Weekend plans: NCAA basketball tournament in Albany and ‘Hamilton’ at Proctors among top picks

PHOTOGRAPHER: File Photo

Patrons arrive for the final show of the 2019 run of "Hamilton" at Proctors in Schenectady.

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WEEKEND PLANS – There’s no shortage of things to do in the Capital Region, whether you’re looking for live music, films, theater, games or festivals.

If you’re in need of a few ideas for your weekend plans, we’ve rounded up a few of the best bets from around the area.

Here’s a look at what’s going on:

March Madness invades Albany
For the first time since 2003, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is back at MVP Arena in downtown Albany.
The arena will host four first-round games on Friday, as well as a pair of second-round games on Sunday.
Friday afternoon’s schedule sees Virginia Commonwealth face Saint Mary’s at 2 p.m., followed by Connecticut — featuring Amsterdam native and Albany Academy graduate Andre Jackson Jr. — facing Iona at 4:30 p.m. The night games on Friday are Miami facing Drake at 7:25 p.m. and Indiana taking on Kent State at 9:55 p.m.
Times for Sunday’s games will be announced following Friday’s results.
Tickets are available at mvparena.com.

State basketball championships
The NYSPHSAA boys’ and girls’ basketball championships will both be determined this weekend in the Capital Region, with action taking place Friday through Sunday in both events. The boys’ games will be held at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls, and the girls’ games are set for Hudson Valley Community College in Troy.
Several Section II teams will participate in both events, including the Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons girls’ team, which is vying for a Class D state championship. The Knights play their semifinal game against Oxford Academy on Saturday at 10:45 a.m., and would play in the championship game on Sunday at 10 a.m. if they advance.
Tickets for all sessions can be purchased at gofan.co/NYSPHSAA.

Your shot to see ‘Hamilton’
The award-winning and ever-popular musical “Hamilton” continues its run at Proctors this weekend. Through a mix of hip-hop, jazz and rhythm and blues, the show explores the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton.
Written by Li-Manuel Miranda and based on Ron Chernow’s biography, the Tony and Grammy Award-winning production, last came to Schenectady in 2019. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Shows are set to run through Sunday, Mar. 26. Tickets are $49 – $229. For more information visit proctors.org.

“13 Suits” at theREP
The Capital Repertory Theatre will host “13 Suits: A Mother’s Monologues” this weekend, a play inspired by the death of Niskayuna native Patrick Duff. He was killed by a drunk driver while walking home one night in 2015.
Presented by The Outer Loop Theater Experience and written by Kathleen Kerrigan Duff and Michael Herman, the production is an immersive theater experience crafted from a mother’s reflections after losing her son.
Tickets are pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of $25. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information visit capitalrep.org.

Sports Expo returns
The Adirondack Sports Summer Expo returns this weekend at the Saratoga Springs City Center. The two-day expo is geared toward getting runners, bikers, paddlers, etc. ready for the summer season and around 10,000 attendees are expected. There’ll be 200-plus vendors from the travel, triathlon, skiing, running and biking sectors. Attendees can try out disc golfing and paddling.
The show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information visit adksports.com/summer-expo.