Colonial's LGB lineup: Kate Clinton, Tommy Tune and Ani DiFranco

Tommy Tune is an idol for aspiring Broadway actors.

November at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield is going to be a rare and special month with three great artists - and members of the LGBTQ community - slated to hold forth on their stage. First up is Broadway's legendary Tommy Tune who at 6' 6" is likely the tallest song and dance man to ever grace the Broadway stage. Winner of many Tony Awards he brings the Manhattan Rhythm Kings plus a backup trio with him on Friday, November 12 at 8:00 PMas we detail in this advance story in Berkshire on Stage. Tommy came out in his memoir, Footnotes.

Kate Clinton is Lady HaHa.
The next night the funny and thought-provoking Kate Clinton brings her Lady HaHa tour to the Berkshires for a taste of the Provincetown Women's Week club scene in the naked Berkshires. (I am talking about the trees post-foliage season.) We had a wonderfully revealing chat with the former school teacher turned stand-up comic which you can also find in Berkshire on Stage, and she said she loved being the second oldest living lesbian comic, while naming the first. She also talks about her pal HIllary Clinton, Arianna Huffington and Al Franken, and speculates on the health of Dick Cheney, admitting she combs the obits every day looking for good news. Her November 13 9=8:00 PM performance at the Colonial sponsored by the Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition and The Rainbow Times is only her second appearance ever in the Berkshires. She will be appearing with Roy Zimmerman. More about him in this second Berkshire on Stage story.

Ani DiFranco and her daughter. Courtesy Parenting Magazine.
Then there is the bisexual Ani DiFranco who probably loves her guitar more than any particular partner, though not as much as her daughter Petah Lucia who is now approaching four. Her fluid sexual identity is as famous as her independence in the music business. My story on her is in the works, and will appear shortly. She is at the Colonial on November 16 at 7:30. She will be appearing with special guest Melissa Ferrick.

For tickets to any of these concerts, visit the Colonial Theatre website.

Sarah Vowell on Tom Cruise

Sarah Vowell is not to be underestimated.

When I gush about her, everyone says: "Sarah who?" Well I am here to tell you that she is the real deal. An eccentric, literate, understated and hilariousy funny writer who has taken to the stage with her deadpan stories about famous people. Presidents, movie stars, history, they are all grist for her mill.

Take her laid back analysis of Hollywood icon Tom Cruise, his anatomy, his geometic face, his undies. She deconstructs the myth in this audio slide show.



Which is to say that if you miss Sarah tomorrow night at 8:00PM at the Colonial Theatre, you may miss the best event of the year. She has already dished the Berkshires, its B&B's and theatre companies to dirt (as I reported in this Berkshire On Stage article) and I bet there is more to come.

Here's a synopsis of her life so far: Sarah Vowell is the acclaimed author of four bestselling books and a contributing editor for NPR’s This American Life. She has written documentaries and monologues about everything from the Cherokee Trail of Tears, presidential libraries and Frank Sinatra, to more personal pieces about her father’s homemade cannon, a youthful obsession with The Godfather and her own Goth makeover.

I can hardly wait to hear her latest stories.

Janis Ian has traveled the long, hard road

Janis Ian performs in Pittsfield April 17.
Janis Ian is a great singer and songwriter, and on Saturday night April 17 at 8:00 PM she and Karla Bonoff will take to the stage of the Colonial Theatre for a great evening of song and memories. The evening is sponsored by WGBY.

Ian is an original, having first stirred the pot in 1966- when she was 15 - with her album "Society's Child." Its topic of interracial marriage outraged many because of the taboos of the times. She has released two dozen more since then, her latest being her autobiography collection to go with her new book.

Ian has had a diverse personal life. She married Portuguese filmmaker Tino Sargo in 1978. He was abusive and they divorced in 1983. Details of Sargo's physical and emotional treatment are discussed in Ian's autobiography, Society's Child. After moving to Nashville, she met Patricia Snyder in 1989; and they later married in Toronto in 2003. The two celebrated their 20th anniversary together in 2009. Ian has a stepdaughter by Snyder, and two grandchildren.

