April 6th
Smoove Criminal
From stealing scenes on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm to cracking wise with Jerry Seinfeld on his hit show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, JB Smoove has been one busy comedian. This month, Smoove once again hits the standup stage, at the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater in Peekskill. The Def Comedy Jam alum, who has since appeared on the FOX sitcom ’Til Death and hosted the 8th season of NBC’s Last Comic Standing, will undoubtedly demonstrate his signature brand of off-the-cuff comedy and blue humor at this rare area event.
April 7th – June 3rd
Picture-Perfect
The works of acclaimed photographer Raymond Smith are a rare treat for local audiences, despite the fact that he operates right in our backyard. Inspired by his Yale mentor — the famed Southern photographer Walker Evans — Smith captured mid-century American life through his powerful black-and-white shots. From April 7 to June 3, Greenwich’s Bruce Museum will hold the exhibition In Time We Shall Know Ourselves: Photographs by Raymond Smith, which features a wide range of Smith’s evocative work. The New Haven-based photographer will also join the museum for a lecture and Q&A session during an April 15 reception.
Photo by Ingrid Christie
April 8th
Seriously Funny
When bestselling author and essayist David Sedaris speaks, people listen. Author of Me Talk Pretty One Day, Naked, and Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, Sedaris is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker and has been called “a minor phenomenon” by the New York Times for his wildly popular nonfiction. This month, the humorist will be stopping by the Tarrytown Music Hall for an evening of sardonic wit and show-stopping social critiques. Buy a ticket and remind yourself what all the fuss is about.
April 14th-15th
Reel Sports
For sports fans with a soft spot for film, it doesn’t get much better than this two-day-long fest. The Silver Screen Sports Festival kicks off this month at the Tarrytown Music Hall, where hit films featuring various athletic pursuits are on the docket, as well as Q&A sessions with some of the inspirations and stars of each flick. A screening of Slap Shot includes a Q&A with the Hanson brothers, while Rudy will be followed by a talk with the real Rudy Ruettiger. Rocky, Caddyshack, and Major League will also feature Q&As with various supporting actors, making for one can’t-miss film fest.
April 21st
Lyric Life
It’s a great time of year for those with a penchant for poetry. This month, the Estherwood Mansion in Dobbs Ferry is home to one of the year’s top literary events, The Westchester Poetry Festival. Presented by the Hudson Valley Writers Center and The Masters School, the festival features the NAACP Image Award and Beatrice Hawley Award-winning poet Reginald Dwayne Betts (above). Lauded literary wonders like Chris Campanioni, Nicole Sealy Anya, Andres Cerpa, and Krugovoy Silver will also read from their individual collections at this free event, open to the public.
April 22nd
Web Heads ***Sold Out***
What better way to learn about friendship, bravery, and loyalty than through a stage adaptation of E.B. White’s cherished tale Charlottes Web? Presented by Mamaroneck’s Emelin Theatre, the family-friendly play follows a precocious pig that is saved from the slaughterhouse by an intelligent and caring arachnid. Kids are treated to a production of equal parts fun imagery, compelling action, and meaningful lessons during this area production of one of the most enduring works of children’s literature.
April 26th
Wordsmyth
Legendary rocker Patty Smyth ascended the Billboard charts throughout the ’80s and ’90s, racking up hits not only with her group, Scandal, but also via collaborations with iconic musicians like Don Henley of the Eagles, garnering Grammy and Oscar nods along the way. This month, Peekskill’s Paramount Hudson Valley Theater will hold a special performance of Patty Smyth and Scandal where local audiences can rock out with this musical mainstay in the flesh.
April 29th
Fair Verona
Few venues are more scenic during this time of year than Katonah’s Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. Luckily, there is ample reason to see it for yourself this month, when the widely acclaimed Verona Quartet stops by for an afternoon performance. Featuring instrumentalists Jonathan Ong, Dorothy Ro, Abigail Rojansky, and Jonathan Dormand, the quartet will bring pieces by Beethoven, Brahms, and Shostakovich to life. Honored as the 2017-2018 Ernst Steifel String Quartet in Residence at Caramoor and lauded by the New York Times, this top-notch classical foursome is worth a listen.
