Berkshire Theatre Group Announces Fall 2022 Season Featuring Tributes to The Eagles, Bon Jovi and Journey & More

Berkshire Theatre Group has announced the 2022 fall season at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. Joining the already scheduled production of Edward Albee's Seascape at The Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge, there is something for everyone now in the fall line up including a national performing act, as well as local and regional bands.

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

Running September 29 through October 23 at The Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge, winner of the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Edward Albee's Seascape tells the tale of a middle-aged couple who meet a pair of highly evolved lizards on a deserted stretch of beach and both couples examine the meaning and significance of life. Told with Edward Albee's signature ironic wit and directed by Eric Hill, the emotional and intellectual impacts will linger long after the play has ended.

National performing act at The Colonial Theatre: legendary country artist Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry (10/7).

Concerts at The Colonial Theatre include: The Eagles Experience (9/3); Dancers of The Berkshires Present The Moment (9/11); Gary Backstrom Band Performs Frampton Comes Alive! (9/16); Susan Werner with Special Guest Erin McKeown (10/14); BonJourneyNY (11/12) and One Last, Last Waltz with Rev Tor and Friends (11/18).

Tickets for all of BTG's exciting productions are on sale now. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change. To purchase tickets, visit www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org or contact the Colonial Ticket Office by calling 413-997-4444.

The ticket 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. BTG's Stockbridge Campus is located at 6 East Street, (The Unicorn Theatre) Stockbridge, MA.

National Touring Acts

at The Colonial Theatre

Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry

with Special Guests Whiskey City

at The Colonial Theatre

Friday, October 7 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $55

Rowdily honed in honky-tonks and at parties in their Kentucky homeland, Montgomery Gentry (MG) rocked to stardom in 1999 with the dynamic collection Tattoos & Scars. Over the next 18 years, the duo had 20-plus charted singles, collected County Music Awards (CMA), Academy of Country Music (ACM) and Grammy nominations and awards with such unsubtle, blue-collar rallying cries as "Hell Yeah," "My Town" and the irrepressible "Hillbilly Shoes." Their No. 1 hits include "If You Ever Stop Loving Me," "Something to be Proud Of," "Lucky Man," "Back When I Knew It All" and "Roll With Me." Grand Ole Opry members since 2009, MG also belong to the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, where they join the likes of Bill Monroe, Tom T. Hall, Skeeter Davis, Lionel Hampton and Eddie's brother, John Michael Montgomery.

The audience might catch Eddie Montgomery taking a quick glance at an empty space beside him when he and The Wild Bunch take the stage to play the expected Montgomery Gentry hits, as well as tunes from his brand-new and mostly raucous solo debut Ain't No Closing Me Down. Now a solo artist by tragic circumstance, Eddie always feels the presence of Troy Gentry, his honky-tonking partner. The man who is always "with" Eddie on stage and immersed in the soul of his first solo album died Sept. 8, 2017, in a helicopter crash that could have put a tragic end to Montgomery Gentry sound. Except Eddie made a promise that the MG sound would go on; which, at its heart, is what this new album is all about.

"Ain't a day goes by that I don't think of him," Eddie says. "We made a promise, a deal, way back when. It was over Jim Beam. It was: If one of us goes down, we want Montgomery Gentry to go on. Keep the music going. We were a honky-tonk band, and he's with me, and he's always going to be." He smiles. "We were together so much, we finished each other's sentences and everything," a brotherhood that remains in his solo billing: "It's always going to be 'Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry.'"

In fact, The Wild Bunch, the outfit that rode the range with MG for years, provides accompaniment with this album, a change from the past, when Eddie says session players would be called in. It is both a tribute to his late friend as well as the sonic bridge for the guy who hopes to carry this legacy well into the future. "I wanted to showcase our band. I wanted music that's real and in your face."

Concerts at The Colonial

at The Colonial Theatre

The Eagles Experience

at The Colonial Theatre

Saturday, September 3 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $25

The Eagles Experience is one of the most authentic Eagles tribute shows. With a one-to-one lineup that reflects the Eagles during their heyday in the late 1970s, the members of The Eagles Experience each emulate their respective member of the Eagles; playing the correct instrument and singing the songs as sung by their protege. Every member of the band is dedicated to presenting their part as accurately as possible and will provide audiences with the ultimate "Eagles Experience."

This tribute band plays songs written and recorded by the Eagles. From their biggest hits to hidden gems, some of the great tunes you can expect to hear are: "Hotel California," "One of These Nights," "Already Gone," "Lyin' Eyes," "Peaceful Easy Feeling," "Desperado," "Take It Easy," "Tequila Sunrise," "Life in the Fast Lane" and many more.

Dancers of The Berkshires Present The Moment

at The Colonial Theatre

Sunday, September 11 at 2pm

Tickets: $25 General Admission
Dancers of the Berkshires presents a glimpse into a dancer's thoughts, feelings and experiences, new and old. A look into a moment of time in their lives, an insight to their thoughts and an exploration into their feelings. Join these dancers on this journey through movement. Dancers and the audience will be on the stage for this intimate event.

Dancers of The Berkshires is a local dance collective made up of emerging choreographers and dancers who strive to connect the community with dance through interactive and engaging work. The dancers create one of a kind works welcoming an interactive and connective experience. The collective presents new dance pieces throughout the Berkshire region and produces its own concert annually.

