Berkshire Spring Preview 2008
Getting a Jump on the Arts
By: Larry Murray - Mar 17, 2008
Spring Preview 2008 - An early start for the arts
The Berkshire hills are alive again and it's time to bring out that calendar.
Our resident arts groups haven't been hibernating, they've been hard at work thinking about what treats and surprises to offer you this season. Right on schedule, Spring brings with it a sparkling new array of offerings to tempt you out of the house and into the arts. From Great Barrington to Williamstown our hills are coming alive once again. It is going to be an exciting year.
Our first preview of 2008 covers early Spring, from now until May. An update will appear in mid May and then every month through the Summer. It's not possible to include everything that is happening, just the most promising. We hope you find our seasoned recommendations helpful.
An important thing to remember is that the early birds get the best seats. Most of the companies listed here offer season subscriptions, and attractive discounted ticket programs, and with an early commitment also come the best seats in the house. Even Mass MoCA offers its members ticket discounts, so memberships, too, yield ticket buying benefits. It pays to think about the coming season now, and to plan your events early to get both the choicest dates, the best prices and the best locations in the house.
Barrington Stage Company
Many of our resident Berkshire theater companies have "extended" seasons. Barrington Stage in particular has made an enormous effort to have something on the boards almost every month. Artistic Director Julianne Boyd has two special events planned for Spring.
If you trekked to New York City to see "Wicked," you were most likely blown away by the incredible Idna Menzel in her role as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. She won a Tony for it, and Barrington has staged a coup with her special appearance on April 3. It is to celebrate the release of her new WB album "I Stand". Menzel will be performing many of the new songs featured on the CD. And of course, the evening will include performances of songs from "Wicked" and "Rent," the shows that made her fame. This is a rare chance to see this fast rising actress and singer in concert.
Opening on May 21 and continuing until June 8 is the Pulitzer Prize wining "I am My Own Wife" on BSC's Stage II. This Tony Award-winning play tells the true story of East German transvestite Charlotte von Mahlsdorf who incredibly eluded both the Nazis and the Communists with a combination of cleverness and deceit.
Barrington's Julianne Boyd deserves credit for scheduling this work, as she does for "Trumbo", since both show us how fragile freedom can be when it comes up against politics.
You could ask why I am recommending this quiet, dramatic tale about a transvestite, played by a TBA male actor, speaking in heavily accented English, and wearing a black dress and a string of pearls. Faith is part of it, but also the history of this important work, which is far less esoteric than you might think.
This is no drag show, sorry, and it isn't particularly kinky either. It is a terrific and inspiring story about a wonderfully unique and real person, who died in 2002 at 74, and who spent his life in a most original, desperate and unique way.
As Bruce Weber wrote in the New York Times, "I Am My Own Wife is largely about Charlotte's enduring the cruel repressions of the Nazis and the Communists, and her harrowing tales of survival through the eras of the Gestapo and the Stasi, the East German secret police, are nothing short of breathtaking."
http://www.barringtonstageco.org/
A complete report on Barrington Stage's coming season can be found at:
http://www.berkshirefinearts.com/show_article.php?article_id=549&category=theatre
A Berkshire Fine Arts interview with Artistic Director Julianne Boyd:
http://www.berkshirefinearts.com/show_article.php?article_id=599&category=theatre
Berkshire Theatre Festival
The BTF is a fixture in the Berkshires. It has never had time to simply rest on its laurels, but keeps forging ahead with a mixture of new plays and old. Under the sure guidance of Kate Maguire, it has consistently made excellent choices and delivered top quality productions. Maguire has developed a loyal cadre of exceptionally talented actors and directors, and they in turn give the company their best. It positively radiates from their two stages.
Opening the season at the intimate Unicorn Theatre is Harold Pinter's "The Caretaker," directed by Eric Hill and starring James Barry and Jonathan Epstein. It opens on May 22 and runs through June 28.
Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter's "The Caretaker" is an enigmatic and sinister comedy about the struggle for power. The fragile relationship of two brothers, Aston and Mick, is turned upside down when Davies, a homeless man, enters their lives. Since its premiere in 1960, this play has been recognized as a landmark in 20th century drama. If you have ever competed with someone for the attentions of a charming new arrival, this play will resonate with your own experience. I find it one of Pinter's most powerful narrations on the human condition
Following "The Caretaker," there are several other promising productions planned at the Unicorn:
Pageant Play by Matthew Wilkas and Mark Setlock with Daiva Deupree, Jenn Harris, Mark Setlock, and Matthew Wilkas begins July 1.
This is described as an outrageous new satiric comedy about the twisted world of child pageants. Two ruthless stage mothers with rival pageant coaches go on a desperate quest to turn their daughters into beauty queens.
Beginning July 29 is "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett and directed by Anders Cato with David Adkins and Randy Harrison. I am filled with anticipation at seeing these two remarkable actors in this classic. Written by the acerbic Samuel Beckett, this tragicomedy changed the course of modern theatre when it opened in Paris in 1953. The play is at once a vaudevillian farce and a heartrending expression of our very existence. Upon seeing the innovative production for the first time, playwright William Saroyan commented, "It will make it easier for me and everyone else to write freely in the theatre."
"Eleanor: Her Secret Journey" by Rhoda Lerman follows on August 26 and will be directed by Stephen Temperley. This is a poignant and thoughtful one-woman play about Eleanor Roosevelt which reveals her private struggles and offers a distinctly feminine look at politics, power, and war. It seems fitting to add her voice to the conversation during election season.
Opening on the Main Stage of the Berkshire Theatre Festival will be George Bernard Shaw's "Candida" on June 17, directed by Anders Cato. Shaw's fast-paced, thought-provoking 1894 comedy was first performed in Stockbridge in 1928 during the Berkshire Playhouse's inaugural season.
Following will be "The Book Club Play" by Karen Zacarias which opens on July 8 in its Northeast Premiere with Tom Story. This well received new comedy is about people who read books, people who say they read books, and people who prefer books to other people. The play examines the popular phenomena of book clubs: the intricate rules, the intricate friendships, and the intricate need for food.
"A Man for All Seasons" starts on July 22, directed by Richard Corley and with Tara Franklin and Eric Hill. It explores the uneasy interplay of church and state during the reign of King Henry VIII. The play is based on the true story of Sir Thomas More and won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1962 and went on to garner multiple Academy Awards when it was adapted to film in 1966.
Perhaps the most anticipated play will be Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Richard Chamberlain and Jan Maxwell will play the battling George and Martha in this scathing, scalding, revealing, and wickedly funny drama directed by Martin A. Rabbett. It begins on August 12 and rounds out the 80th Birthday season's offerings.
The Berkshire Theatre Festival has a variety of attractive ticket subscription programs, with half price for Berkshire residents at Sunday matinees.
http://www.berkshiretheatre.org
MacHaydn Theater in Chatham, NY
If you are a fan of musicals, then the only early Spring offering we can suggest is "My Fair Lady," the opening production at the MacHaydn Theater, across the border in New York State. It runs from May 22 to June 1. Even 39 years after its premiere, it still has it charms, and a wonderful revival has been touring the country. This is not it.
While the acting is energetic, the staging creative, the scenery is minimal since their productions are done in the round. And synthesizers that substitute for a pit orchestra are less than ideal. Compensation arrives, however, in this company's delightfully low prices for admission.
http://www.machaydntheatre.org/
Shakespeare and Company
Comedy tonight! Charles Morey has freely translated and adapted the Georges Feydeau's "Tailleur Pour Dames," a classic French farce that I have high hopes for making me laugh until it hurts. I love these "bizarre-entine" tales of sexual machinations and double crossing which explain why I have always believed the French not only have the best food, but also the strangest and most delightful sense of humor of all the Europeans except the British. Here's why this deserves your attention.
