Literally Apocalypse Wow, it’s the end of the world as we know it. A flood of biblical proportions leaves the earth with only two people. An always happy one and a mostly despairing one discover their common language is song and dance. Together they chronicle the rise and fall and hopeful rise again of humankind through music. Song and dance run the gamut from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Sondheim, and R.E.M. to Queen.

Playwright Michele Lowe started out as a journalist with a degree from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. Her plays have been produced around the U.S. and in other countries. Both Inana and Victoria Musica were finalists for the American Theatre Critics Association/Steinberg New Play Award in 2010, the first time that a playwright was nominated for two plays in one season.

The Taubman Museum of Art occupies a dramatic, 81,000-square-foot geometrically oblique building just across from Roanoke, Virginia’s historic Marketplace Square. Designed by Los Angeles architect Randall Stout and completed in 2008, the museum, with its swooping and soaring metal roof, is a dramatic architectural presence that has established itself as a major force in the life of Roanoke’s thriving arts community.

After less than a decade the land locked ICA on the waterfront has run out of space. There is a desperate plan to expand into two floors of a 17 floor adjacent building which is under construction. It has become ever more obvious that the award winning design by Diller, Scofidio + Renfro. is proving to be an utter dysfunctional disaster.

Set in the Ritz-Carlton Boston in the late 1940s, Light Up the Sky is a backstage comedy about the eccentric, colorful artists and producers involved in breathing life into a Broadway-bound play. Here we witness that frightening moment of anticipation and terror just before an audience sees the opening performance. We view the grand, charismatic leading lady, the hopeful young playwright, the high-strung director, the boorish producer and his comical wife along with a monster mother in this affectionate, hilarious and even a bit corny look at what used to be referred to as the "legitimate" theatre. With a wonderful cast, it is an entertaining way to spend some time smiling in the dark.

Meeting for Happy Hour we discussed the strong, star studded first season for Mandy Greenfield the artistic director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival. We explored an overview of the elements that must mesh under the pressure of a tight festival format to result in richly compelling theatre.

A major piece of public art was floated above the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Downtown Boston. The scale, complexity and the fact that it was even done at all makes a clear statement that Boston has joined the 21st Century. The artwork by artist Janet Echelman is a strong indication that the sky is now literally the limit.

After one of the worst winters on record yet again Spring means six glorious weeks of the Boston Pops. We participated in the gala opening night launch of Keith Lockhart's 20th season. His guest was Broadway star Bernadette Peters. It provided a preview of their appearance together at Tanglewood on July 5.

Goodman's excellent new production of The Little Foxes, directed with style by Henry Wishcamper, stars a galaxy of Chicago's finest actors and surely resonates with some of the current discussions about racism, sexism, domestic abuse and income inequality. If you have a drink with friends after the show, those topics probably will be part of your post-play discussion.

The Provincetown Theater announces its 2015 season. An eclectic blend of the old and new, this year's lineup reflects key moments in the history of theater on the Outer Cape and beyond. Eugene O'Neill to Ryan Landry, Lonely Planet to Oleanna will join Broadway veterans on the stage in Provincetown to help celebrate 100 years of exhilarating performances, inspired new American plays and powerful theatrical experiences in Provincetown..

Taste over 700 wines and food from throughout the world at Mohonk Mountain House

Now in his final weeks as director of the Clark Art Institute Michael Conforti hosted a media event promoting a blockbuster season for Northern Berkshire County. There were presentations by Joe Thompson for Mass MoCA, Tina Olsen for the Williams College Museum of Art, and Mandy Greenfield for the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Notably absent from the media event were North Adams based arts presenters Downstreet, The Eclipse Mill Gallery, The Rudd Museum of Art and the fall annual Williamstown Film Festival.

A touching play exploring our evolving understanding of what it means to be a family. At times funny, provocative, and poignant, this drama follows Dallas matriarch Katharine Gerard on an unexpected visit to New York City to meet with her late son’s former partner, who is now married to another man and raising a young son. Forced to consider the life that her son might have led, Katharine must now come to terms with her own life choices. And certainly, society has changed around her. Wonderful acting underscores this quality production.

Paparelli and his co-writer, Joshua Jaeger, conducted about 100 interviews over five years with current and former residents of public housing, plus scholars and city officials. His docudrama isn't a dreary recitation of blame and political failure. The problems are not ignored, but the resulting production is a lively and thoroughly engrossing story in words, rhythm and music.

In the third and final installment of an interview with Tony Simotes he describes the epiphany and divine intervention that resulted with leaving Shakespeare & Company and beginning what he calls act two with Berkshire Theatre Group. Having overcome personal and family adversity he views each day as a gift and the opportunity to have a positive impact in theatre and the cultural community of the Berkshires.

From 1833 to 1834, the explorer and naturalist Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, Germany, traveled on a 2,500-mile journey into the American Interior, generally following the path of the Lewis and Clark expedition (1804-6). Maximilian was accompanied by the Swiss artist Karl Bodmer, whom the prince had hired to record the cities, rivers, and people they saw along the way. Maximilian and the 23-year-old Bodmer left St. Louis in April 1833 and

The Provincetown based based conceptual artist a master of gonzo agit-prop, Jay Critchley, is having his first museum level solo exhibition at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. We visited his cluttered home, studio and back yard where he was preparing works for installation in the museum. We viewed the artifacts from numerous projects and conceptual works.

Decopas is a perfect affordable wine. The tradition in Argentina, as in many countries, is that after the conclusion of a work day, Happy Hour begins. Argentineans have their own expression for Happy Hour, which is, ‘De copes’ or by the glass.

Namibia's iconic vast savannah wilderness consists of woodland and grassy plains, surrounding the massive Etosha salt pan, its desiccated white surface visible from the air. Perennial springs around the edge of the pan provide the water required by the park's high density big game population and other wildlife.

Pisco came into being as a way to use leftover grapes that were undesirable for winemaking. The distilled grapes were turned into a high-proof spirit.

Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist is a full-scale exhibit of about 45 of Motley's paintings now on view at the Chicago Cultural Center. Along the corridor leading to the gallery is a display of information about Motley's life and work. Jazz age music plays on the gallery sound system. Prior to Chicago the exhibition was on view at the LA Country Museum of Art. The next stop if the Whitney Museum of American Art

During the 2015 Drama Desk Awards a special award will be given to John Douglas Thompson: For invigorating theater in New York through his commanding presence, classical expertise, and vocal prowess. This season he demonstrated exceptional versatility in Tamburlaine the Great and The Iceman Cometh. He is familiar to Berkshire audience for outstanding performances for Shakespeare & Company. The renowned actor will return to Lenox this summer.

May 2014 marked the official opening of th Cleveland Museum's new atrium, part of a $350 million dollar expansion designed by award-winning Uruguyan architect, Rafael Viñoly. It is one of the top comprehensive art museums in the nation, with 45,000 objects spanning 6,000 years.

The 56th Biennale of Venice opens on May 9. The Belgian critic Roger D’Hondt offers a preview.

The contract with Milliken University was due to arrive when Kate Maguire called and asked Tony Simotes to meet for breakfast. Racing against the clock and making phone calls she offered him a job as second in commend at Berkshire Theatre Group. Then Tony and Lucy faced the tough decision of turning down tenure, benefits and security to take another challenging but risky job in theatre.