Gallery Lev Shalem in Woodstock presents children’s art show
The work being shown right now at Gallery Lev Shalem is more than just a children’s art show; it’s an expression of their personal sacred spaces. The artwork is by children of the Children of the Family School of the Woodstock Jewish Congregation’s Makom Kodesh Project. The opening reception takes place this Sunday, May 3 from 12 noon to 2 p.m., and the exhibit runs through May 25. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Gallery Lev Shalem is located at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation at 1682 Glasco Turnpike in Woodstock. For more information, call (845) 679-2218 or visit www.facebook.com/gallerylevshalem.
TUESDAY, MAY 5
Athletic Recruit Day at SUNY-Ulster
For those of you with family members interested in learning more about pursuing athletics while studying at SUNY-Ulster, Athletic Recruit Day takes place on Tuesday, May 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Senate Gymnasium at the college. Speakers include the director of admissions, college athletic director and head and assistant coaches for the men’s and women’s programs.
SUNY-Ulster is located at 491 Cottekill Road in Stone Ridge. For more information, call (845) 687-5000 or visit www.sunyulster.edu.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6
Acapellooza concert at Bethel Woods
I like smart, clever arrangements of a cappella music – performances where the musicians sing without using instruments – so I was delighted to discover a student Acapellooza concert taking place this Wednesday, May 6 at 7 p.m. at the Event Gallery at Bethel Woods. Performers include the Eldred Central School District’s Eldred Key Elements; the Roscoe Central School District’s Ros-ca-ppella; and the Cornwall Central School District’s all-male ensemble, Treble in Paradise, and all-female ensemble, the Love Notes.
Admission is a suggested donation of $5, which goes to local charities. Bethel Woods is located at 200 Hurd Road in Bethel. For more information, call (845) 456-1100, extension 5027, or e-mail glodichj@eldredcsd.org.
Trans* Allyship workshop at LGBTQ Center in Kingston
For anyone who wants to learn to be a better ally to trans* individuals and communities, check out the Trans* Allyship workshop taking place this Wednesday, May 6 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Center. This workshop is free and open to the public and covers some transgender basics, but is mostly about supporting trans* people.
The use of trans* (with an asterisk) represents people of transgender experience and all other gender non-conforming identities. The Hudson Valley LGBTQ Center is located at 300 Wall Street in Kingston. For more information, call (845) 331-5300 or visit https://lgbtqcenter.org/trans-allyship.
THURSDAY, MAY 7
Playback Theatre with an Earth theme at Deyo Hall in New Paltz
Earth Day was marked with multigenerational litter cleanups, trail maintenance and tree-plantings, so how about a fresh way to connect to each other and our Earth: sharing personal stories around environmental themes? On Thursday, May 7 at 8 p.m. at Deyo Hall, next to the Rail Trail, schoolaged children and adults of all ages are invited to Earth Calling, an event hosted by the Hudson River Playback Theatre (HRPT). Audience members share experiences, thoughts and feelings, and the HRPT troupe brings the stories to life through movement, dialogue and music.
Earth Calling is open to the public and admission is by donation. Deyo Hall is located at 6 Broadhead Avenue in New Paltz, off Huguenot Street. For more information, visit www.hudsonriverplayback.org.
Learn about youth exchange student program at Italian Center in Poughkeepsie
Want to spark your teen’s curiosity about being a foreign exchange student? Or to consider hosting one for three or four months? On Thursday, May 7 at 7 p.m., you can meet Edoardo Filigheddu, a Sardinian youth exchange student from Italy studying at Arlington High School in LaGrange. The meeting takes place in the History Room at the Italian Center, located at 227 Mill Street in Poughkeepsie.
Edoardo will share information about his home in Sardinia, his experiences as a youth exchange student and how this year has influenced his life. For more information, visit www.nido-us.org.
The Fantasticks at the CIA
Have you heard? You can see Half Moon Theatre’s professional production of The Fantasticks right here in the Hudson Valley, in a brand-new performance space, with your kids, and for a fraction of the cost of seeing it in New York City! The Fantasticks is the world’s longest-running musical, and it’s one of the most frequently produced musicals in the world. It has a place in our American arts and culture. And now, it’s right in our own community. I encourage families to take their children and teens and their friends to see The Fantasticks by Half Moon Theatre at the newly constructed Marriott Pavilion at the Culinary Institute of America.
The Fantasticks is considered a good first musical for children. The storyline lends itself to all ages and comes from a childlike and magical place. The orchestra consists of two main instruments: harp and piano, and my daughter and I delighted in listening to the twinkles of the harp as the harpist warmed up before it started. The set is very basic, not overwhelming, and there are only eight performers, so the story felt more intimate than with a large cast and busy scenery. My daughter especially enjoyed the comical traveling actors in the play, Henry and Mortimer, and the show’s songs, with memorable lines such as “Why did the kids pour jam on the cat?” And the length of the show is a manageable two hours and five minutes, including intermission.
