The Foundry presents drag icon, TV writer, and comedienne Jackie Beat in ‘Birthday Clown!’
West Stockbridge— On Saturday, July 19th at 8 p.m., The Foundry presents drag icon, TV writer, and comedienne Jackie Beat in “Birthday Clown!
Proving that you can’t kill what’s already dead, drag icon, TV writer, and comedienne Jackie Beat celebrates over 35 years as a shameless clown —and one more trip around the sun— with live singing, hilarious new parodies, sick and twisted classics, and “comedy” that legally must be put in quotation marks.
For three and a half decades, Jackie Beat has been entertaining audiences across the U.S. and in Europe with her razor-sharp comedy and hysterical song parodies. Her hilarious music videos on YouTube are huge hits that have been seen by millions of people. Her one-woman show “Jackie Beat Is A Whole Lotta’ Love” ran a record 18 months at NYC’s premiere cabaret Fez, and she returns every year with her award-winning, standing-room-only holiday show as part of her annually sold out national holiday tour.
Jackie’s stand-up has been featured in comedy clubs across the country and on Comedy Central, VH-1 and MTV. Her scathing song parodies have been featured on “America’s Top Forty” with Ryan Seacrest, “The Howard Stern Show,” and more. She has appeared on many TV shows such as “Sex and the City” and in several movies including “Flawless” with Robert DeNiro, the festival hit “Wigstock The Movie,” and more. In addition, Jackie has written material for Margaret Cho, Sandra Bernhard, Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Coolidge, Elvira, and more.
The one-night-only performance is on Saturday, July 19th at 8 p.m. at The Foundry, located at 2 Harris Street in West Stockbridge. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
MASS MoCA presents ‘Saturday Night Live’ favorite Sarah Sherman
North Adams— On Saturday, July 19th at 8 p.m., MASS MoCA presents “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) favorite Sarah Sherman.
Sarah Sherman has become the standard bearer of weird and unhinged hilarity for SNL, amplifying its cultural relevance. As a champion of the outsider, she’s full of love. As a keen observer and critic of hypocrisy and anyone with hate in their heart, she’s equally full of gleeful venom. Come for the laughs, stay for the takedowns.
Sarah Sherman was selected as a “New Face” at the 2021 Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival and is known for her popular live show, “Helltrap Nightmare.” Sherman previously opened for Eric André on his national tour and wrote for “The Eric Andre Show.” She staffed on the Adult Swim series “Three Busy Debras” and Netflix’s “Magic For Humans.” She was named one of Vulture’s Comics to Watch for 2018 and one of Time Out magazine’s Five Comics to Watch for 2017.
The show is on Saturday, July 19th at 8 p.m. at MASS MoCA, located at 1040 MASS MoCA Way. It is recommended for ages 18 and up. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Music Mountain presents Grammy Award-winning American jazz vocalist Catherine Russell
Falls Village, Conn.— On Saturday, July 19th at 7 p.m., Music Mountain presents Grammy Award-winning American jazz vocalist Catherine Russell.
The daughter of early jazz pioneer Luis Russell and the great trailblazing vocalist-guitarist-bassist Carline Ray, Catherine Russell’s musical roots run deep. She has appeared on over 200 albums, and since her debut album as a leader in 2006, she has steadily garnered tons of international acclaim. Nominated for multiple Grammy awards, her versatility and prowess has lead her to perform and record with a notably diverse range of artists including David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, Levon Helm, Carrie Smith, Toshi Reagon, Rosanne Cash, and notably Steely Dan, of which she is a current member. Russell will make her Music Mountain debut with guitarist Matt Munisteri and bassist Tal Ronen.
The concert is on Saturday, July 19th at 7 p.m. at Music Mountain, located at 225 Music Mountain Road in Falls Village. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Fisher Center presents ‘Olatuja,’ a project by vocalist Alicia Olatuja and Nigerian electric bassist Michael Olatuja
Annandale-On-Hudson— On Saturday, July 19th at 8 p.m., the Fisher Center presents “Olatuja,” a project by vocalist Alicia Olatuja and Nigerian electric bassist Michael Olatuja.
