Prelude to a season: Summer in the Berkshires
Storyteller Garrison Keillor is set to perform at Tanglewood this year.
PRIME photo courtesy of Boston Symphony Orchestra.
By Mike Briotta, PRIME Editor
A few certainties arise each year as New Englanders embark upon the summer season: our days grow longer; we start reaching for the sunblock; and our friends and neighbors begin talking about their annual getaways to the Berkshires.
Whether it's camping on the lawn and listening to the strains of classical music at Tanglewood, or perusing the craftsmanship on display at the arts festival in pastoral Great Barrington, thousands of travelers will once again flock to the Berkshires this summer.
Its wealth of theater productions, musical performances, fine art and cinema is undeniable. PRIME previews those coming attractions this month. We preview the sights and sounds of the Berkshires for local day-trippers escaping to far western Massachusetts for their seasonal sojourns.
Joan Rivers Runs Through It
The fifth annual Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) in Great Barrington is sure to attract attention with the opening night film 'Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work.'
The movie takes audiences on a year-long ride with the well-known comedienne who is 76 years old. It aims to 'peel away the mask' of an entertainer known for her brash manner, raspy voice and numerous cosmetic surgeries.
Rivers regularly guest-hosted 'The Tonight Show' in place of Johnny Carson, and first appeared on that show when it was hosted by Jack Paar. Her vocal talents more recently were used in films such as 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' and 'Shrek 2.'
In the documentary about Rivers, filmmakers expose the private dramas of the irreverent comedienne as she fights to keep her career thriving in a business driven by youth and beauty.
'A Piece of Work' was one of the grand-jury nominated films at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Noted film critic Roger Ebert has called the movie 'one of the most truthful documentaries about show business I've seen. Also maybe the funniest.'
BIFF opening night festivities include a cocktail party and dinner for pass-holders at Great Barrington's Old Fire House prior to the screening of 'A Piece of Work.'
A private cocktail party will also be held for the Reel Friends Film Society at Castle Street Cafe. In addition, the festival is hosting a Disco Inferno Dance Party at the Old Great Barrington Fire Station, which will be a ticketed event open to the public.
The film festival will feature some 75 United States and international independent feature films, documentaries, and shorts. In addition, BIFF will hold panel discussions, question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers, screenings of the finalists from the Berkshire Student Film Festival, and a special tribute to award-winning actress Patricia Clarkson along with the screening of her new film 'Cairo Time' that is set to be released in August.
This year's festival will feature films from 18 countries and host more than two dozen filmmakers. The festival's fifth anniversary includes some new elements, including expansion into Pittsfield, which kicks off June 4 with a cocktail party at Ferrin Gallery for pass-holders prior to the opening night presentation of the award-winning film 'Atletu (The Athlete).' The Montreal Gazette commented, 'There is no film at the World Film Festival more unexpected or more satisfying than 'Atletu.'
That film is about a previously unknown barefoot Ethiopian man who stunned the world by winning Olympic gold running the streets of Rome barefoot in 1960. He repeated a similar feat four years later at the Tokyo Olympiad. The leading actor and co-director, Rasselas Lakew, will be in attendance to introduce the film and for a question-and-answer session following the screening.
The 2010 Festival tribute will honor one of the most beloved 'indie' actresses today, Patricia Clarkson. Her film career spans some 25 years beginning with her breakout role in 'The Untouchables.' Her diverse career has garnered 22 awards and sixteen nominations including a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination for her role in 'Pieces of April.'
'We are thrilled to be honoring such a talented actress such as Patricia Clarkson at this special 5th year anniversary of the BIFF,' executive director Kelley Vickery said. 'She not only has an incredible career as an actor in film, but also on stage and television. The Berkshire community is pleased to honor Clarkson as one of the most talented, accomplished, beautiful and in-demand actors in the business today.'
The evening will begin with a cocktail party at Allium restaurant followed by the tribute. A selection of Clarkson's films will be screened all day Friday at the Mahaiwe.
