Archive for the ‘Theater’ Category

Friday Night Circus: Cirque vs. Cirque

Thursday, April 25th, 2013

Yes, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus marches into the Times Union Center for an eight-show stand following next Thursday’s (May 2) elephant parade, but for those of us who prefer an animal-free circus experience, it’s time for a flip of the coin on Friday night (April 26).

WHAT: Cirque Zuma Zuma puts an African spin on circus skills.
WHERE: Proctors’ Mainstage, Schenectady.
THE BLURB: “Acrobats, tumblers, lion dancers, contortionists, singers and gymnasts band together for the high-flying, off-the-wall spectacle of rhythmic music and pulse-pounding movement that could only be Cirque Zuma Zuma. Skilled youngsters from 16 African nations present this extraordinary display of circus skills and nonstop action that will thrill you to the edge of your seat.”
WHEN: 8pm Friday
HOW MUCH: $20, $40, $45 & $50

WHAT: Cirque Shanghai puts an Asian spin on circus skills.
WHERE: Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington
THE BLURB: “A visually spectacular production combing astounding Chinese acrobatics, fast-paced action, and contemporary staging. Dating back to the Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago, Chinese acrobatic spectacles were first called “bai xi,” meaning “100 amazing acts,” in reference to the performers’ seemingly limitless skills. Today, “Bai Xi” brings this on-stage wonder to 21st century audiences via aerial acrobatics, plate spinning, contortion, balancing acts, hoop diving, martial arts and more.
WHEN: 7pm Friday
HOW MUCH: $35; ages 12 and under $25.

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THEATER: “Red” @ Capital Repertory Theatre

Wednesday, April 24th, 2013
David Kenner as Ken and Kevin McGuire as Mark Rothko in Capital Repertory Theatre's production of "Red"

David Kenner as Ken and Kevin McGuire as Mark Rothko
in Capital Repertory Theatre’s production of “Red”

Review by Greg Haymes

“What do you see?”

It’s not only the opening line of John Logan’s Tony Award-winning play, “Red,” currently onstage at Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany. It’s also the play’s battle cry.

And just as there’s a huge difference between hearing music and listening to it, there’s also a monumental difference between looking at a painting and actually seeing it.

Logan distills the philosophy of the creative act into a broiling, one-act play that examines the iconic abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko as he ponders the gulf between art and commerce, his purpose in life and ultimately his own mortality. “Red” is a witty, whip-smart intellectual wrestling match about what art – and life – should mean, not just to an artist, but to us all.

Rothko – impeccably played with the wiles and roar of an old lion by veteran Kevin McGuire (last seen at Cap Rep in 2011 as the lead in “Man of La Mancha)” – faces his ultimate artistic challenge, having been commissioned to create a series of paintings to adorn the walls of the tony Four Seasons restaurant in Manhattan. He’s hired on an assistant – played with the perfect balance of youthful energy and subtle reserve by David Kenner – to aid him in his studio. “I am not your teacher,” Rothko bellows, but during the three years covered in the play (1959-1961), the artist indeed instills confidence and the hunger for knowledge in his aide.

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Five Firsts: Eric Farber of the Lisps

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013
Brooklyn-based co-ed band the Lisps arrive at MASS MoCA’s Club B-10 in North Adams at 8pm on Saturday (April 27)

The Lisps

NAME: Eric Farber
BAND AFFILIATION: The Lisps
INSTRUMENTS: Associate Professor of Percussion

1. THE FIRST ALBUM I EVER BOUGHT WAS … Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion I

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Five Firsts: Lorenzo Wolff of the Lisps

Monday, April 22nd, 2013
Brooklyn-based co-ed band the Lisps arrive at MASS MoCA’s Club B-10 in North Adams at 8pm on Saturday, April 27

