Gotta Dance, Gotta Sing: There's Both This Week on Local Stages

Downtown Pittsfield Third Thursdays — TL Collective

Each third Thursday of the month, streets are closed in downtown Pittsfield and all kinds of music rocks the city. Featured June 20 at 6 p.m. in the Dance Zone at the north end of the street festival is TL Collective, the athletic, family-friendly contemporary and hip-hop moves of Micaela Taylor's company. The group performs an evening length work "Drift." The aim, according to organizers, is to "demonstrate an individual's ever-changing relationship to self while exposing a personal season of self-growth."

You can find the dance zone near the corner of Bradford and North Streets in front of St. Joseph’s Church.  This program is a presentation of the Berkshires stalwart Jacob's Pillow.

Jacob's Pillow

Ballet BC is coming to Jacob's Pillow this week.

At the Pillow's expansive home in Becket, the featured company in the Ted Shawn Theater this week is Ballet BC, which is celebrating 10 years under the innovative leadership of artistic director and former company member Emily Molnar.

"Truly contemporary" is how one reviewer described the Vancouver-based troupe. On the bill this week is Molnar's most recent work "To this day," along with the U.S. premiere of "Bedroom Folk." The latter work originated with the Nederlands Dans Theater and was created by Israeli collaborators Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar, among others.

This program runs Wednesday, June 19, through Sunday, June 23, at 8 p.m.,  with matinees on Saturday and Sunday in addition to evenings.

At the Doris Duke Theater, it’s physicality galore with Circa, the Australian contemporary circus performers who combine acrobatics with theater, performed to the music of Bach, Philip Glass and electronica. This group, from Brisbane, was founded by visionary Yaron Lifschitz. Catch Circa Wednesday, June 19, through Sunday, June 23, at 8:15 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday matinees.

For more info, see Jacob's Pillow online.

Barrington Stage

"Into the Woods," among the most anticipated theatrical musicals in the region this summer, begins previews Wednesday, June 19, at the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage in Pittsfield. Steven Sondheim's wicked and witty Tony-award-winning take on Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Cinderella, et al., is considered among his best works and was made into a popular movie.

Tanglewood: Ozawa Hall

This week Tanglewood's pop series switches to Ozawa Hall for an intimate acoustic evening, Friday, June 21, with the legendary British folk rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Richard Thompson. Those new to Thompson's oeuvre have a treat awaiting you. He got his start in Britain with Fairport Convention, and then went on to create a very popular duo with then-wife Linda Thompson. Their success culminated in the album "Shoot Out the Lights."

Post Modern Jukebox takes over Ozawa Saturday night, June 22, with its first appearance at Tanglewood. The You Tube and Facebook favorites are a collective, spotlighting hybrid jazz, pop, and swing sounds. If you've heard PMJ, you know their tunes can range from the 1920s to rhythm and blues to everything in between.

For tickets to these 8 p.m. shows, go to the website.

Mac-Haydn Theatre

It may have been "the pictures that got small," but "Sunset Boulevard" is still a great big old Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Ready for her closeup as Norma Desmond is Elizabeth Ward Land, while Pat Moran is the hustler Joe Gillis, and James Zannelli takes on the role of Max von Mayerling. John Saunders handles the directing; David Maglione is the music director; Ashley DeLane Burger is the choreographer.

"Sunset Boulevard" starts its run at the Mac-Haydn in Chatham, N.Y., on Thursday, June 20, and runs through Sunday, June 30. Note: Monday and Tuesday are dark.

Check here again a week from now — or anytime during the summer for fabulous non-classical music. Got a show you want to publicize? Contact me by email here.

Pittsfield ZBA Member Recognized for 40 Years of Service

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:23PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Albert Ingegni III tells the council about how his father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo who died at age 94 in 2020, enjoyed his many years serving the city and told Ingegni to do the same. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It's not every day that a citizen is recognized for decades of service to a local board — except for Tuesday.

Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.

"It's not every day that you get to stand before the City Council in honor of a Pittsfield citizen who has dedicated 40 years of his life serving on a board or commission," he said.

"As we say that, I know that there are many people that want to serve on boards and commissions and this office will take any resume that there is and evaluate each person but tonight, we're here to honor Albert Ingegni."

The honoree is currently chair of the ZBA, which handles applicants who are appealing a decision or asking for a variance.

Ingegni said he was thinking on the ride over about his late father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo, who told him to "enjoy every moment of it because it goes really quickly."

"He was right," he said. "Thank you all."

The council accepted $18,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and a  $310,060 from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program.