Labor Day Weekend is always a bittersweet turning point between the glories of summer and the return to reality for those of us in the Berkshires. Following what has been one of the best summers ever on local stages.Labor Day weekend proved to be a bonus, overflowing with choices of things to do while enjoying the first crisp weather of the waning summer. One things was especially noticeable – those of us who live here saw more of our neighbors and friends enjoying performances than is typical. We even had time to talk and catch up! The demands of “high” season have finally lessened.
At the Tanglewood Jazz Festival we spied Barrington Stage’s Katie Johnson enjoying Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli, Jane Monheit and Jessica Molaskey.
The dad of the group, Bucky Pizzarelli brought the capacity audience to its feet with his rousing guitar work celebrating the Great American Songbook. Even a brief afternoon shower did not dampen the spirits of the appreciative crowd. The lawn seemed to be the location of choice for most Berkshire year-rounders, while Ozawa Hall overflowed with visitors who enjoying the last weekend of 2010 at Tanglewood.
Later, we saw Laura Roundabush, the marketing guru for Barrington Stage, sporting double hoodies against the chill breezes – an omen of fall – as the charismatic Kurt Elling took to the stage, backed by his longtime partner, Laurence Hobgood and his trio. With her husband Jeff (he can be seen around the Jacob’s Pillow campus) it was clear that not only local residents, but the cultural workers, too, were out in force.
Sunday at the Tanglewood Jazz celebration, the crowds were treated to a trip back in time with the Count Basie Orchestra. This short video interview with music snippets is sure to make you wish you had been there.
From Tyne Daly to Bill Finn at Barrington Stage Company, plus new Mark St. Germain play
Julianne Boyd, artistic director of Barrington Stage managed to put yet another twist on their annual Labor Day festivities. Starting with an evening of Tyne Daly Songs on Thursday, the beloved actor put her Cagney and Lacey, Judging Amy and Gypsy days behind and explored lesser known music in an evening that was a revelation. Going back to 1912 to revive “Row, Row, Row,” Daly put her own unique stamp on every standard she sang, and floored cabaret aficionados with the most dramatic interpretation of Kurt Weill-Mark Blitzstein “Pirate Jenny” (1928) that I have ever heard. The impact of her delivery was due to the subtleties she found in the lyrics, the simple words searing their way into the hearts of her audience. Nor was she was reluctant to attack newer – and lesser known – music, as with “Crayola” from 2008.
On Friday and Saturday, two-time Tony winner William Finn brought his popular Songs by Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists You Probably Don’t Know but Should back to the Barrington’s Main Stage with a first-rate cast of singers which included Stanley Bahorek, WIlson Bridges, Quenton Earl Darrington, Carmen Ruby Floyd, Anna Ruth-Normala Jones, Sally Wilfert and Michael Winter. Greg Jarrett was music director, with Bill Finn providing the running commentary in his usual dry, staccato way.
Nikos Tsakalakos, a Musical Theatre Lab regular. Larry Murray photo.
The purpose of these annual songfests is to put a spotlight on up and coming composers and lyricists. To that end, two teams – Nikos Tsakalakos-Janet Allard (Pool Boy) and Will Aronson-Bill Nelson (All Male Revue) are becoming very popular with area audiences. A sneak peek into a new musical that Will Aronson and Sam Salmond are working on was a real treat, since its subject matter fascinates, revolving around the theme of Mormons, monsters and mothers. “God Made Everything Good” was sweet, while other songs chosen from the work in progress were slightly satiric or mildly acidic.
Particularly novel were the snippets of spoken words by Anna Ruth Nirmala Jones. To meet her (we did, in the lobby afterwards) she appears upbeat and innocent. But beneath the calm exterior words are churning. Often light and optimistic they are deceptive, for in their sweetness she clearly reveals her unique and penetrating insight into the human condition. The big question that arises when listening to her is whether she is destined to become a poet, lyricist or monologuist. She could be the next Erma Bombeck, Amy Sedaris, Eric Bogosian or Spalding Gray…it is hard to predict because her range of subject matter is so diverse, her evolution in its early stages. I am sure she will tell us once she is ready. Meantime Anna Ruth proves that Bill Finn sure can spot them when they have barely sprouted.
Labor Day weekend also saw the debut reading of Mark St. Germain’s new play, The Best of Enemies. St. Germain’s earlier play, Freud’s Last Session played repeated engagements at Stage 2, and has now moved on to New York. The writer’s new work was inspired by the book by Osha Gray Davidson.
