The Majestic Theater in West Springfield recently announced its summer lineup, which will include music, drama, improv comedy, children’s theater and theater education programs.
On Thursday and Friday, June 26 and 27, actor and playwright Jay Sefton brings his award-winning play “Unreconciled” to the Majestic. The one-man show, based on a true story, follows an adolescent actor cast as Jesus in a Catholic school play directed by a parish priest. The play contains adult language and themes that support survivors of childhood sexual abuse. There will be talk-back discussions following each show.
Showtimes are June 26, 2 and 7 p.m., and June 27, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $28 & $30 and are available online.
There will be two sessions of the Majestic Youth Theater Workshop this summer – Theater as Play from July 21-25 and Summer on Stage fromJuly 28 to Aug. 9.
Theater as Play will be a week of theater games, improvisation and scene work incorporating favorite fairy tales for ages 7-10. The workshop will take place at the Baldwin Street Studios at 168 Baldwin Street in West Springfield. There is a 20-student limit.
Summer on Stage is a theater education program for ages 11-15 during which everyone gets a part in a play and the group rehearses and performs in just two weeks. Sessions are Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is a limit of 30 participants.
Disney’s “The Little Mermaid Jr.” and “Pollyanna” will be staged as part of the Majestic Children’s Theater Program July 7-30. All tickets are $12 and may be purchased online or by calling or visiting the box office.
The Majestic will also present Improv with The Majesters, on July 23 and 30 and Aug. 20. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. and tickets, which are $15, will be sold at the door only.
The Majestic’s concert calendar includes:
- June: Lisa Carter, a Cher tribute, on June 28, 2 and 7 p.m.; Doo-Wop Meets Motown, June 29, 2 p.m.
- July: The Majestics: Remembering Tim Hosmer, July 3, 7:30 p.m., Center Stage Motown Review, July 10, 2 and 7:30 p.m., and July 11, 7:30 p.m., A Man Named Cash, July 12, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Joe Canata & The Memories, July 17, 7:30 p.m.; Good Acoustics: Simon & Garfunkel tribute, July 18, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Jimmy Mazz: Cruisin’ Thru The Fifties, July 19, 2 p.m.; Jimmy Mazz: Swingin’ Thru The Sixties, July 19 at 7:30 p.m. Rainy Day People: Gordon Lightfoot & Jim Croce tribute, July 24 at 7:30 p.m.; Running On Jackson: Jackson Browne tribute, July 25 at 7:30 p.m. Frank Manzi, Family & Friends, July 26, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Whitney Houston & Celine Dion tribute starring Michelle Brooks-Thompson, July 31, 2 and 7:30 p.m.
- August: 7 Bridges Road: Eagles tribute, Aug. 1, 7:30 p.m., and Aug. 2, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; The Corvettes, Aug. 3, 2 p.m.; Lisa Lanno: Messages from the Other Side, Aug. 5, 7:30 p.m.; Studio Two: early Beatles tribute, Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m.; Wild Heart: Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac tribute, Aug. 7, 7:30 p.m.; Freddie Marion: Summer Lovin’, Aug. 10, 2 p.m.; Torch Song Divas, Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m.; Madison Curbelo, Aug. 13, 7:30 p.m.; Lisa Carter & Dave Brinnel: A Couple Of Swingers, Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m.; A-Ray Of Elvis, Aug. 15, 7:30 p.m., Aug, 16, 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Aug, 17, 2 p.m.
Ticketing information is available at https://majestictheater.csstix.com/events.php?eventType=10.
Bushnell Performing Arts Scholars
The Bushnell Performing Arts Scholars, a newly added arts education program, opened the online audition registration on Sunday. Youth between the ages of 7 and 14 years will have the opportunity to sign up to audition for this theatrical learning experience that will incorporate instruction and guidance in all primary aspects of performance fundamentals, including character development, creative expression, and stage presence.
This five-month program will culminate in the live theatrical production of Roald Dahl’s “Matilda The Musical, Jr.” at The Bushnell. Performances will take place on Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29.
You must register to audition at bushnell.org/education. Program enrollment is required for all students who are cast. Audition appointments will be confirmed via email through auditions manager.
Koan at CitySpace. (KIM CHIN-GIBBONS / SUBMITTED)The Westfield News
Koan Returns to CitySpace
On Friday, May 23, discover the sound of a new generation of jazz with the genre-defying collective Koan at CitySpace’s Blue Room at Old Town Hall, 43 Main St. This boundary-pushing jazz concert is made possible in partnership with Carol’s Jazz’ Night and CitySpace. Tickets are available at CitySpaceEasthampton.org and are available on a sliding scale from $15 to $25.
Gallery A3 call for artists
Amherst’s Gallery A3 is accepting submissions for its 10th annual Juried Show to be held Aug. 7-30. Submissions will be accepted online May 19 to June 21. An opening reception will be on Thursday, Aug. 7, 5-8 p.m., and an online art forum, open to the public, is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 21, at 7:30 pm.
The theme is United We Stand: Art for Divisive Times. The juror, Billy Myers, is the artistic director and curator of the Art for the Soul Gallery in Springfield.
Submission guidelines: $38 for three entries, $7 for one additional entry, maximum four entries per artist. Artwork must be no wider than 26 inches. Jury results will be posted online on July 8, and accepted art should be delivered to the gallery Aug. 3 and 4. For more on how to submit work, visit www.gallerya3.com.
A special exhibit at the Northampton Paradise City Arts Festival, “Feathers and Fur,” explores how artists derive inspiration from the Animal Kingdom. (SUBMITTED)The Westfield News
Paradise City Arts celebrates 31st year
Paradise City Arts, New England’s leading fine and decorative arts festival, will mark its 31st year at Northampton’s Three County Fairgrounds on Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-26.
Enjoy painting, sculpture, jewelry, fashion, woodworking, furniture, and more on exhibition from our 200-plus juried artists and makers. Local restaurants and food trucks will be delivering a range of exciting food options, plus our new Bubbles Bar for a glass of champagne. Paradise City Arts Festival is a family-friendly event, with hands-on activities for all ages including Play with Clay and Crafting with Color. Live music, artist demonstrations, and special exhibits to round out the weekend.
For more information, visit https://festivals.paradisecityarts.com/spring-northampton-press-release.
Quartetto Mosso returns
The Springfield Chamber Players outreach ensemble, Quartetto Mosso, returns to The Longmeadow Adult Center for the third consecutive year, with an outdoor performance on Thursday, June 12, at 6 p.m. The concert will be moved indoors in case of rain, so advance reservations are required, as space is limited. Quartetto Mosso features violinists Ronald Gorevic and Beth Welty, violist Delores Thayer, and cellist Yoonhee Ko. Marty Kluger is narrator.
Quartetto Mosso’s program for Longmeadow includes: William Grant Still’s “Danzes de Panama;” Florence Price’s “String Quartet No. 1 in G Major;” Astor Piazzola’s “Tango Ballet,” George Gershwin’s “Lullaby,” and Stephen Sondheim’s Suites from “A Little Night Music” and “Sweeney Todd” (arranged by Max Mueller).
