See SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, Chita Rivera, Charl Brown & More at Berkshire Theatre Group This Month

This July, Berkshire Theatre Group will present Songs For a New World, the first musical by Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown at The Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge, MA, and also the 2022 Colonial Concert Series: Featuring Broadway Luminaries Chita Rivera and Charl Brown at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA.

Additionally, The Eagles Experience, one of the most authentic Eagles tribute shows, has just been announced for Labor Day Weekend, Saturday September 3 at 7:30pm at The Colonial Theatre.

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. Offer includes: Two tickets to any BTG produced show at the rate of $5.00 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 all of BTG's exciting summer season 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.

At The Unicorn Theatre

Songs For a New World

written and composed by Jason Robert Brown

directed and choreographed by Gerry McIntyre

music direction by Danté Harrell

at The Unicorn Theatre
on the Larry Vaber Stage

Previews: Tuesday, July 26 at 7pm and Wednesday, July 27 at 7pm
Opening/Press Night: Thursday, July 28 at 7pm

Sensory Friendly: Tuesday, August 2 at 7pm
Closing: Saturday, August 20 at 7pm

Tickets: Preview: $50

Tickets: Sensory Friendly: $15
Tickets: $75

ABOUT:

It's about one moment. It's about hitting the wall and having to make a choice or take a stand or turn around and go back. These are the stories and characters of today, the Songs for a New World. The first musical from Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown (Parade, Bridges of Madison County), this moving collection of songs examines life, love and the choices that we make.

With a small, powerhouse, multi-ethnic cast and a driving, exquisitely crafted score that runs the gamut of today's popular music, Songs for a New World brings us face to face with those moments in life when everything seems perfect and then goes sideways. Most importantly, however, it's about surviving those moments. It's about the way we regroup and thrive under a new set of circumstances-a new world-even against seemingly overwhelming odds.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Alexandria J. Henderson (Company Member #1) holds a BA in Music and is a graduate of the Atlantic Acting School's inaugural Global Virtual Conservatory. Select credits include: Lorrell Robinson in Dreamgirls (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical Gregory Award), Lydia Languish in The Rivals; and Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. She/her.

Mia Munn (Company Member #3) is thrilled to be joining the cast of Songs For A New World! Off Broadway: Islander (US Premiere). Regional: American Idiot, Oklahoma City Philharmonic's The Christmas Show. Other favorite credits include: She Loves Me, Songs For A New World and Cabaret. Mia is a proud 2022 graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre Performance.

Nathe Rowbotham (Company Member #2) is an actor and theatre artist based in Chicago. Chicago credits include: Godspell (Disciple), Once Upon A Mattress (Ensemble, U/S Jester & Wizard); Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, New Faces...1979 (Soloist) Porchlight Music Theatre. Recent graduate of the Chicago College of Performing Arts. Their educational credits include: Head Over Heels (Pythio), In Arabia We'd All Be Kings (Skank) and 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Ensemble, Barfee U/S). They/them.

Michael Wordly (Company Member #4) is elated to be a part of this show with these incredible artists. His favorite credits include: Kinky Boots (Lola) Paramount, The Color Purple (Revival), Miss Saigon (Revival), The Little Mermaid (5th Avenue Theatre), Cinderella (Paper Mill Playhouse), and Memphis (Henry Award Winner: Best Supporting Actor).

