Berkshire Theatre Group Sets 2016 Winter & Spring Season

Berkshire Theatre Group and Artistic Director/CEO Kate Maguire are excited to announce the 2016 winter and spring schedule of events at The Colonial Theatre, The Garage and The Unicorn Theatre. Tickets are available for purchase now.

Kate Maguire says, "This winter and spring season, we are bringing local artists, legendary musicians and fun family-friendly events to the Berkshires."

Named the "best place to see comedy" by The Berkshire Record, fill up your tank at The Garage. The popular Laugh Lounge Series returns in 2016 with even bigger and better headline comedy hosted by Thomas Attila Lewis. Wednesday nights will never be the same again! Save the dates: Wednesday, February 24; Wednesday, April 6; Wednesday, May 11 and Wednesday, June 8; comedians being featured in The Laugh Lounge Series will be announced at a later date.

Music at The Garage includes Rev Tor's 5th Annual Dead of Winter Jam, celebrating the music of The Grateful Dead and progressive alternative band, The Receiver.

Back due to popular demand is Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre at The Colonial Theatre.

Also at The Colonial Theatre is the On The Stage Series. This special Series gives audiences the opportunity to see their favorite artists, such as Berkshires' own R&B and jazz group, The Wanda Houston Band, up close and personal, on the historic Colonial stage.

Music at The Colonial Theatre includes, legendary reggae band, The Wailers (part of the 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival); Grammy Award-winning pop/rock singer, songwriter, musician, Richard Marx; Grammy Award-winning Walking In Memphis singer, Marc Cohn and "the godfather of British blues," John Mayall.

Join us at The Colonial Theatre and The Berkshire Museum for BTG's brand new Transformer Children's Festival. The Festival includes family-friendly events for school vacation week: BTG PLAYS! on Tour presents Play Ball! Reflections on the Origins of Baseball (at The Berkshire Museum), Kids Dance Party, Light Wire Theatre's Moon Mouse, Moby Dick, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Eric Carle Favorites. These events are part of the 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival.

Being presented for the second year at The Unicorn Theatre, as part of our Made in the Berkshires Festival, created by Hilary Somers Deely and Barbara Sims, Through The Looking Glass: Musings from the Pens of Berkshire Women Writers.

Tickets may be purchased in person at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street, Pittsfield or by calling (413) 997-4444 or online at www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org. The Ticket Office is open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm or on any performance day from 10am until curtain. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change.

To reserve tickets for Play Ball! Reflections on the Origins of Baseball at The Berkshire Museum, please call The Berkshire Museum at 413.443.7171 ext. 360.

WINTER/SPRING 2016 OVERVIEW IN DATE ORDER

Rev Tor's 5th Annual Dead of Winter Jam
at the Garage
Thursday, January 21 at 8pm
Tickets: $10 advance ticket and $12 at the door

The Rev Tor Band, led by singer and lead guitarist Tor Krautter, has become one of the most compelling and exciting acts on the blues and jam-band circuit. This 5th annual show will be a mid-winter celebration of the music of The Grateful Dead, featuring The Rev Tor Band with guest artists The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow, Rebel Alliance, The Picky Bastards, Misty Blues, Domino Theory, Who Are You and Gina Coleman, Billy Keane, Rob Sanzone, Jennifer Schultheis, Craig Simmons, Mike Wood and Ward Woolverton.

Please bring a non-perishable food items to support our local food pantries.

On The Stage Series: The Wanda Houston Band
on The Colonial stage
Saturday, January 30 at 8pm
Tickets: $25

The Berkshires' own Wanda Houston Band performs '40s, '50s and '60s R&B and jazz. Band members are: Jay Bradley (drums), Wanda L. Houston (vocals), Robert Kelly (keyboard & vocals) and Jeff Stevens (trumpet & vocals).

Lead vocalist, Wanda L. Houston, is originally from Chicago, IL and has performed throughout the United States, Germany and Australia. She's worked on and off-Broadway and in television and film. Now settled in the Berkshires, Wanda is working with her bands: The Wanda Houston Band; jazz trio, Heth Bradley & Houston; blues duo, Big and Bigger; and gospel quartet, Brother & Sisters. She also enjoys collaborating with incredible musicians, composers, writers, film makers, singers, poets, dancers and choirs throughout New England. She's just released the third blues album with Big & Bigger, Big & Bigger Live, Again! and is working on new recordings with The Wanda Houston Band in 2016.

