2019 Fall Season Announced At The Colonial Theatre

Berkshire Theatre Group and Artistic Director/CEO Kate Maguire are excited to announce the 2019 fall season at The Colonial Theatre and The Garage. Tickets are now available for purchase by contacting the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street, Pittsfield by calling 413-997-4444 or online at www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org.

Kate Maguire says, "We are thrilled to be the home for visitors and Berkshire County residents alike. Responses to our eclectic summer season have been overwhelming. We feel it in our audience reactions, and we know it because our numbers have increased by 25 percent."

National touring acts at The Colonial Theatre include: The World-Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra (10/11) and Steve Solomon's award-winning one-man comedy show, My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish & I'm In Therapy (10/12).

Concerts at The Colonial Theatre include: A Night in New Orleans: Celebrating Dr. John and Charles & Art Neville with Rev Tor & Friends (9/20), Kung Fu with Special Guest Shokazoba (9/26), Police-Cars (9/27), Tusk (10/5), Pittsfield CityJAZZ Festival With Veronica Swift and Stephanie Nakasian (10/19), Berkshire Mountain Guitar Summit (11/7) and Tramps Like Us (11/22).

The Garage (located in The Colonial Theatre lobby) will feature the Music Garage series and the popular Comedy Garage series, presenting acclaimed regional musicians and comedians. The Comedy Garage series is generously sponsored by The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank.

Music Garage series includes: blended reggae band, The Equalites (10/18) and acclaimed 9-piece funk band, Shokazoba (11/2).

Comedy Garage series includes: Eitan Levine (9/19), Gus Constantellis (10/24) and Jared Goldstein (11/14).

BTG is thrilled to announce the 14th annual community production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol at The Colonial Theatre, running December 7-21. This production is adapted by Eric Hill and directed by Travis Daly.

Continue celebrating the holidays at The Colonial Theatre with Rev Tor & Friend's Rock & Soul Holiday Show (11/29), the 5th annual Children's Holiday Extravaganza (12/1) and New Year's Eve with Max Creek (12/31).

To purchase tickets, visit www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org, contact the Colonial Ticket Office by calling 413-997-4444, or in-person at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street, Pittsfield. Ticket offices are open Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sundays 10am-2pm or on any performance day from 10am until curtain.

FALL OVERVIEW IN DATE ORDER

Comedy Garage

Eitan Levine

at The Garage

Thursday, September 19 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $5

Eitan Levine is a New York-based writer and comedian. Through articles, videos, a documentary series and live broadcasts, his work has been seen by tens of millions across the globe. He has previously been staffed as a journalist, producer, and/or on-air talent at Elite Daily, Cheddar, Mashable and several other publications. He has also worked on creative projects with companies like Nike, Red Bull, JEEP, Audible, Tru TV and others. During his time at Cheddar, his series "Money Menu" and "Business of Going Viral" were the highest rated shows on the channel. His work has been covered by the New York Post, Daily Beast, Jerusalem Post, Algemeiner, BroBible, New York Magazine, several Taylor Swift message boards, Glen Beck once for some reason and a few other news sources. Other credits include writing for the Emmy Award-winning sports segment "5 For Fischler."

A Night in New Orleans

Celebrating Dr. John and Charles & Art Neville

with Rev Tor & Friends

at The Colonial Theatre

Friday, September 20 at 8pm

Tickets: $25

Take a trip down to New Orleans with Rev Tor & Friends as they celebrate the life, music and spirit of three New Orleans legends: Dr. John, Charles Neville and Art Neville. The concert will feature two sets of Big Easy flavored jams. Berkshire County's own piano legend Benny "fingers" Kohn will be at the grand piano for a set of Dr. John classics; and Rev Tor will lead the next set which will be full of Neville Brothers NOLA Funk, including music by The Meters. The night will feature many fan favorites including: "Right Place, Wrong Time," "Aiko Aiko," "Yellow Moon," "Sissy Strutt" and so many more!

Multi-Grammy Award-winning musician, singer and composer Mac Rebennack (better known as Dr. John) was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Active as a session musician from the late 1950s until his death earlier this year, Dr. John gained a following in the late '60s, after the release of his album Gris-Gris. He was famous for lively, theatrical stage shows inspired by Mardi Gras costumes, old time medicine shows and voodoo ceremonies. Dr. John recorded 30 studio albums and 9 live albums, as well as contributing to thousands of other musicians' recordings. His immediately recognizable gravelly vocals, with a deep NOLA drawl, along with his accomplished boogie-woogie style piano playing, earned him the title, "The Voice of New Orleans."

