10 must-see summer shows in the Hudson Valley
Photo credit: Newsday File, 2010 / Arnold Miller | The Dave Matthews Band performs at the Nassau Coliseum. (Nov. 3, 2010)
Top Hudson Valley summer entertainment
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There’s no time like the summer to catch a show in the Hudson Valley, so we’re looking ahead to the best concerts and comedy performances heading this way with the warmer weather.
We’ve sifted through an impressive list of local shows and narrowed it down to 10 must-see events. Our picks are presented below in chronological order.
June 23: Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” featuring Bebe Neuwirth
Broadway and TV veteran Bebe Neuwirth will provide additional star power and theatrical prowess to the Caramoor International Music Festival’s opening night, a performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s interpretation of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Neuwirth (“Cheers,” “Chicago”) will read selections from the original play to provide context for the music that Mendelssohn started composing as a teenager and wrapped near the end of his life. Conducted by Roberto Abbado, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s will feature virtuoso Gil Shaham on violin.
When: 8:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23
Info: Venetian Theater, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, 149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; 914-232-1492; www.caramoor.org; $15-$90; tickets for the pre-show gala, which includes cocktails, dinner and prime seats for the show, start at $600.
June 30: Dave Matthews Band
This concert represents a Hudson Valley homecoming of sorts for Dave Matthews, who spent part of his childhood in Yorktown. The band, too, has returned to its roots to collaborate on its latest album with Steve Lillywhite, who produced DMB’s first three studio albums: “Under the Table and Dreaming,” “Crash” and “Before These Crowded Streets.” It’s a formula that’s worked for a band that has sold 17 million concert tickets and 37 million CDs and DVDs combined.
When: 7 p.m., Saturday, June 30
Info: Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, 200 Hurd Rd., Bethell; 866-781-2922; bethelwoodscenter.org; $47-$87; all ticket prices increase $5 on the day of the show.
July 12: Gretchen Wilson and Jason Michael Carroll
Country music fans don’t have to head south to catch Grammy-winner Gretchen Wilson (“Redneck Woman”) and fellow country star Jason Michael Carroll (“Alyssa Lies”) hit it out of the park — namely Provident Bank Park — in Pomona.
When: 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 12
Info: Provident Bank Park, 1 Provident Bank Park Dr., Pomona; 845-364-0009, www.rocklandboulders.com; $25-$45
July 14: Pleasantville Music Festival featuring English Beat
For one day each summer, Parkway Field hosts the Pleasantville Music Festival, where acts from Joan Osborne to Jakob Dylan to Rusted Root have performed in the past. Headlining this year’s show is English Beat, whose rock hits include “Hands Off … She’s Mine,” “Save it for Later” and “I Confess.”
When: Noon to 9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 14
Info: Parkway Field, Village Lane, Pleasantville; 914-714-2738; www.pleasantvillemusicfestival.com; $40; free parking and round-trip bus shuttles will be available from Pace University (861 Bedford Road, Pleasantville) from 11:30 a.m. through 10 p.m.
July 19-22: Charlie Murphy
Once known to most entertainment fans simply as Eddie Murphy’s brother, Charlie Murphy became a breakout star thanks to Dave Chappelle’s groundbreaking Comedy Central show. “Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories” chronicled Charlie’s now-legendary experiences hanging out with Prince and Rick James, the latter of whom inspired a catchphrase that can’t be reprinted here. Since then, Charlie has made a name for himself with his stand-up and appearances in movies, ranging from “Roll Bounce” to “Night at the Museum.”
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, July 19; 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., Friday, July 20; 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 21; 7 p.m., Sunday, July 22
Info: Levity Live, 4210 Palisades Center Dr., West Nyack; 845-353-5400; www.levitylive.com; $27, with a two-item minimum per person.
July 22: Boston
If impressive guitar solos and wailing vocals are the kinds of things that give you “Peace of Mind,” we’ve got “More Than a Feeling” that the band Boston will satisfy your music needs. Tommy DeCarlo, who has often stepped behind the mic for the band since the 2007 death of original lead singer, Brad Delp, will provide primary vocals.
When: 7:30 p.m., Sunday, July 22
Info: Westchester County Center, 198 Central Ave., White Plains; 914-995-4050; www.wmconcerts.com; $47.50-$109.50
July 25: Kenny Loggins
From his work with Loggins and Messina to his popular soundtrack contributions as a solo artist, Kenny Loggins has a knack for songs that resonate long after their initial release. With 12 platinum albums, Loggins won a Grammy for “What a Fool Believes,” and wrote tunes that are forever associated with the films for which they were written, including “I’m Alright” (“Caddyshack”), “Danger Zone” (“Top Gun”) and “Footloose” (“Footloose”).
When: 8 p.m., Wednesday, July 25
Info: Paramount Center for the Arts, 1008 Brown St., Peekskill; 914-739-2333; www.paramountcenter.org; $55-$75
July 27: Rufus Wainwright
Raised in Rhinebeck, Hudson Valley local Rufus Wainwright has already had an eventful year. In February, the Grammy-nominated son of folk singer Loudon Wainwright III, released “Out of the Game,” which Rufus described as the “most pop album I’ve ever made.” That same month he watched his opera, “Prima Donna,” open at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Special guest Adam Cohen is also on the bill for this concert at Purchase College.
When: 8 p.m., Friday, July 27
Info: Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase; 914-251-6200; www.artscenter.org; $47-$89
Aug. 5: Joe Cocker and Huey Lewis and the News
Grammy- and Academy Award-winning singer Joe Cocker (“Feelin’ Alright,” “You Are So Beautiful,” “Up Where We Belong”) has always gotten by with a little help from his friends, but this time around, the assistance is coming from ’80s chart-toppers Huey Lewis and the News (“The Power of Love,” “Heart of Rock & Roll,” “If This Is It”).
When: 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 5
Info: Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, 200 Hurd Rd., Bethel; 866-781-2922; www.bethelwoodscenter.org; $26.50-$127; $80 for four tickets on the lawn; all ticket prices increase $5 on the day of the show.
Aug. 19: Kelly Clarkson and the Fray
“American Idol” forever owes a debt of gratitude to Kelly Clarkson, who legitimized her career (and the reality show) by selling more than 20 million albums worldwide and winning a couple of Grammys (and countless other accolades) since being crowned champion in 2002. That same year, schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King founded the Fray, releasing hits “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and “How to Save a Life” in the years since. Both acts have scored mainstream-radio hits in 2012 with Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” and the Fray’s “Heartbeat.”
When: 7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 19
Info: Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, 200 Hurd Rd., Bethel; 866-781-2922; bethelwoodscenter.org; $31.50-$97; $101 for four tickets on the lawn; all ticket prices increase $5 on day of show.
