Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center Announces Coming Season
Metropolitan Opera in HD Returns to Great Barrington
By: Ariel Petrova - May 09, 2009
The Mahaiwe opened in 1905 as a movie theatre for the Southern Berkshires in Great Barrington. Several years ago it was born again as the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. In a relatively short time it has become established as an outstanding arts destination with a range of top tier offerings including Live in HD broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera as well as performances by leading dance companies including Paul Taylor and Pilobolus. As well as performances of every kind of music from classical to rock, jazz, and funk. This coming season the Mahaiwe will feature a range from Don McClean cooking up another slice of American Pie to, be still dear heart, an ABBA revival band, and the cool jazz of John Pizzarelli.
Branching out from the enormously successful Live at the Met series the distinguished British actress, Helen Mirren, will star in an HD live performance of the Greek drama, Phedre on June 25. While the Met broadcasts start in the fall there will be a reprieve of Eugene Onegin on July 11 starring the magnificent soprano Renee Fleming. Below is the press release and full schedule for the coming season
Great Barrington , Mass.– Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center Executive Director Beryl Jolly announces the schedule of events for July through February. "We at the Mahaiwe are delighted to have lined up a stellar variety of acts that will entertain residents and visitors of all ages. We're presenting a dynamic mix of jazz, opera, bluegrass, rock, world music, modern dance, theater, literature, acrobats, and more. We're proud to continue our ongoing partnerships with the Met Opera and Symphony Space, to bring back popular favorites, and to introduce new artists on the Mahaiwe stage."
The season kicks off on Sunday, July 5 at 3pm with a concert by the ever-popular Dan Zanes & Friends. Newsweek calls this Grammy Award-winning artist "the reigning Pied Piper of family music" and Zanes's last performance at the Mahaiwe sold out in 2007.
On Thursday, July 9 at 8pm, the freewheeling bluegrass jam band, Yonder Mountain String Band, brings its signature progressive sound to the Mahaiwe stage. One of the most popular bands on the festival circuit, Colorado 's Yonder Mountain String Band is known for its high-energy, improvisational live shows. Band members play banjo, bass, mandolin, and guitar. Rock producer Tom Rothrock (Foo Fighters, Elliot Smith, Beck) produced their last studio release, creating a sound for the band that bridges the gap between bluegrass and rock.
The Metropolitan Opera just announced a new Best of the Met: Live in HD Encore Presentation broadcast series. The Mahaiwe is pleased to present the 2007 Met production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, with Renée Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, on Saturday, July 11 at 1pm.
The Mahaiwe welcomes back Symphony Space's Selected Shorts for a second Great Barrington season on Sunday, July 12 at 3pm and Sunday, December 6 at 3pm. Hosted by Symphony Space Artistic Director Isaiah Sheffer, this acclaimed series features some of the finest artists of the American theater reading contemporary and classic short fiction. The July performance focuses on stories about summer pleasures— from baseball to a beach romance. The December performance, presented in cooperation with the National Yiddish Book Center , highlights Yiddish writers.
Singer and songwriter Don McLean, best known for his hit, "American Pie," performs on Saturday, August 8 at 8pm. Inaugurated into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame in 2004, McLean has released more than 20 albums, scoring major chart successes with "Vincent" ("Starry Starry Night"), "Everyday," "Mountains of Mourne," "Crying," "Castles in the Air," "Since I Don't Have You," and "You Can't Blame the Train." In 2003, George Michael recorded McLean 's song, "The Grave," in protest of the Iraq War.
On Sunday, August 23 at 1pm, the Mahaiwe hosts a talk with New York Times City Section Editor Constance Rosenblum about her new book, Boulevard of Dreams -- Heady Times, Heartbreak and Hope along the Grand Concourse in the Bronx . Designed by a French engineer in the late nineteenth century to echo the elegance and grandeur of the Champs Elysées in Paris , the Concourse was nearly twenty years in the making and celebrates its centennial in November 2009. Over that century, it has truly been a boulevard of dreams for various upwardly mobile immigrant and ethnic groups, yet it has also seen the darker side of the American dream. Rosenblum brings to life the street in all its raucous glory.
America's favorite little big band, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, performs on Friday, September 11 at 8pm. This contemporary swing band from southern California specializes in tunes from the 1940s and 1950s and has sold more than three million albums, performed at Super Bowl XXXIII with Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan, and had their music used in over 60 film and TV trailers.
The Emmy and Peabody Award-wining series Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD returns to the Mahaiwe on Saturday, October 10 with Puccini's Tosca. This live cinema telecast of the 2009-10 Met season will continue with Verdi's Aida on Saturday, October 24, Puccini's Turandot on Saturday, November 7, Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann on Saturday, December 19, Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier on Saturday, January 9 at 1pm, Bizet's Carmen on Saturday, January 16, Verdi's Simon Boccanegra on Saturday, February 6, Thomas's Hamlet on Saturday, March 27, and Rossini's Armida on Saturday, May 1. All of the Met broadcasts begin at 1pm.