Charles "The Horn Man" Neville's musical history goes back over six decades starting at age 15 with the Rabbit's Foot Minstrel Show. Charles Neville recorded and toured with a wide array of great artists including: Allen Toussaint, Kris Kenner, Fats Domino, James Booker, Big Joe Turner, Larry Williams, Big Maybelle, Jimmy Reed, BB King, Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, The Grateful Dead, Dr. John, John Hammond, The Rolling Stones and so many others. He won a Grammy in 1989 for his sublimely beautiful saxophone solo on "Healing Chant" on the Neville Brothers' Yellow Moon album.

For decades, Art Neville shared the stage with his younger brothers, singer Aaron, saxophonist Charles and percussionist Cyril. As The Neville Brothers, they worked together at home in the Crescent City, on tour and on a string of more than a dozen studio and live albums released from 1978 to 2010. Long before they came together in name, all or some subset of them worked together backing other New Orleans musicians. It's a role Art Neville carved out during the 1960s with his group Art Neville & the Neville Sounds, which originally featured guitarist Leo Nocentelli and bassist George Porter Jr.. The group was renamed the Meters in 1968, working often with producer-songwriter-arranger Allen Toussaint, as a backing band for Dr. John, Paul McCartney, Robert Palmer and numerous others.

There will be a special appearance by the Berkshire Theatre Group Youth Choir, as well as a few other surprises not to be missed.

Pre-show entertainment: Tom Corrigan

at The Garage at 6:30pm

Kung Fu With Special Guest Shokazoba

at The Colonial Theatre

Thursday, September 26 at 8pm

Tickets: $25 (General Admission in Orchestra • Reserved seating in Mezzanine)

KUNG FU

Proud to be firmly installed in the new-funk movement, Kung Fu is quickly popularizing their unique contribution, blurring the line between intense electro-fusion, and blistering dance arrangements. The band draws on influences such as The Headhunters and Weather Report, and merges those ideas with a contemporary EDM informed sensibility: Imagine '70s funk-fusion meets a modern dance party!

Since 2012, this seasoned ensemble has grown a unique and enthusiastic following by commanding audiences at theaters, clubs and major national festivals. The powerhouse quintet's live show has been described by critics and fans alike as "lethal funk," "explosive," "jaw dropping" and "musically mesmerizing."

Kung Fu features: Tim Palmieri (guitar and vocals), Robert Somerville (tenor sax and vocals), Beau Sasser (keyboards and vocals), Chris DeAngelis (bass guitar and vocals) and Adrian Tramontano (drums and percussion).

SHOKAZOBA

Voted "Best of the Valley" five times, nominated for "Live Act of the Year" by the New England Music Awards, winner of the 2017 Valley Music Showcase, and recognized with several honorable distinctions by the African Jazz Review, Shokazoba performs top quality, high energy music designed to move your feet, inspire the mind and activate the soul. Originally a Fela Kuti tribute project, Shokazoba is a nine-piece funk band, whose original work aims to inspire greater human awareness through conscious funky jazz and progressive topical lyrics.

Pre-show entertainment: Mike McMann

at The Garage at 6:30pm

Police-Cars

An '80s Dance Party: Featuring Best Friends Girl and New York's Finest

at The Colonial Theatre

Friday, September 27 at 8pm

Tickets: $25 (General Admission in Orchestra • Reserved seating in Mezzanine)

See New York's Finest and Best Friends Girl team up for an '80s dance party, paying tribute to two iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Famers: The Police and The Cars.

New York's Finest: A Tribute to The Police

New York's Finest features Mark Rinzel (Bands: Jessie's Girl, Bubble, The Jupiter Deluxe), Oscar Bautista (Session guitarist for Broadway musicals: American Idiot, Kinky Boots, School of Rock The Musical) on guitar and Alan Camlet (Bands: Paul Collins Beat; Hoboken Recorders recording studio Producer/Engineer) on drums. A few of The Police's greatest hits include, "Message in a Bottle," "Roxanne," "Can't Stand Losing You," "So Lonely" and many more.

