In the coming weeks, the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill has an incredible lineup of exciting and varied events, on both stage and screen. With happenings ranging from a southern-style jazz performance to a romantic Dutch film with a World War II backdrop, the Paramount Center offers something to please just about any taste.
On Saturday, June 23, the Center will be hosting a performance by the Richard Thompson Band. Richard Thompson, an English folk-rock musician who was the 2006 recipient of the BBC Lifetime Achievement Award and was also dubbed one of the Top 20 Guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine, has produced upward of 40 albums. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets (which can be bought in advance) cost $38.50.
As far as movie screens are concerned, there are two high-quality films playing this Friday through Sunday that should simply not be missed. The first, Black Book—playing Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings—takes place in Holland during World World II. Filmed in Dutch with English subtitles, the movie tells the bittersweet story of a young Jewish singer who falls in love with a Gestapo officer while seeking revenge for her family’s murder at the hand of Nazis.
A second film playing on Sunday is Cats of Mirikitani, a documentary featuring an 80-year-old Asian-American man and survivor of the WWII internment camps, the bombing of Hiroshima and the 9/11 attacks. Sunday’s screening will include a question-and-answer session with the film’s director, Linda Hattendorf. Tickets for both films range from $7 to $10.
The following week, on Saturday, June 30, is the Center’s 4th Annual Red Carpet Night Benefit Fundraising Concert, which will feature the Grammy award-winning band The Neville Brothers. The New Orleans-bred brothers—Art, Charles, Aaron and Cyril—have been performing their unique fusion of R&B, funk, rock, and blues since 1977. Their best-known achievements include albums such as Fiyo on the Bayou and Yellow Moon. Gala champagne receptions will be held both before and after the concert. The cost of the event, which starts at 8 p.m., ranges from $65 to $110.
For more information regarding any of these events, contact the Paramount Center for the Arts, 1008 Brown Street, Peekskill, NY 10566, 914-739-2333. www.paramountcenter.org