'It is with great enthusiasm and excitement that we announce the 2010 lineup of films, events, and tributes. Our fifth anniversary marks a cornerstone year for all of those that have been involved with the festival,' Vickery said. 'With each year BIFF has matured and transformed itself to meet new challenges. With all the growth and change one thing remains the same, and above all BIFF continues to bring the best in independent film to our community.'
Passes are on sale now at $250 and $500. The $150 passes sold out in March. Individual tickets may be purchased online at www.biffma.org or by phone at 1-866-811-4111. Tickets can also be purchased by visiting the Triplex Cinema, the Mahaiwe box office in Great Barrington, or the Beacon Cinema or Little Cinema in Pittsfield.
Artists and Artisans.
July holds in store an array of fine artworks at the ninth annual Berkshires Arts Festival (BAF), which features more than 165 talented, jury-selected artists and artisans from around the country. The event, presented July 2-4 at Ski Butternut in Great Barrington, has become one of the most anticipated summertime gatherings in the Berkshires.
Each year, the show brings together a selection of some of the finest artists in the America, offering outstanding works of ceramics, painting, jewelry, glass, wood, mixed media, sculpture, fashion and photography for display and sale.
'The work for sale at this show ranges from the most affordable hand-crafted items to once in a lifetime opportunities for collectors,' said director Richard Rothbard, who is also a veteran artisan.
This year, BAF has increased its commitment to offering engaging and educational experiences for festival-goers with even more demonstrations, talks, and performance artists added to the schedule. New educational content includes instruction in sustainable historic New England timber home-building techniques by the Heartwood School, based in the Massachusetts town of Washington. That group will be demonstrating traditional timber framing techniques and displaying models of historic frames from around the world.
Their skilled artisans will assemble and raise a timber house frame on the grounds of Ski Butternut, using mortise and tenon joinery, cut with hand tools. Apprentice timber framers will explain the use of various antique and unusual tools to layout and cut joinery. Heartwood director Will Beemer will be on hand to answer questions about timber framing, a centuries-old craft that is undergoing a revival and is an integral part of historic architecture in New England.
Detailed models of historic timber frames, such as massive tithe barns from Europe, will also be on display as art works for viewing, to help educate the public about the beautiful and sustainable craft.
This year will also see the return of the Art of Clay tent, sponsored by Sheffield Pottery, which will bring festival-goers behind the scenes of ceramic art creation, with features and demonstrations from a wide variety of pottery styles.
The show will be presented rain or shine at Ski Butternut under tents, outdoors and in the air-conditioned lodge, with musical performances, workshops, and activities for kids, magicians, fire-dancers and more happening throughout the weekend.
Admission for seniors is $9, for non-senior adult tickets the cost is $11, and students are admitted for $5 each. A weekend pass is $13, and children under age 10 are admitted free. Free parking is also available. Ski Butternut is located on Route 23, approximately a five-minute drive from downtown Great Barrington.
Exit Stage Left
Those looking for a more Shakespearean flair will no doubt be drawn to the Tony-awarded Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF), which runs from June 23 through Aug. 22, and has thrilled audiences for more than half a century. The vibrant summer festival is located on the campus of Williams College.
The Williamstown Theatre Festival features 'It's Jewdy's Show' from June 23 through July 4. Building on the success of her show '25 Questions for a Jewish Mother,' comedienne Judy Gold returns to the stage in a hilarious look at her life through the lens of the classic sitcoms of her youth.
From the end of June through July 11, the main stage plays host to 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,' a fresh take on Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Sondheim's raucous musical classic.
An all-male troupe of actors is led by Tony nominee Christopher Fitzgerald playing the part of Pseudolus: a slave who must win his freedom by becoming a matchmaker for his master. The play is billed as 'a toe-tapping zany romp through ancient Rome' and a 'paean to the Gods of Comedy.'