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM:

Gerry McIntyre (Director & Choreographer) has won widespread acclaim for his recent choreographic credit: Berkshire Theatre Group's production of Godspell. He was recently named Associate Artistic Director of the York Theatre. His other credits include: Nina Simone: Four Women (BTG), Smokey Joe's Cafe (Casa Mañana Theatre), Kinky Boots (The Hangar Theatre), Hallelujah Baby (York Theatre), Soon of a Mornin' (Lions Theatre), Hallelujah Baby (York Theatre), Once On This Island (Martin Beck Theatre, Virginia Stage, Pioneer Theatre, Actors' Theatre Of Louisville, La Mirada Theatre, Robby Award for Best Director, Ovation nomination for Best Choreography and Best Musical), Ain't Misbehavin' (Actors' Theatre of Louisville), Chicago (Ogunquit Playhouse), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Diana DeGarmo and Anthony Federov (Lyric Theatre), The National Tour of Dreamgirls. As a Choreographer: Irving Berlin's White Christmas (BTG), Anything Can Happen In The Theatre (York Theatre), Forbidden Broadway The Next Generation, Side by Side, Tommy and My Fair Lady (Berkshire Theatre Festival), A Saint She Ain't (Westport Playhouse), Laura Comstock's Bag-Punching Dog (LA Weekly nomination Best Choreography), The Wiz (Broadway Sacramento), Priscilla (Gateway Playhouse), After The Storm documentary. Gerry is the choreographer of the hit Off Broadway show Spamilton.

Danté Harrell (Musical Director/Pianist) graduated from North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in Performance. At NCCU Danté studied voice and conducting with Richard Banks, composition with Dr. Lance Hulme, opera performance with Elvira Green and coached with Maestro William Curry of the Durham Symphony. Danté's most recent accomplishments include: a socially distant cabaret at Chez Josephine NYC, a Carnegie Hall debut as Chorus Master for Beethoven's An Die Freude and a very successful Japanese tour with The New York Gospel Brothers. Danté holds a Masters of Music degree in Performance from Norfolk State University, where he studied voice with Gregory Gardner and piano with Dr. Susan Ha. Currently, Danté is a Professor of Music at Essex County College, serves on the Board of Directors for Harlem Opera Theater and is the Founder and Artistic Director of Carpenter Productions.

Randall Parsons (Resident Scenic Designer) Past seasons at BTG: Footloose, dir: Kathy Jo Grover; Godspell, dir: Alan Filderman; What the Jews Believe, dir: Mark Harelik; What We May Be, Coming Back Like a Song!, Arsenic and Old Lace and White Christmas, dir: Gregg Edelman; Tarzan and Shrek The Musical, dir: Travis Daly; Shirley Valentine, Holiday Memories, The Goat, Or Who Is Sylvia?, Naked and At Home at the Zoo, dir: Eric Hill; Lost Lake, dir: Daisy Walker; Finnian's Rainbow, A Thousand Clowns and Same Time, Next Year, dir: Kyle Fabel; The Mystery of Irma Vep and Deathtrap, dir: Aaron Mark. Other recent designs include: Pride and Prejudice, dir: Jason O'Connell, Playhouse on Park; Tinker to Evers to Chance and Home of the Brave, dir: Sean Daniels, Merrimack Repertory Theatre; A Little Night Music, dir: Clayton Phillips, The Barnstormers Theatre; The Bridges of Madison County, Sweeney Todd, Nine, Jekyll and Hyde, A Christmas Carol, Big River and Saturday Night Fever, dir: Jeffrey Sanzel, Theatre Three (as resident designer). Art Direction: Tim Gunn's Guide to Style (Bravo), The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS), and Mike Birbiglia's Thank God for Jokes (Netflix). MFA: NYU Tisch. Proud member of United Scenic Artists Local 829, IATSE.

Shivanna Sooknanan (Costume Designer) is excited to be back at BTG as a designer. Born and raised in NYC. Recent credits include A Walk On the Moon (Scenic Designer; George Street Playhouse), Long Day's Journey (Assoc. Costume Designer Minetta Lane), The Nutty Professor (Assistant Scenic Designer). Holiday Season 2019 Window Display Macys, Bergdrof Goodman, Tiffany and Co., Saks 5th Ave, Neiman Marcus. Ithaca College Scenic and Costume Design Graduate. @shivanna_sooknanan www.shivannasooknanandesign.com

