Winter and Spring Events at Berkshire Theatre Group Announced

Berkshire Theatre Group and Artistic Director/CEO Kate Maguire are excited to announce an exciting variety of musical acts set to perform at The Colonial Theatre this winter and spring.

Kate Maguire says, "2017 offers an exciting line-up of celebrated, award-winning performers, along with locally grown and up-and-coming talent."

Performances at The Colonial Theatre includes: celebrating the chart-topping hits of Sir Elton John, Remember When Rock Was Young; Rev Tor's 6th Annual Dead Of Winter Jam, featuring Rev Tor Band & Friends, celebrating the music of The Grateful Dead; international singing sensation, The TEN Tenors: The Power of TEN; highlighting some of the 100-plus recordings from the Webb/Campbell songbook, Jimmy Webb: The Glen Campbell Years; Romance, Soul & Rock 'N Roll & Berkshire Olde Tyme Review present, The Night of The Comet: A Totally Magical Evening; celebrated hip-hop and jazz group Hypnotic Brass Ensemble; and Pink Martini singer, Storm Large.

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.

Additional 2017 programming will be announced in January.

SPRING 2017 OVERVIEW IN DATE ORDER

Remember When Rock Was Young
at The Colonial Theatre
Thursday, February 2 at 7pm
Tickets: VIP: $45
Orchestra and Balcony: $35
Gallery: $25

This spectacular, musical journey celebrates the decades of chart-topping hits of Sir Elton John, including "Benny and the Jets," "Philadelphia Freedom," and "Crocodile Rock," just to name a few. Hailed as "a top notch performer" by Daily Variety, award-winning actor/singer, Craig Meyer, uses his uncanny musical abilities to celebrate the character, costumes and charisma of the famed pianist and singer.

Craig Meyer has traversed all four corners of the entertainment industry, maKing Strong impressions in theatre, film and music. On Broadway, Meyer created the role of Clinton Badger in MGM's classic Meet Me In St Louis. Meyer worked with Alan Menken on Disney's Aladdin, and with Tim Rice and Sir Elton John on The Lion King. In music, Meyer has toured internationally, and recorded with music legends Barry Manilow and Frankie Valli.

According to Barry Manilow, "Craig Meyer is one of the most talented people I have ever worked with. He can do anything!"

Rev Tor's 6th Annual Dead Of Winter Jam
Featuring Rev Tor Band & Friends
Celebrating The Music of The Grateful Dead
at The Garage
Thursday, February 9 at 8pm
Tickets: $12 advance ticket and $15 at the door

Since its conception in the mid-90s, 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 show will be a mid-winter celebration of the music of The Grateful Dead featuring a multitude of local and beloved guest artists. Pulling inspiration from a variety of influences, Tor and his band have shared the stage with members of The Grateful Dead, Phish, The Allman Brothers and The New Riders of the Purple Sage.

There will be a food drive at this event for local pantries in need.

The TEN Tenors: The Power of TEN
at The Colonial Theatre
Friday, March 10 at 8pm
Tickets: VIP: $75
Orchestra and Balcony: $40
Gallery: $25

Celebrated for their wonderfully vast repertoire, breathtaking arrangements and powerful live performances, The TEN Tenors are undoubtedly one of Australia's most successful touring entertainment groups of all time. Amidst their remarkable achievements, including six Platinum and Gold records, The TEN Tenors have also performed alongside countless music legends including, Andrea Bocelli, André Rieu, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman, Geoffrey Rush, Keith Urban, Rod Stewart, Alanis Morissette, Sarah Brightman, Willie Nelson, Katherine Jenkins and Christina Aguilera.

In their new show, The Power of TEN, The TEN Tenors deliver the best of both worlds; a high-octane blend of soul-stirring operatic arias and heart-pounding rock anthems. With the raw power and crystalline beauty of their voices, these ruggedly dreamy Aussie's deliver something for everyone. Some crowd favorites include: Puccini's, "Nessun Dorma;" Ed SHeeran's, "Thinking Out Loud;" and Queen's, "Bohemian Rhapsody."

The New York Times says, "If you thought the sound of three tenors was impressive, just wait until you hear what ten can do! The Ten Tenors' unique mix of the traditional and unconventional offers a fresh and highly-original take on the staid traditions of opera."

