Berkshire Theatre Group Announces 2023 Winter & Spring Season Featuring HYPROV, David Sedaris & More

Berkshire Theatre Group has announced the 2023 winter and spring season at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. There is something for everyone in this lineup of national performing acts, local and regional bands and family programming as part of the 10x10 Upstart Arts Festival featuring middle and high school students from Berkshire County.

Associate Artistic Director, Programming Tor Krautter says: "It's very exciting to be programming concerts in the Colonial this year. We have a great winter/spring season of live music in store with a wonderful lineup of local, regional and national artists."

National performing acts at The Colonial Theatre include: a totally unique comedy experience HYPROV: Improv Under Hypnosis presented by Colin Mochrie (of Whose Line is it Anyway?) and featuring Master Hypnotist Asad Mecci (3/25) and one of America's preeminent humorists David Sedaris (5/13).

Concerts at The Colonial Theatre include: Rev Tor's 11th Annual Dead of Winter Jam Featuring Dead Man's Waltz and Friends (2/3); Draw the Line: A Tribute to Aerosmith (2/10); Tapestry, The Carole King Songbook (2/25); The Ivy League of Comedy Show (3/3); The Berkshire Mountain Guitar Summit (3/11); The Young Dubliners with Special Guest Kilashandra (3/17); Song and Dance! A Celebration of Women of the Berkshires (3/24); Pittsfield CityJazz Featuring Emmet Cohen and his Trio with Guest Artist Houston Person (4/30); Workin' For a Livin' The Huey Lewis and the News Tribute Show (5/6); and Tom Rush Accompanied by Matt Nakoa (5/21).

As part of the 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival, BTG presents BTG PLAYS! 2022-23 Touring Show, Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn KIDS based on Magic Tree House #2: The Knight at Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne, book by Jenny Laird, music and lyrics by Randy Courts, additional lyrics by Will Osborne and directed by Kathy Jo Grover on Saturday, February 18 at 2pm at the Colonial.

Season Discounts & Ticket Information

BTGY (Young Adult)

Young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 can purchase one ticket to any BTG produced show for $30 (fees included). This offer is available by phone or in person only. Additionally, one BTG presented show ticket may be purchased for 10% off the single ticket price (rental events not included).

EBT Card to Culture Program

EBT Card to Culture is a collaboration between the Mass Cultural Council and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services' Department of Transitional Assistance. This is available to anyone with EBT, WIC, or ConnectorCare Insurance. This offer includes two tickets to any BTG produced show at the rate of $5 each. All additional fees are also waived. These tickets are subject to availability as seating is limited. This offer is available by phone or in person only.

Tickets for these exciting summer season productions will be on sale Friday, December 9 at 12pm. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change. To purchase tickets, visit www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org or contact the Colonial Box Office by calling 413-997-4444.

The Box Office is open Tuesday through Sunday 12pm-5pm or on any performance day from 12pm until curtain. BTG's Pittsfield Campus is located at 111 South Street, (The Colonial Theatre) Pittsfield, MA.

National Touring Acts

At The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield

Colin Mochrie (of Whose Line Is It, Anyway?) Presents

HYPROV: Improv Under Hypnosis

Featuring Master Hypnotist Asad Mecci

at The Colonial Theatre

Saturday, March 25 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $60

From the brilliant minds of Improv and Comedy Legend Colin Mochrie and Master Hypnotist Asad Mecci comes a brand new, mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, side-splitting show! Hypnosis and Improv, two art forms that have mystified and entertained fans, skeptics and everyone in between for decades worldwide, come together as two masters of their crafts unite for a totally unique comedy experience-HYPROV: Improv Under Hypnosis.

Twenty random volunteers from the audience will be put under hypnosis, their inhibitions evaporated and their minds no longer their own. The contestants will be methodically and hysterically whittled down until the five best are left on stage when one of the world's leading improvisers enters! Colin Mochrie will take the stage to improvise with the top five while they are still under hypnosis, which will turn the show into an improv extravaganza!

In the hands of two masters, and solely crafted from the audience's uninhibited subconscious, this will be an entirely original and completely unforgettable show. Who knows where the unconscious mind will go? What can possibly go wrong? Come and see for yourself!

