Hopeless Romantics: Music & Theatre in the Ten Broeck Mansion Gardens

Join us for a free summer performance & readings in the historic Ten Broeck Mansion gardens featuring music by Eli Pafumi and Shiri Zorn.
About this Event

Music, theatre, gardens & history: Join us for a delightful summer performance in the Ten Broeck Mansion gardens by composer and performer Eli Pafumi and jazz vocalist Shiri Zorn. Bring a blanket or chair, and settle in for a summer afternoon of music and theatre in the midst of the gracious Ten Broeck Mansion gardens, as Romantic traditions of the past take on a modern spin.

Performance Schedule:

• 2 pm - 2:50 pm: Concert & Reading by nationally recognized singer songwriter Eli Pafumi and performing artists, with introduction by Miriam Weisfeld, Producing Artistic Director, Capital Repertory Theatre
• 2:50 pm - 3 pm: Intermission
• 3 pm - 3:50 pm: Concert by Shiri Zorn, exploring jazz standards and beyond on the theme of "hopeless romantics" with Chad McLoughlin, guitar

Join us for other special events throughout the day:

• Hopeless Romantics: Poetry Workshop 10:30 am - 11:30 am
• Hopeless Romantics Tour: Poetry and Art at Ten Broeck Mansion 12 pm

Advance registration is required since space is limited. Please be sure to cancel your registration if you are not able to attend so others may participate. Thank you for understanding. For those with ADA needs, please reach out to us directly: 518-436-9826.

In case of heavy rain, we will hold the concert indoors in the Ten Broeck Mansion. Please note we will only be able to admit the first 30 attending and in line.

Please note: at this time we do not have a public restroom. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

About the Musical Artists:

Eli Pafumi is a nationally recognized composer whose music for film and television has been featured on FOX and Tubi as well as Coachella and the Electric Forest Festival. The Magi, written by Helen R. Murray with music and lyrics by Eli Pafumi and directed by Dave Solomon (Broadway: Elf, Tootsie, Sunday in the Park with George, etc), is a soulful theatrical concert loosely inspired by the O. Henry short story. Blending original music, heartfelt storytelling, and tender humor, The Magi explores the sacrifices we make for love and wraps up the spirit of giving in a delightfully original package. Learn more.

For more information or to purchase tickets to the December production, please visit attherep.org

Shiri Zorn is an innovative jazz vocalist whose fresh and intercultural sound reinvents standard jazz repertoire as we know it. She American Songbook tunes with Middle Eastern influences and unexpected time signatures, and reharmonizes Latin and Samba classics to evoke feelings of transcendence, temporarily rendering the listener lost to time and space. Learn more.

“Zorn’s voice is cool, calm and cerebral, her tone pure. She articulates lyrics with perfect diction and scalpel-like precision,”
~ Allen Morrison, DownBeat Magazine

Chad McLoughlin is an acclaimed New York–based performing artist and composer whose virtuosic technique has led him to perform with leading jazz and fusion artists including Mike Stern, Bob Francesini, Joel Rosenblatt, Richie Cannata, and Bo Diddley, and to release his original fusion album Electron Flex with Dave Anderson and Thierry Arpino. Learn more.

Free educational programs made possible in part with funding by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, Upstate Theatre Coalition for a Fairgame Arts Grant, the Music Performance Fund, and : thank you.

We encourage you to add an ACHA membership or make a special Education Center gift (all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. The ACHA is a 501c3 nonprofit community-centered museum).

Special offer! Enjoy these local Albany businesses on August 22, special offers for all program registrations ( all offers subject to businesses' terms and conditions)

• Cider Belly Doughnuts: pick up a special coupon when you attend the Hopeless Romantics programs
• Common Roots Albany Outpost: buy-one-get-one-free drink offer for August 22 for all Hopeless Romantics Program Attendees, show reservation email to redeem offer. Just minutes from the Ten Broeck Mansion!

To make your visit safe and enjoyable for all:

1) Getting Here

• Free off‑street parking: Please use our Livingston Avenue parking lot (GPS: 136 Livingston Avenue, Albany, NY).
• Walking: Our neighborhood has sidewalks for easy access.
• Public transportation: CDTA bus routes 100 and 106 stop about a four‑minute walk away.
• Visit our website for a map and additional travel information.

2) Making Your Visit Safe and Comfortable

• Please wear comfortable shoes suitable for historic, sometimes uneven surfaces. Spike heels are not permitted.
• Bags should be smaller than a standard backpack. Larger bags must be left in the reception area.
• Please do not touch historic collections.
• Water in closed containers is permitted; glass containers are not allowed.

3) Accessibility

• Visitors with accessibility needs are encouraged to contact us in advance with any questions.
• Visitors with service dogs are welcome.
• Emotional support and therapy dogs are not permitted in the museum.
• Museum spaces and gardens offer very limited seating.

4) Gardens & Grounds

• Our gardens and parking lot are reserved for registered museum program visitors during regular tour and program hours.
• Our site is pack‑in, pack‑out; please take all waste with you. Light lunches (brown-bag type) may be enjoyed on our grounds, but no parties, buffets, hammocks, additional chairs and tables, or tents may be brought in or used.
• Pets must be kept on a 6 foot or less leash at all times, and all pet waste must be removed. Please do not have pets relieve themselves in garden beds or near walks.
• No smoking, vaping, or alcohol consumption.
• Please follow posted signs and use caution throughout the site.
• Free educational kits and self‑guided tours are available at the garden kiosk.
• Hours may change; please check our website or call for current information.
• See our website for full garden regulations.

5) Registration & Program Timing

• Advance registration is required.
• We cannot guarantee admission, seating, or program materials for unregistered or late‑arriving visitors.
• The ACHA often runs concurrent programs; please respect other programs’ spaces and access, as all visitors share the site.
• Late arrivals cannot remain past the scheduled program end time, and programs cannot be extended.

6) Ensuring a Positive Experience

• The ACHA is committed to a welcoming, respectful environment. For everyone’s safety, visitors must follow all guidelines and the instructions of ACHA staff. Disrespectful, abusive, threatening, or otherwise inappropriate behavior is not permitted.
• Visitors who do not follow these expectations will be asked to leave.

These regulations are subject to being updated at any time. Please visit our website for current regulations.

Performance made possible with funding from the New York State Council on the Arts, Upstate Theatre Coalition for a Fairgame Arts Grant, the Music Performance Fund, and members of the ACHA like you.

Images - header: Eli Pafumi, Detail, Portrait of Harmanus Ten Eyck (Collections AIHA); Shiri Zorn; Samuel Lovett Waldo, Detail, Portrait of Hester Van Zandt Hanford, 1826 (Collections AIHA). Below: Eli Pafumi and Shiri Zorn, courtesy of the artists, and the Ten Broeck Mansion gardens.