Using robotic cameras and state-of-the-art technology, Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD captures the action from interesting angles and heightens attention to the narrative elements of both performance and production. Behind-the-scenes features, live interviews with cast and crew, insightful short documentaries, and bird's-eye views of the productions offer an unprecedented look at what goes into the staging of an opera at one of the world's great houses.
The celebrated innovative dance company, Pilobolus, performs on Sunday, October 11 at 7pm. Pilobolus began, in 1971, as an outsider dance company, and quickly became renowned the world over for its imaginative and athletic exploration of creative collaboration. Nearly 40 years later, it has evolved into a pioneering American cultural institution of the 21st century.
On Friday, November 13 at 10am & 8pm, the Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats perform their trademark acrobatics, balancing feats, martial arts displays, and more. A show for all ages, the grace and precision of the acrobats are the triumph of years of dedicated training and discipline, but their art has been formed by centuries of tradition. The morning performance will be a special field trip presentation for local school students; the evening performance is open to the general public.
Since being first runner-up in the 1998 Thelonious Monk Institute Vocal Competition at the tender age of 20, sultry jazz vocalist Jane Monheit has taken the jazz world by storm. She performs at the Mahaiwe on Sunday, November 15 at 3pm.
On Saturday, November 28, the Mahaiwe celebrates the 70th Anniversary of the Wizard of Oz (1939) with screenings of the classic film at 1pm and 4pm.
Internationally known cool jazz singer and master guitarist John Pizzarelli performs on Friday, December 18 at 8pm. He has recorded 23 albums of his own, as well as other joint recordings with his father, Bucky Pizzarelli. Pizzarelli has recently established himself as the consummate entertainer and radio program host with "Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli," a nationally-syndicated radio program co-hosted with his wife, Broadway star Jessica Molaskey.
Grammy Award-winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo performs on Sunday, February 7 at 3pm. This legendary a cappella group represents the traditional culture of South Africa and is regarded as the country's cultural emissary at home and around the world. They have recorded with numerous artists, including Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Josh Groban, and Dolly Parton.
The all-female collective Cherish the Ladies performs on Saturday, February 27 at 7pm. One of the most sought-after Irish-American groups in Celtic music, they are known for their musicianship, breathtaking singing, and lively step dancing, and they have shared the stage and studio with such performers as Joan Baez, James Taylor, the Clancy Brothers, the Chieftains, Arlo Guthrie, and Pete Seeger.
In addition to events produced by the Mahaiwe, the theater hosts events presented by Berkshire Bach Society, Berkshire Playwrights Lab, Boston Early Music Festival, Close Encounters with Music, Empire Brass, Fairview Hospital, FODfest, Harvey Robbins, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, and Deborah Zecher. Details about these events are listed in the full calendar that follows below.
Announcements will be made of additions to the schedule as bookings are confirmed. Tickets for all upcoming events, except Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD broadcasts, go on sale to Friends of the Mahaiwe on May 15, 2009 and to the general public on May 23. Tickets to the 2009-10 Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD broadcasts go on sale to Friends of the Mahaiwe and Met Members in late August and to the general public in September.
Join Friends of the Mahaiwe now and receive special discounts and benefits. Membership begins at $65 and all Friends receive priority ordering for first access to the best seats and discounts on tickets to most Mahaiwe Presents events throughout the year. To join, call the Mahaiwe Box Office: 413.528.0100, or visit www.mahaiwe.org.
Full Calendar of Upcoming Events
Memorial Day 2009 – Spring 2010
The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center is located at 14 Castle Street in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Tickets to all events may be purchased online at www.mahaiwe.org or by calling the Mahaiwe Box Office at 413.528.0100. Box Office Hours: Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6pm and three hours before show times.