The Colonial performance called Songs of a Generation is a celebration of song, featuring two of the most influential songwriters of the ’60s through the ’90s. Janis Ian’s hit songs include “At Seventeen,” “Jessie,” and many more.

Karla Bonoff has written numerous million selling songs including “Someone To Lay Down Beside Me,” “Home,” “All My Life,” “Personally” and “Tell Me Why.”

These two Grammy Award-winning stars will take you on a musical journey starting in 1966 when “Society’s Child” became a lightning rod for racial equality in the most storied and turbulent time in our musical history. Coupled with Janis Ian’s new autobiography released this year and both artist's new retrospective CDs, this will be the concert to remember from two unforgettable artists.

Tickets for the performance are $65 (VIP preferred seating with post-show Artist meet & greet), $45 and $25 and can be purchased in person at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street Monday-Friday 10AM-5PM, performance Saturdays 10AM-2PM, by calling (413) 997-4444 or online at www.thecolonialtheatre.org

The Colonial's Romeo and Juliet is a rare chance to see the Guthrie's magic

Laura Esposito (Juliet) and Sonny Valicenti (Romeo) in The Acting Company/Guthrie Theater co-production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Production photos by Michal Daniel.
I often marvel at how those of us who live in the Berkshires year round can expect - with a little patience - to see the best that the arts world can offer. The great artists seem to find their way here. Eventually. Certainly that is true with symphonic music, dance companies and contemporary art.

The Colonial and Mahaiwe go even further than Tanglewood, Mass MoCA and Jacob's Pillow in that they book those companies and artists that we might otherwise never see. Such is the case with the Romeo and Juliet arriving next Friday, February 12 at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield.

It's certainly not a "gay" Romeo and Juliet - though there's a concept to ponder! It is instead a resetting of Shakespeare's most popular play to a time closer than our own, the beginning of the twentieth century.

The "boys" of Romeo and Juliet are full of fun and pranks.
With the resetting comes a Romeo and Juliet that is closer, in some ways, to West Side Story than to 16th century Verona. The words are as Shakespeare wrote them, but the action, and acting, is contemporary. Purists may object, but for the adventurous, it is provocative, and ribald fun. And it showcases some of the youngest, most talented actors in America today.

This is a co-production by Minnesota's Guthrie Theater and The Acting Company. It was created and first staged last month (January 9-31) in Minneapolis, and is now engaged in a 25-city tour. The New England appearances are made possible, in part, with support from the New England Foundation on the Arts as well as funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Fight! Isaac Woofter (Tybalt), Sonny Valicenti (Romeo) and Hugh Kennedy (Benvolio)
Romeo and Juliet is a familiar tale to most of us, recounting the tragedy of star-crossed teenage love ensnared in a family feud. Bounding between soaring romanticism and battles of wit, festive celebrations and bloody duels to the death, the play of cruel destiny runs on high energy throughout, as impulsive and emotionally hot-blooded characters bring to life the greatest love story of all time.

Evoking the lyricism of Shakespeare's sonnets, the timeless and deeply moving Romeo and Juliet exquisitely embodies the brief joy of youthful passion and ecstasy. The young couple loves each other passionately as only teenagers can, while their families' mutual disdain and prejudice lead to revenge and an irreversible fate. Young love has never been so delightful or as dangerous as in this stirring new production.

Reviews of this production ranged from mixed to raves, but the cast has had time to settle in, and the production should be highly polished. Most critics remarked on how well the usually watered down comedy and fight scenes played. In the production the guys use walking sticks which seemed odd until the big fight scene where they turned out to hide the real weapon - swords. The "prick of the moon" and "maidenhead" lines which happens between Mercutio and the nurse also brings some hitherto naughty nuances to light.

"The Guthrie has proven to be the perfect ‘incubator' for our national tour," said Acting Company Producing Director Margot Harley. "It is a breathtaking theatrical complex replete with staff, artisans and workshops to bring the most brilliant work to life. Our co-production of Henry V was thrilling to be part of and I know this season's Romeo and Juliet will be equally rewarding to audiences as well as for The Acting Company and the Guthrie."

