Great Barrington — If you were in the downtown area on the evening of Thursday, August 1, you couldn’t help but be swept up in the excitement of two related community events. The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center honored its neighbor, the Great Barrington Fire Department, at the same time that the Fire Association held its annual car show, with people moving from one event to the other.
“At the Mahaiwe, where the safety of our patrons is always top of mind, our gratitude to the Fire Department runs deep,” said Mahaiwe Executive Director Janis Martinson. “We thank Chief Scott Turner and his team for always being at the ready, for our annual fire-suppression-systems inspection, for standing by whenever we use haze onstage, for often being the first on the scene when someone needs medical assistance, and for showing up for (so far, always false) alarms. The Great Barrington Fire Department is a pillar of the community and an indispensable partner to the Mahaiwe. We are profoundly grateful and proud to honor them tonight.”
More than 330 people attended the Mahaiwe Gala, which was held under a tent at the former freight yard in Great Barrington. Guests were treated to a delicious, three-course dinner catered by Chef Peter Platt and his team from The Old Inn on the Green, and sunny skies prevailed (never a given in the Berkshires) throughout the meal and paddle raise, led by auctioneer Rachel Orkin-Ramey. This year’s auction raised funds for a second performance and social space for the Mahaiwe, to be built—where else?—in two bays of the renovated firehouse that sits next door to the historic theater.
The evening culminated in a thrilling sold-out performance in the theater by singer Samara Joy, whose meteoric rise is bringing a youthful vibrancy to the international jazz world. At only 24 years of age, Samara has already won three Grammy Awards and released a chart-topping and critically acclaimed debut album. Just last year, she headlined sold-out shows in her native New York at the Village Vanguard, The Apollo, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall, and the Blue Note Jazz Club. She also toured throughout North America and Europe, with concerts at the Newport, Monterey, Montreal, and Nice jazz festivals; London’s Barbican Center; and Philharmonie Paris. The New York Times praised the “silky-voiced rising star” for “helping jazz take a youthful turn,” and NPR’s “All Things Considered” called her a “classic jazz singer from a new generation.”
“The Annual Gala contributes roughly 10 percent of the Mahaiwe’s annual operating budget and is critical to our ability to fulfill our mission and serve our community with energy and excellence,” said Mahaiwe Board Chair Margaret Deutsch. “Many thanks to this year’s Gala co-chairs, Lyssa and John D. Miller; the entire Gala Committee; and to everyone who helped make this event possible.”
