Bardavon Presents

Born Troy Andrews, Trombone Shorty got his start (and nickname) earlier than most: at four, he made his first appearance at Jazz Fest performing with Bo Diddley; at six, he was leading his own brass band; and by his teenage years, he was hired by Lenny Kravitz to join the band he assembled for his Electric Church World Tour. Shorty’s proven he’s more than just a horn player, though. Catch a gig, open the pages of the New York Times or Vanity Fair, flip on any late-night or morning TV show and you’ll see an undeniable star with utterly magnetic charisma, a natural born showman who can command an audience with the best of them.

The Ulster Dance Company’s annual performance of “A Christmas Carol” is an interpretation in ballet of the well-known Charles Dickens novel. It has been performed at UPAC for the past 26 years and continues to entertain and inspire audiences during the holiday season. It’s a must see ballet at UPAC.

The Ulster Dance Company’s annual performance of “A Christmas Carol” is an interpretation in ballet of the well-known Charles Dickens novel. It has been performed at UPAC for the past 26 years and continues to entertain and inspire audiences during the holiday season. It’s a must see ballet at UPAC.

For four decades, Catskill Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker has been a cherished part of the Hudson Valley’s holiday season, enchanting audiences of all ages with its timeless story, magical sets, and stunning choreography. This anniversary year promises to be a milestone celebration of artistry, tradition, and community. “We are thrilled to mark our 40th anniversary of The Nutcracker with such extraordinary talent gracing our stage,” said Melissa Bierstock, Artistic Director of the Catskill Ballet Theatre. “This production is not only a holiday tradition, but a reflection of the generations of dancers and families who have grown with us over the years.” Join us as we follow the enchanted adventures of young Clara from a lavish Christmas party, to a battle with an evil Queen Mouse, through a winter wonderland of snow and ice, and then to the magnificent Land of Sweets where she meets the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier with entertainment from delightful dances from around the world!

For four decades, Catskill Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker has been a cherished part of the Hudson Valley’s holiday season, enchanting audiences of all ages with its timeless story, magical sets, and stunning choreography. This anniversary year promises to be a milestone celebration of artistry, tradition, and community. “We are thrilled to mark our 40th anniversary of The Nutcracker with such extraordinary talent gracing our stage,” said Melissa Bierstock, Artistic Director of the Catskill Ballet Theatre. “This production is not only a holiday tradition, but a reflection of the generations of dancers and families who have grown with us over the years.” Join us as we follow the enchanted adventures of young Clara from a lavish Christmas party, to a battle with an evil Queen Mouse, through a winter wonderland of snow and ice, and then to the magnificent Land of Sweets where she meets the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier with entertainment from delightful dances from around the world!

Mae Martin brings their new stand-up tour, “The Possum,” to Poughkeepsie!  Don’t miss the star of their Netflix stand-up special Sap, Netflix comedy series Feel Good and recent Netflix mini series Wayward. Mae is also a champion of UK hit Taskmaster, and one third of the hugely popular Handsome podcast (with Fortune Feimster and Tig Notaro).  VIP tickets get Meet & Greet with Mae, exclusive tour merchandise and best seats in the house. Please be advised: This event is for ages 14+

Melissa Etheridge stormed onto the American rock scene in 1988 with the release of her critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, which led to an appearance on the 1989 Grammy Awards show. For several years, her popularity grew around such memorable originals as “Bring Me Some Water,” “No Souvenirs” and “Ain’t It Heavy,” for which she won a Grammy in 1992. Etheridge hit her commercial and artistic stride with her fourth album, Yes I Am (1993). The collection featured the massive hits, “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window,” a searing song of longing that brought Etheridge her second Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Performance. In 1995, Etheridge issued her highest charting album, Your Little Secret, which was distinguished by the hit single, “I Want to Come Over.” Her astounding success that year led to Etheridge receiving the Songwriter of the Year honor at the ASCAP Pop Awards in 1996. Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Etheridge has remained one of America’s favorite female singers for more than two decades. In February 2007, Melissa Etheridge celebrated a career milestone with a victory in the “Best Song” category at the Academy Awards for “I Need to Wake Up,” written for the Al Gore documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth. As a performer and songwriter, Etheridge has shown herself to be an artist who has never allowed “inconvenient truths” to keep her down. Earlier in her recording career, Etheridge acknowledged her sexual orientation when it was considered less than prudent to do so. In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer, a health battle that, with her typical tenacity, she won. Despite losing her hair from chemotherapy, Etheridge appeared on the 2005 Grammy telecast to sing “Piece of My Heart” in tribute to Janis Joplin. By doing so she gave hope to many women afflicted with the disease. On October 7, 2016 Melissa Etheridge released Memphis Rock & Soul, her first album since 2014’s critically lauded This Is M.E. Recorded at Royal Studios in Memphis, the album received stellar reviews from the likes of Entertainment Weekly, Parade, Rolling Stone, American Songwriter and more. She followed that up with the release of The Medicine Show in April, 2019. For The Medicine Show, Melissa reunited with celebrated producer John Shanks and sounds as rousing as ever, bringing a new level of artistry to her 15th studio recording. In June of 2020, Etheridge launched The Etheridge Foundation to support groundbreaking scientific research into effective new treatments for opioid use disorder. The Foundation works towards advancing treatment approaches that address the root causes of opioid abuse and make available better, more effective solutions for people to truly heal their opioid use disorder. In 2021, Melissa returned with then album One Way Out. The 9-track album is a collection of songs Etheridge wrote in the late ’80s and early ’90s that never made the cut… .until now! The time was finally right, and fans finally got a deeper glimpse to who Melissa was then. October 2022 saw Melissa’s return to the theatre with her one woman show, My Window — A Journey Through Life. The critically acclaimed, sold-out run premiered at New World Stages on October 13 and opened at Circle In the Square Theatre on Broadway in September 2023. 2024 saw Melissa release Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken, a two-part docuseries (Paramount+) and accompanying live album. Recorded live within the grounds of the Topeka Correctional facility the album and two-part docuseries follows her journey both penning and performing an original song inspired by her correspondence with residents of the TCF and features raw and rousing versions of specially curated fan favorites and original songs. Funds raised by the Bardavon Gala always help underwrite programs that cannot support themselves—especially all of our education programs and school residencies that bring artists and musicians to local schools and more. Gala guests will enjoy a PRE-SHOW cocktail party—Details to be announced soon! Sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Bryan Zellmer at bzellmer@bardavon.org.