David Sedaris

at The Colonial Theatre

Saturday, May 13 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $60

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, bestselling author David Sedaris has become one of America's preeminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today.

Beloved for his personal essays and short stories, David Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever, Holidays on Ice, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, and Calypso, which was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. He is the author of Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary, a collection of fables with illustrations by Ian Falconer. He is also the author of an essay length ebook titled Themes and Variations. Each of these books was an immediate bestseller. He was also the editor of Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding Stories. His pieces regularly appear in The New Yorker and have twice been included in "The Best American Essays." The first volume of his diaries Theft By Finding: Diaries (1977-2002) was a New York Times best-selling book. As a companion piece to the book, Jeffrey Jenkins published and edited an art book of Sedaris's diary covers, entitled David Sedaris Diaries: A Visual Compendium. His book, The Best of Me, is a collection of 42 previously published stories and essays, about which novelist Andrew Sean Greer wrote in the New York Times: "You must read 'The Best of Me'. It will be a new experience, knowing that enough time has passed to find humor in the hardest parts of life. More than ever-we're allowed to laugh." The second volume of his diaries, A Carnival of Snackery, Diaries (2003-2020), was also a New York Times bestseller and the audiobook was selected as part of Apple's Best Audiobooks of the Year for 2021. His new book, Happy-Go-Lucky, debuted at number one on the New York Times best-seller list.

Sedaris and his sister, Amy Sedaris, have collaborated under the name "The Talent Family" and have written half dozen plays which have been produced at La Mama, Lincoln Center, and The Drama Department in New York City. These plays include Stump the Host, Stitches, One Woman Shoe, which received an Obie Award, Incident at Cobbler's Knob, and The Book of Liz, which was published in book form by Dramatists Play Service.

Sedaris has been nominated for five Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word and Best Comedy Album. His audio recordings include "David Sedaris: Live for Your Listening Pleasure" and "David Sedaris Live at Carnegie Hall." A feature film adaptation of his story C.O.G. was released after a premiere at the Sundance Film Festival (2013). Since 2011, he can be heard annually on a series of live recordings on BBC Radio 4 entitled "Meet David Sedaris." In 2019 David Sedaris became a regular contributor to CBS Sunday Morning, and his Masterclass, David Sedaris Teaches Storytelling and Humor, was released.

There are over 16 million copies of his books in print, and they have been translated into 32 languages. He has been awarded the Terry Southern Prize for Humor, Thurber Prize for American Humor, Jonathan Swift International Literature Prize for Satire and Humor, Time 2001 Humorist of the Year Award, as well as the Medal for Spoken Language from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In March 2019 he was elected as a member into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2020 the New York Public Library voted Me Talk Pretty One Day one of the 125 most important books of the last 125 years.

Concerts at The Colonial

At The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield

Rev Tor's 11th Annual Dead of Winter Jam

Featuring Dead Man's Waltz & Friends

at The Colonial Theatre

Saturday, February 3 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $25

Hosted by Rev Tor's Dead Man's Waltz (formerly Steal Your Peach), this annual mid-winter celebration honors 58 years of Grateful Dead music and includes a slew of special guests, including Mark Mericer (Max Creek), Jen Durkin (Deep Banana Blackout), Mark Paradis (The Marks Brothers/Lobsters From Mars), Mike "Woody" Wood (Rebel Alliance) and Them Bastards (Chris Merenda & Dave Brown).

Interweaving the classic songs and jams of The Grateful Dead, Dead Man's Waltz is an all-star collective from the Northeast festival scene. Dead Man's Waltz features top-notch musicianship and offers a refreshing twist to the music of The Grateful Dead. While staying true to the spirit of the music, the band members put their own dynamic spin on a vast catalog of beloved songs that are now part of the new American songbook.

Patrons are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to a local food pantry in need.

Draw the Line: A Tribute to Aerosmith

at The Colonial Theatre

Friday, February 10 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $25

Draw The Line celebrates more than 25 years of paying homage to rock 'n' roll legends Aerosmith-the "Bad Boys of Boston." They are the only officially endorsed Aerosmith tribute show in the world. With support and accolades from Aerosmith themselves, as well as journalists, top DJs and fans worldwide, Draw The Line is recognized as a one-of-a-kind tribute show.

