Tuesday, June 24, 2025

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

BITS & BYTES: Sara Bareilles at Barrington Stage Company; ‘Nurturing Nature’ at Spencertown Academy; American Ballet Theatre at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park; ‘Rachmaninoff and the Tsar’ at The Colonial Theatre; Bob Mackie at BIFF; ‘Il Barbiere di Siviglia’ at The Clark; Jewish Federation of the Berkshires and Shakespeare & Company present Jehuda Reinharz, PhD; Robbie’s Community Market in Great Barrington

The one-night-only concert will feature intimate performances by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, known for her chart-topping hits and acclaimed Broadway musical “Waitress.”

Barrington Stage Company and Berkshire Theatre Group present music icon Sara Bareilles, one of the most celebrated voices in contemporary music

Pittsfield— On Monday, August 11th at 8 p.m., Barrington Stage Company and Berkshire Theatre Group present  music icon, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles,  one of the most celebrated voices in contemporary music. She will be joined by Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Emily King.

A one-night-only concert to benefit Barrington Stage Company and Berkshire Theatre Group, this unforgettable evening will feature intimate performances by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, known for her chart-topping hits and acclaimed Broadway musical “Waitress”; and Grammy-nominated soul/R&B artist Emily King, whose genre-defying style has captivated audiences worldwide.

Sara Bareilles is an award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, producer, activist, and New York Times best-selling author whose accolades to date include two Grammy Awards, three Tony Award nominations, and three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. AShe has sold more than 3 million albums and 15 million singles in the U.S., and her songs have been streamed more than 3.5 billion times worldwide. On Broadway, she composed music and lyrics for “Waitress,” stepping into the lead role both on Broadway and in the West End. Other musical theater credits include her Tony-nominated performance as the Baker’s Wife in “Into the Woods,” a song on the Tony Award-nominated score for “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and an Emmy Award-nominated appearance as Mary Magdalene in NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live.” She plays Dawn Solano on the Emmy-nominated musical comedy series “Girls5eva,” the third season of which is streaming now on Netflix, and is currently at work on a musical theater adaptation of Meg Wolitzer’s best-selling novel “The Interestings,” alongside author Sarah Ruhl.

Four-time Grammy nominated songwriter and singer Emily King has toured extensively as well as performing alongside Norah Jones on her Visions tour and Jacob Collier on his North American Djesse Vol. 4 Tour. King is a cross-genre artist collaborating with an array of acclaimed contemporaries such as Robert Glasper, Sara Bareilles, Brittany Howard, Lukas Nelson and Jon Batiste to name a few. 

“This will be a night like no other in the Berkshires,” said BSC Artistic Director Alan Paul. “To have two phenomenal artists of this caliber share their talents in support of our theatres is a true gift. I’m especially glad to be collaborating with BTG on this special evening—it’s a powerful reminder of what we can do when we come together as a community.”

The concert is on Monday, August 11th at 8 p.m. at Barrington Stage Company, located at 30 Union Street in Pittsfield. Tickets and more information can be found online. 

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Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents ‘Nurturing Nature,’ an exhibition of six women artists exploring their symbiotic relationships with the natural world

Spencertown, N.Y.— From May 31st through June 29th, Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents “Nurturing Nature,” an exhibition of six women artists exploring their symbiotic relationships with the natural world.

Deborah Carter, ‘Embarkment,’ garment in birch bark, 60” x 36” x 36”. Courtesy Spencertown Academy Arts Center.

Co-curated by Karen Andrews and Norma Cohen, the show features wearable art and mixed media sculptures by Deborah H. Carter, acrylic painting and monoprints by Maxine Davidowitz, archival photography by Shelley Lawrence Kirkwood, ceramics and digital prints by Anat Shiftan, oil painting by Jackie Skrzynski, and frozen botanical works and photography by Anna Thurber.

