“Pipe Dream,” a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical which had a brief run back in the day, overshadowed by “Oklahoma,” “Carousel,” “The King and I,” and “South Pacific,” gets a rare revival at Berkshire Theatre Group, July 26 to Aug. 31. When “Pipe Dream” opened, it was given an original cast recording, but the musical, based on John Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row” and “Sweet Thursday,” was forgotten, until the New York City Center Encores series revived and recorded the musical with Leslie Uggams. Kat Yen directs, Isadora Wolfe choreographs, and Jacob Kerzner is music director. Sharone Sayegh stars. For details: www.berkshiretheatregroup.org.
“Boeing Boeing,” Marc Camoletti’s high-altitude comedy, is pouring the laughs on Barrington Stage through Aug. 3. Julianne Boyd directs Mark H. Dold, Christopher Innvar, and Debra Jo Rupp in this zany comedy set in the “swinging ‘60s,” where a Parisian playboy keeps a rotating group of flight attendants on stand-by. Boyd founded Barrington Stage and her three stars are associate artists of the theater, celebrating its 30th anniversary. For details: www.barringtonstageco.org.
“Will Sacrifice,” a new comedy by Julie McKee, has its world premiere at Chester Theatre, July 25 to Aug. 4. Keira Naughton stages the comedy with Catherine Lloyd Burns (“Malcolm in the Middle”) and Ken Cheeseman as a couple trying to flee New York City for the surrounding countryside after 9/11. For details: www.chester.org.
“The Comedy of Errors” takes center stage at Shakespeare & Company’s Arthur S. Waldstein Amphitheatre through Aug. 18. Kate Kohler Amory directs. The Bard’s fast-paced and farcical story of mistaken identities begins with two sets of twins separated by a storm at sea and culminates in a raucous series of misunderstandings and mishaps. Amory’s production is set in the seaside vaudeville of New York City, 1912 — a mystical and sometimes strange place filled with as much magic and mischief as sailors and sea captains. For details: www.shakespeare.org.
“The Refuseniks,” a new play by Alison Bendix and directed by Tony Simotes, will have staged readings at the Adams Theatre, Aug. 9-11. The play involves a group of unlikely roommates living in a communal Russian apartment circa 1978. For details: www.adamstheater.org.
Barrington Stage Company (Artistic Director Alan Paul) is the recipient of a $120,000 theater grant from the Shubert Foundation. The award will support key programming in Barrington’s 2024 season. For details: www.barringtonstageco.org.
Sevenars presents Chinese pianist Junwen Liang on its “Young Artist to Watch” concert on Aug. 4. Liang performs works by Liszt, Chopin, Debussy and Prokofiev. For details: www.sevenars.org.
“Hedwig and the Angry Inch” returns to the Valley, courtesy of K&E Theater, which presents the musical July 25-27 in Easthampton. And K&E’s 2025 season will include the musical blockbusters “Spring Awakening” and “Sunday in the Park with George.” For details: www.ketg.org.
“Breakdancing Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing” turns the Bard upside down at Hartford Stage, July 26-28. For details: www.hartfordstage.org.
Berkshire Opera Festival presents a preview of its upcoming production of “Faust,” with co-founders Brian Garman and Jonathon Loy, on July 24 at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington. The event is free, but registration is required. For details: www.bnerkshireoperafestival.org.
The Sparky Quartet, a group of musicians honoring the legacy of jazz master and clarinetist Bob Sparkman, performs jazz at North Hall, Huntington, on July 28. Members include Chris Devine (violin, flute, guitar, etc.), John Van Eps (drums, vibraphone, producer, etc.), Jerry Noble (piano, guitar, vocals, etc.) and Kara Noble (bass, guitar, vocals, etc.). For details: www.northhallhuntington.org.
The Mahaiwe will screen live broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera in HD. The Met season opens with Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffman” on Oct. 6. “Grounded,” Jeanine Tesori’s new opera, premieres Oct. 19. Tesori won awards for her musical scores for “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Fun Home” and “Kimberly Akimbo.” Puccini’s “Tosca,” Verdi’s “Aida” and Strauss’ “Salome” are on the season. For details: www.mahaiwe.org.
The Westfield Athenaeum is running a Tanglewood trip on Aug. 17. Participants attend an open rehearsal of the Boston Symphony Orchestra with cellist Yo Yo Ma. The trip includes bus from Westfield, and shed tickets. For details: www.westath.org.
William Finn, composer of Broadway’s “Falsettos” and “A New Brain,” will be inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in November. Finn is an artistic associate at Barrington Stage Company, where one of the many stages is named for him.
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.
