 15 at 8 pm
Drag storyteller BenDeLaCreme brings her most candid personal work yet to the Spiegeltent. Known for acclaimed multimedia solo works and camp productions, DeLa strips back the spectacle for an intimate evening of storytelling, humor, and reflection, exploring vulnerability and identity through her signature theatrical style.
Bluegrass on Hudson
About the Series
A series celebrating contemporary bluegrass and roots music, featuring the next generation of artists carrying the tradition forward. Returning for its fourth season, Bluegrass on Hudson is guest curated by Ruth Oxenberg and Rob Schumer.
The Fretliners
Thursday, July 2 at 7 pm
The Fretliners are known for their storytelling, powerful harmonies, and dynamic arrangements. Their music bridges tradition and innovation, earning acclaim following their wins at the Telluride Bluegrass and RockyGrass band competitions and the release of their debut album.
The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project
Thursday, July 16 at 7 pm
This ensemble brings newly discovered compositions by John Hartford to life. Featuring Sharon Gilchrist, Rachel Baiman, and Ella Korth, the group draws from Hartford’s handwritten notebooks, preserving and expanding his musical legacy.
Darol Anger and Bruce Molsky
Thursday, July 23 at 7 pm
Longtime collaborators Darol Anger and Bruce Molsky unite for an evening of inventive acoustic music, shaped by years of shared exploration and creative partnership.
Kittel & Co.
Thursday, July 30 at 7 pm
Led by violinist Jeremy Kittel, this ensemble blends classical, folk, jazz, and bluegrass influences into a sophisticated and dynamic sound. The group features some of the leading musicians in the contemporary acoustic scene.
The Onlies
Thursday, August 6 at 7 pm
The Onlies are a group of young musicians redefining old-time stringband music with bold arrangements and a fresh, energetic approach.
Big Richard
Thursday, August 13 at 7 pm
Big Richard delivers high-energy acoustic performances combining instrumental virtuosity, humor, and emotionally charged songwriting.
Spiegeltent After Hours
Fridays and Saturdays, June 26 – August 15
Andy Monk of Queer Conspiracy hosts and co-curates the After Hours series, featuring a rotating lineup of DJs.
DJ Schedule
June 26 – Patrick Kyle
June 27 – Jams Bond
July 3 – Tikka Masala
July 10 – Brandon Wolcott
July 11 – Flared Bass
July 17 – Scotia
July 18 – Michael V
July 24 – Nath Ann Carrera and Tommi Calamari
July 25 – Bright Light Bright Light
July 31 – Tikka Masala
August 1 – Amber Valentine
August 7 and 8 – Sammy Jo
August 14 – PrettyWoman
August 15 – Kristill Avalanche
$15 in advance; $18 at the door or free with same-day ticket to any performance.
Entry available from 10:30 pm – 12 am; Spiegeltent closes at 12:30 am.
Open to patrons age 21 and up.
Note: There will be no performances or After Hours on Saturday, July 4.
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