Teens will feel the romance between Luisa and Matt, the tensions with their respective fathers and the complications that go along with young love, along with life lessons and the shifts within the characters as they grow up. Parents will no doubt relate to the simplicity and relief of “Plant a radish/Get a radish,” a stark contrast to the surprising twists and turns that come along when raising children and the great efforts involved in trying to understand who they are.
As far as the venue itself, it’s wonderful, and I definitely look forward to seeing more Half Moon Theatre performances here at the Marriott Pavilion. The parking is very easy, and there are no steps to enter the Marriott Pavilion. Once inside, you choose between the stairs and an elevator to get to the main entrance to the auditorium. The auditorium seats are comfortable, with plenty of leg room.
While my daughter and I waited for the show to begin, we enjoyed looking at the two huge food-themed painting reproductions on the walls, Summer and Vertumnus, by the 16th-century artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo, and figuring out which fruits and vegetables are being used to create the forms. And be sure to spend some time gazing at the 35-foot-long, eight-foot-high Gastrotypographicalassemblage art piece, hung downstairs where you come in.
One benefit of giving your kids the theater bug by attending a local, professional Half Moon Theatre performance is that they can actually study with Half Moon through its School of the Arts program in Poughkeepsie, such as the Teen Audition workshop on May 12 and 19. You can also attend – or your third-through-12th-grader could possibly perform in – the upcoming Half Moon Theatre Kids’ Cabaret, with theater students and other young performers singing Broadway show tunes, standards and pop songs, as well as local kid bands who write their own material, taking place on Saturday, May 9 at 1 p.m. at Half Moon’s Black Box Theatre on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie.
The Fantasticks takes place on Friday and Saturday, May 1 and 2 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 3 at 2 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, May 8 and 9 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, May 10 at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for children under age 18, $35 for seniors and matinees and $40 general admission for evening performances. To make reservations for dinner before the show on Friday or Saturday, e-mail ciarestaurantgroup@culinary.edu or call (845) 905-4533 (all restaurants are closed on Sunday).
The Culinary Institute of America is located at 1946 Campus Drive (Route 9) in Hyde Park. For tickets or more information, call (845) 235-9885 or visit https://halfmoontheatre.org.
Coming up
Sing along with the Muppet Movie at Sugar Loaf
How many times do you compare today’s family television shows to the ones that you grew up with? Surely the Muppets get a nostalgic reference during those “We only had three channels!” conversations. Help the next generation cultivate its own kinship with Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo and the rest by brushing up on your “Rainbow Connection” and attending Heather Henson’s “Sing along with The Muppet Movie.”
Henson shares, “Singalongs allow me to connect with the work of my father. I can work with my Dad’s material. I can put a new spin on it, but it’s still his stuff, intact. And it gives me an opportunity to watch them and over again!”
During the movie, families are encouraged to yell out famous lines, blow bubbles, dance in the aisles and sing along with the IBEX Puppetry Sing Along Crew to this 1979 film that’s even listed in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” My daughter and I just discovered this performance space, and we can’t wait to go back!
“Sing along with The Muppet Movie” takes place on Friday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center. This cost is $15 to $20 and includes a goodie bag for each attendee. The Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center is located at 1351 King’s Highway in Sugar Loaf. For tickets or more information, call (800) 745-3000 or visit https://tinyurl.com/muppetmoviesingalongatslpac.
Autism workshops at Center for Spectrum Services in Kingston
This list of May workshops offered by the Center for Spectrum Services sounds ideal for families, friends, educators, coaches and caregivers: “Enhancing Communication through Play and Natural Context” on Thursday, May 7 from 4 to 7 p.m.; “The Wisdom of Sensory Processing and Visual Learning Strategies” on Wednesday, May 13 from 4 to 7 p.m.; and “Using Verbal Behavioral (VB) Strategies to Enhance Learning and Improve Behavior” on Thursday, May 21 from 4 to 7 p.m. Workshops are free for family members of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their respite providers; and $40 for per workshop, or $100 for all three, for other interested professionals and paraprofessionals.
The Center for Spectrum Services is located at 70 Kukuk Lane in Kingston. For more information or to register, call (845) 336-2616 extension 110, e-mail kbark@centerforspectrumservices.org or visit https://centerforspectrumservices.org. To learn about the workshop presenters, visit https://centerforspectrumservices.org/images/pdf/spring_2015_bios.pdf.
Erica Chase-Salerno geocaches in New Paltz, along with her husband, Mike, and their two children: the inspirations behind hudsonvalleyparents.com. She can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.
Join the family! 
