Prelude to a Summer Season in the BerkshiresJune 2012By Carley Dangona PRIME Editor The days are getting longer, the temperature is climbing higher and the sun is shining brighter — signaling the dawn of the upcoming summer season in the Berkshires. Soon enough the plush green grass will tickle your toes and the sunrays will warm your skin while you take in your favorite performances in the Berkshires. Once again, there is a seemingly unending list of events slated for summer in the Berkshires. There is something for everyone in the upcoming summer lineup. Whether traveling to the Berkshires out of love for outdoor concerts, thought-provoking art exhibits, Shakespearean plays, dramatic theatre, cinematic features or awe-inspiring dance, there is an event to suit your interests. Tanglewood This year Tanglewood celebrates its 75th anniversary with a gala on July 14 where performers past and present will come together and share the stage. Appearances include John Williams, Keith Lockhart, Andris Nelsons, James Taylor, Yo-Yo Ma, Peter Serkin, Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus performing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), Boston Pops Orchestra, and Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra. The event airs on Public Broadcasting Service Aug. 10 at 9 p.m. "The anniversary marks the importance of great music in our lives and our commitment to it," Tony Fogg, artistic administrator for the BSO, said. "We try and make sure everything we offer is the highest quality. Our number one commitment is to excellence." In honor of the anniversary, an accompanying digital download project providing free digital stream highlights from the past 75 years of Tanglewood performances will be available during the summer season. From June 20 to Sept. 2, one MP3 file per day will become available for download. Other performances this summer include Diana Krall, the Mark Morris Dance Group, the Emerson String Quartet, Bernadette Peters, the Wynton Marsalis Quartet, the Boston Pops Orchestra and the BSO. James Taylor and Yo-Yo Ma will be appearing again in additional concerts. "Tickets are priced variably to accommodate patrons," Fogg said. His advice to new patrons, "I recommend a sampling of the performances. Try some well known events and then attend some performances unfamiliar to you. I'm sure it will be an ear-opening experience." For specific details regarding the 2012 Tanglewood season, visit www.bso.org. For tickets, visit www.bostonpops.org. Ticket prices range from $11 to $2,500. Jacob's Pillow Dance This summer marks the 80th anniversary of Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, which kicks off June 16 with its opening gala. The night features performances by ballet superstar David Hallberg, Mimulus Dance Company of Brazil, Australia's circus-arts ensemble CIRCA, and a world premiere performed by the Ballet Program dancers of The School at Jacob's Pillow. In honor of founder Ted Shawn and his company of Men Dancers, who first performed in 1933, an alternating cast of male dancers and choreographers will perform in tribute to this groundbreaking troupe. These performances take place from July 11 to 15. "In 1926, years before he created the festival, our founder modern dance pioneer Ted Shawn wrote about his dream to create a center for dance some day. He hoped that this center would 'take its place among the great art and educational institutions of the world, and will be a real factor in the advance of civilization and the freeing of the human soul.' I think he would be very proud of everything Jacob's Pillow has accomplished in eight decades," Mariclare Hulbert, director of marketing and communication for Jacob's Pillow, said. The summer at Jacob's Pillow offers more than just dance performances from performers across the world. Interviews with performers, community dance classes, art exhibits, film viewings and guided tours are just some of the other activities at the festival. "Take advantage of everything the Pillow offers! We have more than 120 ticketed performances and more than 200 free events. On an average Festival day you can see both free and ticketed dance performances, observe dancers at The School, sit in on a free PillowTalk, take a dance class, enjoy free exhibits, explore our dance archives, shop in the Store, dine on the grounds, mingle with performers and patrons at the Pillow Pub, and more. It's so much more than a regular night out at the theater," Hulbert said. Tickets for the festival are on sale now. Visit www.jacobspillow.org for performance and ticket information. Contact the box office at 413-243-0745 for assistance planning your visit. Shakespeare & Company Shakespeare & Company celebrates its 35th season this summer with "Rebellion and Revolution." More than 1,000 productions and approximately 5,000 artists have shared the stage and this year celebrates a reunion of past and present. "This season we are celebrating all the ties that brought us together," Tony Simotes, artistic director for Shakespeare & Company, said. "I'm so proud to be a part of a theater company that shifted the way theater is taught and what Shakespeare means to the public." On June 30, a season gala honoring Tina Packer, founding artistic director, will