"Welcome to belle époque Paris, when Frenchmen invented savoire faire and mother-in-laws everywhere were suspicious. Set in Paris at the turn of the century, it's about a suave doctor whose young wife and fire-breathing mother-in-law suspect him of infidelity, and who gets deeper into his own soup the more he tries to prove his innocence. The razor fine, saucy language exemplifies how Feydeau's ear for words and eye for situations influenced today's comedy. This convoluted story and whip-smart dialogue show where Noel Coward found his zing and the Marx brothers their zaniness. "
Shakespeare and Company has long encouraged Berkshire residents to see their work with special discounts. Check out their ticket and season information:
http://www.shakespeare.org/
Here is a link to additional BFA information on the coming season.
http://www.berkshirefinearts.com/show_article.php?article_id=496&category=theatre
Williamstown Theatre Festival
While the season for Williamstown does not include any Spring offerings, the coming year under the new leadership of Nicholas Martin promises to be the most exciting in years. Here are the details from an earlier story:
http://www.berkshirefinearts.com/show_article.php?article_id=576&category=theatre
http://www.wtfestival.org
MASS MoCA
There's always something happening at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) and this spring is no exception.
Mass MoCA Kidspace - Devorah Sperber
Art isn't just for adults, and children are well represented at this growing institution. On March 27 at 3:30 a new exhibit will open, "Interpretations" featuring marvelously zany installations by Devorah Sperber which will be on view throughout the Summer. At first glance, her works look like abstractions made out of ordinary craft materials like spools of thread, map tacks or market pen caps. However, the secret is in how you look at them, and kids will have fun using things like acrylic spheres or a convex mirror to make familar artworks and things emerge from the seemingly haphazard elements. At the opening she will give a talk on her art secrets at 5 pm on the 27th.
Mass MoCA - Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks
Malkmus, the driving force behind seminal '90s underground indie band Pavement, blows into Mass MoCA's Hunter Center on Friday April 4 at 8:00 with The Jicks, with whom he's churned out a clutch of brilliant albums in the new millennium. They're touring in support of their just-released CD, Real Emotional Trash — expect to have your pants rocked thoroughly off. Special bonus: John Vanderslice opens the show!
Williamstown Jazz Festival - Mass MoCA
On Thursday April 10 at 7:30 pm in conjunction with the Williamstown Jazz Festival MoCA presents two films by local filmmakers that offer fascinating — and very different — looks at recovery and resilience in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Holly Hardman's work-in-progress "Left Behind in Louisiana" offers an intimate portrait of evangelical Christian families and churches along the Gulf Coast whose fervent belief in End Times prophecy guides them through the arduous and extraordinary rebuilding process.
Williams College professor Liza Johnson's experimental documentary "South of Ten" juxtaposes ten surreal sequences of average people taking small steps to rebuild their lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Both filmmakers will be on hand for a Q&A after the screening. Hardman continues to follow the families and churches in her film.
Zydeco Dance Party with C.J. Chenier and his
Red Hot Louisiana Band
The next day promises to be the most fun in a long time. On Friday, April 11, starting at 8:00 pm, MoCA and the Williamstown Jazz Festival stage another of their legendary dance parties. One of the bayou's favorite sons brings his raucous band in for a foot stomping dance party of epic proportions. Chenier, whom Billboard called "the heir to the zydeco throne," is widely regarded as one of the genre's best singers and live performers: as the Boston Globe said, he "attacks the accordion with the tension and drive of James Brown...creating contemporary, turbo-charged dance music." Dance instruction arranged by Jacob's Pillow.
This concert is presented as part of Williamstown Jazz Festival which runs from April 9-17 and includes an Intercollegiate Jazz Festival, lectures, a Gospel Concert at St. John's in Williamstown, jam sessions, Zydeco dance instruction, Dixieland brunch with the Jason Ennis Quartet at the Gala Restaurant at the Orchards Hotel, Freddie Bryant at the Williams College Museum of Art, Gabriela Montero at The Clark Art Museum, and a host of other activities held in many different venues. To find out about them all, check out their detailed website:
http://www.williamstownjazz.com/
Mass MoCA - Kenny Wollesen and the Himalayas
Two weeks later, on Saturday April 26, percussionist, bandleader, and all around wild man Kenny Wollesen wears many hats: besides being one of the most sought after jazz drummers in the world, he also fronts a frenetic, semi-spontaneous marching band that turns up at parades and other events in NYC, gathering members as it goes and leaving hilarity in its wake. Wollesen wraps up a weeklong residency with a performance that combines his core group with local musicians in an ecstatic communal jamboree. You can also check massmoca.org for a schedule of Kenny's vacation week community events.