Best Friends Girl: A Tribute to The Cars

Best Friends Girl recreates the timeless hits of The Cars, whose hits span a 35-year career, with over 23 million albums sold and more than 22 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. The Cars undoubtedly left their mark in popular culture with notable hits like "Best Friends Girl," "Shake It Up," "Magic," "Lets Go" and of course, "Moving in Stereo," which gained notoriety from the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Pre-show entertainment: Rev Tor Solo

at The Garage at 6:30pm

Tusk-The World's Number One Tribute to Fleetwood Mac

at The Colonial Theatre

Saturday, October 5 at 8pm

Tickets: $35

No wigs, no backing tracks, no gimmicks, just five seasoned musicians recreating the music of Fleetwood Mac, with note for note renditions. Tusk covers all the great hits of Fleetwood Mac, which has featured the talents of Mick Fleetwood, Christine and John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and others over the years. The members of Tusk have been making music in various combinations and styles for over twenty-five years. It seemed only fitting that they should come together to form the Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute, and pay homage to a group that dominated the airwaves with hits including "Dreams," "Tusk" "Landslide," "Go Your Own Way," "Rhiannon," "Gypsy," "Little Lies," "The Chain," "Sara" and so many more.

Pre-show entertainment: Jack Waldheim

at The Garage at 6:30pm

The World Famous

Glenn Miller Orchestra

at The Colonial Theatre

Friday, October 11 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $39

The legendary Glenn Miller was one of the most successful dance bandleaders back in the Swing Era of the 1930s and '40s. A matchless string of hit records, the constant impact of radio broadcasts and the drawing power at theatres, hotels and dance pavilions, built and sustained the momentum of popularity.

Today, the 18 member ensemble continues to play many of the original Miller arrangements both from the civilian band and the AAFB libraries. Additionally, it also plays some more modern selections arranged and performed in the Miller style and sound. Just as it was in Glenn's day, the Glenn Miller Orchestra today is still the most sought after big band in the world.

Pre-show entertainment: Ben Kohn Duo

at The Garage at 6pm

My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish & I'm In Therapy

at The Colonial Theatre

Saturday, October 12 at 8pm

Tickets: Orchestra and Mezzanine: $45 • Gallery: $25

Steve Solomon's 90-minute comedy smash hit, inspired by his wacky family, has enjoyed rave reviews throughout the country, becoming one of the longest-running one-man shows in Broadway history. Once again, we meet the people we're all too familiar with-the family members that make you remember why you left home in the first place. One part lasagna, one part kreplach, & two parts Prozac, you don't have to be Italian or Jewish to love this show. All you need is to know what it feels like to leave a family dinner with heartburn & a headache!

The Equalites

at The Garage

Friday, October 18 at 8pm

Tickets: Advance: $10 • Day of Show: $15

The Equalites are a staple in the Pioneer Valley reggae scene, performing in the region for over 30 years. In that time, the band has had many different members, with the current incarnation going five years strong. With four-part harmonies, excellent songwriting, sizzling guitar work, deep percussion, and a deep pocket of bass and drums, this band will move you to the dance floor. The music is a groovy combination of reggae, roots music, blues beat, touches of jazz and much more!

Pittsfield CityJAZZ Festival-Veronica Swift with Stephanie Nakasian

at The Colonial Theatre

Saturday, October 19 at 7:30pm

Tickets: Orchestra & Mezzanine: $39 • Gallery: $25

The keystone event of the 15th annual Pittsfield CityJAZZ Festival features a rare pairing of legendary vocalist Stephanie Nakasian, a Berkshire favorite, with her daughter, Veronica Swift, the fastest-rising vocalist on the jazz scene today. The show includes material from her newest release, Confessions. The Berkshires Jazz Youth Ensemble will open.

At just 25 years old, Veronica Swift has built a résumé that many late-career jazz singers would envy: tours as a featured vocalist with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Chris Botti; a guest collaboration with Michael Feinstein; engagements at A-list clubs like Birdland, Jazz Standard, Dizzy's Club and Jazz Showcase; and headlined at top festivals including Monterey, Montreal and Telluride. As a child, she began performing with her musician parents, the late pianist Hod O'Brien, and the singer/educator/author Stephanie Nakasian, and in 2015, she earned second place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, the most prestigious contest in the art form. In other words, her command of the vocal-jazz tradition is astounding.

Known as one of the world's leading jazz singers, Stephanie Nakasian will take you on a fresh and authentic swing voyage that transcends the Great Ladies of Song in both tribute and originality. Capturing the hearts of audiences with her extensive repertoire, reaching from Jazz to Broadway, Stephanie creates an atmosphere of romance and excitement that will transport you to another place and time.

