Student Matinees at UPH
Students experience live theatre while learning the curriculum at the same time in one of our historic theatres Proctors, Capital Repertory Theatre or Universal Preservation Hall. Saratoga’s newest performing arts venue, UPH, offers quality productions during the school day! Students will experience stunning music and theater experiences with the views of stained glass in bustling Saratoga Springs.
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
By Washington Irving
Adapted by Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill
Original music by Justin Friello and Lecco Morris
It’s a dark and stormy night and the bridge to the recording studio has washed out, leaving brilliant (and beautiful) local baker, Jasmine Vander Hooven, who has a reputation for bewitching the village with her special desserts, alone to perform a podcast of the classic ghost story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” with two local yokels–the Knickerbocker Brothers. The trio reenacts Irving’s mysterious tale with devastatingly funny–and spooky–results! With live Foley sound effects and music, Irving’s tale gets a contemporary treatment that honors the original and is sure to inspire and delight young audiences.
Show Details:
Date: 10 a.m. Oct. 29, 2024
Location: Great Hall at UPH
Price: $8
Grade level: 4+
Length: 45 minutes + 15-minute talk back
CC: storytelling, music and english/language arts
Dan & Claudia Zanes Holiday Bash
For this show, Smithsonian Folkways recording artists Dan + Claudia have taken their electric folk sound to a fresh place with jazz vocalist and recent Howard University graduate Tyree Austin alongside multi-instrumentalist and children’s music star Elena Moon Park. The result is an inviting blend of four voices with guitar, violin, trumpet, harmonica, flute, spoons, percussion and mandolin that artfully brings the intimate feeling of the living room to the big stage. This quartet embodies the festive far-reaching spirit of the season and the legacy of intergenerational communal music making. It’s in these songs that we can renew our connections to each other and imagine the best of life’s possibilities for the year ahead.
Show Details:
Date: 10 a.m. Dec. 5, 2024
Location: Great Hall at UPH
Price: $10
Grade level: Pre-K+
Length: 60 minutes
CC: music and culture
“Friend of a Friend: Tales of the Underground Railroad”
By Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill & Jill Rafferty-Weinisch
Embark on a journey along the Underground Railroad through the captivating narrative of individuals from the Capital Region, including Solomon Northup and his family, alongside Albany’s courageous Harriet and Stephen Myers. These figures grapple with profound moral dilemmas, from Northup’s harrowing enslavement to the Myers’ daring activism in publishing an anti-slavery newspaper and aiding fugitives as conductors on the Underground Railroad. Crafted by theREP, this original docu-play draws upon New York State archival records, vividly illustrating the reverberations of the Fugitive Slave Act within the Capital Region’s historical landscape.
Show Details:
Date: 10 a.m. Feb. 5, 2025
Location: Great Hall at UPH
Price: $8
Grade level: 7+
Length: 45 minutes + 15-minute talk back
CC: Black history and social studies
Paige Hernandez Havana Hop: A Children’s Tale of Culture and Confidence!
Young Yeila dreams of being a superstar but her lack of confidence gives her awful stage fright. With advice from her mother and mentors, Yeila begins her journey to find her roots, get confidence and be amazing! Travel with Yeila who visits her grandmother in Cuba to add a salsa flavor to her own hip-hop style! The audience gets to dance along in this dynamic participation play where one actress creates three generations of lively women. Journey with Yeila as she discovers the fun of her multi-cultural heritage.
Show Details:
Date: 10 a.m. April 10, 2025
Location: Great Hall at UPH
Price: $8
Grade level: Pre-K-3
Length: 60 minutes
CC: cultural connections, music and social studies
Personal responsibility statement: UPH prides itself on offering a diverse selection of arts entertainment. Not all productions may appeal or be appropriate for every person or all ages. Patrons are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the shows we offer, in order to make informed decisions prior to purchasing tickets.