Combining the same blues-based, hard rock sounds of Aerosmith, Draw The Line performs classic hits like "Walk this Way," "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," "Dream On" and many others with stunning accuracy. Not only do they sound like Aerosmith, but they also look the part. Lead singer, Neill Byrnes, won a Steven Tyler look-alike contest on WAAF Radio in Worcester in the 1990s. Since then, Draw The Line has become a world-renowned tribute show, touring throughout North America, Europe, South America and across the globe. In fact, Byrnes has been cast to portray Steven Tyler in several productions.

Tapestry, The Carole King Songbook

at The Colonial Theatre

Saturday, February 25 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $25

Tapestry, the Carole King Songbook, featuring Suzanne O. Davis is the premier musical tribute to Carole King. This show recreates the sound and vibe of a 1970s Carole King concert experience following her legendary album, Tapestry. Not only will the audience be transported back to the iconic image of her multiple Grammy Award-winning album of 1971, but also the concert performance will bring to life many hits from the Broadway musical smash, Beautiful.

In addition to featuring all the music from Tapestry, the show will also feature many songs that Carole King and her husband, Gerry Goffin, wrote in the 1960s as one of the most successful songwriting teams in pop music history. The more than 400 songs were recorded by over 1,000 artists, including The Drifters, The Beatles, Herman's Hermits, Donnie Osmond, Aretha Franklin, The Shirelles, Bobby Vee and many more.

Suzanne's performance will take audiences on a journey back to those great recordings with stories about the music, history of Carole King's incredible career and a fun, sing-along audience interactive experience.

"Feel the Earth move under your feet" at The Colonial Theatre with this show!

The Ivy League of Comedy Show

at The Colonial Theatre

Friday, March 3 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $25

Known for their elite brand of clever comedy, the members of The Ivy League of Comedy can be seen on late-night TV, Comedy Central and now on stage at the Colonial. This hilarious comedy show features original, well-written comedy that doesn't resort to playing on stereotypes or picking on the audience. This is stand-up comedy's funniest and brightest!

Andy Pitz

Andy's unique brand of comedy has landed him multiple appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Andy is a regular performer at all of New York City's top comedy clubs, including Gotham Comedy Club and Caroline's & Comic Strip Live. He also tours the country and abroad when his wife will allow it.

Kerri Louise

High-energy, commanding and versatile, Kerri Louise can entertain any audience with her warmth and razor-edge wit. So it's no wonder that Kerri was a regular correspondent on the Oprah Winfrey Show. NBC took Kerri all the way to the finals in the show Last Comic Standing. Her performance on that show prompted The Women's Entertainment Network to make her the star of their new reality show called Two Funny. Kerri's guest appearances include NickMom Night Out, Comics Unleashed, The Montel Show, The Fine Living Channel, Access Hollywood, The Apprentice, The View, Comedy Central, VH1, 20/20 and New Joke City. These credits plus her appearances in Marie Claire, the HBO Aspen Comedy Festival and the Montreal Comedy Festival have made Kerri a comic attraction on her own.

Shaun Eli

Stand-up comedian Shaun Eli has rightfully been called one of America's smartest comics. Whether it's a story about dining with a vegetarian or successfully fighting a parking ticket in criminal court, master storyteller Shaun Eli shows you that there's hilarity in the ordinary if you approach life with a comedic warp. Job interviews? How about the Ten Commandments? For just about anything he's experienced, he has hilarious stories at the ready. With a sense of humor that's both cheerful and universal, Shaun has headlined shows on five continents. In 2021 he was the recipient of a major profile in The New York Times.

The Berkshire Mountain Guitar Summit

at The Colonial Theatre

Saturday, March 11 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $25

Buckle up and hold on tight as Berkshire Theatre Group presents The 2023 Berkshire Mountain Guitar Summit! Enjoy workshops, demos and a luthier's expo in The Colonial Theatre Lobby followed by a concert on the Colonial stage hosted by BTG's very own Rev Tor and featuring performances by a handful of the region's most beloved guitar heroes. This year's line-up includes:

Fuzz of Deep Banana Blackout

Rob Sanzone of The Picky Bastards

Garrett Lechowski of Harvest and Rust

Seth Fleischmann of Misty Blues

And more to be announced shortly.