It is the story of C.P Ellis, Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan, and black civil rights activist Ann Atwater. Fueled by the hatred they felt for each other, Ellis and Atwater faced off as members of a committee for school desegregation in Durham, N.C in 1971. Of course, the fearless Julianne Boyd is directing and The Best of Enemies is a perfect prelude to The Crucible which opens this Fall (October 6-24).
The reading was not without its fans, including Cultural Pittsfield’s Megan Whilden who, fresh from our local Berkshire waters, hauled in her kayak to make the reading.
Shakespeare & Company – Ten Plays in Two Days
As I write this it is 6 plays down and 4 to go at Shakespeare & Company’s Studio Festival of Plays. The annual event was expanded to two days this year with the final reading taking place at 4:30 Labor Day. In that spot is The Home Team by Kim Carney, Directed by Daniela Varon. It sounds like a story that will resonate with most people. It’s about a typical family getting ready to watch the big football game on TV: Spartans versus Wolverines! The drama of the game pales in comparison to the surprise that is in store for the family when brother Wayne brings home his new girlfriend.
Of course, these readings are often the source of new works for the coming season – depending on audience reaction. Mengelberg and Mahler is currently running through September 10 was one of the big bits of last year’s festival.
James Lloyd Reynolds, Jurian Hughes and David Adkins in Berkshire Theatre Festivals 2010 Unicorn production of No Wake by William Donnelly. Directed by Kyle Fabel. Photo by Jaime Davidson.
Berkshire Theatre Festival debuts “No Wake”
If you did not get to see the debut of No Wake by William Donnelly this weekend, it will return for a healthy run at the Berkshire Theatre Festival on September 30, running until October 24. We will review it shortly after it returns. The world premiere play stars David Adkins, Jurian Hughes and James Lloyd Reynolds and is directed by Kyle Fabel at the company’s Unicorn Theatre.
An estranged couple struggles to cope with the death of their daughter. Edward and Rebecca have moved on since their divorce- she to a new husband and he to a series of failed relationships. However, when an unexpected tragedy brings them back together, they’re forced to navigate a web of grief and guilt that leads to tears, laughter, and, ultimately, hope. At once deeply touching and filled with humor, No Wake takes an honest look at the grieving process and the unexpected consequences it can bring.
Mass MoCA hosts Reggae, Soul and authentic Jamaican Bar-B-Que
One of the things Mass MoCA does better than anyone else in the Berkshires is to run a dance party. With first class musicians and fastidious attention to the technical details, when it is party time as Mass MoCA, the crowds always turn out. The arrival of Meta and the Cornerstones was no exception. With Jamaican Jerk Chicken on the barbie, and the smooth music of the Caribbean to dance to, what could have been more perfect!
2010 – A turning point for the Berkshires?
When one adds in Mass MoCA, 2010 is proving to be the hottest, most diverse and popular year ever. This surge in growth was largely due to the addition of the Solid Sound Festival to the area’s eclectic menu. But the unique programming for the Colonial and Mahaiwe during the summer was surprising. The Colonial hosted many more Cabaret artists than usual, and the Mahaiwe hosted the pre-Broadway tryout of the new play, Lombardi.
Meanwhile at Mass MoCA, their relationship with Bang on the Can and its annual residency, along with their co-presentations with other Berkshire organizations such as Jacob’s Pillow, Barrington Stage, Williamstown Film Festival and The Clark Art Museum, the North Adams museum continues attract ever larger audiences. It is also adding credibility to the claim that the struggling former mill town where it is located is having a renaissance – albeit slowly, and step by step.
All of these Labor Day weekend activities typify the growth happening to the arts in the Berkshires. In decades past the focus had been Tanglewood and its BSO appearances. In years gone by, local presenters planned their seasons to capture their largest audiences on the nights when there was nothing happening in the Shed. No longer.
This year the incremental shifting of gears has become apparent. A considerable body of visitors have begun to come to the Berkshires for the depth and richness of our areas resident theatre companies. So much new work is being done here, with one premiere or another just about every week the past three months, that theatre mavens are making the Berkshires a vacation destination. In a reversal of fortunes, it is Tanglewood that might pick up additional audiences when the theaters are dark or sold out. Musicals like Pool Boy, The Last Goodbye and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum sold just about every available ticket for their entire runs.
The cultural offerings are no longer geared to the summer tourism trade. The programming has become increasingly year-round. As a direct result more and more people interested in arts and entertainment have also begun to settle here, and so the audiences grow, ever so slowly, but steadily. Some even bring their small businesses with them.
This Labor Day weekend we sit on the cusp of Summer’s end. We are able to not only look back to the great things we have seen on our stages, but happily anticipate what is yetl on tap for the cooler, darker months.
It makes the thought of swirling leaves and the inevitable snows that follow a pleasant prospect.