include appearances by Academy Award-winner Olympia Dukakis, Off-Broadway Theatre Award-winner John Douglas Thompson and many more. In honor of the revolutionary theme, the season opens with "Cassandra Speaks," a performance featuring actor Tod Randolph portraying Dorothy Thompson, a journalism icon who became the first journalist ordered from Nazi Germany by Adolf Hitler himself. A sample of this season's offerings: "King Lear," featuring Dennis Krausnick; "The Tempest," featuring Olympia Dukakis; "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife," featuring Annette Miller; and "Satchmo at the Waldorf," starring John Douglas Thompson; and many more. In addition to the performances, there are many new events this year. "There are lots of things to excite the palate," Simotes said. "This year we changed the format a bit and added programs including an author series and a play reading series." For more information about the upcoming season and ticket purchases, visit www.shakespeare.org. Norman Rockwell Museum In honor of the centennial passing of whom many refer to as "the grandfather of American illustration," the Norman Rockwell Museum will feature "Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered." The exhibit, organized by the Delaware Museum of Art, is the first comprehensive, exhibition of Pyle's work and will be on display from June 9 to Oct. 28. "Norman Rockwell appreciated Pyle as an artist and storyteller," Jeremy Clowe, manager of media service for the museum, said. "Rockwell paid homage to Pyle with his Saturday Evening Post cover entitled, 'Family Tree.'" Howard Pyle (1853 - 1911) was one of America's most popular illustrators and storytellers during a period of explosive growth in the publishing industry. A celebrity in his lifetime, Pyle's widely circulated images of pirates, knights, and historical figures were featured in publications such as Harper's Monthly and were admired by such artists and authors as Vincent Van Gogh, Mark Twain, and Norman Rockwell. Pyle taught many students, including N. C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover, Philip R. Goodwin, and Jessie Willcox Smith. The exhibition casts off with a "Swagger and Dagger" dance party presented at the Norman Rockwell Museum on June 9 from 6 to 11 p.m. Accompanying the exhibition will be a lecture and performance series entitled, "Buried Treasures: Perspectives on Pyle," on Thursdays, July 5 to Aug. 30 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. For further information about the upcoming exhibition and the Norman Rockwell Museum, visit www.nrm.org. International Films The seventh season of the Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) runs from May 31 to June 3 and is chock full of events. The season opens with a screening of the documentary about Ethel Kennedy, entitled "ETHEL." Members of the Kennedy family will attend the screening. "The screening of "ETHEL" is very special to us as the Kennedys are part of our Massachusetts heritage and we look forward to members of the Kennedy family joining us for the evening and a special Q&A," Kelley Vickery, founder and executive director of BIFF, said. Another event this season is a book signing with famed photographer Ken Regan well known for his photographs of rock 'n' roll musicians. The signing celebrates the release of Regan's new book, "All Access: The Rock 'N' Roll Photography of Ken Regan." "We're thrilled about the Ken Regan signing," Vickery said, "It's an incredible book." In collaboration with The Mount, BIFF also honors the 150th birthday of Edith Wharton with a free screening of Terrence Davies' 2000 film adaptation of "The House of Mirth." The film stars Gillian Anderson, Eric Stoltz, and Laura Linney. "'The House of Mirth' is considered one of Edith Wharton's masterpieces," Vickery said. For the full schedule and description of events, visit www.biffma.org. For ticket information and purchases, visit www.festivalgenius.com. Williamstown Theatre Festival The 58th season of the Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF) offers a variety of performances featuring veteran actors including Tyne Daily in "The Importance of Being Earnest;" Patricia Clarkson opposite Bradley Cooper in "The Elephant Man;" and Blythe Danner in "The Blue Deep." When asked what draws seasoned actors back to WTF repeatedly, Jenny Gersten, artistic director for WTF replied, "We offer meaty roles for them to flex their muscles." The festival offers multiple opportunities for up and coming actors to hone their craft. "The WTF has a really long tradition of doing plays that are with people just starting out who become well known," Gersten said. "When you come, even if it's only for a day, you'll see something special," Gersten said. "No matter what you see or which date you visit the quality of the writing and the integrity of the performance will be high level." For information about the upcoming WTF season, visit www.wtfestival.org. One thing seems eminent about the upcoming summer season in the Berkshires: there is a wealth of events and performances to choose from and each venue takes pride in its meticulous planning to ensure all patrons have a memorable experience.  |
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