36 (Mostly Local) February and March Events

36 (Mostly Local) February and March Events for townies, foodies, culture-vultures & locavores!

February

An Evening with Chazz Palmintieri for the Bedford Playhouse, Saw Mill Club – Thurs, 2/2: 7pm. Chazz Palmintieri shares tales of his journey with A Bronx Tale from film to Broadway to benefit the Bedford Playhouse. Light refreshments and wine will be served and Chazz will mingle for photo ops with the audience. For more info email baccetta@sawmillclub.com. (77 Kensico Road, Mt. Kisco; www.bedfordplayhouse.org)

This is how Katonah rolls! 8th Katonah Annual Chili Night, Katonah Library – Thurs, 2/2: 6-8pm. At this Katonah Chamber of Commerce you will sample an array of chili dishes and enjoy the soulful singing of musical guest, Griffin Anthony. www.katonahchamber.org

Gotta love Gurney! Sylvia, Arc Stages – Fri-Sat, 2/3-4, 10-11, 17-18: 8pm & Sun, 2/12: 2pm: A modern romantic comedy about a marriage and a dog. “Dramatic literature is stuffed with memorable love scenes, but none is as immediately delicious and dizzy as the one that begins the redeeming affair in A.R. Gurney’s new comedy, SYLVIA…” —NY Times. “”Gurney’s mad comedy is the most endearing good time to trot down the pike in many a moon. Howlingly funny…” —BackStage. (147 Wheeler Ave., Pleasantville; www.arcstages.org)

Westchester Knicks, County Center – 2/3, 2/4, 2/10, 2/11, 2/22, 2/25 & 2/26: The second place Westchester Knicks, led by high scoring Chasson Randle, are battling it our for the NBA D League Eastern Division championship. Here’s when you can see them as they drive for the finish. Fri, 2/3: 7pm vs. Windy City Bulls; Sat, 2/4: 5pm vs. Windy City Bulls; Fri, 2/10: 8pm vs. Maine Red Claws; Sat, 2/11: 5pm vs. Northern Arizona Suns; Wed, 2/22: 7pm vs. Fort Wayne Mad Ants; Sat, 2/25: 5pm vs. Greensboro Swarm; Sun, 2/26: 5pm vs. Erie Bayhawks. (198 Central Ave., White Plains; Westchester Knicks)

Cowboy Marlon! Jonathan Demme’s Saddle Up Saturdays, Jacob Burns – 2/4, 2/11, 2/18 & 2/25: Film director Jonathan Demme revisits some of his all-time favorite Westerns in the screening rooms of JBFC each Saturday at noon. The lineup: One Eyed Jacks: Marlin Brando directs and stars as Rio, whose mission is to track down Karl Malden ­– his partner who took off with the gold. Sat, 2/4: 12pm. Meek’s Cutoff: Three settler families play who do you trust in the dessert – the man who got you lost or a wandering Native American? Sat, 2/11: 12pm. The Naked Spur: Civil War vet, James Stewart delivers a career changing performance as a bounty hunter (suffering from what we would now call PTSD) set against lavish Technicolor shots of the Rockies. Sat, 2/18: 12pm. The Oxbow Incident: Henry Fonda and Harry Morgan attempt to stop a lynching in William Wellman’s study of mob mentality that is universally acclaimed as one of the classics of the Western genre. Sat, 2/25: 12pm. (JBFC, 364 Manville Rd., Pleasantville; www.burnsfilmcenter.org)

Katonah Live Music, Katonah Library ­– Sat, 2/4: 7-9pm. Katonah Village Improvement Society presents Downtown Meets Upstate with two music acts. Including the neo-soul sounds of Jess Best and the Americana band Bailen who has performed with American festival mainstay Lone Bellow. (26 Bedford Rd, Katonah; www. www.katonahvis.com)

Twisted Valentines, Axial Theatre – 2/10-19: Howard Meyer’s Axial Theatre presents an evening of “Non-Hallmark” one acts to celebrate the Valentine’s season.
The plays, selected by Axial’s Artistic Director Howard Meyer include, Double Date (Two’s company; three’s a crowd; a blind date becomes crowded) by award-winning playwright Albi Gorn; and Gin Joint (“In all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world she walks into his…in ‘the dress.’” by award-winning playwright and head instructor of Axial’s Playwriting program Gabrielle Fox. (St. John’s Episcopal Church, 8 Sunnyside Avenue, Pleasantville, 914.286.7680; www.axialtheatre.org)

Menus in the Movies, Moonstruck, Chappaqua Library –­ Fri, 2/10: 7pm. Food author and film buff Carol Durst screens movies where food is the star, a thematic element or important part of the set design. Each screening is followed by a movie chat and home-baked desserts. (Chappaqua Library, 195 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua; www.chappaqualibrary.org)

