Arts on the Lake at the Lake Carmel Cultural Center in Kent has a great variety of offerings, a true community center that is well-supported. Their latest program, set for Aug. 1, is topical and historical at the same time.

During the school year—actually all year long—Justin Boccitto travels from school to school across the Lower Hudson Valley, teaching magical dances to teens for their high-school and youth-theater musicals. This summer and fall, his dance card will be filled with “Count to Ten,” a new musical written by Michael Blevins, that Boccitto and The Group Theatre Too is producing.

They’ll take “Count to Ten” to the New York Musical Theater Festival in October, a huge coup, but an expensive one. To raise money, they’re holding a cabaret on Aug. 2 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

“A Cabaret for Count To Ten”— at the Cultural Arts Playhouse in Mamaroneck—will feature a who’s who of teen talent from across the Lower Hudson Valley.

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A rhinoceros has been seen barreling down the rues of  Berenger’s French village.

Before long, there’s a crash of rhinos roaming the town, and his neighbors are disappearing.

How absurd.

Peekskill’s Mighty Theater, the resident company of the Paramount Center for the Arts, presents Eugene Ionesco’s play “Rhinoceros” Saturday at the refurbished moviehouse.

Christina Colangelo—of the theater-loving Linen-Colangelo-Cribari Theater Syndicate—dropped me a line about Port Chester Council for the Arts’ upcoming show.

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Brewster Theater Company reached out with news about their summer production of “Bye, Bye, Birdie.”

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Even though comedian Pat Hazell grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, he’s pretty sure his childhood was like any other late Baby Boomer’s, full of Slinkys, Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots and even horrifically dangerous toys like lawn darts and Clackers.

He’s sure because, for about a dozen years, he’s been writing, performing and refining “The Wonder Bread Years,” a slice-of-life comedy that opens at Penguin Rep in Stony Point tonight. And he has seen the knowing glances from audiences and heard their reminiscences.

Banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck brings his Africa Project to Katonah on July 3 for Caramoor’s 64th International Music Festival. Appearing alongside Malian singer Oumou Sangaré, Fleck will present the music he researched in travels through Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, Mali, Gambia, South Africa and Madagascar, journeys that are chronicled in “Throw Down Your Heart” — the title of his latest CD and of an accompanying documentary. Fleck answered some questions via email.

The Africa Project began with you wanting to find out where your instrument came from. Will some of those banjo forebears be at Caramoor on July 3? The akonting? The kora?
At Caramoor I will be joined by the incomparable Oumou Sangaré and her amazing band. Her musicans do not include the banjo forebears, but they are great nontheless… Oumou comes from Mali and is one of my all time favorite musicians. We will perform separately and together.

Nice to hear folks in Harrison are working on a show with kids: “Godspell Jr.” at St. Gregory the Great next weekend.

The performances will be June 27 at 8 p.m., and June 28 at 2 p.m., at St Gregory the Great auditorium located at 94 Broadway in Harrison. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance by contacting Maria Gaudelli at 914-835-1278. $10 for adults and $7 for seniors and children under 10 years of age. General admission.

The cast includes 28 performers, from 8 to 18, co-directed by Harrison junior Devon James and Annamarie Mastroberardino, executive director of New York Performing Arts Center in White Plains.

Fort Hill Players presents “The Sword in the Stone,” the classic tale of young King Arthur and Merlin in parks across White Plains July 6, 7, 8, 9, 14 and 16. Performances begin at 7 p.m. and are free of charge. Bring the family and a picnic. (Sorry… no rain dates)

Brewster Theater Company presents “Affairs of the Heart: An Evening of One Acts,” June 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. and June 6 at 2 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Church 26 Prospect St, Brewster. Pictured are Regina Sweeney (Mahopac) and Paul Stein (Brewster) in a scene from “Surprise.” The show is free but donations are accepted.  Reservations are suggested and can be made by calling 845-598-1621 or at www.brewstertheater.org.

Audiences at Nyack’s Elmwood Playhouse might recognize that fellow as Othello this weekend through June 6.

Phil Hannah, who plays the Moor in Shakespeare’s story of love and jealousy, has been in “Two Trains Running,” “Ragtime” and “Urinetown” on the tiny Nyack stage.

But the Chestnut Ridge resident has never done Shakespeare.
“This was a challenging role and I always like challenges,” he says. “I’m meeting it head-on.”

Pamela Moller Kareman, artistic director at the Schoolhouse Theater in Croton Falls, phones from an outlet mall in Secaucus, N.J., where the props are reportedly cheaper.

As a kid in Buffalo, Tom Dudzick would walk by a tiny brick building with a statue of the Virgin Mary inside. Local lore held that a barber had built the shrine after Mary had visited him, right there in Buffalo.

Jack Rosen & Co. are gearing up for Clarkstown Summer Theatre Festival, known around Rockland as “Summer Theater.” Read more of this entry »

PMT Productions presents “Urinetown, The Musical”  at The Richard Rosenthal JCC of Northern Westchester located at 600 Bear Ridge Road in Pleasantville June 12 and 13 at 8 and June 14 at 7, June 19 and 20 at 8 and June 21 at 3.