Jenny Scheinmann at Mass MoCA's Club B-10
On May 3 there is a complete change of pace as Jenny Scheimann travels from New York to show how easy it is to swing from jazz to classical to rock with acrobatic grace. Her band includes some of the best musicians in the Big Apple -- come prepared to be dazzled. The New York Times says: "Her closest connection may be with the guitarist Bill Frisell Â… They are both drawn to a kind of brainy comfort music in which traditions bleed together: Irish reels, Protestant hymns, Jewish scales, national anthems, blues, calypsos - all rendered in a homey, parlor style."
http://www.massmoca.org/
A Welcome to Hudson's at Mass MoCA
Jeff and Jane Hudson who opened North Adams Antiques just a year ago have opened a second retail outlet called, appropriately enough, "Hudson's" at the famed corner storefront near the museum's entrance. I have written before of the good taste and knowledge they both possess in the arts, and their dedication to presenting new and emerging artists. I discovered the works of Adams artist Henry Klein thanks to them, and treasure a Berkshire themed painting of his (recently purchased) that now watches over me as I work.
So when Jane and Jeff plan a new show, my ears and eyes always perk up. As this preview approached its deadline, I received word that their next exhibition at their North Adams, Main Street venue which will feature the work of Andreas Wittstock. Jane describes it this way:
"Wittstock was born in Mexico City to French and German parents. As a youth he worked as a scuba diver on the Pacific coast of Mexico in Zihuatanejo He first came to the Berkshires to study yoga and bodywork, and in 1999 moved to New York State where he studied 'faux' painting with a master painter. He worked on restorations for two years, and subsequently produced decorative backdrops for opera companies in the Berkshires, Mexico and Greece. He now lives in Becket, MA.
"Currently, he uses his sense of color and texture to advise and work on commercial and residential interiors and exteriors. Wittstock creates distressed surfaces that remind one of metal, wood or stone. His objects are reconfigured found materials. Whether paint on canvas or assemblages of found objects, his art reflects both his heritage and his spiritual path. He approaches all subject matter with humor and sensitivity."
The opening is April 5th At North Adams Antiques from 3-6 pm and runs through May 10th. The original store and gallery is located at 49 Main Street in North Adams.
http://officialjeffandjane.com
http://northadamsantiques.com
Coming Up at The Colonial Theater
There's a lot happening here, an eclectic combination of arts and entertainment events, and you may want to use the link below for a complete schedule of events and details. Here's a brief rundown:
"Addy: An American Girl Story" on March 22, followed by young concert pianist and winner of the Arthur Schnabel competition in Berlin, Benjamin Moser on March 27th; then the much anticipated "Broadway to the Berkshires Presents: Act II" benefit on Friday, March 28.
In April look forward to "Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash" for Tuesday April 8-9; "A Universe of Dreams: Ensemble Galilei" with Neal Conan on April 12; Joseph Heller's "Catch-22" presented by the Aquila theater Company on Sunday April 13; and then the off Briadway hit, "Greater Tuna" on Friday, April 18.
In May there's "The Velveteen Rabbit" on the 3rd, followed by a one night stand of the bus and truck company of "Evita" on Wednesday, May 7; and finally, "Cats and Dogs Reign on Memory Lane" slated for the 9th.
http://www.thecolonialtheatre.org
Jacob's Pillow and the Berkshires Dance Scene
Dance in the Berkshires revolves around Jacob's Pillow, and for good reason. This venerated institution has roots in Becket going back to the 1930's , and the festival itself began in the early 40's. In the 65+ years since, any dance company worth seeing has appeared there. As dance has exploded across America, the Berkshires have become one of the world's most important dance crossroads, and local audiences are benefit from the synergy they create.
A decade ago, the off-season meant "The Nutcracker" and little else. Today, Jacob's Pillow often collaborates with Mass MoCA and others during the off season to help make dance a year round activity in the Berkshires. The opportunities to see independently produced dance have also expanded. Both the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington and the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield are frequently scheduling dance companies as part of their offerings.