The Lisps

NAME: Lorenzo Wolff
BAND AFFILIATION: The Lisps
INSTRUMENTS: Bass Prodigy

1. THE FIRST ALBUM I EVER BOUGHT WAS … Michael Martin Murphy’s Greatest Hits

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“James and the Giant Peach” to come to life on Mill City stage in North Adams April 19-28 [Berkshire on Stage]

Thursday, April 18th, 2013

James and the Giant Peach @  Mill City Productions

North Adams, MA: The community based theatre company Mill City Productions has announced performance dates for the popular children’s story, James and the Giant Peach. The stage play is based on the book by Roald Dahl and dramatized by Richard R. George. Performances will take place on Fridays, April 19th & 26th at 7pm, Saturdays, April 20th & 27th at 2pm and 7pm and Sundays, April 21st & 28th at 2pm. The production is directed by Liz Urban.

Click to read the rest at Berkshire on Stage.

Six Free Performances in North Adams and Pittsfield Cap the 2013 Playwright Mentoring Project [Berkshire on Stage]

Monday, April 8th, 2013

PMP: Helping young ideas grow

Year by year the Playwright Mentoring Project (PMP) has given area youngsters a chance to see their imaginations come alive on stage, in plays they have written, rehearsed and toiled over. It provides not only a forum for teens to express themselves, it also gives them a chance to acquire first hand experience in the disciplines necessary to translate an idea into a shared reality.

“This year Barrington Stage Company is serving 70 students through the Playwright Mentoring Project as well as 20 alumni through two new programs,” said PMP director Frank La Frazia. “We are excited to present these very unique plays which bring young people’s voices to life on stage. We are very proud of how bravely these students shared their personal stories and how they worked collaboratively to create very moving theatrical pieces.”

Performances will be held in North Adams and Pittsfield from April 9-13 and culminate in a final PMP performance on Saturday, April 13 at 2:00 pm on the St. Germain Stage at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield.

Over the course of the six-month PMP program, teens create an original performance piece based on their own stories in a safe and confidential environment where they can express themselves, develop conflict resolution skills and together create a supportive community.

Click to read the rest at Berkshire on Stage.

Be Here Now: Lost Radio Rounders’ Tribute to Robert Frost @ Caffe Lena, 4/7/13

Thursday, April 4th, 2013

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the publication of Robert Frost’s his book, “A Boy’s Will,” as well as National Poetry month, Tom Lindsay and Michael Eck are mounting a little something different at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs at 2pm on Sunday (April 7).

It’s the Lost Radio Rounders’ Robert Frost-themed benefit performance for Caffe Lena, featuring a few songs, a lot of poems and a one-act play, “Death of a Hired Man,” directed by Bob Goepfert. Among the guest performers will be author, environmental educator and Frost fan Anita Sanchez.

Tickets are $15.

24 Hr Theatre Project Finalized: Jayne Atkinson to DIrect One of the May 18 Plays [Berkshire on Stage]

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013

24 Hour Theatre Project @ Proctors, Schenectady
For the third year in a row, WAM Theatre and The Mop & Bucket Improv Company (MopCo) will bring together over 50 theatre artists from the Berkshire and Capital Region areas to produce the 24hr Theatre Project. Together, these artists will mount five short works; all written, rehearsed, and performed in 24 hours. The third annual 24hr Berkshires/Capital Region Theatre is hosted by Proctors in Schenectady, NY, with a public performance taking place on Saturday, May 18 at 8pm.

Tickets are now available for purchase by calling Proctors at (518) 346-6204 or visiting www.proctors.org/events/berkshire-capreg-theatre-project.

Tony nominated actress Jayne Atkinson (Berkshire Theatre Group, TV’s House of Cards and 24) joins the project as a director this year. Also directing will be Michael Burns (Artistic Director of the Mop & Bucket Company), Dina Janis (Artistic Director of the Dorset Theatre Festival), Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill (Artistic Director of Capital Repertory Theatre) and Kristen van Ginhoven (Artistic Director of WAM Theatre).

Click to read the rest at Berkshire on Stage.

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