Mt. Everett to present ‘Aladdin Jr.’
Sheffield — Mt. Everett Regional School will present the musical “Aladdin Jr.” at the school’s Thomas A. Consolati Performing Arts Center on Friday, March 24, at 7 p.m.; and on Saturday, March 25, and Sunday, March 26, at 3 p.m.
Based on the animated film with an Academy Award-winning score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, “Aladdin Jr.” tells the story of street urchin Aladdin, who vies for the attention of princess Jasmine and uses a genie’s magic power to become a prince in order to marry her. The cast and crew is made up of more than 30 students from the sixth through ninth grades. The production is directed by Ralph Petillo, with musical direction from Courtney English and choreography by Thomas Masters.
Tickets are $10 general admission and $7 for students and seniors. For more information, call (413) 229-8778 x127.
–E.E.
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BCC to host third annual Wellness Day
Pittsfield — Berkshire Community College’s Physical Therapist Assistant Club will hold its third annual Wellness Day, an event dedicated to the health and well being of the local community, on Saturday, March 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at BCC’s Paterson Field House. Event offerings will include chair massages, half-hour fitness classes, raffles, educational booths and fitness screenings. The event is free to the public, with nominal fees for massages and exercise classes. All proceeds will benefit Empower SCI, a nonprofit organization established to enable individuals with spinal cord injuries to lead happier, more meaningful and independent lives. For more information, contact Michele Darroch at (413) 236-4525 or mdarroch@berkshirecc.edu.
–E.E.
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Cantilena Chamber Choir to perform music of Bach, Brahms
Great Barrington — The Cantilena Chamber Choir will showcase of the music of Bach, Brahms and others at Saint James Place on Sunday, March 26, at 3p.m.
The concert will highlight the more famous works by the two composers, comparing the compositional Bach’s technique and how it influenced the work of Brahms 100 years later. On the program will be Bach’s Cantata No. 4, “Christ lag in Todesbanden;” the double choir motet “Ich lasse dich nicht;” and their corresponding works: the Brahms motets “O Heiland Reiss die Himmel auf” and Brahms’ Opus 29, Nos. 1 and 2 “Est ist das Heil uns Kommen her.” Also on the program is the motet “Ay Que Dolor” by Juan Cererols as well as rarely heard works by composers Robert Pearsall and Manuel Cardosa.
Tickets are $15 general admission and free for children ages 12 and under. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact the Cantilena Chamber Choir at (518) 791-0185 or satbchoir@yahoo.com.
–E.E.
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Dalton residents receive suicide prevention award
Dalton — Betsy Nichols and Joann Farrell of Dalton were among the recipients of a Leadership in Suicide Prevention award at the annual Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention State House Day on Monday, March 6, an event held to remind the public and the legislature that suicide and self-inflicted harm are a significant yet preventable public health issue. The awards recognize outstanding work and volunteerism across the Commonwealth.
Since 2012, Nichols and Farrell have orchestrated the Purgatory Road Haunted Hayride for two weekends in October at Nichols’ farm in Dalton to raise funds for youth suicide prevention efforts in Berkshire County. More than $90,000 has been raised in five years, and continues to allow the Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention to fund programs and events to reduce suicide risk and increase resilience among county youth.
The BCSP board meets monthly at the George B. Crane Memorial Center in Pittsfield to plan and support trainings, presentations and conferences throughout the year. For more information or to volunteer, contact Peggy Morse at (413) 441-6316 or peggyf@verizon.net.
–E.E.
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Berkshire Family YMCA to offer adult swim lessons
Pittsfield — Free adult swim lessons will be offered at the Berkshire Family YMCA on the Thursday evenings of April 6, 13, 20 and 27. Four levels of instruction are available in sessions from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. and 6:15 to 7 p.m. Members of the Polar Bears Masters Swim Team will volunteer their time to teach adults who want to learn how to swim or to improve their strokes. Several of the volunteers are certified swim instructors. The program is offered in collaboration with the Swimming Saves Lives Foundation. For more information, contact aquatics manager Ashley Kirchner at (413) 499-7560 or akirchner@bfymca.org.
–E.E.
