Throwback Thursday? Crooners, Surrender Day, and a famous property back on the market.
PLUS: Book Fest author wins awards.
Frank Sinatra crooner headed to UPH for a night of Vegas-worthy glam
Frankie — and Dean — are Saratoga bound for the inaugural ‘500 Club’ UPH fundraiser, a night of music, dancing and supporting the performing arts.
By: Abby Tegnelia
[For a shareable link to this story alone, click here.]
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — Michael Dutra has sung Frank Sinatra tunes in the most storied locales in the country — everywhere from Atlantic City and the glam Stardust on the Las Vegas Strip, to nearby Rivers Casino. Now he’s headed to Saratoga Springs for the inaugural 500 Club, the first UPH fundraiser to be held at home (on Thursday, Nov. 6) in the theater.
“It’s an honor to be part of it,” says Dutra, who will perform hits such as “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head,” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” with his performing partner Steven Palumbo singing the Dean Martin hits.
The Frank and Dean Tribute will bring the Rat Pack vibe to what promises to be a glamorous affair — with food by the Adelphi and live piano music.
“We’re turning the Great Hall into a nightclub, so you can cruise around and swoon to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin,” says UPH Director Teddy Foster.
“Oh, we’ll encourage everyone to get up and dance,” Dutra says.
He also promises to bring the ‘60s-era Sin City flair reminiscent of the Sands Hotel in its glory days. “We’ll both be in tuxedos,” he says of her and longtime collaborator Palumbo. “There will be a little bit of jokes, some humor, and a lot of singing. There will be a couple of duets, but primarily I’ll be doing Frank and Steven will be performing Dean. We’ve been doing this type of show for 20 years, all over the country. Name it, and we’ve been booked there.”
“It’s going to be an awesome night, a real swanky night,” Foster says. “We’re going to have gambling — blackjack, craps and roulette, where you’ll gamble to win raffle tickets for our auction. Upstairs is going to look spectacular. Everything will be fabulous.”
All proceeds go to the nonprofit Universal Preservation Hall (25 Washington St.), home to Opera Saratoga. The theater has become the premier hotspot to catch classical music, comedy and other performing arts Downtown throughout the year — recently selling out such showstoppers as Béla Fleck’s Saratoga Book Festival opener and this weekend’s Pink Martini.
For more info and to grab your ticket, visit atuph.org.
Keep reading about UPH!
Halloween triple-header: UPH gets in the spirit with 3 diverse shows
UPH continues run of sell-out shows with Saturday’s Pink Martini
In Brief
Marylou’s Cady Hill estate is back on the market for $12.9M
Marylou Whitney’s famous Cady Hill estate, has been re-listed, according to a Wednesday, October 15 report in the Albany Business Review. Julie Bonacio of Julie & Co. Reality is handling. The property — 120 acres not far from SPAC — is for sale for $12.9 million after being originally listed for $16 million in spring of 2024 and going under contract in a deal that has apparently fallen through, says the outlet. Cady Hill was the home to many headline-making parties, hosted by Whitney and her late husband, John Hendrickson, who lived in the home.
New Green Island-based vegan product to hit hundreds of Whole Foods stores
MyForest Foods’ new vegan “pulled pork” has signed a deal to be sold in all of Whole Foods’ hundreds of stores, according to a Wednesday, October 15 report in the Albany Business Review. The meatless product is made of mushroom myscelium like the brand’s vegan bacon that made CEO Eben Bayer famous. MyForest Foods is sold in more than 2,200 stores, says the outlet.
After Saratoga Book Fest, Upstate author picks up two literary awards
Debut novelist Kaitlyn Marquart is going straight from ‘incredible’ Saratoga Book Festival to Michigan to pick up one of two prestigious literary awards.
By: Abby Tegnelia
[For a shareable link to this story alone, click here.]
After an “electric” experience at the Saratoga Book Festival, Upstate YA author Kaitlyn Marquart is traveling to Traverse City, Michigan to pick up her Bronze Medal at the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award Ceremony Nov. 8.
The new author has also recently won a Literary Titan Gold Book Award. Both honors were for her debut Young Adult novel, Amber Luna My Bright Light, about two teenage girls tackling self-doubt while navigating the “tangled mess” that is middle school.
“I wrote this story for anyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t quite fit in, who needed a reminder that their light matters—even when it feels dim,” says Marquart, who lives near Syracuse but whose last book stop was the Spa City, for the Saratoga Book Festival.
“When I saw that Kate DiCamillo and Sophie Blackall were headlining the Saratoga Book Festival, I jumped at the chance to make the scenic drive from Syracuse,” she says. “The festival was an incredible experience — I was inspired by how supportive Saratoga is of its authors and literacy organizations. I’m hoping to participate in next year’s Saratoga Night Festival — the energy that evening was electric! The entire event reminded me why storytelling matters and left me feeling energized and proud to be part of the writing community.”
Marquart is also the author of the nonfiction IDK What to Say: A Guide for Navigating Social Situations, which was written for both teens and adults and was a 2025 CNY Book Awards Finalist.
Amber Luna and IDK What to Say are both sold on Amazon.
Saratoga News
Salem educator to be honored tomorrow at Saratoga 250 Surrender Day
Mary Skelly is being honored for her exceptional work bringing history to life for her 4th grade students.
By: Abby Tegnelia
[For a shareable link to this story alone, click here.]
SCHUYLERVILLE, NY — Mary Skelly, a fourth-grade teacher from Salem Central School, will be honored tomorrow for her exceptional work bringing the history of the Revolutionary Ware to life for her young students.
The General John Patterson–Supervisor Thomas Wood IV Saratoga Teaching Excellence Award — jointly named after the Brigadier commander in the Saratoga Campaign and a local historian/lifelong educator — celebrates the enduring link between scholarship and civic education. It will be presented by the Saratoga County 250th American Revolution Commission at the 248th Anniversary Surrender Day Ceremony at Fort Hardy Park.
Now in her 35th year of teaching and preparing for retirement, Skelly is widely admired for her engaging, place-based approach to history. A living historian with the 2nd Continental Artillery, she regularly interprets 18th-century camp life and cannon drills for students and the public. Her philosophy of teaching, she said in a statement: “Take students to the place—there is no better connection than that.”
The Surrender Day commemoration will include cannon salutes, a flag-exchange reenactment portraying Generals Horatio Gates and John Burgoyne, the ceremonial grounding of arms, student readings, musical performances, and a keynote address on Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery.
Keep reading!
Newest Stewart’s ice-cream flavor serves up 250 reasons to dig in
Saving local languages, bringing history to life
How did Church Street get its name? This building holds the key.
ICYMI…
Another great read