On Thursday we celebrate Thanksgiving, a day of reflection for our blessings.
It’s actually my favorite holiday. Many think of it as the start of the holiday shopping spree, but the day itself has remained mostly a family holiday.
We tend to judge our lives by material gains which are reflective of our success in the “real world.” What we often neglect to be grateful for are the ephemeral pleasures that transport us into a world in which anything is possible.
That’s the function of the arts, and we should all give thanks that we live in a region in which there is not only quantity but quality.
Once I stop thinking how fortunate I am about family, friends and health, my mind turns to how blessed this area is with theater and the wealth of cultural opportunities available to us.
We have a professional theater company, (Capital Repertory Theatre) and a nationally respected classical orchestra, (Albany Symphony Orchestra), as well as a professional opera company (Opera Saratoga).
It’s easy to take these organizations for granted until you realize how few cities have a professional theater company, orchestra and opera company. To use a sports analogy, it’s like a city having a professional baseball, football and hockey team.
We also have a venue for national touring musicals, (Proctors), a regular destination for the hottest touring bands, (The Palace Theatre), one of the most acoustically perfect concert halls in the world, (Troy Savings Bank Music Hall) and a 16,000-seat arena for spectacular shows and sports (MVP Arena).
Frosting on our thankful cake is the historic jewel box Cohoes Music Hall built in 1883 and the modern structure known locally as The Egg.
Our abundance is most visible with area theater. Besides Capital Repertory Theatre, there are literally dozens of non-professional theater groups offering new works, familiar musicals and plays.
This not only provides joy for audiences but for the hundreds of people who hold jobs and still find time to rehearse and perform in something about which they are passionate.
As for the visual arts, we have access to the world-class Clark Institute in Williamstown, MA and the contemporary art museum, MassMoCA in North Adams, MA.
In Albany, there is the New York State Museum and the Albany Institute of History and Art. In Saratoga there is the Tang Teaching Museum on the campus of Skidmore College. In Glens Falls we have the Hyde Collection.
Cultural awareness, just like manners starts in youth. We should all be thankful for the many places like the New York State Museum that introduce our young to history, nature and the arts.
As for specific youth museums there is the Children’s Museum in Saratoga and the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology in Rensselaer.
Indeed, for special interests there are many smaller museums ranging from the Automobile Museum in Saratoga to the Bottle Museum in Ballston Spa.
For sports enthusiasts, there is the Racing Museum in Saratoga and the Baseball Hall of Fame in nearby Cooperstown.
If all this isn’t enough, in the summer, this already impressive number and types of cultural activities increases dramatically.
Let’s be thankful for SPAC in Saratoga, and Tanglewood in Lenox, MA. Because of them we have access to the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra as well as chamber and pops music.
There is also a large representation of dance in our world. The New York City Ballet is the resident dance company at SPAC and for audiences who prefer more contemporary dance, there is Jacobs Pillow in Lee, MA.
In the summer months we have more to be grateful for besides not worrying about snow or cold weather.
It’s Nirvana for theatergoers as professional theater dominates, especially in the nearby Berkshires. It can be argued that this region has sent more work to Broadway than just about any other area in the country.
It’s not just theater that flourishes. Joining Opera Saratoga in the summer is Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown. They present big, opulent operas which complement the smaller chamber operas offered in Saratoga.
Happily, there are many things offered that are inexpensive, and even free. There is the gift of live theater by Park Playhouse in Albany’s Washington Park and Saratoga Shakespeare in Congress Park. They are only a couple of the many organizations that offer free outdoor theater.
On the topic of free, during the summer almost weekly every community offers a free outdoor music concert. Festivals of all types are produced on a regular basis.
Yes, we should all be grateful about all of our cultural blessings on Thanksgiving. However, I want to make one important point. It is not enough to appreciate all that we have. It is critical that we support all that we have.
Remember a gift certificate to any of the above arts organizations makes a great Christmas present.
Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