The Young Dubliners
With special guest Kilashandra

at The Colonial Theatre

Friday, March 17 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $50

Come celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the Colonial with The Young Dubliners, an American rock band who have been recording albums and touring since 1993 and whose style of music has come to be called Celtic Rock for the fusion of Irish traditional music with modern rock 'n' roll!

Band members Keith Roberts (vocals, guitar), Chas Waltz (violin, keys, vocals), Justin Pecot (guitar, vocals), Dave Ingraham (drums) and Ethan Jones (bass guitar) caution that they are more than just traditional Celtic Rock. The Irish influence is certainly there, but it's not the only influence that bursts through on their albums or live shows. After all, several of the band members have no Irish roots of any kind. "That was always the idea," explains Roberts "the sound was intended to be a hybrid because we all come from different backgrounds. Even though I am from Ireland, a lot of the music I listened to growing up wasn't Irish at all, but when I got here, I got homesick and developed a new appreciation for Irish music. In truth the Celtic riffs can just as easily come from the American band members. Everyone writes now, so you never know what you'll end up with."

"Their sound defies categorization. The Young Dubliners can be seen as Ireland's answer to Los Lobos, with a similar combination of traditional folk music, raucous electric rock, and forward-thinking experimentation." -Allmusic.com

Kilashandra

Kilashandra is an award-winning Albany, NY-based band. They began meeting in fall 2021 as a group of friends getting together to play Celtic music in pubs and at regional Irish Festivals. Quickly, they became a known entity in the Irish music world as well as the Americana/Blues/Jam Band Circuit.

Founded by Chris Gil, Kilashandra from the start has been a search and love for the soulful and passionate music of the British Isles and their Celtic ancestors. Kilashandra performances are gatherings of friends, shared experiences that ignite an ancient resonance of souls amongst kindred spirits that spans all ages and walks of life. The playing is technically brilliant, but it is the soulful, passionate and innovative arrangements, thrilling vocals, intricately woven harmonies, soaring guitar and lyrical virtuosic fiddling that will transport listeners to another place and time.

Song and Dance! A Celebration of Women of the Berkshires

at The Colonial Theatre

Friday, March 24 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $30

Highlighting Berkshire women in the Arts, this show features performances by Gina Coleman, Olga Dunn Dance Co., Wanda Houston, Mary Ann Palermo and The All-Star Women's Band, along with more of our extraordinary region's unsung female heroes in the art, business, social and medical communities. Join us for an evening of celebrating women of the Berkshires!

Proceeds will be donated in part to several local non-profit organizations, includingThe Elizabeth Freeman Center that helps women and children in need.

Pittsfield CityJazz Festival

Featuring Emmet Cohen and his Trio

with guest artist Houston Person

at The Colonial Theatre

Sunday, April 30 at 4pm

Tickets: $34 and $39

The capstone event of the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival pairs young lion Emmet Cohen with the "boss tenor," Houston Person. Pianist and composer Cohen was a recognized prodigy and is in the vanguard of his generation's advancement of music and the related arts. With his robust sound and swinging style, legendary saxophonist Person has kept the hard bop and soul-jazz traditions alive. The Berkshires Jazz All Star Youth Band will play the opening set.

Workin' For a Livin'

The Huey Lewis and the News Tribute Show

at The Colonial Theatre

Saturday, May 6 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $25

Huey Lewis and the News dominated the music charts throughout the 1980s. The band was a virtual hit machine, churning out song after chart-topping song including, "The Heart of Rock & Roll," "Do You Believe In Love," "I Want A New Drug," "The Power of Love," "Heart & Soul," "Hip To Be Square" and dozens more.

Workin' For A Livin: The Huey Lewis and the News Tribute Show keeps Huey and the band's music happening. This incredible concert experience takes the audience on an adventure back to the awesome 1980s when the band ruled the charts. The songs, the sound and the look make this dynamic performance an event to remember. When Workin' For A Livin' hits the stage, the 80s are back!

Tom Rush

Accompanied by Matt Nakoa

at The Colonial Theatre

Sunday, May 21 at 2pm

Tickets: $50

Tom Rush's impact on the American music scene has been profound. He helped shape the folk revival in the '60s, the folk-rock movement of the '70s, and then the renaissance of the '80s and '90s. James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty and Garth Brooks have cited Tom as a major influence. Rush displayed then, as he does today, an uncanny knack for finding wonderful songs and writing his own. His distinctive guitar style, wry humor and warm, expressive voice have made him both a legend and a lure to audiences around the world. His shows are filled with the rib-aching laughter of terrific story-telling, the sweet melancholy of ballads and the passion of gritty blues.