After enrapturing audiences at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, Rochester Jazz Festival, Love Supreme Festival, and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, the vocalist-electric bassist duo, blending Afrobeat, jazz, funk, and soul, the vocalist-electric, brings their singular sound to the Spiegeltent for a rousing, hard-grooving show.
The concert is on Saturday, July 19th at 8 p.m. at the Fisher Center’s Spiegeltent, located at 60 Manor Avenue in Annandale-On-Hudson. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
PS21 Chatham presents the U.S. premiere of ‘Study of Slope,’ an immersive musical performance by Lithuanian interdisciplinary artist Lina Lapelytė
Chatham, N.Y.— From July 18th through the 20th, PS21 Chatham presents the U.S. premiere of “Study of Slope,” an immersive musical performance by Lithuanian interdisciplinary artist Lina Lapelytė.
“Study of Slope” is a performance installation featuring a choir of local self-identified non-musical performers selected through an open call. By centering those without a “musical ear,” the work challenges the dominant codes of Western musical tradition that typically exclude off-key voices. These often-silenced voices resonate around the PS21 grounds in a continuous act of singing and movement. Set within a landscape of nettles, plants often dismissed as weeds despite their healing properties, the work symbolically disrupts normative categorizations.
The text sung by the performers is drawn from Sean Ashton’s “Living in a Land,” a fictional memoir where the narrator recounts only what he has never done or will never do. This exploration of absence invites reflection on identity, experience, and the individual’s place within a community. Starting with the voice, Study of Slope reimagines how we define musicality, expression, and belonging. It celebrates polyphony and personal difference while questioning how a truly collective voice might be formed.
The performances run July 18th through the 20th at PS21 Chatham, located at 2980 Route 66 in Chatham. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
PS21 Chatham presents EXO-TECH, a large ensemble collective led by vocalist and director Sophia Brous and New Zealand pop innovator Kimbra
Chatham, N.Y.— On Saturday, July 19th at 8 p.m., PS21 Chatham presents EXO-TECH, a large based ensemble collective led by vocalist and director Sophia Brous and New Zealand pop innovator Kimbra.
The group features a revolving membership of some of New York and beyond’s most respected music luminaries, including David Byrne, Sean Lennon, Moses Sumney, Caroline Polachek, Bilal, Questlove, Yuka Honda, Dave Harrington, Zeena Parkins, and many others. The group assembles for in-the-round performances on the floor, with no rehearsal, and no stage. The sets explore the intersections of improvisation and pop song composition, and are as influenced by modern pop and R&B as they are free jazz, avant garde improvisation, tropicalia, and film music.
The performance is on Saturday, July 19th at 8 p.m. at PS21 Chatham, located at 2980 Route 66 in Chatham, N.Y. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Dream Away Lodge presents Vaguely Pagan
Becket— On Saturday, July 19th from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., Dream Away Lodge presents Vaguely Pagan.
Wes Buckley, Brian Kantor, Miles Lally, known as Vaguely Pagan, keep audiences moving with their brand of toe tappers, hippy spinners, you name it, but at the end of the night, they kind of just play soul music. You can see, hear, and feel them enjoying themselves. The original songs veer into psych, folk, jam, and rock territory and the cover songs are the ones you forgot how much you loved to hear. Hop on the train and boogie down to your new favorite jams.
The concert is on Saturday, July 19th from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Dream Away Lodge, located at 1342 County Road in Becket. More information can be found online.
***
Dedication of the W.E.B. Du Bois Monument in Great Barrington
Great Barrington— On Saturday, July 19th at 2 p.m., a life-size sculpture of W.E.B. Du Bois will be unveiled in front of the Mason Public Library, located at 231 Main Street, a fitting site at the heart of Du Bois’s hometown.
W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) was born and educated in Great Barrington. He was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. A world-famous sociologist, historian, and founder of the NAACP, he wrote “The Souls of Black Folk,” a seminal work in African American literature.
The bronze sculpture, created by renowned artist Richard Blake, will sit on a curving marble bench at the center of a redesigned library plaza. The site features renovated steps, added seating, and a sense of welcome. “This moment represents years of dedication from so many people,” said Ari Zorn, co-chair of the W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project. “We are bringing Dr. Du Bois home in a way that invites everyone to sit with him, reflect with him, and carry forward his legacy. This sculpture isn’t just a monument — it’s a space for justice, remembrance, and stewardship.”
