Friday: Alchemy Initiative Dance Party!

Enjoy a fashion show, burlesque performance, designer auction, & dance party at Spice Dragon in support of the wonderful folks at Alchemy Initiative!  The event begins with a reception and fashion show with local food & drink from Mission Bar + Tapas, Y Bar, Dottie's Coffee Lounge, Brenda and Co. and more, with live music by the Pamelech Klezmer Orkester, followed by a dance party with the fantastic Brooklyn Qawwali Party. Dress like a bohemian gypsy and join in the fun! Click HERE to learn more details about the Earth Day event.

Friday, April 20 | 7pm-midnight | Spice Dragon | 297 North Street | 413-236-9600 | Friday performance, complimentary drinks, dance party $55; 9pm Friday dance party only $25

Friday: Darrow School Poetry Night 

The Marketplace Café presents a poetry night featuring the works of students from the Darrow School, a small, college preparatory boarding school down the road in New Lebanon, NY. Click here to learn more.

Friday, April 20 | 6:30pm-8pm | The Marketplace Café | 53 North Street | 413-358-4777 | no cover

Friday-Monday: The Matchmaker at the Little Cinema

The Little Cinema presents the Israel film "The Matchmaker,” shown in Hebrew with English subtitles. During the summer of 1968 a teenage boy goes to work for a matchmaker who has survived the Holocaust - both their lives are forever altered. Click HERE to watch a trailer of The Matchmaker.

Friday-Monday, April 20-23 | Friday-Saturday, Monday 7pm; Monday 1:30pm; no screening Sunday | Berkshire Museum | 39 South Street | 413-443-7171 | $5

Friday: BonJourney = Bon Jovi + Journey

The Colonial Theatre hosts BonJourney, a New York based Tribute Band honoring two, all-time classic bands Bon Jovi and Journey. Their high energy show has been exciting and entertaining fans throughout the New York area. Find out more about BonJourney, here.

Friday, April 20 | pre-show party 6:30pm, show begins at 8pm | The Colonial Theatre | 111 South Street | 413-997-4444 | $22

Friday & Saturday: Live Music at Flavours

Flavours of Malaysia presents two terrific local bands this weekend: the Tony Lee Thomas Band on Friday and Adverse Effect on Saturday. Click here to check out the Tony Lee Thomas Band, AND...click HERE to listen to and learn more about Adverse Effect.

Friday & Saturday, April 20-21 | 10pm | Flavours of Malaysia | 75 North Street | 413-443-3188 | $5

Saturday: Springside Park Cleanup Day!

The Friends of Springside Park invite you to join them in the annual clean up of beautiful Springside Park. Participants will meet at the playground parking lot, near the old zoo area, with entrance off upper North Street at the Springside House. To learn more about this cleanup project, click here.

Saturday, April 21 | 9:30am-5 pm | Springside Park | 874 North Street | 508-999-8572

Saturday: Swim clinic with Olympic Gold Medalist at the Y

The Pittsfield YMCA's Polar Bears Swim Team presents a special swim clinic fundraiser, featuring Olympic Gold Medalist Samantha Arsenault Livingstone. Swimmers must have at least one year of competitive swimming experience to participate. Click HERE to learn more about the swimming clinics and Samantha Arsenault Livingstone.

Saturday, April 21 | Session One 12pm-12:45; Session Two 1pm-2:30pm | Pittsfield YMCA | 292 North Street | 413-499-7650 ext. 11 | Session One $30, Session Two $40

Saturday: Alchemy Initiative's Earth Day Clothes Swap

Alchemy Initiative hosts a gently used clothing-by-the-pound sale, as part of its third-annual Earth Day celebration at Spice Dragon. Shop recycled women's, men's and children's clothing, shoes and accessories. Shoppers can expect a large variety of items, including donations from from Green Eileen and Sideshow Clothing Co.

Saturday, April 21 | Saturday 1pm-4pm | Spice Dragon | 297 North Street | 413-236-9600 | $2 admission; $5 per pound of clothing

Saturday: BAA College Student Fellowship Show

The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts hosts an opening reception for its newest exhibit, the 2012 Berkshire Art Association Fellowship Show. BAA has selected six Berkshire college art students to participate in this show, based on their excellent work in the region's college; it will award $4,000 in cash prizes to the exhibiting student artists. The reception is free and open to the public. To learn more about the exhibit and the artists, click here.

Saturday April 21 | 5pm-7pm | Lichtenstein Center for the Arts | 28 Renne Avenue | 413-499-9348 | FREE

Saturday: Comedy Night! at Chameleons

Chameleons Nightclub hosts Comedy Night, hosted by Kim DeShields, featuring hilarious comedians Ralph Dafunnyman, Mark Jagiello, Jeffrey Comeau, Brian Holland, Brian Pellicano and Matt Fiorillo. Watch some of Ralph Dafunnyman's stand-up here.

Saturday, April 21 | 7pm-10pm | Chameleons Nightclub | 1350 East Street | 413-499-2582 | $8

Saturday: Youth Showcase at the Garage

Berkshire Theatre Group's own Youth Advisory Board presents a night of music and entertainment, featuring local talent from many of the region's high schools, at The Garage, located inside The Colonial Theatre. Musicians featured will include singer/songwriter Katrina Valenti, blues-rock trio The Big Descarte and local rock phenomenon, The Wrong Inspiration.