Valentines Chocolate & Wine Tasting, Wave Hill – Sat, 2/11: 2pm. Enjoy a delicious adventure with a variety of fine chocolates and wines specially selected to complement each other. Learn the secrets of making chocolate, how the origin of the cocoa beans affects the taste of the finished chocolate and how wonderfully the palate for chocolate is enhanced when paired with the right wine. Attendees must be 21 or older. (West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx; www.wavehill.org)

Oscars Come to Katonah – Katonah Library – Sat, 2/11: 7:30pm. The Katonah Village Improvement Society screens all the Live Action Short Films nominated for this year’s Academy Awards. (26 Bedford Rd, Katonah; www.katonahvis.com)

For lovers only! Valentines Weekend at The New York Botanical Garden – Sat-Sun, 2/11-12. Stroll through the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, talk to guides about the aphrodisiac plants at the Garden, and enjoy expert-led chocolate discussions and tastings—all included with an All-Garden Pass. The Hudson Garden Grill will feature a special prix fixe menu alongside its seasonal winter menu. Have your very own personal love poem written by a professional poet to remember this special day. (New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx; www.nybg.org) 

34th Annual Young Artists Exhibition, Katonah Museum of Arts – Tues-Sat: 10am-5pm & Sun, 12-5pm 2/12-3/5. More than 400 artworks by high school students from over 40 schools across Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Dutchess, and Fairfield counties fill the KMA galleries. This unique program gives teens the opportunity to work behind-the-scenes to produce a museum exhibition. In the course of many months they take on the roles of graphic designer, curator, exhibition designer, art installer, and artist as they collaborate with professionals to produce this impressive exhibition. The winning invitation (shown here) was designed by Anna Lao from White Plains High School in this year’s Graphic Design Workshop.(134 Jay St., Katonah; www.katonahmuseum.org)

Not just Doo-Wop! The Nifty 50’s, Simply Theatre Play Readings by The Armonk Players – Wed, 2/15: 8pm. A loving look back at the music of the not-to-be forgotten decade.The 50’s was not only the era of doo-wop and beatniks, it was also the Golden Age of Broadway. So get out your pink carnations and poodle skirts and hurry to Whippoorwill Hall for an evening of laughter and memories. (19 Whippoorwill Hall East, Armonk; www.armonkplayers.org)

New York Botanical Garden, The Orchid Show: Thailand – 2/18-4/19. The Orchid Show celebrates its 15th year at The New York Botanical Garden with an homage to the wealth of orchids and rich cultural history of Thailand – home to more than 1,200 native orchid species. Look for the rainbow of Vanda orchids and the large arched façade in the style of a traditional Thai pavilion. On select nights, Orchid Evenings return with after-hours viewings of the exhibition featuring cocktails, dance, and music. Open Tues-Sun, 10am-6pm. (New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx; www.nybg.org)

Street Smart: Photographs of New York City, 1945-1980, Bruce Museum – Tues-Sun, 2/18-6/4: 10am-5pm. This exhibition features 30 photographs, chiefly drawn from the Bruce Museum’s permanent collection, including work by Larry Fink, Herman Leonard, Leon Levinstein, John Shearer, and Garry Winogrand. Street Smart provides a glimpse at life in the city during the post-war period and at how street-savvy New Yorkers navigated its bustling landscape. (1 Museum Drive, Greenwich, CT; www.brucemuseum.org)

Rock me… Amadeus, National Theatre Live, Performing Arts Center Purchase College – Sun, 2/19: 3pm: Experience the best of British theatre, recorded live and broadcast in digital HD on the big screen at PAC. Music. Power. Jealousy. Lucian Msamati (Game of Thrones) plays Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s iconic play. From the National Theatre, with orchestral accompaniment by Southbank Sinfonia. (PepsiCo Theatre, 735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase; www.artscenter.org)

Just 20! Alice Burla, Time Traveler, The Sanctuary Series in South Salem – Sun, 2/19: 4pm: Twenty year-old pianist Alice Burla, called an “extraordinary talent” by the New York Times, has been featured on PBS telecasts of Live from Carnegie Hall and on WQXR’s From the Top. In 2010 she appeared as a young piano prodigy in Oliver Stone’s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Here she travels through (classical music) time from Baroque to Impressionism. (South Salem Presbyterian Church, 111 Spring St., S. Salem; www.thesanctuaryseries.org)

Oscars Come to Katonah – Katonah Library – Fri, 2/24: 7:30pm. The Katonah Village Improvement Society screens all the Animated Short Films nominated for this year’s Academy Awards. (26 Bedford Rd, Katonah; www.katonahvis.com)