BTG PLAYS! on Tour presents
Play Ball! Reflections on the Origins of Baseball
written by E. Gray Simons, III
directed by Travis G. Daly
Tickets: $15 adults/$8 kids
Museum Members $5, $3 child
Children 3 and Under Free
Call The Berkshire Museum at
413.443.7171 ext. 360 to reserve tickets

at The Berkshire Museum
School Vacation Week
all performances at 11am and include a talk-back
Monday, February 15, 2016
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Friday, February 19, 2016
Saturday, February 20, 2016

Play Ball! Reflections on the Origins of Baseball blends history, poetry, and a fantastic sense of humor to create an exciting and hilarious play. Audiences will learn the rules and terms of baseball, while simultaneously celebrating the cultural significance of baseball in Massachusetts. Play Ball! aims to enlighten audiences to the importance of the mascot not just as comic relief, but as a symbol of luck and hope that can bring entire cities together. Through fictional interactions with actual historical figures (from Queen Hatshepsut and her son Thutmose III to Reverend Allen and Charles Bulfinch) the audience is shown the spirit behind baseball and how it has evolved to become America's Pastime. Grab some peanuts and crackerjacks and get ready for a home run sure to delight audiences of all ages.

Kids Dance Party
At the Garage
Saturday, February 13 at 11am
Tickets $10
For kids 0-5 and their parents

A pre-nap time dance party for toddlers and preschoolers with real music spun and mixed by DJ BFG blending classic disco with today's hottest dance tunes. This is a community event bringing kids together with kids and parents together with parents.

The Wailers
at The Colonial Theatre
Sunday, February 14 at 8pm
Tickets: $40

Together with Bob Marley, The Wailers have sold over 250 million albums and have played to an estimated 24 million people across the globe. The anchor of the band is Aston "Family Man" Barrett, who in addition to being Marley's most trusted lieutenant and co-producer, played on countless other classic reggae hits throughout the seventies. The Wailers are undoubtedly the world's premier reggae and world music group who bring high energy shows to fans across the globe. A great way to celebrate Valentine's Day!

Light Wire Theatre's Moon Mouse
at The Colonial Theatre
Tuesday, February 16 at 2pm
Tickets $15
For ages 5 and up

Marvin the mouse wants to be popular. Constantly bullied and picked on by the "cool" rats, he is labeled as a looser and a geek. As respite from the continuous badgering, Marvin retreats into his science books and a world of fantasy. He longs to have adventures and to be the hero.

Join Marvin on the space adventure of a lifetime: a trip to the surface of the moon on his homemade rocket, where he meets a strange cast of misfit creatures, learns of infinite peril and views awesome beauty. Will Marvin make his dreams come true and experience the glory and acceptance he craves?

Moby Dick
At The Colonial Theatre
Wednesday, February 17 at 2pm
Tickets: $15
For ages 10 and up

Set sail for a whale of a tale with young sailor Ishmael, first mate Starbuck, and Captain Ahab as they voyage across the seven seas in search of the legendary white whale Moby Dick! Herman Melville's epic saga makes a splash to North America once again in this inventive production from Germany's award-winning Theater Triebwerk.

Three gifted actors use their bodies, ever-switching hats, and a variety of musical instruments to create excitement and suspense. See how a double bass and cello personify everything from the creaking of the oars to the moaning of the hull, to the elusive whale himself! Brimming over with music, wit, and imagination, Moby Dick has been hailed by The New York Times as "a luminous and engrossing" theatrical event.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Eric Carle Favorites
at The Colonial Theatre
Thursday, February 18 at 2pm
Tickets: $15
For ages 3 and up

This triple-bill includes the wonderful story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar's metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly; the fanciful account of Little Cloud's travels through the sky, and the Mixed-Up Chameleon's discovery of his own unique nature. The whimsical tales have enchanted several generations, and Mermaid's acclaimed stage adaptation teaches as well as entertains.

Richard Marx
at The Colonial Theatre
Friday, February 19th at 8pm
Tickets: A: $55 B: $40

As a performer, songwriter and producer, Richard Marx's nearly three-decade-long career has had innumerable highlights. The Chicago native has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, starting with his self-titled debut which went to #8 and spawned four Top 5 singles, including the chart-topping "Hold on to the Nights," with "Don't Mean Nothing" earning him a Grammy nomination. The follow-up, Repeat Offender, was even more successful, hitting #1 and going quadruple-platinum with two #1 singles in "Satisfied" and "Right Here Waiting." When both Rush Street (with two #1 AC hits in "Keep Coming Back" and "Hazard") and Paid Vacation (with its #1 AC hit, "Now and Forever") went platinum, Marx achieved a seven-year string of triumphs that rivaled any in pop-rock music history. To this day, he is the only male artist in history to have his first seven singles reach the Top 5 on the Billboard charts.

Richard Marx didn't stop there, launching a second, very successful, incarnation as a songwriter and producer, with songs like "To Where You Are," the first hit single from Josh Groban's debut album, as well as the NSYNC smash, "This I Promise You." He went on to earn a 2004 Song of the Year Grammy for co-authoring Luther Vandross' "Dance with My Father." Across all formats, Marx has scored an amazing total of 14 #1 singles (including Keith Urban's #1 smash "Long Hot Summer") both as a performer and songwriter/producer. He has also written with Jennifer Nettles, Sara Bareilles and Vince Gill. He holds the honor of being one of a handful of artists who have had a number one hit in each of the past four decades.