A cast member heads home through a dusting of snow after a performance at the Guthrie. He should feel right at home here in the Berkshires.
"We're truly excited to embark on the second production of our partnership with The Acting Company," said Guthrie Director Joe Dowling. "After the success of last year's production and tour of Henry V, we look forward to continued success this season with Romeo and Juliet."

Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Penny Metropulos directs. The cast for the traveling production is identical to the one on stage at the Guthrie. Sonny Valicenti (2009's Henry V) and 2008 GEx alumnus Laura Esposito leading the 13-member cast in the title roles.

The production will also feature UofM/Guthrie B.F.A. alumni Hugh Kennedy (Benvolio), Elizabeth Stahlmann (Nurse/Samson), William Sturdivant (Mercutio/Prince) and Christine Weber (Lady Capulet), Guthrie Experience alumni Jamie Smithson (Paris/Abraham) and Isaac Woofter (Tybalt/Apothecary), Henry V company member Chris Thorn (Capulet), and newcomers Jesse Bonnell (Gregory/Friar John), Raymond L. Chapman (Friar Laurence), Jason McDowell Green (Montague/Peter) and Myxolydia Tyler (Lady Montague/Balthasar).

Troublemaker Tybalt (R) (Isaac Woofter) gets his due from Romeo (Sonny Valicenti).
The Romeo and Juliet artistic team also includes Neil Patel (Set Designer), Mathew J. LeFebvre (Costume Designer), Michael Chybowski (Lighting Designer), Victor Zupanc (Music Composition), Scott W. Edwards (Sound Designer), Marcela Lorca (Choreography), Felix Ivanov (Fight Direction), Andrew Wade (Voice and Speech Consultant), Sara Phillips (Voice and Speech Consultant), Corey Atkins (Staff Director), Karen Parlato (Stage Manager) and Nick Tochelli (Assistant Stage Manager).

Tickets and information: www.thecolonialtheatre.org

The Colonial Theatre
111 South Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
P: (413) 448-8084

Campy, Satirical "Mikado" is Hot Winter Fun

You can't be gay if you haven't seen The Mikado at least once in your life. And if you have been properly initiated into the Victorian cult of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, the mere mention of The Mikado has probably made you pull up your calendar on the screen and start saving money for tickets. It is coming to Pittsfield's Colonial Theatre as soon as it finishes its run in Cohoes, New York.

Yes, The Mikado is a classic G&S outing, complete with pretty "girls" and both mincing and manly men. In their day, they were clearly stereotypes, but still funny and ring true. Especially the Lord High Executioner, which, with any luck will be played by the fabulous Jim Charles who brings an extraordinary theatrical sensibility to the small upstate town of Cohoes, New York. If I didn't live here in the Berkshires, it would be on my short list. At the Cohoes Music Hall he does extraordinary productions complete with great costumes and a live orchestra, yet keeps ticket prices within reason. The whole town turns out for his extravaganzas.


The video I have embedded is about ten minutes of the show as performed in 1990-92 by the famous D'oyly Carte Opera Company. It is the same company G&S worked with a century ago. It has one of the classic patter songs - "I've got a Little List" which is about two minutes in, after the Lord High Executioner introduces himself. It is my fervent hope that this is the role producer Jim Charles (the performing half of C-R Productions) assumes in the production which debuts February 18 at the Cohoes Music Hall.



As my fellow critic Gail Burns sums it up, what could be better than The Mikado- "that wholesome family show about decapitation." Yes, Mikado tells a tale of preposterous carryings on in the mythical Japanese village of Titi-pu. A Japanese prince will do just about anything to win the hand of the national executioner's daughter, for she is his one true love. Over a century later, the themes of The Mikado still resonate with modern audiences with references used in films and television from "Chariots of Fire" to "The Chipmunks". The ultimate classic love story set in the most famous Savoy Opera continues to captivate audiences.

This is the Hill Country's own production, which gets a two week run in Cohoes, New York at their Victorian Music Hall by C-R Productions and then moved, cast, sets and orchestra to Pittsfield where Berkshire audiences can easily enjoy it. If this is half as good as their sell out production of The Producers last year which played the Colonial under similar arrangements, then we are all in for a real treat.