Jimmy Webb: The Glen Campbell Years
at The Colonial Theatre
Saturday, March 18 at 8pm
Tickets: VIP: $45
Orchestra and Balcony: $35
Gallery: $25

Songwriter Jimmy Webb has had chart-topping hits in a unique range of genres over the last 50 years, from country to pop to disco, with songs including "Worst That Could Happen," "The Highway Man," "Up, Up and Away" and "MacArthur Park." But, perhaps the most enduring partnership out of all those memorable songs, is his musical brotherhood with Glen Campbell. Jimmy Webb: The Glen Campbell Years highlights some of the 100-plus recordings from the Webb/Campbell songbook, pulling the audience in with hits such as "Honey Come Back," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston" and more!

Jimmy Webb, who has shared the stage with legends such as Billy Joel, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne, was the youngest man ever inducted into the National Songwriters' Hall of Fame, and is the current Chairman. Webb is the only artist ever to have received Grammy Awards for music, lyrics, and orchestration. The New York Times says, "Mr. Webb is a superb natural melodist whose best songs often combine the tuneful directness of country music with the unabashedly romantic harmonic palette of classic Hollywood film scores."

Romance, Soul & Rock 'N Roll & Berkshire Olde Tyme Review Present
The Night of The Comet: A Totally Magical Evening
at The Colonial Theatre
Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $20

Romance, Soul & Rock N' Roll is happy to be back at The Colonial Theatre performing in their 14th annual show! This year's, The Night of The Comet is being produced and performed in collaboration with another well-known talented local group, Berkshire Olde Tyme Review. BOTR Director David LaPlante, RSRR Director Ted Concepcion, Musical Director David Pickard, along with an amazing cast and crew, are thrilled to be part of this unforgettable performance, filled with many toe-tapping familiar songs, as well as a special surprise or two! All proceeds will benefit Berkshire Theatre Group's BTG PLAYS!, BTG's year-round education program.

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
at The Colonial Theatre
Thursday, May 11 at 7pm
Tickets: VIP: $45
Orchestra and Balcony: $35
Gallery: $25

The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (HBE) is a family band consisting of seven blood brothers who began their musical training at the tender ages of four and five by their father, jazz trumpeter/bandleader, Kelan Phil Cohran (Earth, Wind, & Fire; Chaka Khan and Sun Ra). The boys formed the Phil Cohran Youth Ensemble, and toured the United States performing the original written jazz compositions of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and the music of classical greats Bach and Beethoven. While touring, the brothers were personally being exposed to the hip-hop, rock and reggae music of their own generation and absorbed these components into the cosmic jazz style of their father to create Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.

News of the ensemble's sound spread throughout the industry, and after emcee/actor Mos Def caught a live HBE's show, the brothers were asked to join him onstage as part of the Mos Def Big Band (including Robert Glasper, Chris Dave, Casey Benjamin). Since then, the group has graced many stages around the globe including, JazzStage at Lincoln Center, and Shepherds Bush in London. HBE's hit song,"War," was featured on the international blockbuster movie, Hunger Games.

The group's sound is described by Fader Magazine as, "a huge brass bridge of hypnotic polyphony connecting the cosmic jazz of Sun Ra's Arkestra with the urgency of hip-hop and the sweeping emotional scale of a Curtis Mayfield blaxploitation opus." The Los Angeles Times says, "Trafficking in a free-flowing blend of jazz, hip-hop and Afrobeat, the group can resemble the world's funkiest marching band one minute, an unhinged New Orleans funeral procession the next."

Storm Large
At The Colonial Theatre
Saturday, May 13 at 8pm
Tickets: VIP: $45
Orchestra and Balcony: $35
Gallery: $20

Musician, actor, playwright and author, Storm Large, shot to national prominence in 2006 as a finalist on CBS', Rock Star: Supernova. Storm made her debut as a guest vocalist with the band Pink Martini in 2011, singing for sold-out concerts with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. She continues to perform with the band, touring nationally and internationally. Storm has also performed with Grammy-winner, k.d. lang; pianist, Kirill Gerstein; punk rocker, John Doe; singer/songwriter, Rufus Wainwright; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, George Clinton; The New York Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall; Oregon Symphony; The Cincinnati Symphony; The Houston Symphony; and The RTE Concert Orchestra in Dublin. amongst others.

Hailled as "sensational" by The New York Times, Storm is a multi-talented artist. Her memoir, Crazy Enough, released in 2012, was named Oprah's Book of the Week, and awarded the 2013 Oregon Book Award for Creative Nonfiction. Storm is currently creating a new musical with The Public Theater in New York City.

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