For a song and a dance

The next two weeks feature several opportunities to hear a wide variety of music, from raucous Broadway tunes to Afro-American rhythms, including local artists sharing their talents. Add to that two dance events (one of which invites your participation), and you should be grooving to the beat.

Saucy puppets take over the Center for the Performing Arts (661 Rte. 308, Rhinebeck) in “Avenue Q,” which opens June 8 and runs through June 24. The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical comedy plays on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm. Tickets are $26 for adults, $24 for seniors. Call 845-876-3088 for more information.

Meet author Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya at Oblong Books and Music (6422 Montgomery St., Rhinebeck) on Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm. His latest novel, “The Watch,” takes the timeless tragedy of the Antigone myth and re-imagines it in present-day Afghanistan. The event is free; call 845-876-0500 for more information.

Experience a rich musical tradition: Unison Arts Center (68 Mt. Rest Rd., New Paltz) presents the Bethany & Rufus Quartet: Afro American Roots Music on Saturday, June 9, at 8pm. The quartet weaves together the sounds of Africa with Haitian vodou traditions and the folk music of America. Tickets are $14 for Unison members, $19 for non-members; $2 more at the door. Call 845-255-1559 or go to www.unisonarts.org for more information.

Kick up your heels: Jay Ungar & Molly Mason and Friends of Fiddle & Dance present the Woodstock 2nd Saturday monthly contradance on June 9 at 8pm. Peter Blue will be calling with music by Ungar & Mason at the Woodstock Community Center (56 Rock City Rd.). Admission is $10, $9 for members, and kids under 12 are half price. Call 845-246-2121 for more information

On their toes: Poughkeepsie City Ballet presents guest artists Lauren Fadeley (NYC Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet) as Odette-Odile and Francis Veyette (Pennsylvania Ballet principal) as Prince Siegfried in “Swan Lake.” At the Bardavon Opera House (35 Market St., Poughkeepsie) on Saturday, June 9, at 2 and 6:30pm. Students from New York Academy of Ballet join the professional dancers on stage, while Juan Cardona Jr. performs prior to the ballet on the Bardavon Wurlitzer Organ. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors and $10 for groups of 10 and more. Call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or the Bardavon box office at 845-473-2072.

Blasts from the past: See some sweet rides at the annual Antique Motorcycle and Machinery Show on Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9 at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds (Rte. 9, Rhinebeck) from 8am to 5pm. Club members get discounted admission: $10 for one day and $15 for two days. General admission is $15 for one day and $25 for two days. Call 845-876-4000 for more information.

A community celebration: Starr Library (68 West Market St., Rhinebeck) is hosting a Community Day party as a “thank you” for 150 years of support. Enjoy free entertainment and live, local musical talent on Saturday, June 9 from 11am to 3pm. Call 845-876-4030 for more information.

A multimedia show: Pete Buffett will perform at Bard College in the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, June 9 at 8 pm in a concert titled “Life Is What You Make It: A Concert and Conversation with Peter Buffett.” Tickets: $25, general admission; $15, seniors and students. Free for attendees of Strategies for a New Economy Conference. Fisher Center Box Office: 845-758-7900.

A celebrated singer-songwriter comes to town: Unison Arts Center (68 Mt. Rest Rd., New Paltz) presents “Jill Sobule: Irreverent But Never Irrelevant” on Friday, June 15 at 8 pm. Tickets are $17 for Unison members, $22 for non-members, and $2 more at the door. Call 845-255-1559 or go to www.unisonarts.org for more information.

Focus on all things local at the Farm, Food, and Music Festival: Clermont Country Farmers Market at Clermont State Historic Site (1 Clermont Rd., Germantown) on Friday, June 15 from 4 to 7:30pm. Enjoy locally farmed products and crafts, dinner fare and local music. Admission is free. Call 518-537-4240 for more information.

Facebook Comments

Enjoy having this local, independent, nonprofit news source? Help us keep reporting and become a member today. Already a member? Sign in to get rid of this notice.