A highlight performance series from July 14-25 features the production of 'Six Degrees of Separation,' which tells the story of a Manhattan couple's nightly discussions of art deals and dinner reservations - into which a charismatic stranger arrives, telling stories of a famous father and promises of walk-on movie roles. This examination of the privileged class was also made into a feature film.
For more information and a full WTF summer schedule - including many more plays through the end of August - please see the festival Web site at
www.wtfestival.org.
Sounds of Music
A summertime trip to the Berkshires would be incomplete without hearing the abundance of musical talent on stage at Tanglewood.
Legends like jazz-fusion great Herbie Hancock will perform this season, as well as rockers Crosby, Stills & Nash; radio storyteller Garrison Keillor; and folk musician Arlo Guthrie.
The excitement reaches its apex July 3-5 with performances by famed singer-songwriters James Taylor and Carole King. The Tanglewood summer schedule culminates with the Labor Day weekend jazz festival, held in Seiji Ozawa Hall on Sept. 4 - 5.
First up chronologically on that star-studded list is Keillor, whose 'A Prairie Home Companion' on public radio has won him worldwide acclaim. The show features a weekly monologue by Keillor entitled 'The News from Lake Wobegon.' Keillor wrote the screenplay for the 2006 movie 'A Prairie Home Companion,' directed by Robert Altman. Keillor also appeared in that movie. He's set to perform at Tanglewood on June 26 at 5:45 p.m.
A rollicking good time is promised by the singer-songwriter duo of James Taylor and Carole King, who return to Tanglewood as part of their 2010 Troubadour Reunion World Tour, featuring a band of legendary musicians for three spectacular evenings.
Unfortunately, tickets are sold out for those performances, taking place in early July, but dedicated fans of the duo can probably find tickets on the secondary market - likely at prices greater than their face values.
Taylor and King unveiled North American dates for their highly anticipated 'Troubadour Reunion' tour. This event marks a rare concert experience bringing two of the most beloved singer-songwriters on tour together for the first time in four decades.
The idea for the tour was conceived after a series of six performances Taylor and King gave at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in 2007 to celebrate the famed venue's 50th anniversary. The shows sold out immediately and garnered rave reviews.
Later in the month of July at Tanglewood, Arlo Guthrie joins Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops with Alec Baldwin narrating. Those tickets range in price from $21 to $115 each. The July 18 performance is an afternoon show at 2:30 p.m. and will be held at the Koussevitzky Music Shed in Lenox.
August brings the copious talents of Herbie Hancock, a true icon of modern music. Throughout his explorations, he has transcended limitations and genres while maintaining his unmistakable voice. He's continuing an illustrious career spanning five decades and 12 Grammy Awards.
Few performers in the music industry have had more influence on acoustic and electronic jazz and R&B than Hancock. From early hits like 'Watermelon Man,' 'Chameleon,' and 'Maiden Voyage,' to later postmodern efforts like 'Rock It,' Hancock has been on the cutting edge of modern music for many decades. Tickets for his Aug. 9 performance at 7:30 p.m. range in price from $21 to $71.
September at Tanglewood starts off with rock'n'roll heroes, and ultimately segues into jazz. The music of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash is a cornerstone of rock music. Crosby, Stills & Nash are set to perform on Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. This famous rock trio has been actively collaborating since 1969.
The musical summer season in the Berkshires wraps up with the acclaimed Tanglewood Jazz Fest, which takes place during Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4-5, features jazz greats including Kurt Elling. John Pizzarelli, The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra, and many more. All shows will be held in Seiji Ozawa Hall.
Taking the stage on Sunday afternoon will be the Legendary Count Basie Orchestra.
The orchestra has toured and performed around the globe for fans and dignitaries in every country. Since Basie's passing in 1984, the orchestra has continued to tour the world and perform for enthusiastic fans of every age.
Tanglewood Jazz Festival prices range from $18-77. One day jazz lawn passes are $34. Tickets are available through Tanglewood's Web site. For more information, please visit
www.tanglewood.org.