Pre-show entertainment: Ben Kohn

at The Garage at 6pm

Comedy Garage

Gus Constantellis

at The Garage

Thursday, October 24 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $5

Gus Constantellis got his start in comedy when he won first place at a college talent show-his first-time trying stand-up. He is a gay comedian whose material deals heavily with his large immigrant family, Greek heritage, relatable dating life, his complicated love for New York City, and his observations about the gay community. Constantellis recently won the Hoboken Comedy Festival and is a regular at Broadway Comedy Club. He has also performed in many large comedy festivals across the country.

Shokazoba

at The Garage

Saturday, November 2 at 8pm

Tickets: Advance: $10 • Day of Show: $15

Voted "Best of the Valley" five times, nominated for "Live Act of the Year" by the New England Music Awards, winner of the 2017 Valley Music Showcase, and recognized with several honorable distinctions by the African Jazz Review, Shokazoba performs top quality, high energy music designed to move your feet, inspire the mind and activate the soul. Originally a Fela Kuti tribute project, Shokazoba is a nine-piece funk band, whose original work aims to inspire greater human awareness through conscious funky jazz and progressive topical lyrics.

Berkshire Mountain Guitar Summit

at The Colonial Theatre

Thursday, November 7 at 8pm

Tickets: $25

Buckle up and hold on tight as Rev Tor & Friends host the first annual Berkshire Mountain Guitar Summit! The concert will feature performances by 10 of Berkshire County's very own guitar heroes. Selected by an anonymous committee of Berkshire County music industry professionals and fans, this year's line-up includes: Jason Ennis, Jay Fruet, Garrett Lechowski, Robin O'Herin, Fabrizio Perotti, Rob Sanzone, Bobby Sweet, Jack Waldheim, John Zarvis and more.

Pre-show entertainment: Randy Cormier

at The Garage at 6:30pm

Comedy Garage

Jared Goldstein

at The Garage

Thursday, November 14 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $5

Jared is an LA-based standup-comedian, performer and writer who was just chosen as one of Time Out's "Comedians to Watch." He is a frequent guest on Good Mythical Morning: YouTube's weekly, comedic talk and variety series. Jared has appeared on Comedy Dynamic's "Out On Stage," as well as ABC's Modern Family, Starz's Counterpart with JK Simmons, Rizzoli & Isles and the feature film It's Kind of A Funny Story, featuring Zach Galifianakis. Originally from Long Island, he's appeared in an SNL sketch written by Tina Fey, featuring Jimmy Fallon. Jared is also familiar with the stage, having been in an Off Broadway production of Spring Awakening and the Broadway production of A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden.

Tramps Like Us

at The Colonial Theatre

Friday, November 22 at 8pm

Tickets: $25

With 30 years of road-tested musicianship and a repertoire of over 140 songs, this high energy band delivers Bruce Springsteen's iconic rockers and ballads. Formed in 1990, Tramps Like Us has performed Springsteen's classic hits such as "Dancing In the Dark," "Born in the U.S.A.," "Thunder Road," "Badlands" and so many more in over 2000 concerts to over 1 million fans. Tramps Like Us is the only tribute band to be endorsed by members of Springsteen's team, such as former producer and manager Mike Appel, and the official Springsteen Radio Station: E Street Radio on Sirius XM who said, "If you're a big Bruce fan, you've probably seen tribute bands... and the best of them all is Tramps Like Us."

Pre-show entertainment: Jack Waldheim

at The Garage at 6:30pm

Rev Tor & Friend's Rock & Soul Holiday Show

Featuring Wanda L. Houston, Gina Coleman & Tony Lee Thomas

at The Colonial Theatre

Friday, November 29 at 8pm

Tickets: $25

Kickstart your holiday season with a rockin', soulful holiday concert for all ages. Rev Tor & Friends return to the Colonial stage for a night of musical merriment. The evening will feature performances by renowned vocalist Wanda L. Houston, along with local favorites Gina Coleman, Tony Lee Thomas and more. There will be a special appearance by the Berkshire Theatre Group Youth Choir, as well as a few other holiday surprises.

Wanda L. Houston

Wanda L. Houston has lived and performed professionally throughout the U.S., Europe and Australia. She has performed on Broadway stages, in films, recordings and television. Living on the East Coast, in New York and New England, has returned her to the roots of her career, and connected her with musicians who share her joy and belief in the power of music on the hearts of people who take the time to listen. She has worked in varying capacities with Michael Jackson, Barbara Streisand, John Tuturro, Eddie Izzard, Natalie Cole, Eartha Kitt, Patti LaBelle and Sam Harris on the stages of Pasadena Playhouse, Universal Studios, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall.