Shawn Edward Boyle (Projection & Lighting Design) Shawn has designed projections for theater, dance, music, and themed entertainment across the United States and Internationally.Organizations include: Atlantic Theater Company, Tulsa Ballet, Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, Denver Center, Lagoon Park, The Alliance Theater, Yale Repertory Theatre, Goodspeed Opera House, and Ogunquit Playhouse. Broadway: Paradise Square (projection). Shawn's lighting design credits with BTG include: Outside Mullingar, The Stone Witch, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Benefactors, Extremities, The Cat and the Canary, Moonchildren. and K2. Shawn's projection design credits with BTG include: A Lover's Tale, The Who's Tommy, Red Remembers, and The Book Club Play. Shawn is a member of United Scenic Artists as a Lighting and Projection Designer. BFA: Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts; MFA: Yale School of Drama; Faculty: David Geffen School of Drama at Yale.

Kaique "Kai" De Souza (Sound Designer) is honored to be back sound designing Songs For A New World, having previously been the Audio and Projections Supervisor here at BTG. An East Coast based sound designer, musician and audio engineer, he is currently working as the sound engineer at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ. Past BTG productions include: The Wizard of Oz, Nina Simone: Four Women, Godspell and the Holiday Extravaganza TV broadcast in 2020, which featured one of his original compositions. TheatreZone, FL: Amadeus, Secret Garden. Gulfshore Playhouse, FL: Little Mermaid Jr., Les Miserables.

Suzanne Apicella (Rehearsal Stage Manager) Broadway: Fiddler on the Roof, Burn the Floor. National Tours: The Play That Goes Wrong, Jersey Boys, Sweeney Todd, Rock of Ages.

Caroline Stamm (Performance Stage Manager) Originally from central North Carolina, Caroline relocated to the beautiful Berkshires to continue pursuing her career in Stage Management with Berkshire Theatre Group. Recent BTG credits include: Footloose (SM), Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark (SM), White Christmas (PA), The Wizard of Oz (SM), Holiday Memories (PA), Godspell (PA), A Christmas Carol (2019 SM, 2018 SM, 2017 ASM), Other favorite regional credits include: The Barber of Seville (ASM) at The Greensboro Opera and Beautiful Star (ASM) at Triad Stage. Caroline is a graduate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro ('17), where she obtained her BFA in Technical Production (with an emphasis in Stage Management) and minored in American Sign Language.

Diego Mongue (Drums) This passionate lover of all things musical garnered his first drum kit at the age of 5, and it's been a steady ascent ever since. He is the youngest member of the 2019 International Blues Challenge finalist, Misty Blues, and the founder of the jazz fusion group GrossMongue. In the summer of 2021, Diego was the featured percussionist for the Berkshire Theater Group production of Nina Simone: Four Women. Diego has performed on stages from Memphis, TN to Ontario Canada. He has performed with groups that have opened for Lucinda Williams, Roomful of Blues, Tab Beniot, and Albert Cummings. He has performed with Fountains of Wayne co-founder Chris Collingwood and recorded with Joe Louis Walker, Big Llou Johnson, and Justin Johnson. He is a multi-instrumentalist and composer with songs that have hit the top of the Roots Music Report Charts in contemporary blues, blues rock, and jazz fusion. Diego is a first-year music major at Williams College.

Alan Filderman (Casting Director) This is Alan's 30th season casting for Berkshire Theatre Group, where he also directed You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and Godspell. Casting credits include Broadway and Off Broadway: 33 Variations, Grey Gardens, Marie Christine, Master Class, Once on This Island, Fiorello, Dessa Rose, Here Lies Jenny, A New Brain, A Beautiful Thing, Three Tall Women, From the Mississippi Delta, Song of Singapore, The Sum of Us. In addition, Alan has cast for regional theatres all over the country. Films include: Ice Age, Broadway Damage and Anastasia.

