Berkshire Theatre Group and Artistic Director/CEO Kate Maguire have announced additions to the 2018 fall and winter seasons.
New music at The Colonial Theatre includes: Melvin Seals and JGB (10/11), The Glen Campbell Xperience (10/12), Pittsfield CityJAZZ Festival: Christian McBride (10/13) and Start Making Sense: A Talking Heads Tribute (11/17).
Comedy at BTG features the popular Comedy Garage (located in the lobby of The Colonial Theatre). On Thursday nights, The Comedy Garage presents acclaimed comedians from near and far, including Jenny Zigrino (9/27), Katie Goodman (10/25) and Catherine Cohen (11/15). After the show, head down the street to Methuselah Bar & Lounge and show your Comedy Garage ticket for a $5 beverage.
This year, the BTG PLAYS! 2018-2019 Educational Touring Show is Showtime with Shakespeare: A Magic Tree House Adventure, a new hip-hop musical directed by Travis Daly, based on Magic Tree House: Stage Fright on a Summer Night by Mary Pope Osborne. Beginning in October and running through the school year, BTG PLAYS! Educational Touring Show reaches thousands of students on an annual basis.
Berkshire Theatre Group's 13th Annual A Christmas Carol will be presented at The Colonial Theatre December 8 through December 22. A special community and sensory-friendly performance of A Christmas Carol will be held on Wednesday, December 12 at 6pm. A "sensory-friendly" performance is a production that is slightly modified to accommodate individuals with sensory-input disorders, such as people on the autism spectrum.
Previously announced music at The Colonial Theatre includes: Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience (9/19), Harvest & Rust: A Neil Young Experience (10/5) and BonJourneyNY: A Tribute to Bon Jovi and Journey (11/10).
As previously announced, for this year's fall production, we present Nobel Prize-winner, Luigi Pirandello's Naked, a new version by Nicholas Wright and directed by Eric Hill at The Unicorn Theatre. Naked presents a female struggling with identity and consequence of action in a male world."
A special 2019 Summer Season three-show pass, including a Fitzpatrick Main Stage parking pass, is now available for $90 for a limited time only. Our 90th Anniversary $90 three show-pass offer is only available through through October. On November 1st, passes will increase to $100.
Tickets may be purchased in person at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street, Pittsfield; at the Fitzpatrick Main Stage Ticket Office at 83 East Main Street, Stockbridge; by calling (413) 997-4444 or online at www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org. Ticket Offices are open Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 10am-2pm or on any performance day from 10am until curtain. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change.
2018 SEASON ADDITIONS
Comedy Garage: Jenny Zigrino
at The Garage (located in the Colonial lobby)
Thursday, September 27 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $5
Please note, to avoid a $6 order fee, please call the Box Office at 413-997-4444 or purchase your tickets in person at The Colonial, 111 South Street, Pittsfield, MA.
Jenny Zigrino is a comedian that packs a punch of truly original humor. She made her late night debut on Conan, and was a recent guest on the hit shows @Midnight and Adam DeVine's House Party Season 3 on Comedy Central. She's been featured on TBS, Oxygen, TruTV, MTV, Fox and IFC.A rising star in Hollywood, Jenny's first film appearance was a leading role in the film Fifty Shades of Black with Marlon Wayans. She also stars in the film Bad Santa 2 with Billy Bob Thornton. Jenny exploded onto the scene in the Just For Laugh's New Faces Showcase for 2016, and has been featured in many festivals across the country. She is an alumni of The New York Comedy Festival, Women in Comedy Festival, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Moontower Comedy Festival and many more. Debuting this summer is Jenny's first comedy special, which she just filmed in April 2017 for Comedy Central.
The Comedy Garage presents acclaimed comedians from near and far. After the show, head down the street to Methuselah Bar and Lounge (located just a few short blocks from The Colonial Theatre) and show your Comedy Garage ticket for a $5 beverage.
We suggest early arrival for this event. It is general admission, first come, first served.