Several of these performances are taking place before Jacob's Pillow officially kicks off their 2008 season in June with more than 20 scheduled events. Read the Berkshire Fine Arts article on the 2008 Pillow season, and visit their website for ticket and subscription details.
http://www.jacobspillow.org
http://www.berkshirefinearts.com/show_article.php?article_id=486&category=dance
ODC/Dance Company at the Colonial
Circle Friday, May 2 on your calendar, for this will be a rare and welcomed visit by ODC Dance, a ten person company that thrives on risk and nerve. Based on the West Coast, the company's founders will present their newest works for Berkshire audiences to enjoy. Included are the world premieres of "Origin of Flight" and "Hunting and Gathering", choreographed by Brenda Way and KT Nelson respectively. Music for their works range from the Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli to Brian Eno, David Byrne and Laurie Anderson.
Perhaps the most anticipated piece for many is "Walk Before Talk", a compelling ensemble work set to a score by Michael Nyman (Academy award-winning composer of The Piano). Nelson sets the stage with ODC's men in Rodin-like poses "…combining a sleekness, versatility and brawn that should be the envy of the community." – San Francisco Examiner
With surprisingly low ticket prices (check it out using the link below) how can you pass this one up?
http://www.thecolonialtheatre.org
http://www.odcdance.org/
MOMIX at the Mahaiwe
Friday, March 28 is the other big night for dance lovers in the Berkshires. Moses Pendleton who founded MOMIX after many years with Pilobolus will be back in town. The unique athleticism and visual grace of his work has inspired many others. When you see a performance by Cirque du Soleil, you can see his handiwork, though uncredited. Much of the movement vocabulary he has invented has been adapted by artists in other fields.
Known internationally for presenting work of exceptional inventiveness and physical beauty, MOMIX is a company of dancer-illusionists which makes you gaze in awe and wonder as its performers fool the naked eye using props, light, shadow, humor and the human body.
The Metropolitan Opera at the Mahaiwe
The Mahaiwe has an outstanding schedule of events at their unique venue in Great Barrington, foremost among them the High Definition telecasts of the Saturday Metropolitan Opera. On the schedule are:
- Tristan und Isolde - March 22
- Peter Grimes - March 29
- La Boheme - April 5
- La Fille du Regiment - May 10
Berkshire International Film Festival at the Mahaiwe
The Mahaiwe also hosts the 3rd Annual Berkshire International Film Festival which runs from May 15-18. On Friday they will honor Kevin Bacon, and on Saturday they will have a special screening of "Blade Runner" with iconic special effects wizard Doug Trumbull.
http://www.mahaiwe.org/events.html
Music - Three concerts at the Mahaiwe
Berkshire Bach Society
This organization, now completing its second decade, promotes the appreciation of Baroque music, and champion rarely heard works, especially in the Berkshires. On May 9 they will present a choral concert of "Orfeo ed Euridice," by Gluck with the Berkshire Bach Singers and Orchestra, conducted by James Bagwell.
Guitar/Cello Recital with Eliot Fisk, guitar and Yehuda Hanani, cello
Fisk is a master of the guitar, the most prominent instrument of the Renaissance, and Hanani, the cello, which had its flowering in the 19th century. The two together will blend the sonorities of plucked, strummed and bowed strings. The promising program includes virtuoso music for these instruments by Schubert, Boccherini, Valentini, De Falla, Villa-Lobos and Piazzolla. Saturday, April 26, 6:00 pm
The Gypsy Concert!
This is sure to be an evening of musical fireworks since passion, vertiginous speed, and laughter-through-tears are the hallmarks of Romani and Gypsy music. With Lydia Artymiw, piano; Vadim Gluzman, violin; Michael Klotz, viola; and Yehuda Hanani; cello.
You will hear gypsy themes in Haydn's Piano Trio in G Major, Brahms' Piano Quartet in G minor, Ravel's Tzigane, and David Popper's Rhapsody. A cameo appearance by Bizet's famous gypsy Carmen is expected, in the guise of Metropolitan mezzo-soprano Lucille Beer. Saturday, May 24, 6:00 pm .
http://www.mahaiwe.org/events.html
Larry Murray is a contributing editor for Berkshire Fine Arts who will offer regular previews of area events. He was a founder of and the former executive director of ARTS Boston.