Gary Backstrom Band Performs Frampton Comes Alive!

at The Colonial Theatre

Friday, September 16 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $25
Gary Backstrom Band Performs Frampton Comes Alive! pays tribute to superstar singer and guitarist Peter Frampton and one of the all-time best live albums of the 1970s. The double live album, Frampton Comes Alive! includes the hits "Show Me The Way," "Baby I Love Your Way" and "Do You Feel Like We Do." Shortly after the album was released, it reached Number One on the Billboard 200 and stayed there for ten non-consecutive weeks.

Gary Backstrom, front man of the legendary jam band Jiggle the Handle, along with his band Chris Nemitz, Everett Pendleton and Peter Koeplin, recreate the the iconic live album in its entirety with ease and an unparalleled accuracy. Bringing all the fire and melodic intensity of the original performance, audiences won't want to miss this performance by some of New England's top musicians.

Peter Frampton himself has acknowledged and approved of the show saying he was "honored" by the tribute.

Susan Werner

With Special Guest Erin McKeown

at The Colonial Theatre

Friday, October 14 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $35

Susan Werner has been dubbed by NPR as "The Empress of the Unexpected" and has written and recorded twelve albums that cover the genres of folk, rock, Tin Pan Alley, gospel, country and chamber music. Her songs have been recorded by many including Tom Jones, Michael Feinstein, Betty Buckley and Christine Ebersole. She is known for her charismatic and energetic live shows and delivering her songs with sassy wit and charm. Since making her major-label debut in 1995 with the folk/rock gem Last of the Good Straight Girls, Werner has produced a number of "concept albums" ranging from Tin Pan Alley styled originals to "agnostic gospel" hymnals to a Cuban flavored collection. Her creative restlessness is her defining characteristic.

Werner has toured nationally with artists, such as Joan Armatrading and Richard Thompson. She was featured as part of the "next generation" in Peter Paul and Mary's PBS special LifeLines. She has performed on NPR's World Café and Mountain Stage.
As audiences will testify, Werner's been knocking it out of the park-or concert hall-all around the U.S. for 20 years. Renowned as a charismatic performer, she's known above all for challenging herself to conquer new styles every few years.

Erin McKeown

Erin McKeown is a musician, writer, and producer who has released 11 albums

since her 2000 debut, Distillation. As a bandleader, she has performed at Bonnaroo,

Glastonbury and Newport Folk Festivals. McKeown's songs are a familiar presence

on NPR and the BBC and have appeared in commercials, film and television. Her first musical, Miss You Like Hell, co-written with Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, premiered Off-Broadway at The Public Theater, garnered 5 Drama Desk Nominations and was named "Best Musical of 2018" by the Wall Street Journal. Her latest album, Kiss Off Kiss was released in September 2021.

BonJourneyNY

A Tribute to Bon Jovi and Journey

at The Colonial Theatre
Saturday, November 12 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $25

Back by popular demand, don't miss the band that sold out the Colonial the last two times they were in town! BonJourneyNY is a unique tribute band that blends the music of Bon Jovi and Journey. Capturing the sound of each group, as well as their energy and spirit, BonJourneyNY's set includes all the classic hits, including: "Living on a Prayer," "Don't Stop Believing" as well as their tender ballads, "Faithfully" and "I'll Be There for You" and all the hits audiences have grown to love throughout the years.

BonJourneyNY's high-energy show has been exciting and entertaining fans throughout the Northeast since 2010. So, come and find out for yourself what other fans have been discovering for some time now.

One Last, Last Waltz With Rev Tor and Friends

at The Colonial Theatre

Friday, November 18 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $25

After a decade of performing The Last Waltz LIVE in theatres and festivals across the US, Rev Tor and Friends announce their final performance of the show, back where it all began at Berkshire Theatre Group's Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA.

The Last Waltz LIVE (LWL) is a re-creation of the Band's classic concert film featuring The Rev Tor Band as The Band (accompanied by a full horn section) along with a cast of approximately a dozen local, regional and national artists as the film's special guests. Not a tribute show, but rather a powerful community event, each LWL concert features a new lineup of guest artists making it a unique, all-star experience.

Past LWL participants have included Oteil Burbridge of The Allman Brothers, Jeff Mattson from Dark Star Orchestra, The Grand Slambovians, Aaron Maxwell of God Street Wine, Charles Neville, the Nields, members of Max Creek, Hayley Jane and Meg Hutchinson. That is the level of talent one can expect at any given concert. The lineup of special guest artists for One Last, Last Waltz will be announced at a later date.

Full Event Calendar of 2022 Fall Shows (in Calendar Order)

The Eagles Experience at The Colonial Theatre ● Saturday, September 3 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $25

Dancers of The Berkshires Present The Moment at The Colonial Theatre ● Sunday, September 11 at 2pm ● Tickets: $25

Gary Backstrom Band Performs Frampton Comes Alive! at The Colonial Theatre ● Friday, September 16 ● Tickets: $25

Edward Albee's Seascape at The Unicorn Theatre ● September 29─October 23 ● Tickets: $52

Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry at The Colonial Theatre ● Friday, October 7 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $55

Susan Werner with Special Guest Erin McKeown at The Colonial Theatre ● Friday, October 14 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $35

BonJourneyNY at The Colonial Theatre ● Saturday, November 12 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $25

One Last, Last Waltz with Rev Tor and Friends at The Colonial Theatre ● Friday, November 18 at 7:30pm ● Tickets: $25

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