Radiant Nights at Hancock Shaker Village
Pittsfield— Tonight through December 31st, Hancock Shaker Village is back with its unique multi-sensory holiday experience, Radiant Nights. The Village will sparkle with more lights, farm animals, music, festive spirits, and holiday fun for the entire family.
Radiant Nights brings together New England charm, dazzling video projections, enchanting music, and a sense of amused wonderment. It’s a great way to see the holiday season, and Hancock Shaker Village, in a whole new light. “I am really pleased and feel privileged to create these original installations once again for Hancock Shaker Village. I have tried to both respond to the history of this majestic property and to create unique projections that reorient the viewers’ perception of a space,” said Joe Wheaton.
After taking in the approximate one-mile route of light installations, sound, and images, guests are invited to visit the farm animals, relax by the fire pit, enjoy drinks/fare, and shop the curated Shaker Mercantile for inspired holiday gifts.
Radiants Nights runs 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on select nights through December 31st at the Hancock Shaker Village on West Housatonic Street in Pittsfield. Tickets are $25, $20 for members, $12 for teens ages 13 to 17, $10 for teen members ages 13 to 17, and free for children ages 12 and under. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
PS21 presents Talea Ensemble to perform Georg Friedrich ‘Haas’ Solstices’ on the Winter Solstice
Chatham— PS21 presents the Talea Ensemble to perform Georg Friedrich ‘Haas’ Solstices’ on the Winter Solstice on Thursday, December 21st at sunset (approximately 4:26 p.m.)
Composed for ten musicians in complete darkness, the absence of light adds a new lens to our ability to relate to sound, bringing together performers and audiences through intensive listening. Solstices is an immersive, sensory work expanding the listening experience through worlds of microtones and overtones, evoking the natural phenomena of planetary movement. Solstices runs approximately 75 minutes and begins with a few minutes of darkness before the piece begins, so that audiences can acclimate to the room.
The concert is on Thursday, December 21st at sunset (approximately 4:26 p.m.) at PS21 on N.Y. Route 66 in Chatham. Tickets are $35 and $10 for students. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Dottie’s Coffee Lounge presents Domingo Brunch featuring Lexi Weege
Pittsfield— On Sunday, December 17th from 10am to noon, Dottie’s Coffee Lounge presents Domingo Brunch featuring Lexi Weege.
Lexi Weege is no stranger to the road. The Western Mass-based powerhouse singer/songwriter grew up in a traveling Cabaret troupe, and she’s been on the move ever since. After years of touring and three full-length releases with her band Weege & The Wondertwins, Lexi released her third solo album in 2022. Combining the best of classic country, Motown, and soul, Weege’s original songs are full of spirit. Her nearly twenty years of experience is evident in the craft of her songwriting, and in the bold confidence she exudes onstage. Lexi Weege’s six releases, national tours, and hundreds of shows have happened independently, without any label backing. A true believer in the power of DIY, Weege is surely an old soul, and one of a kind.
Whether she’s crooning a heartbroken ballad or belting out the blues, Lexi Weege’s dexterous voice is at the heart of it all. Her acrobatic vocals soar high and plunge low, tugging at your heartstrings. Expect to dance, and maybe shed a bittersweet tear, too. Weege is a gifted storyteller.
The performance is on Sunday, December 17th from 10am to noon at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge on North Street in Pittsfield. Daily specials, full menu, and coffee bar will be open. More information can be found online.
***
Crandell Theatre to Show Classes Holiday Films for $5 a show
Chatham— On December 16th and 17th, the historic Crandell Theatre on Chatham’s Main Street will celebrate the holiday season with screenings of classic holiday films for just $5 a ticket.
On Saturday, December 16th at 1 p.m., see “An American Tail.” Fievel is a young Russian mouse separated from his parents on their way to America, a land they think is free of cats. When he arrives alone in the New World, he keeps up hope, searching for his family, making new friends, and running and dodging the cats he thought he’d escaped. A classic animated parable, produced by Steven Spielberg, about immigration, freedom, new beginnings, family and home. This film is rated G.
On Saturday, December 16th at 4 p.m., see “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed star in Frank Capra’s penultimate family classic about a small-town man, ready to throw in the towel, who meets an angel named Clarence summoned to give him another chance. Clarence gives George Bailey a masterclass in perspective, showing him what life would have been like had he never existed. Many critics say this is among a handful of classics that deserves annual viewing, especially if you’re lucky enough to see it on the big screen. This film is rated PG.
On Sunday, December 17th at 4 p.m., see “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” It’s Christmastime and the Griswolds are preparing for a family holiday celebration with the usual unnaturally high expectations. Predictably, things never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen, and their two kids, Rusty and Audrey. This classic comedy, written by John Hughes, is jam-packed with comedy and acting legends including Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Diane Ladd, John Randolph, Doris Roberts, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Randy Quaid, William Hickey, and a young Johnny Galecki, before he landed on his extended runs on Roseanne, and later, The Big Bang Theory. This film is rated PG-13.
The $5 holiday films will be shown on December 16th and 17th at the Crandell Theatre on Main Street in Chatham. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Bennington Historical Society presents ‘Inside the Battle of Bennington’ for the 250th commemoration
Bennington— On Sunday, December 17th from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Bennington Historical Society presents “A Battle of Bennington for the 250th,” a historical presentation with Phil Holland.
The theme for the American and Vermont 250th commemorations is inclusion, especially the inclusion of the stories and voices of individuals and groups who have been omitted from, marginalized, or misrepresented in past commemorations. The 250th gives us an opportunity to reflect on our famous battle and to reconsider who and what should be included in the story.
Phil Holland is a graduate of Bennington College and holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of London. He’s the author of “A Guide to the Battle of Bennington and the Bennington Monument” and “Robert Frost in Bennington County,” as well as articles and reviews for the Walloomsack Review. He directed an audio project for the Bennington Battlefield last year and has written monologues for the recently performed historical dramas: “Voices from the Grave” and “Voices of the Fallen.”
The free presentation is on Sunday, December 17th from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bennington Museum on Main Street in Bennington. More information can be found online.
***
Free Eagles Band holiday concert
Pittsfield— On Sunday, December 17th at 3 p.m., the Eagles Community Band, celebrating its 87th year, will perform a free holiday concert at the First United Methodist Church.
Selections include Stephen Bulla’s “Rhapsody for Hanukkah” and “Symphonic Highlights from FROZEN” Philip Sparke’s “Carol of the Shepherds,” and Leroy Anderson’s “A Christmas Festival” and “Sleigh Ride.”
The free concert is on Sunday, December 17th at 3 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church on Fenn Street in Pittsfield. There will be a bake sale and gifts available for purchase. More information can be found online.