Before there was Saturday Night Live, there was Gilbert and Sullivan spoofing the norms and conventions of the time, and drawing other countries and cultures in caricature. Considering the size of this production, the ticket prices are very reasonable.

Performance Schedule:

AT THE COHOES MUSIC HALL IN COHOES, NY:

February 18-28
Thursday-Saturday at 8:00pm
Saturday and Sunday at 3:00pm
Tickets: $25-$35
Box Office: 518.237.5858
http://www.cohoesmusichall.com/

AT THE COLONIAL THEATRE IN PITTSFIELD:

Saturday March 6, 2010
Performances at 3 PM and 8 PM
Tickets $25-$45
Box Office: (413) 997-4444
www.thecolonialtheatre.org

An All Male Swan Lake for Christmas in the U.K.

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake is holiday entertainment in London.
Gotta love those Brits, Making Swan Lake a ballet about male swans and offering it as a Christmas present. The Sadler's Wells does just that, and you have to see the preview to believe it. (Plenty more on You Tube!)



This particular preview has an interesting story, too. It is being shown movie trailer style with other clips at London's Peacock Theatre before each evening's live dance performance. That in itself is an innovative way to market the arts, and this clip is being shown along with other coming "live" performances, like Jump and Snowman.

This swan makes a grande Jeté.
Mixing live performances with film promotions may seem radical to some conservative Berkshire promoters, but both the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center and the Colonial Theatre should be thinking long and hard about whether people would rather view something exciting like the clip above or if a a rote recitation of coming attractions is just as effective. It's not. I make this suggestion despite my great affection for both Beryl Jolly and David Fleming, the hard working executive directors of the Berkshires two big performance houses. Jacobs Pillow could do the same - they already have video clips as part of their website - and even our resident theatre companies who are making informal videos for their own blogs.

A very different Swan Lake.
Needless to say Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake continues to provoke - as it did on Broadway a couple of years ago - but it will of course sell out, because you don't have to be gay to enjoy something completely new and different. And it brings in a very young audience of the curious, who are not nearly as afraid of the fine arts as we old timers think they are. They just prefer them without all that starch and ritual.

Jason Piper in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake
(Bill Cooper Photo)
Jason Piper says: “I always get the Billy Elliot thing thrown at me, but we couldn’t be more different…I am brown, I’m from the Midlands, my parents are loving and supportive and my dad wasn’t a miner. I can’t quite see the similarity, except that we are both male and we dance. That’s it. Well, except that there is the Bourne Swan Lake…we both did that!! But if it has helped to encourage other boys to dance, then it’s great. If they see Billy Elliot in me, that’s fine, as long as they get out there and dance.”

Jason Piper in rehearsals for Matthew Bourne's Dorian Gray
(Mikah Smilie Photo)

Girls Night Out at Colonial This Weekend

Girls just want to have fun. Photo by Mark Frohna
Thursday you are likely heading downtown for Pittsfield's Third Thursday, so why not plan a whole evening out? The theatrical version of a Girl's Night Out promises to be a hoot and a haha as well as a delightful bit of nostalgia when the Colonial Theatre welcomes this show for four performances beginning Thursday. The quality of their attractions this year have been superb, and there's no reason to think that this won't be another very memorable trip down Memory Lane.

Girls Night: The Musical follows five friends in their 30s and 40s during a wild and outrageous girls night out at a karaoke bar. Friends since their teens, they have all had their fair share of heartache and tragedy, joy and success. Among the characters are Carol the party girl, blunt Anita who tells it like it is, Liza with her marital (and eating) issues, boring Kate the designated driver and Sharon, the not-so-angelic angel who just couldn't resist tagging along. Together, they reminisce about their younger days, celebrate their current lives and look to the future, all the while belting out an array of classic anthems such as "It's Raining Men," "I Will Survive," "Lady Marmalade," "Man, I Feel Like a Woman" and "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

Funny thing is, I know an awful lot of gay boys that would love those songs even more than you guys. So this is clearly an equal opportunity show. There's something here for everyone!


