Central Berkshire record show – largest show yet
Dalton— After the tremendous success of last year’s shows, the Central Berkshire Record Show is returning on Sunday, May 7th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Stationery Factory in Dalton, Massachusetts with VIP entry at 8:30am. This popular event has attracted vinyl enthusiasts from all over the northeast, with previous shows drawing in large crowds of music lovers. This year’s event will be larger than ever, with 29 vendors attending including over two dozen record dealers from the tristate area.
DJs include Tim Dupree of Pup Daddy Productions, DJ Ketchabone (Michael Keleher), and Wes Nelson of Belltower Records. BB’s Hot Spot Food Truck will be on site featuring Caribbean food and tasty bites. A full bar stocked with craft beer and more will be available, along with comfortable places to sit, relax, and recharge in a converted factory building featuring large windows and high ceilings.
Andrew Garcia, the record show organizer and owner of Berkshirecat Records, is looking forward to this year’s event, stating, “The Central Berkshire Record Show is not just an event, it’s a testament of the enduring power of music to bring people together. Last year’s attendance proved that. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or a newcomer to the world of vinyl, we’re creating a space where enthusiasts of all ages can connect, share their love of music, and discover new sounds. The energy and excitement of the show are a reminder of the magic that can be found in the grooves of a vinyl record. “
Th event is Sunday, May 7th from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the the Stationery Factory on Flansburg Avenue in Dalton. Advance tickets can be purchased for $3 plus a fee on Eventbrite or for $4 at the door. VIP entry is available for $10. WiFi will be available. Additionally, the spacious and light-filled venue features ample parking and is wheelchair-accessible. For more information, please visit the Central Berkshire Record Show’s Facebook page.
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Mahaiwe to present Othello from London’s National Theatre in HD
Great Barrington— On Saturday, May 6th at 6:30 p.m., the Mahaiwe will present Othello from London’s National Theatre in HD. This new production of Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedy is directed by Clint Dyer with a cast that includes Giles Terera (Hamilton), Rosy McEwen (The Alienist), and Paul Hilton (The Inheritance).
She’s a bright, headstrong daughter of a senator, elevated by her status but stifled by its expectations. He’s a refugee of slavery; having risen to the top of a white world, he finds love across racial lines has a cost. Wed in secret, Desdemona and Othello crave a new life together. But as unseen forces conspire against them, they find their future is not theirs to decide.
The broadcast is on Saturday, May 6th at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $17 and $10 for ages 21 and under. For tickets, more information, and a full list of HD broadcasts, visit the Mahaiwe online. Tickets may also be obtained by calling the box office at 413-528-0100, or by visiting in person Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
The Mahaiwe accepts ConnectorCare/WIC/EBT cards — four free tickets to movies or HD broadcasts per individual. Learn more about the “Card to Culture” program at mahaiwe.org/visit/ticketing-offers.
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Two local Mexican American organizations team up to counter program Cinco de Mayo
Pittsfield— On Friday, May 5th at 5 p.m., Latinas413 and Hot Plate Brewing Co. are hosting ¡Órale Chicanas!, an evening filled with authentic Mexican food, music, games, and more.
Cinco de Mayo is popular among bars and restaurants across the country. Not only has this holiday brought out the worst elements of cultural appropriation, especially among non-Latinx business owners and consumers, but it’s also rooted in historical inaccuracy. Also, the celebrations throughout the United States have become commercialized and overly reliant on stereotypical depictions of Mexican culture.
Many Americans assume that Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexican independence from Spain, and treat the day as though it is the Mexican equivalent of the Fourth of July. The reality is that Mexico already earned its independence from Spain in 1810, 52 years earlier than the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexican army defeated the French, which is what this holiday is actually commemorating.
Sarah Real, owner and head brewer of Pittsfield-based Hot Plate Brewing Co. and a third-generation Mexican-American, understands the desire to celebrate her ancestry and culture, but now that she owns a brewery and taproom of her own, she’d like to do so in a more authentic way. As a girl, she saw her grandmother, who owned and operated a Mexican restaurant, find a way to share her culture and her central Mexican cuisine with predominantly white customers, and she would like to follow in her abuelita’s footsteps, which is why Hot Plate Brewing Co. is partnering with Latinas413. “Instead of saying that we are not going to acknowledge Cinco de Mayo at all, we’re more interested in sharing a more authentic version of Mexican culture with our guests, and also highlighting all of the great work that Latinas413 is doing to help the community who have immigrated more recently.”