The unveiling is on Saturday, July 19th at 2 p.m. in front of the Mason Public Library, located at 231 Main Street in Great Barrington. All are welcome to attend this free public event. On Saturday, July 20th from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a W.E.B. Du Bois panel discussion at Chesterwood, located at 4 Williamsville Road in Stockbridge. The panel will feature panel discussion with sculptor Richard Blake, Boston University scholar Dr. Chad Williams, artist and activist Delano Burrowes, MCLA professor Dr. Frances Jones Sneed, and Executive Director of the National Sculpture Society, Gwen Pier. More information can be found online.
***
Sandisfield Arts Center presents ‘Beyond Our Boundaries,’ an international art show and film festival celebrating innovation and risk-taking in the arts
Sandisfield— From July 19th through August 31st, Sandisfield Arts Center presents “Beyond Our Boundaries,” an international art show and film festival celebrating innovation and risk-taking in the arts.
“Beyond Our Boundaries” is a groundbreaking exhibition initiated by local artist Jaye Alison Moscariello, which unites diverse international artists who challenge conventional art forms through small works. Featured artists include Tomek Kopeciwicz (Poland) and Evelyne Barbier (France.) The “Not So Short” film festival is a five-hour compilation of films by global artists created during the pandemic, including works by Irena Paskali (Macedonia/Germany) and Gabi Gusmao (Brazil.)
The exhibit is on view from July 19th through August 31st at Sandisfield Arts Center, located at 5 Hammertown Road in Sandisfield. There is an opening reception on Saturday, July 19th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. More information can be found online.
***
Sculptor Gordon Chandler and painter Adrienne Kernan LaVallee return home to Lenox for ‘Home Coming,’ an art exhibition at Welles Gallery
Lenox— Through July 30th, sculptor Gordon Chandler and painter Adrienne Kernan LaVallee return to their hometown of Lenox for “Home Coming,” a two-person art exhibition on view at the Lenox Library’s Welles Gallery.
The exhibit is a homecoming for Chandler and LaVallee, who both graduated from Lenox Memorial High School in 1971. Devoted to their art at a young age, their mentor was their high school art teacher, John Lewarn, who was beloved by generations of students. Fittingly, the last time Chandler and LaVallee exhibited their work together was at the Lenox Library when Lewarn’s students held an art show there during their senior year. Both artists went on to study art in college and graduate school, and continue to create and exhibit their work.
Adrienne Kernan LaVallee earned degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth (BFA) and the Maryland Institute College of Art (MFA). She spent two five-week sessions at Richmond College in Florence, Italy, where she studied Italian Renaissance Art History. Her work has been exhibited in many solo, invitational, and juried shows in the United States. For many years, she was represented by the Lenox Gallery of Art. Her art can be found in private collections throughout the United States and abroad in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Holland. LaVallee’s landscape paintings come to life with her use of color and aggressive brush and palette knife work. She is inspired mostly by the New England landscape, including the sounds and sights found in nature.
Gordon Chandler earned degrees in sculpting from Syracuse University (BFA) and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (MFA). He attended the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture. For several years, his works have been shown at the “Burning Man” festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Public collections that hold, or have held, his work include The Chattahoochee Valley Art Museum (LaGrange, Ga.), the Honolulu Museum of Art, the National Ornamental Metal Museum (Memphis, Tenn.), and the Runnymede Sculpture Farm (Woodside, Calif.) Private collectors who have owned his work include Walter and Ann Nathan of Chicago, Roger Brown of La Conchita, Calif., and singer Elton John. He is represented by several galleries, including Pagoda Red Gallery in Chicago, Lois Lambert Gallery, Santa Monica, Calif., and Bernay Fine Art Gallery in Great Barrington. For 20 years, he was represented by Ute Stebich and Leslie Ferrin galleries in Lenox. Chandler creates works out of salvaged metal, making kimonos and usable furniture, finding inspiration in materials thrown away in an increasingly disposable world.
The exhibit will be on view through July 30th at Lenox Library’s Welles Gallery, located at 18 Main Street in Lenox. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, July 19th from 1:30 p.m. to to 4 p.m. More information can be found online.