The four performances are Thursday at 7:30PM, Friday at 8PM, and Saturday at 3PM and 8PM. Tickets are $45-$25 and can be purchased in person at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street in Pittsfield Monday-Friday 10AM-5PM, performance Saturdays 10AM-2PM, by calling (413) 997-4444 or online at www.TheColonialTheatre.org

Three Fabulous, Campy Shows Arrive in Berkshires June 4-6

Forbidden Broadway spoofs the great musicals. Can you name all the shows in this composite photo lineup?

While it may still be pre-season for most folks in the Berkshires, the GLBTQ community is about to enjoy the most exciting weekend of 2009. From June 4-7 both Great Barrington's Mahaiwe and Pittsfield's Colonial Theatres will host shows for lovers of camp, satire and just plain naughty fun.

They are Forbidden Broadway and Bjorn Again, the ABBA Tribute Show at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. and The Producers at the Colonial Theatre. Let's take them in chronological order.

The Producers celebrates Springtime for Hitler. Seen here is the Berlin Company.
The Producers actually arrives at the Colonial on Thursday, June 4 at 7:30 for four performances, including Friday at 8:00 and Saturday at 3:00 and 8:00. You can read a campy preview of this show on the Arts America Blog. There are some great looking cast pictures there, too.

The music and era of ABBA is lovingly skewered.
On Friday, June 5 at 8:00, The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center will present Bjorn Again, the world's greatest ABBA tribute band. Bjorn Again is one of Australia’s greatest musical exports and the most successful tribute band of all time. They’re so successful that their longevity trumps that of the original ABBA and there are five Bjorn Again troupes performing around the world.  Playing on the name of original ABBA member Bjorn Ulvaeus, Bjorn Again first performed their light-hearted send-up of ABBA at The Tote, a small pub in Melbourne in 1989.

Faithful to ABBA’s music and humorous in their portrayal of the original ABBA members, the group sings magnificently, dresses in campy mid-70s and early 80s garb, and speaks to one another and the audience in faux-Swedish accents. Long-time ABBA session musicians Rutger Sonofagunn (bass guitar) and Ola Drumkitt (drums) round out the group.

Forbidden Broadway lampoons both The Lion King and Avenue Q.
Then on Saturday, June 6 at 8:00 the pièce de résistance the ultimate vampy, campy send up of all things musical and theatrical, Forbidden Broadway. Despite its irreverent approach to Broadway, it has garnered a Tony itself.

Written and directed by Gerard Alessandrini and Phillip George, Forbidden Broadway shows no mercy to the best and worst show tunes, characters and plots from current productions.  No one escapes the shows sharp wit, from Broadway actors and writers to composers, directors, choreographers, and producers. With its intoxicatingly funny lines and entertaining references to old favorites, the show is a pleasure for anyone who enjoys musical comedy—whether they are up on the latest Broadway shows or not.

Alessandrini has stated that he takes pleasure in spoofing serious and substantial shows like Spring Awakening (whose composer, Duncan Sheik, played The Mahaiwe last year) and the works of Stephen Sondheim.

TICKET INFORMATION - THE MAHAIWE

The Mahaiwe is located in historic downtown Great Barrington, MA, at 14 Castle Street, across from Town Hall. Tickets are available for Bjorn Again and Forbidden Broadway, online at www.mahaiwe.org and through the Mahaiwe Box Office at 413-528-0100. Members of “Friends of the Mahaiwe” receive $5.00 discounts per ticket. Both shows are reserved seating: $45 ($40 for members) or $30 limited balcony. The Mahaiwe Box Office is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6pm and three hours prior to all show times.

TICKET INFORMATION - THE COLONIAL

For The Producers, dates include: June 4 at 7:30PM, June 5th at 8PM and June 6th at 3PM and 8PM. Tickets for the performance are $25-45 and can be purchased in person at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street Monday-Friday 10AM-5PM, performance Saturdays 10AM-2PM, by calling (413) 997-4444 or online at www.TheColonialTheatre.org.