Next to Normal, the Pulitzer Prize winning musical about a family dealing with the mother’s worsening bi-polar disorder, comes to Barrington Stage, August 13-September 8. A co-production with Washington, DC’s Round House, which won rave reviews for BSC Artistic Director Alan Paul’s direction, Next to Normal features music by Tom Kitt and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey. Natalie Joy Johnson from Broadway’s Lempicka and Legally Blonde heads the cast, along with BSC Artistic Associate Alan H. Green. For details: www.barringstonstageco.org.
Sevenars ends its season with a tribute to the late clarinetist Bob Sparkman, who was always onstage for the final concert of the season. On August 18, Clifton J. Noble Jr, Kara Noble, Chris Devine and John Van Epps honor their colleague with a jazz program. For details: www.sevenars.org
Keepin’ Out of Mischief, a concert celebrating the music of Thomas “Fats” Waller, featuring Clifton “Jerry” Noble, piano, and Kara Noble, bass, is on the program for Hampshire Music Club’s Summer Serenade, August 14, at 10AM, at the Florence Community Center, 140 Pine Street, Florence. Waller’s music, from “Honeysuckle Rose” to “Ain;t Misbehavin’” are on the bill. The Nobles were part of the Bob Sparkman Trio.
Faust, Charles Gounod’s opera about a man who sells his soul for eternal youth, will be performed by Berkshire Opera Festival, at Great Barrington’s Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, August 24, 27 and 30. Brian Garman conducts, Jonathan Loy directs, and Duke Kim sings the title role, with Raquel Gonzales as Marguerite and Justin Hopkins as Mephisopheles. For details: https://www.berkshireoperafestival.org/
A Jewish Journey Through Broadway, Part 1 will be presented by MPZ Productions, August 23-24 at Saint James Place in Great Barrington. The revue covers Broadway from 1920-1980, with selections from Porgy and Bess, Carousel, The King and I, Follies, Mame, Candide, and a special tribute to Fiddler on the Roof. Some of the composers represented are Irving Berlin, Oscar Hammerstein, the Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Bock and Harnick (who wrote “Fiddler on the Roof”), Stephen Sondheim and many more. For details: www.mpz-productions.com
Motion Ballroom Dance Company brings international ballroom dance to North Hall Huntington on August 18. Competitive rhythm dancers showcase popular dances such as waltz, tango, rumba, cha-cha, and swing will be performed by Jayden Leighty and Susanna Westcott. For details: www.northhallhuntington.org.
Thea Hopkins, scheduled to perform at Porter Phelps Huntington’s Wednesday Folk Traditions on July 31, has been rescheduled for October 6. For details: www.pphmuseum.org.
Plan Ahead. Berkshire Theatre Group is bringing some sizzle to The Colonial in Pittsfield. All of Me: A Tribute to Billie Holiday, will be performed by jazz sensation Samirah Evans on October 11. Tommy: A 55th Anniversary Celebration brings Who Are You and Friends, and Brian Benlien, Randy Cormier, Wanda Houston, Rev Tor, Dave Vittone and Mike Wartella to The Colonial to celebrate The Who’s Tommy, which recently closed on Broadway with Pittsfield’s Ali Louis Bourzgui. For details: www.berkshiretheatregroup.org. Humorist and author David Sedaris returns to The Bushnell on October 8. For details: www.bushnell.org. Broadway’s Jenn Colella and Seth Rudetsky Bring it Broadway comes to Northampton’s Academy of Music on October 13. For details: https://www.aomtheatre.com/
David B. Byrd, Goodspeed Musicals first Managing Director, is stepping down from his role in September. Goodspeed has launched a national search for a new person to join its leadership team alongside Artistic Director Donna Lynn Hilton. For details: www.goodspeed.org.
Janet Planet, the acclaimed film by Amherst playwright Annie Baker (her plays have been done at Chester Theatre) is now available for streaming on Apple TV.. The movie is set in Western Massachusetts. For details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aBF_v0gvpQ&t=4s
The Best of Times: A 30th Anniversary Celebration, Barrington Stage Company’s Gala, raised over $453,000 for the theatre. Of that, $177,000 was raised for BSC’s Education Fund. The sold-out crowd came out to hear hometown hero Ali Louis Bourzgui, Alan H. Green, Dorcas Leung, Joel Waggoner and Will Swenson. The evening’s entertainment was directed by Alan Paul, with music direction by Trevor Pierce. For details: www.barringtonstateco.org.
Historic Deerfield presents Book Arts Day on August 17. It’s an opportunity for visitors to meet artisans and see demonstrations of woodcut illustration with noted artist Barry Moser, paper-making with Elisa Lanzi, bookbinding with Barbara Blumenthal, and letterpress printing with Historic Deerfield’s Printer-in-Residence Martin Antonetti. For details: https://www.historic-deerfield.org/events/book-arts-day/
Mark G. Auerbach studied theater at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He has worked for arts organizations nationwide and reported on the arts for print and broadcast. Mark produces and hosts “ArtsBeat,” “Athenaeum Spotlight” and “On the Mark” for WCPC, Channel 15 in Westfield, and WSKB 89.5 FM. His “Arts Beat” column appears Mondays in The Westfield News. He’s a regular contributor to Pioneer Valley Radio and a member of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association.