Gina Coleman

Gina is a graduate of Williams College. She began singing in 1990 on a dare by her co-workers, and hasn't turned back. She began performing in a duet, The Siblings, and shortly after started her own duet which blossomed into a five-piece band, allowing her to showcase original music and gain regional recognition. Gina has performed at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, BTG's Colonial Theatre, Bethel Woods Center for The Arts and has made several appearances at NYC's famed Bitter End. Her band, Misty Blues, was featured at MASS MoCA's blues festival, has performed in legendary venues from Memphis to Vermont, performed regularly with the late Charles Neville (from the legendary Neville Brothers) and were finalists in both the 2017 and 2018 International Blues Challenge.

Tony Lee Thomas

A student of voice from age 4, Tony's vocal endeavors have included: classical technique, various choral ensembles, and barbershop and doo-wop quartets. He has sung in, directed and arranged for many such projects, and has gained a deep understanding of vocal harmony. Tony began guitar at seven years old and double bass at age 10, furthering his understanding of instrumentation and song composition. Tony's wealth of performance experience lends him the ability to connect with audiences spanning a multi-faceted scope: from intimate and poignant solo performances to momentous full-blown productions, with his rock band-the Tony Lee Thomas Band.

Pre-show entertainment: Brian Benlien

at The Garage at 6:30pm

Children's Holiday Extravaganza

Sunday, December 1 at 12pm

Tickets: FREE and available on a first come, first served basis, by calling the box office at 413-997-4444. Limit to 6 tickets per transaction.

Entertainment, popcorn, pizza, a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, raffles, prizes and more! Children must be accompanied by parent or guardian. Gift Bags will be given out to the first 400 kids.

Please bring non-perishable food donation to support St. Joseph's Food Pantry.

A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens

adapted by Eric Hill

directed by Travis Daly

December 7-21

at The Colonial Theatre

111 South St., Pittsfield

Tickets: Adult: $39 • Child: $29; Sensory Friendly Performance (12/11): $5

Sponsored by: Founding Sponsor: Red Lion Inn; Co-Sponsors: Greylock Federal Credit Union, Greylock Insurance Agency, Enterprise Holdings Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, The Shubert Foundation

Celebrate the timeless holiday tradition of A Christmas Carol with the whole family, and revel in the joy and redemptive power of Christmas as told in the timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, the infamous miser who is shown the error of his ways and reformed by four spirits. Journey back to Victorian England and experience the classic story filled with holiday carols and the wonderment of the season.

For the fourth year, Berkshire Theatre Group is presenting a special community and sensory-friendly performance of A Christmas Carol on Wednesday, December 11 at 6:30pm at The Colonial Theatre. A "sensory-friendly" performance is a production that is slightly modified to accommodate individuals with sensory-input disorders, such as people on the autism spectrum. At this performance, you will notice relaxed "house rules"; people may need to get up, move around, and leave the theatre during the performance. There is no expectation that the audience will be completely quiet during the performance. Our goal is to create an environment where people with autism or sensory needs, along with their families, can enjoy coming to the theatre together and will feel comfortable, supported and free to be themselves.

New Year's Eve With Max Creek

at The Colonial Theatre

Tuesday, December 31 at 8:30pm

Tickets: $30 (General Admission in Orchestra • Reserved seating in Mezzanine)

Max Creek has reached its fourth decade of playing music, and you'd be hard pressed to find a music fan in the Northeast that hasn't heard of them. Creek's style lacks pretense; there is no genre title that can define them. From the beginning, they mixed rock, country, reggae, soul, jazz and calypso in with their own great songwriting, and it all comes out sounding like Creek.

The band is joyous, and their stage is full of smiles and laughter, both during and between songs. All one has to do is glance into the crowd to see the feeling is contagious. Creek is also engaging, sculpting lengthy shows on-the-fly from their 200+ song catalog with rockers, ballads, deep jams and crowd sing-alongs. Furthermore, Creek is, most definitely, a family. 40-odd years in, the audience is a multi-generational stew-it's not uncommon to witness old-school "Creek Freeks" getting down with their teenage (or older!) kids.

Creek itself is multigenerational. The "front line" of guitarist Scott Murawski, keyboardist Mark Mercier and bassist John Rider has remained intact since the mid-'70s, and the current drums and percussion team of Bill Carbone and Jamemurrell Stanley weren't even born when Max Creek was founded.