Saturday, April 21 | 7:30pm | The Colonial Theatre | 111 South Street | 413-997-4444 | $5

Saturday: David Grover at Spice Dragon

Spice Dragon presents David Grover, a popular local musician who performs classic rock covers, including The Beatles (not the kid's version of David Grover!) The performance takes place downstairs in the Dragon Lounge. To listen to David Grover, click HERE.

Saturday, April 21 | 9pm | Spice Dragon | 297 North Street | 413-443-1234 | No cover

Saturday: Whiskey City at the ITAM

The ITAM Lodge presents Whiskey City, for a celebration of the band's invitation to Countryfest 2012. There will also be a collection for donations to Scott Goomba, who lost much of what he owned in a recent fire.

Click HERE to listen to Whiskey City and learn more about the band.

Saturday, April 21 | 9:30pm-12:30am | ITAM Lodge | 93 Waubeek Road | 413-443-7134 | $5

Sunday: All-Ages Rock Concert at Chameleons

Chameleons Nightclub presents an all-ages matinee, featuring four great rock bands making special appearances in the Berkshires. The Stereo State, Reservoir, Collision and Nice Try Kid take the stage. Click HERE to listen to The Stereo State.

Sunday, April 22 | 2pm-5:30pm | Chameleons Nightclub | 1350 East Street | 413-499-2582 | $7

Sunday: The Lord God Bird: A Work in Progress with George Butler

The Little Cinema presents a special screening of the documentary The Lord God Bird: A Work in Progress with George Butler, never released to theaters. A question-and-answer session with author and photographer Tim Gallagher will follow the screenings.

To learn more about George Butler, Tim Gallagher and The Lord God Bird, click HERE.

Sunday, April 22 | 2pm & 7pm | Berkshire Museum | 39 South Street | 413-443-7171 | $8, $6 members

Sunday: A Sunny Morning  and I Can't Remember Anything with the Town Players

The Town Players of Pittsfield present a staged reading of two one-act plays at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts: A Sunny Morning, by Spanish playwrights Serafin and Joaquin Alvarez Quintero, and I Can't Remember Anything, by Arthur Miller. For people of all ages.

To learn more about these two plays, click HERE.

Sunday, April 22 | 4pm | Lichtenstein Center for the Arts | 28 Renne Avenue | 413-499-9348 | $5

Tuesday: Perry & Eileen Unplugged 

The Marketplace Café hosts Perry Daniels & Eileen Markland, members of Rakish Paddy, performing a live acoustic set in the intimate eatery.

To learn more about Perry & Eileen and sample their music, click HERE.

Tuesday, April 24 | 5pm-7pm | The Marketplace Café | 53 North Street | 413-358-4777 | No cover

Tuesday: Rigoletto at the Little Cinema

The Little Cinema presents the Royal Opera House's Rigoletto as part of its regular series of opera screenings inside the Berkshire Museum.

To learn more about Rigoletto & watch a trailer, click HERE.

Tuesday & next Sunday, April 23 & 29 | Tuesday 7pm, Sunday 2pm | Berkshire Museum | 39 South Street | 413-443-7171 | $18, members $16

Thursday: Writing Workshops at BCC

Berkshire Community College invites all to join a new set of writing workshops held on its main campus. Each workshop is separate and taught by Aaron Beatty. Thursday's workshop is on Writing about Childhood. Participants explore childhood memories, poems and prose pieces, and undertake several writing exercises designed to organize their memories into meaningful poems or prose pieces of their own.

Thursday, April 26 | 6pm–9pm | Berkshire Community College | 1350 West Street | 413-236-2127 | $35

Thursday: Abby Lappen at The Marketplace

The Marketplace Café presents Abby Lappen, as part of its regular Thursdays Live! series of music performances. Lappen is a singer-songwriter in the acoustic folk tradition, with strong jazz, rock and blues influences. Whether singing her own songs in concert or popular covers personalized for any gathering, her sweet, smoky voice lends a vibe that is both sexy and soothing. 

To learn more about Abby Lappen and listen to her music, click HERE.

Thursday, April 26 | 6:30pm-8:30pm | The Marketplace Café | 53 North Street | 413-358-4777 | No cover

Thursday: West Side Story on the Big Screen

Barrington Stage Company salutes the American movie musical with a special film series on the big screen at The Mainstage. This week's feature film is West Side Story, Academy Award winner for Best Picture in 1960.

Click HERE to watch a trailer of West Side Story.

This landmark musical by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents updates Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to the youth-gang atmosphere of the late 1950s in NYC, featuring the breathtaking choreography of Jerome Robbins. Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn star.

Thursday, April 26 | 7pm | Barrington Stage Company | 30 Union Street | 413-236-8888 | adults $5, kids 13 & under FREE

Thursday: The Real Deal and More Live Music at Chameleons

Chameleons Nightclub presents The Real Deal, Misled Balds, Exovox and Amerikan Citizens for a night of fun and live music.

To learn more about the artists and a musical sample of The Real Deal, click HERE.

Thursday: Larkin Poe with The Shadowboxers at The Garage

The Garage presents Larkin Poe with The Shadowboxers, located inside The Colonial Theatre. Larkin Poe consists of two soulful, singing-and-songwriting sisters from Georgia, who have a knack for storytelling. The Shadowboxers, from Atlanta, have a passion for captivating lyrics, tight harmonies and soulful vocals, with a collective sound that is intelligent and catchy.

To learn more about the artists and to sample their music, click HERE.

Thursday, April 26 | 9pm | The Colonial Theatre | 111 South Street | 413-997-4444 | $10