Marx's last album of all new material, My Own Best Enemy, was released in 2004 featuring hits "When You're Gone" and "Ready to Fly." In 2010, he released Stories To Tell, a greatest hits album which produced a Top 20 AC hit in "When You Loved Me." In 2012 he released his first ever Christmas album, Christmas Spirit. In 2014, he released his eighth album, Beautiful Goodbye.

Marc Cohn
at The Colonial Theatre
Thursday, February 25 at 8pm
Tickets: $40

Singer-songwriter and pianist Marc Cohn burst onto the scene in 1991 on the heels of Walking In Memphis, one of the most resonant songs to make the Top 40 in the last twenty years. The Best New Artist Grammy for 1991 soon followed. Cohn's short-story songwriting style is heavily influenced by Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne, and he is often named among the most personal and introspective lyricists of his generation.

The Receiver
at The Garage
Thursday, March 10 at 8pm
Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 the day of

The Receiver is brothers Casey (keyboards, bass, vocals) and Jesse Cooper (drums, vocals) from Columbus, OH. Formed in 2005, the brothers quickly expanded on ideas composed the previous year by Casey for his senior thesis in music composition studies at The Ohio State University. After a few live performances, the band was picked up by New York-based Stunning Models On Display Records. With the label's support, the band finished the recording of their debut album Decades in 2006 and celebrated its release later that year with extensive touring throughout North America. Once home, Casey began the near two-year writing process for their follow-up album Length of Arms. The sophomore effort had its release in late 2009 on Vital Music Records. The band recently signed with Kscope Records (Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree, Engineers) who released their self-produced third album All Burn to critical acclaim in June 2015.

John Mayall
at The Colonial Theatre
Thursday, March 24 at 8pm
Tickets: A: $60 B: $50 C: $35

Often referred to as "The Godfather of British Blues," John Mayall has an impressive musical career that spans over 50 years. The English blues singer, pianist, harmonica player, guitarist, and songwriter founded the band, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers in the '1960s-a band whose members included a copious amount of celebrated blues and blues rock musicians, such as: Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jack Bruce, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya and Buddy Whittington.

Attracted by the West Coast climate and culture, Mayall then made his permanent move from England to Los Angeles and began forming bands with American musicians. Throughout the '70s, Mayall became further revered for his many jazz/rock/blues innovations featuring such notable performers as Blue Mitchell, Red Holloway, Larry Taylor, and Harvey Mandel.

Throughout the last three decades, Mayall's popularity skyrocketed with a succession of dynamic albums including the Grammy-nominated "Wake Up Call" that featured guest artists Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Albert Collins and Mick Taylor.

Today, John Mayall reaches a creative pinnacle with, in his opinion, the best band he's ever had with Rocky Athas on guitar, Jay Davenport on drums and Greg Rzab on bass. Together now for over seven years, they are featured players on John's last four albums including his latest Find a Way to Care.

Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre
at The Colonial Theatre
Wednesday, March 30 at 7pm
Tickets: $20

The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is a family-oriented blend of the unique comedy and juggling skills of Moscow Circus member, Gregory Popovich, and the extraordinary talents of his performing pets. Rescued from shelters all over the country, Popovich's Pets, which include cats, dogs, geese, doves and parrots, are now Las Vegas stars. Popovich and his Pets have been featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with David Letterman, and as a finalist on NBC's America's Got Talent. Audiences will be delighted to see this extravaganza of European-style clowning, amazing juggling and balancing acts, and of course, extraordinarily talented performing pets!

Through The Looking Glass: Musings from the Pens of Berkshire Women Writers
at The Unicorn Theatre
Sunday, April 17 at 3pm
Tickets: $20

The Berkshire women being honored exemplify the diversity of women's writing in the 19th and 20th centuries. The thread that joins these women together is the dilemma of self-realization versus the socially accepted self-sacrifice of the times in which they lived: desire versus duty.

With the Berkshires as their palette, these women filled their journals, letters and stories with their concern for broad cultural and social issues, as well as the issues of particular interest to women. Their individual voices resonate with recognition as we see ourselves in the looking glass of their experience.

Selected readings from writers including Frances Anne Kemble, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Catharine Maria Sedgwick, Harriett Beecher Stowe, and Edith Wharton will be performed by Amber Chand, Hilary Somers Deely, Kate Maguire, Corinna May, Mary Mott and Barbara Sims. Performers are subject to change.

There will be a talk back with the cast following the performance. This event is a benefit for The Berkshire Festival of Women Writers, part of our Made in the Berkshires Festival, created by Hilary Somers Deely and Barbara Sims.

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