Melvin Seals and JGB
at The Colonial Theatre
Thursday, October 11 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $39
Melvin Seals, most revered for his powerful, high-spirited, Hammond B-3 organ and keyboards in the Jerry Garcia Band, has been a powerful presence in the music industry for over 30 years. Melvin spun his B-3 magic with the Jerry Garcia Band for 18 years, helping to pioneer and define what has now become Jam Band Music. From blues to funk to rock to jazz, Melvin Seals serves up a tasty mix with a little R&B and gospel thrown in to spice things up.
Melvin Seals and JGB bring an intuitive, expressive style, soul, spontaneity and remarkable chops to the table. With acoustic and electric ingredients and unique combinations of Zach Nugent's guitar and vocals, John-Paul McLean's savory bass, Pete Lavezzoli's hearty drums and, of course, a heapin' helpin' of Seal's magic on Hammond B-3 Organ and keyboards. Along with Sunshine Becker and Lady Chi on back-up vocals, the result is a most satisfying blend of natural organic grooves that challenge genre boundaries. Their chemistry is the focus from which they create a spontaneous and high art where the sky is the limit musically. They offer an exciting musical journey that changes nightly and keeps the audience dancing and smiling for hours.
The band consists of: Melvin Seals (Hammond B3 Organ, Keyboards and Vocals), Zach Nugent (Electric Guitar and Lead Vocals), John-Paul McLean (Bass), Pete Lavezzoli (Drums), Sunshine Becker (Backup Vocals) and Lady Chi (Backup Vocals).
Please note: If you will be taping the show, there is a designated "Taper Section." Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. To reserve please call BTG's box office at 413-997-4444. Not available online.
In general, photography and videography for Melvin Seals and JGB is encouraged in all sections of the theatre.
The Glen Campbell Xperience
at The Colonial Theatre
Friday, October 12 at 8pm
Tickets: $25
The Glen Campbell Xperience celebrates the life and work of country music legend, Glen Campbell, with a live performance featuring Campbell's most memorable hits, including: "Rhinestone Cowboy," "Gentle On My Mind," "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman," plus many more. The show will also include a glimpse at his career with highlights on a multimedia presentation.
Spanning five decades of more than 70 albums and hit network television shows, the Rhinestone Cowboy has touched the hearts of multiple generations. His life and impact on pop culture continues to live on through this one-of-a-kind show, produced by Jimmy Mazz.
The Glen Campbell Xperience features a live trio with Jimmy Mazz on guitar and vocals. In this heartfelt performance of more than 20 of Campbell's timeless hits, Mazz intersperses amusing stories and comic impressions into this touching tribute to Campbell's life. The 90 minute performance also includes classic tunes by Campbell's friends: John Denver, Johnny Cash, Roger Miller and Conway Twitty.
Pittsfield CityJazz Festival: Christian McBride
at The Colonial Theatre
Saturday October 13 at 7:30pm
Tickets: A: $38 B: $25
Six-time Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist, Christian McBride, is a force of nature, fusing the fire and fury of a virtuoso with the depth and grounding of a seasoned journeyman. Powered by a relentless energy and a boundless love of swing, McBride's career is now blazing into its third decade. The Philadelphia native is one of the most requested, most recorded, and most respected figures in the music world today.
His New Jawn quartet comprises jazz musicians of the highest order: Josh Evans (trumpet), Marcus Strickland (saxophone), Ed McBride (bass) and Nasheet Waits (drums).
Comedy Garage: Katie Goodman
at The Garage (located in the Colonial lobby)
Thursday October 25 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $5
Please note, to avoid a $6 order fee, please call the Box Office at 413-997-4444 or purchase your tickets in person at The Colonial, 111 South Street, Pittsfield, MA.
Katie Goodman is an award-winning musical comic, actress, author and speaker. Her show, Broad Comedy, recently ran Off Broadway at the Soho Playhouse. Katie has been seen on Showtime's The Green Room With Paul Provenza, on Current TV as a pundit and on TruTV. She recently signed with Comedy Dynamics, North America's largest independent record label, and her new album Halfway Closer To Dead is available on iTunes, her books are on Amazon, and her comedy music videos can be seen, having amassed 2 million hits on YouTube and 3 million on Facebook. Katie is also a featured blogger for The Huffington Post, and has contributed to O, The Oprah Magazine. Katie recieved a Time Out New York Critic's Pick for Best Cabaret.
