Stain and Scout

If you’ve spent any time over the last year wandering the streets of downtown Albany’s Mansion neighborhood or the halls of MASS MoCA, you’ve likely seen the stencil art of Stain and Scout. Their striking images—of migrant workers, city children, and native peoples—have adorned the facades of many vacant buildings and other such spaces; lately, those images have been hung from gallery walls. Not too shabby for a couple of vandals (much of their work is essentially graffiti, but it’s good-looking graffiti).

Stain and Scout will kick off their new show at Richard Sena Gallery (238 Warren St., Hudson) with a reception this Saturday (March 5), beginning at 6 PM. The exhibit runs through April 16. For more information, call 828-1996.

Gil Shaham and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

This is the debut U.S. tour of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and they’ve scheduled only five performances. Last night they played Lincoln Center; Friday night they’re playing Proctor’s. Translation: This is a big deal, OK?

They’re bringing the big guns, too. Music director Lan Shui has programmed Chen Gang and He Zhanhao’s 1959 work Butterfly Lover’s Concerto, which will feature violinist Gil Shaham as soloist.

You’re likely already familiar with Shaham. The Grammy winner is one of the hotshot violinists of the day, performing with all the big orchestras in front of the crowned heads of Europe (and plenty of other folks, too). Shaham has proven himself adept in music from almost every period in the classical repertory. (His sister, Orly, is quite a talent, too, but she’s not on the bill.)

The other two works on the program will be Richard Strauss’ Don Juan and Dvorák’s Symphony No. 7. While the latter is less known than Dvorák’s New World Symphony, it is equally sweeping, dramatic and melodic.

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra will perform tomorrow (Friday, March 4) at 8 PM at Proctor’s Theatre (432 State St., Schenectady). Tickets are $42.50, $36.50 and $29.50. To order tickets, call the box office at 346-6204.

King of Shadows

The fact that the New York State Theatre Institute consistently delivers exciting new productions has been so long established that we almost tend to forget it. Almost. NYSTI’s typically splashy new production, King of Shadows, brings together three typically top talents—Newbery-winning novelist Susan Cooper, playwright-poet Adrien Mitchell and composer Will Severin—for a bit of sly Shakespearian fun. (Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.)

Based on Cooper’s novel of the same name, King of Shadows follows a company of young American actors as they travel to England to perform Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Before you can say “What fools these mortals be,” the Bard himself, in a bit of theatrical time-tripping, is performing alongside the Yankee lads. (Pictured: P.J. Verhoest as Puck.)

NYSTI’s King of Shadows opens Sunday (March 6) at 2 PM at the Schacht Fine Arts Center (Russell Sage College, Troy), and continues through March 18. Tickets are $20, $16 for seniors and students, and $10 for kids 12 and under. Group discounts are available. For schedules and information, call 274-3256 or visit www.nysti.org.