“The title ‘Nurturing Nature’ was chosen because it calls to mind a feminine spirit, divine mother, Mother Nature, and Gaia. This exhibit is meant to be a reflection on our evolving relationship with the plant world, and our need to change that relationship for our mutual survival,” said Andrews. “It’s an exceptionally strong, personal, sensitive, intelligent, and stunning group show,” added Cohen. “The subject matter ranges from flora, orchards, and plant life to landscapes, seascapes, and more and the use of color, line, texture, and design is magnificent.”

The exhibit runs from May 31st through June 29th at Spencertown Academy Arts Center, located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, N.Y. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, May 31st from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. featuring a live performance piece by Deborah H. Carter. More information can be found online. 

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Kaatsbaan Cultural Park presents American Ballet Theatre Studio Company

Tivoli, N.Y.— On Saturday, May 31st at 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 1st at 2 p.m., Kaatsbaan Cultural Park presents American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. 

ABT Studio Company, now in its 30th anniversary year, develops the next generation of ballet dancers, choreographers, and audiences. Led by ABT Studio Company Artistic Director Sascha Radetsky, its central mission is to prepare its exceptionally promising dancers (currently ages 17-22) for careers in American Ballet Theatre or other leading ballet companies worldwide. Nearly eighty-five percent of current American Ballet Theatre dancers are alumni of ABT Studio Company, including sixteen Principal Dancers and eight Soloists.

American Ballet Theatre. Courtesy Kaatsbaan Cultural Park.

Experience the next generation of ballet stars with American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. ABT Studio Company presents a dynamic program featuring both classical and contemporary works. The company’s spring 2025 repertoire includes selections by renowned choreographers Jerome Robbins, Gerald Arpino, Yannick Lebrun, and ABT Principal Dancer James Whiteside; original commissions by Houston Thomas and ABT dancers Madison Brown and Brady Farrar; and iconic works such as George Balanchine’s “Tarantella” and the “Black Swan pas de deux” from “Swan Lake.”

The performances are on Saturday, May 31st at 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 1st at 2 p.m. at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, located at 120 Broadway in Tivoli, N.Y. Tickets and more information can be found online. 

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Berkshire Theatre Group presents ‘Rachmaninoff and the Tsar: The Music of Sergei V. Rachmaninoff’ at The Colonial Theatre

Pittsfield— On Saturday, May 31st at 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 1st at 2 p.m., Berkshire Theatre Group presents the newest international hit by Hershey Felder “Rachmaninoff and the Tsar: The Music of Sergei V. Rachmaninoff” at The Colonial Theatre

In this captivating new theatrical work, Felder portrays the great Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, alongside Jonathan Silvestri as Tsar Nicholas II. Step into the extraordinary world of “Rachmaninoff and the Tsar,” a mesmerizing theatrical journey that intertwines music, history and memory. Set in 1940s Beverly Hills, the story follows the legendary Rachmaninoff as he grapples with exile and recollections of his homeland, including a fateful meeting with Russia’s last Tsar and the Grand Duchess Anastasia. Themes of identity, legacy, and longing echo through Rachmaninoff’s most iconic compositions, including the “C# minor Prelude,” “Second Piano Concerto,” and “Paganini Variations.”

Courtesy Berkshire Theatre Group.

The performances are on Saturday, May 31st at 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 1st at 2 p.m. at The Colonial Theatre, located at 111 South Street in Pittsfield. Tickets and more information can be found online. 

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BIFF presents a screening of ‘Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion,’ with Bob Mackie in attendance, at The Mahaiwe 

Great Barrington— On Friday, May 30th at 4:30 p.m., BIFF presents a screening of “Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion,” with Bob Mackie in attendance, at The Mahaiwe.

Courtesy Berkshire International Film Festival.

“Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion” traces the life of the fashion icon on screen and off, highlighting Mackie’s global impact on TV, film, Broadway, and concert stages, and within fashion and popular culture. The film will feature contributions from Mackie’s most famous collaborators, including Carol Burnett, Cher, Mitzi Gaynor, RuPaul Charles, Bernadette Peters, Pink, and Miley Cyrus. 