Colonial Concert Series: Featuring Broadway Luminaries

At The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield

Chita: The Rhythm of My Life

at The Colonial Theatre

Sunday, July 31 at 2pm

Tickets: $75; Premium Seats $125

Come celebrate the one and only Chita Rivera in a unique concert event! The incomparable two-time Tony Award winner will recreate signature moments from her legendary career from West Side Story, Sweet Charity and Bye Bye Birdie to Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Visit and more. Her special guest for the evening will be George Dvorsky. In addition to a tribute to her dear friends John Kander and Fred Ebb, the timeless music of Leonard Bernstein, Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, Jerry Herman and Stephen Sondheim will also be featured, accompanied by her long-time trio.

A theatrical icon and one of Broadway's greatest triple-threat talents, Chita Rivera is one of the most nominated performers in Tony Award history having earned 10 nominations, won twice and received the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. A versatile actress/singer/dancer, her most recent starring roles include The Visit, the final John Kander/Fred Ebb/Terrence McNally musical directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Graciela Daniele on Broadway; the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood; the Broadway and touring productions of The Dancer's Life, a dazzling musical celebrating her spectacular career, written by Terrence McNally and directed by Graciela Daniele and the revival of the Broadway musical Nine with Antonio Banderas. She trained as a ballerina (from age nine) before receiving a scholarship to the School of American Ballet from the legendary choreographer George Balanchine. Chita's first appearance (age 19) was as a principal dancer in Call Me Madam.

Her electric performance as Anita in the original Broadway premiere of West Side Story brought her stardom, which she repeated in London. Her career is highlighted by starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, The Rink (Tony Award), Chicago, Jerry's Girls, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Tony Award), and the original Broadway casts of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful. On tour: Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Zorba, Can-Can with The Rockettes. Chita was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009 and received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor in 2002. In 2019, Chita performed her solo concert at London's Cadogan Hall; in 2018 she was honored as a Living Landmark by the New York Landmarks Conservancy; in 2016 she headlined at Carnegie Hall and in 2015, Great Performances aired their special Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin' To Do, a retrospective of her extraordinary life and career nationally on PBS. Her current solo CD is entitled And Now I Swing. Her most treasured production is her daughter, singer/dancer/choreographer Lisa Mordente.

Smokey & Me: A Celebration of Smokey Robinson

Featuring Tony nominee Charl Brown

at The Colonial Theatre

Saturday, July 30 at 7pm

Tickets: $59

On opening night of Motown: The Musical, Smokey Robinson, known as "The King of Motown" and one of the show's producers, went backstage to look for Charl Brown, the handsome young actor who portrayed him in the show. Upon finding him, he smiled and simply said, "Hello, Me!." This meeting became the inspiration for a spectacular show that celebrates the life, music and career of acclaimed singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson, once pronounced by Bob Dylan as America's "greatest living poet." Smokey Robinson's career spans over four decades of hits. He has received numerous awards including the Grammy Living Legend Award, NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award, Honorary Doctorate (Howard University), Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts Award from the President of the United States. He has also been inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In this show, Smokey is perfectly and uncannily captured by Charl Brown, who won a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Smokey in Motown: The Musical. Act One celebrates Smokey's story and many of his biggest hits; ones he sang and ones he wrote, including: "Shop Around," "Mickey's Monkey," "Going to a Go-Go," "You've Really Got a Hold on Me," "My Girl," "I Second that Emotion," "Tracks of my Tears" and so many more. Act Two explores the story of Charl Brown, the actor who was fortunate enough to become Smokey every night in Motown: The Musical. This act highlights Charl Brown's Broadway history and hits, including songs from Hair, Jersey Boys, Pippin, Sister Act, The Wiz and will end with a medley of Smokey's iconic songs, "Tears of a Clown" and "Being With You."

"Ooh Baby Baby"... it's going to be a night to remember complete with muti-media support, a fantastic band and backup singers.

Colonial Concert Series
At The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield

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.

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