Saturday, May 23 at 8pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Paul Taylor Dance Company
Modern Masterpieces by Legendary American Choreographer
$60 Golden Circle / $50 / $45 Members / $20 Limited Balcony
Friday, June 5 at 8pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Björn Again
World's Greatest ABBA Tribute Band
$45/$40 Members/$30 Limited Balcony
Saturday, June 6 at 8pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Forbidden Broadway
Tony Award-Winning Satirical Revue
$45/$40 Members $30 Limited Balcony
Wednesdays at 8pm
June 10
July 1
July 15
July 29
August 12
August 26
September 16
Berkshire Playwrights Lab Presents
Staged Readings of New Plays
FREE
Friday, June 19 at 7pm
Saturday, June 20 at 7pm
Sunday, June 21 at 2:30pm
Boston Early Music Festival Presents
Claudio Monteverdi's final masterpiece, L'Incoronazione di Poppea
$125 (Opening Night premium seating & reception)
$95/$65/$30
Thursday, June 25 at 7pm
Mahaiwe Presents
National Theatre's Phèdre in HD
with Oscar Award-Winning Actress Helen Mirren in the title role
$23 Adults / $21 Seniors / $16 Children under 13
Friday, June 26 at 8pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Keller Williams
Solo Cult Hero, One-Man Jam Band
$32 / $27 Members
Sunday, July 5 at 3pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Dan Zanes & Friends
Grammy Award-Winning Groovy Family Music
$25 Golden Circle / $20
Wednesday, July 8 at 7 pm
Mahaiwe Co-Presents with the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute
Dove/O'Keeffe: Circles of Influence
FREE
Thursday, July 9 at 8pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Yonder Mountain String Band
Powerhouse Progressive Bluegrass Jam Band
$34.50 / $29.50 Members
Saturday, July 11 at 1pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Best of the Met: Live in HD Encore Presentation
Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin
With Renée Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky
$19 (adults/seniors); $16 Children under 13
Sunday, July 12 at 3pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Symphony Space's Selected Shorts
with Isaiah Sheffer
$45 Golden Circle / $30 /$25 Members
Saturday, August 8 at 8pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Don McLean
Legendary Singer and Songwriter
$80 Golden Circle / $50 / $45 Members
Saturday, August 22 at 7:30pm
Harvey Robbins Presents
Buddy, Bopper & Valens: Their Last Show 50 Years Later
$37.50 / $29.50
Sunday, August 23 at 1pm
Mahaiwe Presents
A Conversation with Constance Rosenblum
Author of Boulevard of Dreams— Heady Time, Heartbreak and Hope along the Grand Concourse in the Bronx
FREE
Friday, September 11 at 8pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
America's Favorite Little Big Band
$42/ $37 Members
Saturday, September 12 at 8pm
Fairview Hospital Presents
Robert Klein
$50 Balcony (performance only) Gala packages available
Saturday, October 3 at 7pm
FODfest Presents
A Community Concert
Celebrating the Life of Daniel Pearl
FREE (donations gratefully accepted)
Saturday, October 10 at 1pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD
Puccini's Tosca
$23 Adults / $21 Seniors / $16 Children under 13
Sunday, October 11 at 7pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Pilobolus
Celebrated Innovative Dance Company
$75 Golden Circle/ $55 / $50 Members / $30 Students with valid ID
Saturday, October 17 at 6pm
Close Encounters with Music Presents
Chopin in Paris
$35 / $25 / $10 Students with Valid ID
Saturday, October 24 at 1pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD
Verdi's Aida
$23 Adults / $21 Seniors / $16 Children under 13
Sunday, October 25 at 6:30pm
Harvey Robbins Presents
Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame of America Oldies Concert
$42.50/$34.50
Saturday, November 7 at 1pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD
Puccini's Turandot
$23 Adults / $21 Seniors / $16 Children under 13
Thursday, November 11 at 7pm
Deborah Zecher Presents
Warm Up the Winter II
A Benefit for Local Fuel Assistance
$50 Patron (includes ticket and program listing)
$15 Adults / $5 Children under 16
Friday, November 13 at 10am (Special Field Trip Pricing) and 8pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats
Formidable feats of daring and balance
$37/ $32 Members/ $20 balcony
Sunday, November 15 at 3pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Jane Monheit
Sultry Jazz Vocalist
$32 / $27 Members
Saturday, November 28 at 1pm and 4pm
Mahaiwe Presents
70th Anniversary Screening
Wizard of Oz (1939)
$6 General Admission
Friday, December 4 at 7pm
The Armando Ghitalla Foundation Presents
Song and Dance: Empire Brass Holiday Spectacular
with guests The Cantilena Chamber Choir and stars of the Albany Berkshire Ballet
$50 Golden Circle
$35 / $30 Members / $15 Students with valid ID
Saturday, December 5 at 6pm
Close Encounters with Music Presents
Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale: Holiday Concert
with Benjamin Luxon, narrator
$35 / $25 / $10 Students with Valid ID
Sunday, December 6 at 3pm
Mahaiwe Presents in cooperation with the National Yiddish Book Center
Symphony Space's Selected Shorts
Yiddish Writers
$45 Golden Circle/ $30 / $25 Members
Friday, December 18 at 8pm
Mahaiwe Presents
John Pizzarelli
Popular Jazz Singer and Master Guitarist
$60 Golden Circle / $40 / $35 Members
Saturday, December 19 at 1pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD
Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann
$23 Adults / $21 Seniors / $16 Children under 13
Thursday, December 31 at 6pm
Berkshire Bach Society Presents
Bach at New Year's
Prices TBA
Saturday, January 9 at 1pm
Mahaiwe Presents
The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD
Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier
$23 Adults / $21 Seniors / $16 Children under 13
Saturday, January 16 at 1pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD
Bizet's Carmen
$23 Adults / $21 Seniors / $16 Children under 13
Saturday, February 6 at 1pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD
Verdi's Simon Boccanegra
$23 Adults / $21 Seniors / $16 Children under 13
Sunday, February 7 at 3pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Grammy Award-Winning, South African Singing Group
$39 / $34 Members
Saturday, February 27 at 7pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Cherish the Ladies
All-Women Traditional Irish Band
$38/ $33 Members
Saturday, March 27 at 1pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD
Thomas's Hamlet
$23 Adults / $21 Seniors / $16 Children under 13
Saturday, May 1 at 1pm
Mahaiwe Presents
Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD
Rossini's Armida
$23 Adults / $21 Seniors / $16 Children under 13