The event is on Friday, May 30th at 4:30 p.m. at The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, located at 14 Castle Street in Great Barrington. Tickets and more information can be found online. 

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Clark Art Institute presents The Metropolitan Opera’s broadcast production of ‘Il Barbiere di Siviglia’

Williamstown— On Saturday, May 31st at 1 p.m., The Clark Art Institute presents The Metropolitan Opera’s broadcast production of “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.”

Peter Kálmán as Dr. Bartolo and Aigul Akhmetshina as Rosina (above) and Jack Swanson as Count Almaviva and Andrey Zhilikhovsky as Figaro (below.) Photo by Jonathan Tichler. Courtesy Met Opera.

In Rossini’s effervescent comedy, Russian mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina headlines a winning ensemble as the feisty heroine Rosina, alongside American tenor Jack Swanson, in his Met debut, as her secret beloved Count Almaviva. Moldovan baritone Andrey Zhilikhovsky stars as Figaro, the ingenious barber of Seville, with Hungarian bass-baritone Peter Kálmán as Dr. Bartolo and Russian bass Alexander Vinogradov as Don Basilio rounding out the principal cast. Giacomo Sagripanti conducts Bartlett Sher’s madcap production.

The broadcast is on Saturday, May 31st at 1 p.m. at The Clark, located at 225 South Street in  Williamstown. Tickets and more information can be found online. 

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Jewish Federation of the Berkshires and Shakespeare & Company present ‘Chaim Weizmann and The Two-State Solution,’ a book talk with Jehuda Reinharz, PhD

Lenox— On Friday, May 30th at 2 p.m., Jewish Federation of the Berkshires and Shakespeare & Company present ‘Chaim Weizmann and The Two-State Solution,’ a book talk with Jehuda Reinharz, PhD. Leonard Saxe, PhD, Director of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University, will moderate the event.

Born in 1874, Weizmann grew up in Russian-controlled Poland. Within his family, Weizmann noted how the return to a Jewish homeland in Palestine “was at the center of ritual, a longing for it implicit in our life.” Weizmann’s initial career was as a biochemist. His research offered significant aid to Britain’s military efforts during World War I. This work later allowed him to meet with major British political figures on Zionism’s behalf. A fierce advocate for education and research, Weizmann founded what would become the multidisciplinary Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot in 1934.

Courtesy Jewish Federation of the Berkshires.

Jehuda Reinharz PhD, President Emeritus of Brandeis University and recipient of the President of Israel Prize (1990 and 2024) will discuss the life of Chaim Weizmann. In “Chaim Weizmann: A Biography,” Jehuda Reinharz (and co-author Motti Golani) show how Weizmann, a leader of the World Zionist Organization who became the first president of Israel, advocated for a Jewish state.

The free event is on Friday, May 30th at 2 p.m. at Shakespeare & Company, located at 70 Kemble Street in Lenox. There will be a book signing after the discussion. Copies of the book will be available for sale. Tickets and more information can be found online.

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Robbie’s Community Market softly opens in Great Barrington

Great Barrington— On Saturday, May 24th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Robbie’s Community Market will host a soft opening in Great Barrington. 

Located in the former Gorham & Norton package store, the soft opening features a sampling of what will be coming this summer, including deli sandwiches, Roberto’s pizza by the slice, fresh farm market items, pastries, and donuts.

Logo by BlitzCadet. Courtesy Robbie’s Community Market.

“This market is very much about creating community spaces where people can gather and enjoy good food in the heart of Great Barrington,” owner Robbie Robles said. “Stop by and say hi!”

The soft opening is on Saturday, May 24th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Robbie’s Community Market, located at 275 Main Street in Great Barrington, the former Gorham & Norton package store. Click here to read more.

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