Hot chef! Winter Farm to Table Supper, Stamford Museum & Nature Center – Sat, 2/25: 6pm. Cocktails and tour of the exhibition, Powerful yet Fragile: Connecticut’s Waterways featuring women photographers of CT. Followed by dinner in the Bendel Mansion from Executive Chef Carlos Baez of The Spread in S. Norwalk, CT – a Connecticut Magazine Best New Restaurant Award winner. Baez dueled Bobby Flay on the Food Network show Beat Bobby Flay. (39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford, CT; www.stamfordmuseum.org)

Telemann & Strudel in Chappaqua! ARS Antiqua, Orpheus in Hamburg, Telemann, Chappaqua – Sat, 2/25: 8pm: An evening of music from Georg Philipp Telemann from Chappaqua’s Mark Kramer and his ARS-Antiqua ensemble. Come for the Telemann and stay for the apple streudel and chocolate confections from Susan Lawrence Gourmet Foods. (Church of St. Mary the Virgin, 191 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua; www.ars-antiqua.org)

Let’s Get Sauced! A Taste of Westchester, Pour Café, Mt. Kisco – Mon., 2/27: 6-8pm. Westchester Community College’s cooking classes’ feature demonstrations, practical tips and tastings. Pour’s Anthony Colasacco demonstrates how to make his “better than mom’s” tomato sauce, his contest winning Sicilian meatballs with pine nuts and currants, and the house’s special dessert, Panini de Nutella. James, Pour’s mixologist, will mix his aperol spritz. (241 East Main St., Mt. Kisco, 914.864.0606; register here.)

March 

A Taste of Westchester – Le Fontane, Katonah – Thurs, 3/2: 5:30-7:30pm. At this sister eatery to Katonah’s Blue Dolphin, Chef Lisa Graziana prepares artichoke stuffed with ricotta, chopped vegetables, and fresh herbs; spinach manicotti, a house specialty chicken valdostana – prosciutto ham and fontina cheese, with sautéed mushrooms, and her homemade cream caramel. (Corner of Routes 100 & 139, Katonah (Somers) 
914-232-9619, register here.)

Bedford 2020 Food Forum, Fox Lane HS – Sat, 3/4: 9am-2pm. Bedford 2020’s event, to build awareness for the benefits of local food and support for local farmers, will feature a keynote address from author and New York Times food journalist, Mark Bittman. Followed by workshops and panel discussions, an interactive local food expo and (of course!) fabulous food. Of course! The closing speaker will be chef and Wholesome Wave founder Michel Nischan. (632 South Bedford Road, Bedford; www.bedford2020.org)

KVIS Wine Tasting – Katonah Library – Sat, 3/4: TBA. The Katonah Village Improvement Society’s annual wine tasting at the library. (26 Bedford Rd, Katonah; www.katonahvis.com)

Jonathan Demme’s Saddle Up Saturdays, Jacob Burns – 3/4, 3/11 & 3/25: Film director Jonathan Demme revisits his all-time favorite Westerns in JBFC’s screening rooms each Saturday at noon. March lineup: Bad Day at Black Rock: One Eyed Jacks: Spencer Tracy received his fifth Oscar nom, for his portrayal of a one-armed stranger who stumbles into a cast of villains ­– bullies Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine, and a double crossing Ann Francis in this fast-paced “modern-day” Western. Sat, 3/4; 12pm. Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven: Kurosawa’s undisputed masterpiece had a profound influence on American Westerns – including John Sturges’s The Magnificent Seven, starring Steve McQueen, Yul Brenner, Eli Wallach and Charles Bronson. Sat, 3/11: 12pm. Stagecoach: Nominated for 7 Oscars, John Ford’s 1939 Stagecoach, shot in Monument Valley, put Westerns and John Wayne on the map. Sat, 3/25: 12pm. (JBFC, 364 Manville Rd., Pleasantville; www.burnsfilmcenter.org)

Rhapsody in Blue alert! Bach to Blue, The Sanctuary Series, South Salem – Sun, 3/5: 4pm. Pianist Jeffrey Biegel returns to The Sanctuary Series with a program featuring the works of J.S. Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and George Gershwin. The recital features his performance of Gershwin’s rarely heard 1924 original manuscript of Rhapsody in Blue with 88 missing measures. A mainstay of WQXR’s programming, Leonard Bernstein called him: “a splendid musician and a brilliant performer.” (South Salem Presbyterian Church, 111 Spring Street, S. Salem; www.thesanctuaryseries.org)

A Taste of Westchester, DeCicco & Sons, Armonk – Tues, 3/7: 5:30-7:3-pm: Watch Chef Steve Miceli on the big screen as he takes you step by step through his preparation of miso soup with pork and vegetables; tempura batter to crisp vegetables; pan-fried pork with ginger sauce and a vegetable fried rice. In-house craft beer manager, Brendon O’Brien will pair specialty craft beers with each course. Followed by coffee and dessert. (17 Maple Ave., Armonk, 914.499.1100; register here)

