Beyond Therapy

Until we received notice about this Classic Theater Guild production of Christopher Durang’s durable comedy, we must admit to having no idea that May is National Mental Health Month. We were thinking, at first, that May is entirely too bright and cheerful for such a designation; on second thought, we realized that many people do not want to contemplate such matters in the dead of winter.

The folks at the Classic Theater Guild see Beyond Therapy—an “absurdly comical” play about the lovestruck and their therapists—as a contribution to this celebration. We won’t disagree; go to the theater at 440 Upstairs at Proctors and see for yourself.

Classic Theater Guild will present Beyond Therapy beginning tomorrow (Friday, May 16) through May 25 at 440 Upstairs at Proctors (440 State St., Schenectady). Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, and Sundays at 2 PM. Tickets are $15. For reservations and information, call 346-6204.

Capitol Chamber Artists

This weekend, Capitol Chamber Artists will conclude their 39th season with a program titled European Romantics. Of course, at the top of the “romantic” list is Beethoven; they will perform the “Archduke” trio and the “Spring” sonata. Also on the program: Benjamin Godard’s Legende Pastorale and Jodi Harris’ Three Poems for Flute and Piano. (Harris is American, not European, but the approach is definitely romantic.)

The fact that these will be performed on an original 17th-century Viennese fortepiano—CCA are one of only six U.S.-based ensembles to have one—allows, as CCA’s Mary Lou Saetta explained in an e-mail, “all of the instruments to be equal partners in performance because the fortepiano sound is not overwhelming as is the sound of the modern piano.”

Capitol Chamber Artists will perform Saturday (May 17) at 8 PM at the First Congregational Church (405 Quail St., Albany). There is a preconcert recital at 7 PM. Tickets are $16, $8 students. They will present the program again Sunday (May 18) at 3 PM at the Community Hall (Stage Road, Benson, Vt.). The preconcert recital is at 2 PM; prices are the same. For more info, call 458-9231.

Progressive Nation 2008

Holy scale-shredding, polyrhythm-exploiting metal orgy Batman! Four of metal’s most proficient, time-change-molesting, thrash-your-mom’s-ears-out bands will be taking to the stage at the Armory to blow your minds and throw all you aspiring air guitarists and drummers into conniptions.

Dream Theater, the old guard of progressively ridiculous thrash-metal, will play big-brother to Sweden’s masters of schizophrenic death metal Opeth and North Carolina’s progressive-hardcore spastics Between the Buried and Me (pictured). 3, who are buddies and friends of Coheed and Cambria—and sound just as semi-metal as Coheed do—will open the show. Let’s hope they survive, because the level of metal in the Armory will be at a peak on Sunday night. Anyone entering the building who is not 110-percent metal will surely die a gruesome Dethklok-esque death. (Think heads exploding, eyes bleeding, hearts rupturing and bowels emptying.) But don’t worry—as metal as the night may be—each of the bands bring a not-so-metal calling card with them. Like Between the Buried and Me’s jazzy Queen or Smashing Pumpkins-y interludes, or Opeth’s swamp balladry, or Dream Theater’s . . . um . . . who are we kidding. Dream Theater are just plain fucking metal.

The Progressive Nation 2008 tour will kill at the Washington Avenue Armory (195 Washington Ave, Albany) beginning at 5:30 PM on Sunday (May 18). Tickets are $35. For more information, call 694-7160 ext. 26.