As vital and engaging as ever, his voice has grown even richer and more melodic, and his music, like a fine wine, has matured and ripened in the blending of traditional and modern influences

Produced by Berkshire Theatre Group

As Part of the 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival

At The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield

BTG PLAYS! 2022-2023 Touring Show

Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn KIDS

based upon "Magic Tree House #2: The Knight at Dawn" by Mary Pope Osborne

book by Jenny Laird

music and lyrics by Randy Courts

additional lyrics by Will Osborne

at The Colonial Theatre

Performance Date: Saturday, February 18 at 2pm

Author Mary Pope Osborne will be signing books from 1pm to 1:45pm in The Colonial Theatre lobby prior to the performance. Books will be available for purchase provided by The Bookloft in Great Barrington.

Tickets: $10

directed by Kathy Jo Grover

musical direction by Erin M. White

choreography by Kathy Jo Grover

Featuring youth actors from the Berkshire community

As part of the 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival, BTG presents BTG PLAYS! 2022-23 Touring Show, Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn KIDS based upon "Magic Tree House #2: The Knight at Dawn'' by Mary Pope Osborne. A magical tree house transports Jack and Annie to medieval times in this adaptation of the best-selling book series. Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn KIDS is an adaptation of the second of Mary Pope Osborne's award-winning fantasy adventure books from the Magic Tree House book series, which has sold more than 100 million copies and is available in more than 100 countries around the world. Jack and Annie's tree house transports them back in time to an age of knights, where the siblings discover the power of hope and the true meaning of gallantry.

After their adventures in the time of the dinosaurs, the two siblings, Jack and Annie, return to visit the magic tree house. As they read a book about knights and the middle ages, Annie is intrigued by the Black Knight and the mysterious quest one must successfully complete before becoming a knight. When she wishes to visit the castle in the book, the siblings are whisked away to medieval times. They set off to learn more about the Black Knight and his quest, experiencing a grand medieval feast, escaping through secret tunnels and dancing with enchanted suits of armor, all in an effort to find their way back home.

Author Mary Pope Osborne will be signing books in The Colonial Theatre lobby prior to the performance. Books will be available for purchase provided by The Bookloft in Great Barrington.

Full Event Calendar of 2023 Winter & Spring Shows (in Calendar Order)

Rev Tor's 11th Annual Dead of Winter Jam featuring Dead Man's Waltz and Friends at The Colonial Theatre ● Saturday, February 3 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $25

Draw the Line: A Tribute to Aerosmith at The Colonial Theatre ● Friday, February 10 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $25

BTG PLAYS! 2022-23 Touring Show Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn, Part of the 10X10 Upstart Festival at The Colonial Theatre ● Saturday, February 18 at 2pm ● Tickets: $10

Tapestry, The Carole King Songbook at The Colonial Theatre ● Saturday, February 25 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $25

The Ivy League of Comedy Show at The Colonial Theatre ● Friday, March 3 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $25

The Berkshire Mountain Guitar Summit at The Colonial Theatre ● Saturday, March 11 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $25

The Young Dubliners with Special Guest Kilashandra at The Colonial Theatre ● Friday, March 17 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $50

Song and Dance! A Celebration of Women of the Berkshires at The Colonial Theatre ● Friday, March 24 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $30

Colin Mochrie (of Whose Line is it, Anyway?) Presents HYPROV: Improv Under Hypnosis Featuring Master Hypnotist Asad Mecci at The Colonial Theatre ● Saturday, March 25 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $60

Pittsfield CityJazz Festival Featuring Emmet Cohen and his Trio with Guest Artist Houston Person at The Colonial Theatre ● Sunday, April 30 at 4pm ● Tickets: $34 and $39

Workin' For a Livin' at The Colonial Theatre ● Saturday, May 6 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $25

David Sedaris at The Colonial Theatre ● Saturday, May 13 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $60

Tom Rush Accompanied by Matt Nakoa at The Colonial Theatre ● Sunday, May 21 at 2pm ● Tickets: $50

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