Interesting Yalie! John Jay Lecture Series, Akhil Reed Amar, New York and the US Constitution –Thurs, 3/9: 7pm. Amar, who has been described as the “liberal Yale law school professor who agrees with Scalia”, discusses New York State’s contributions to the Federal Constitution through all the eras of what Amar calls the original Constitution, the one as amended, the unwritten one, and “the one we deserve.” Amar has he received Yale’s highest award for excellence in teaching. Registration begins at 6:15pm. (John Jay Homestead, 400 Jay St., Katonah; www.johnjayhomestead.org)

Schwab Vocal Rising Stars, Caramoor – Sun, 3/12: 3pm: From Ireland to the West Indies and Madagascar to Manhattan, this musical excursion brings these distinctive cultures to life with the songs of Bantock, Ravel, Simóns, Bernstein, and many others. See up and coming vocal chamber music stars for as low as $15 at Caramoor’s historic Rosen House. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Westchester Knicks, County Center – 3/16, 3/24, 3/28. 3/30 & 4/1: The second place Westchester Knicks, led by high scoring Chasson Randle, are battling it our for the NBA D League Eastern Division championship. Here’s when you can see them as they drive for the finish. Thurs, 3/16: 7pm vs. Long Island Nets; Fri, 3/24: 7pm vs. Reno Bighorns; Tues, 3/28: 7pm vs. Canton Charge; Thurs, 3/30: 7pm vs. Grand Rapids Drive; Sat, 4/1: 1pm vs. Long Island Nets. (198 Central Ave., White Plains; Westchester Knicks)

REBEL Baroque, The Haydn Connection Two, Bedford – Fri, 3/17: 4pm. REBEL Baroque, one of NPR’s most aired Baroque ensembles performs a program of trios, quartets and quintets by Haydn, Mozart, Gyrowetz & Holzbauer for flute, oboe, strings & fortepiano performed on period instruments. Featuring Matthias Maute on flute and Karen Marmer on viola. A fully catered “meet the artist’s” reception follows the concert. (Bedford Presbyterian Church, Village Green, Bedford; www.rebelbaroque.com)

A Taste of Westchester, Exit 4 Food Hall, Mt. Kisco – Mon, 3/20: 5:30-7:30pm. The lesson begins with a how to on shucking oysters and firing them up in the wood-fire oven from Rawsome Seafood. Next Myong Gourmet prepares a bok choy salad with sunflower seeds, dried mango, cranberries, walnuts, and crunchy noodles in a red chili vinaigrette. Chef Isi will make his black squid ink pasta with shrimp and red chili flakes in a lemon butter sauce and with toasted Panko crumbs. Skillet bread pudding with whipped cream for dessert. Read our review. (153 East Main Street, Mt. Kisco,
914.241.1200; register here.) 

Bedford Chamber Concerts, Four Hand Piano – Wed, 3/22: 8pm: BCC’s Anthony Newman presents Misha and Cipa Dichter in an evening of four handed piano. The program features the music of Mozart and Schubert. The Dichters perform regularly at many leading summer festivals, including Aspen, Mostly Mozart, Ravinia, the Hollywood Bowl, Caramoor, and the Mann Center. (St. Matthews Episcopal Church, 382 Cantitoe St., Bedford; www.bedfordchamberconcerts.org)

A Taste of Westchester, 251 Lex, Mt. Kisco – Sat, 3/25: 12-2pm. Executive Chef Hichem Habbas demonstrates his technique to make tsatziki with sheep’s milk yogurt, cucumbers, and garlic. Next learn to make yellow fin tuna tartare with a cucumber-mint vinaigrette; rosemary rubbed, grilled lamb kebabs served with his famous hand cut fries and macerated onions. The dessert demonstration is a seasonal fruit cobbler with Greek halvah made from sesame paste. Read our review. (251 Lexington Avenue, Mt. Kisco,
914.218.8156; register here.)

In the intimate Rosen House Music Room! Edward Arron & Friends, Caramoor – Sun, 3/26: 3pm. Here’s a great chance to see Edward Arron up close in Caramoor’s Rosen House Music Room. The New Yorker called Arron “one of New York’s most exciting young cellists” and “an inventive impresario.” The program features Haydn’s Trio in G major for violin, viola and cello, and piano quintets from Shostakovich and Brahms. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Local Hot Ticket Alert! Dave Barry, North Castle Public Library – Thurs, 4/6: 7:30pm. Humorist, former Miami Herald columnist and New York Times bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Dave Barry returns to his native Armonk for an evening of wit and wisdom. The New York Times called him “the funniest man in America.” Tickets go on sale in late February. (Whippoorwill Hall, 19. Whippoorwill Rd. East, Armonk; www.northcastlelibrary.org)

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