The Comedy Garage presents acclaimed comedians from near and far. After the show, head down the street to Methuselah Bar and Lounge (located just a few short blocks from The Colonial Theatre) and show your Comedy Garage ticket for a $5 beverage.
We suggest early arrival for this event. It is general admission, first come, first served.
Comedy Garage: Catherine Cohen
at The Garage (located in the Colonial lobby)
Thursday, November 15 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $5
Please note, to avoid a $6 order fee, please call the Box Office at 413-997-4444 or purchase your tickets in person at The Colonial, 111 South Street, Pittsfield, MA.
The Comedy Garage presents acclaimed comedians from near and far. After the show, head down the street to Methuselah Bar and Lounge (located just a few short blocks from The Colonial Theatre) and show your Comedy Garage ticket for a $5 beverage.
We suggest early arrival for this event. It is general admission, first come, first served.
Start Making Sense: A Talking Heads Tribute
at The Colonial Theatre
Saturday, November 17 at 8pm
Tickets: $25
The musicians in this 7-piece Talking Heads Tribute take pride in faithfully recreating the music of the Talking Heads entire career. They bring the Talking Heads live show, with front man Jon Braun, as a spot-on David Byrne to audiences for a rockin', funkin', danceable celebration of the new-wave art punk from the 80s!
The band consists of: Jon Braun (Lead Vocals and Guitar), Jon Fadem (Lead Guitar and Backing Vocals), Ryan Berg (Percussion and Backing Vocals), Brad Murray (Keyboards), Michael Davidson (Bass), Jesse Braun (Drums), Jenny Founds (Backing Vocals) and Kathleen Weber (Backing Vocals).
Children's Holiday Extravaganza
at The Colonial Theatre
Sunday, November 25
doors open at 11:30am
Event is 12pm-2pm
Tickets: FREE!
Please call in advance to reserve free tickets, this event will sell-out. Limit of 6 tickets per transaction.
Entertainment, face painting, popcorn, pizza, a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, raffles, prizes and more! Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Gift bags will be given out to the first 400 kids. Please bring non-perishable food items for donation.
Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis. This event will reach capacity. If you are not able to attend, please call the box office and return your tickets so another family can join us.BTG PLAYS! 2018-2019 Touring Show
Showtime with Shakespeare: A Magic Tree House Adventure
directed Travis Daly
book and lyrics by Jenny Laird and Will Osborne
music and additional lyrics by Randy Courts
based on Magic Tree House: Stage Fright on a Summer Night by Mary Pope Osborne
Beginning in October and running through the school year, this production is appropriate for elementary and middle school aged children and is designed to introduce students to the excitement of live theatre. A question and answer session with the actors follows each performance. Touring to schools and venues all throughout Berkshire County and surrounding towns with a local company of artists, BTG's touring production reaches thousands of students on an annual basis.
The show must go on, in this new hip-hop musical! That's what Jack and Annie learn when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to Elizabethan England. There they meet William Shakespeare himself-one of the greatest writers of all time! But, Mr. Shakespeare is having a hard time with some of the actors in his latest show. Are Jack and Annie ready to make a big entrance? Or, will it be curtains for Shakespeare?
A Christmas Carol
adapted by Eric Hill
directed by Travis Daly
at The Colonial Theatre
111 South Street
Tickets: Adults: $39 Children 16 and under: $29
Tickets to the Special Community and Sensory-Friendly Performance on
Wednesday, December 12 at 6pm: $5
Sponsored by: Greylock Federal Credit Union, Greylock Insurance Agency, Guardian Life Insurance, Enterprise Holdings Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, The Shubert Foundation
Performance Dates:
Saturday, December 8 at 7pm (Opening)
Sunday, December 9 at 2pm
Wednesday, December 12 at 6pm (Special Community and Sensory-Friendly Performance)
Thursday, December 13 at 7pm
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