Mary Poppins the Musical in Rhinebeck
Elliette Shavell as Jane Banks, Cedar Jay Novak as Michael Banks, and Kate Lori as Mary Poppins (photo by Ben Covert)
You’ve probably seen the original 1964 Disney movie Mary Poppins, and you may be eagerly awaiting the sequel due out in a month, Mary Poppins Returns, that will star Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda as the apparently immortal Mary and Bert. You may even have read the books by P. L. Travers on which the story is based. But have you ever seen it onstage, with full orchestration?
Mary Poppins the Musical comes to the Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck this weekend, courtesy of the Rhinebeck Theatre Society, and will run through December 9. Ellen Honig directs a cast that includes a trained aerialist, Kate Lori, in the title role, so we can expect some flying sequences!
Shows begin at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $27 general admission, $25 for seniors and students; and, for an extra $10 after the first three Sunday matinées, young audience members will have an opportunity to meet the practically perfect nanny onstage for tea and goodies from Samuel’s Sweet Shop. For reservations, call (845) 876-3080 or visit www.centerforperformingarts.org.
Mary Poppins
Nov. 16-Dec. 9
Friday/Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m.
$27/$25
Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck
661 Route 308
Rhinebeck
(845) 876-3080
www.centerforperformingarts.org
Puppy Day at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck
Oblong Books & Music in Rhinebeck hosts Puppy Day on Saturday, November 17. Dogs are welcome all day for canine special events. At noon, celebrated New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly, author of Be the Person Your Dog Thinks You Are, appears in the store. At 4 p.m., Ken Foster, author of City of Dogs: New York Dogs, Their Neighborhoods and the People Who Love Them, will present his heartfelt, funny and inspiring collection of photos and stories that maps the relationship between canine New Yorkers and their human counterparts. Representatives (both canine and human) from the Animal Farm Foundation and the New York City Department of Corrections will be on hand to show how they work together to make a positive impact in the lives of dogs and people through the PAWS of Purpose program at Rikers Island.
Puppy Day, Saturday, Nov. 17, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Oblong Books & Music, 6422 Montgomery St. (Route 9), Rhinebeck, (845) 876-0500, www.oblongbooks.com
Meet live animals at Civic Center
The invitation to “Meet a sloth!” this weekend, issued by Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo, is one of the highlights of the first annual Natural History Exhibition, being presented on November 17 and 18 at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center by the Foundation for Animal Rescue and Education and ZooAmerica, as well as the Canada-based exotic animal rescue sanctuary Little Ray’s. From 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, more than 30 live animal exhibits will be on view (and some available to pet), including a skunk, armadillo, porcupine, owls, falcon, hawk, snakes, tarantulas, tortoises, bunnies, ferrets…and yes, that sloth. Thirty-minute interactive educational presentations by naturalists will occur at 45-minute intervals all day both days.
This is a great opportunity for all kids to hang out with interesting animals, but a special time, from 9 to 10 a.m. each day, has been set aside for children with special needs to meet the critters in an environment that won’t be crowded or overstimulating. Admission to the Natural History Exhibition costs $14 general, $12 if you share the event on Facebook, $10 for each additional person for a party of four or more, and is free for tots under age 3. Tickets will be available at the door, or in advance at https://bit.ly/2T7wbyt.
Saturday/Sunday, Nov. 17/18
10 a.m-5 p.m.
$14/$12/$10
Mid-Hudson Civic Center
14 Civic Center Plaza
Poughkeepsie
https://bit.ly/2T7wbyt
Poughkeepsie Day School hosts Mini-Maker Faire
The Poughkeepsie Mini-Maker Faire takes over the Poughkeepsie Day School on Sunday, November 18. This fair comes with a powerful cultural agenda and exhortation: “Instead of being a consumer of technology,” the promoters write, become a ‘Maker.’ Whether you are a future computer programmer or engineer, an artist or musician, you can be part of the maker movement. This day lets you try your hand at robotics, kite-building, go-kart construction, electronics challenges and more.” This year, the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum will roll out the Young Makers’ Pavilion, featuring hands-on activities especially for children ages 3 to 10.
The Maker Faire originated in 2006 in the San Francisco Bay Area as a project of the editors of Make: magazine. It has since grown into a worldwide network of flagship and independently produced events.
Advance tickets cost $10.50 for adults, $8 for youth 3 to 18. Early-bird family passes (up to two adults and three children) cost $32. Day-of prices are slightly higher across the board.
Mini-Maker Faire, Sunday, Nov. 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., $32/$10.50/$8, Poughkeepsie Day School, 260 Boardman Rd., Poughkeepsie, (845) 462-7600, https://bit.ly/2zQS9gf
Join the family! 