Together, Hot Plate and Latinas413 will be hosting ¡Órale Chicanas! on Friday, May 5th at 5 p.m. in Hot Plate Brewing Co.’s taproom, which is located in Downtown Pittsfield on the corner of North and School Street.
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Boston Symphony Orchestra invites singers to audition for the Tanglewood Festival Chorus
Lenox— Boston Symphony Orchestra invites singers to audition for the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. James Burton, BSO Choral Director and Tanglewood Festival Chorus Conductor, will be hearing in-person new member auditions on Wednesday, May 17th. Singers accepted as new members will be invited to participate in the upcoming 2023 Tanglewood Season, 2023 Holiday Pops Season, and 2023-2024 BSO Symphony Season.
The deadline to submit online applications and audio/video recordings is May 5th at 11:59 p.m. Those auditioning are asked to record a three minute video of themselves singing an art song, opera aria, solo aria from an oratorio or classical piece, or an extract from a choral work. The in-person audition will last approximately 10 minutes. There is a limited number of audition slots. Much more detailed audition information is available online. Anyone interested in auditioning for the chorus but can’t do so at this time is invited to email tfc@bso.org to be notified when applications are open again.
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Tea & Talk Lost Lady: Louisa Lander, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the Hunt for a Forgotten American Sculptor
Lenox— On Saturday, May 6th at 3:30 p.m., Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum will present Tea & Talk. Diane Baia Hale, an independent scholar and award-winning playwright, will speak about artist Louise Lander. Her presentation will be followed by a tea.
Louisa Lander, Harriet Hosmer and Emma Stebbins were three artists working in Rome, Italy, in the 1850s. Unlike Harriet Hosmer and Emma Stebbins, whose names and sculptures remain part of cultural memory, Louise Lander has been forgotten by time. Newspapers, journals and letters from the period, however, testify to her genius, so why did the lady vanish? At the center of the mystery is none other than celebrated author Nathaniel Hawthorne who, while visiting Rome, commissioned Lander to sculpt his bust and thereby set her doom in motion. In an eerie case of life imitating art, Lander, like Hawthorne’s Hester Prynne, found herself at the center of a scandal while the man who could have cleared her name, and saved her career, cravenly remained silent.
Hale’s play The Marble Muse, about Lander’s disastrous relationship with author Nathaniel Hawthorne, garnered multiple honors and has been seen in venues across the country. She has presented her Lander research to organizations such as the Nathaniel Hawthorne Society and the American Literature Association, and in 2022, she discovered one of Lander’s lost sculptures in Salem, Massachusetts. Diane is currently at work on a book that further explores Lander’s life and her involvement with Nathaniel Hawthorne.
The event is on Saturday, May 6th at 3:30 p.m. at the Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum in Lenox. Tickets are $30 for members with an advanced reservation and $35 on the day of the event. Reservations are required as seats are limited, although walk-ins accommodated as space allows. Reservations may be made online. Please note that all tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable.
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Basilica Hudson presents climate action film festival
Hudson— On Friday May 5th at 7 p.m., Basilica Hudson in Collaboration with SunCommon presents the in-person return of the Climate Action Film Festival at Hudson Hall. The festival features a series of short films followed by refreshments and opportunities to get to know local climate action groups.
Many of this year’s films focus on community building as a form of climate action. Organizers explain that “social movements rely on the strength of collective impact, and enacting climate action is no different. From voting to marching in the streets, change only comes when we come together. But in order to show up for a collective need, like saving our planet, we need to first know the collective — we need to know each other. Community builds understanding, which builds empathy, which builds solidarity.”
The festival is on Friday May 5th at 7 p.m. at Hudson Hall on Warren Street in Hudson, N.Y. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, and all proceeds will support NY Renews, an organization dedicated to impactful climate, and environmental justice work.
