GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.—The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center will hold a Grand Opening Celebration for its new performance space the Indigo Room from Oct. 10 through Oct. 12, with performances by jazz vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway, blues guitarist Guy Davis, and family-friendly musician Terry A La Berry, among ceremonial festivities throughout the weekend. 

 

Further programming for the Indigo Room is also announced. 

 

"The Mahaiwe team is thrilled to celebrate the opening of the Indigo Room," says Mahaiwe Executive Director Janis Martinson. "Over the weekend we will demonstrate exactly what the Indigo Room will be: a versatile performance space with a true range of offerings. Between comedy, cabaret, blues, family fun and more, we hope to appeal to all entertainment appetites in our community. Come toast this new cultural hub in downtown Great Barrington." 

 

Ann Hampton Callaway 

Jazz and pop singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway will headline the Indigo Room's Grand Opening weekend with a retrospective performance on Saturday, Oct.  11 at 8 p.m. In "The Best of Ann Hampton Callaway," the Tony-nominated star dazzles with highlights from her hit shows The Streisand Songbook, Ann Hampton Callaway Sings the ‘70s, The Linda Ronstadt Songbook, To Ella with Love, From Sassy to Divine: The Sarah Vaughan Project and Finding Beauty: Inspired Classics and Originals. Come see why Christopher Loudon of Jazz Times calls her the "…superbly intelligent, singularly creative pop-jazz stylist who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Streisand, Ronstadt, Shirley Horn, and Dianne Reeves…" 

 

A leading champion of the great American Songbook, Ann Hampton Callaway has made her mark as a singer, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, actress, educator, TV host and producer. Voted by Broadwayworld.com as "Celebrity of the Year" and two years in a row as "Best Jazz Vocalist," Callaway is a born entertainer. She is best known for Tony-nominated performance in the hit Broadway musical Swing! and for writing and singing the theme song to the hit TV series The Nanny. She made her feature film debut opposite Angelina Jolie and Matt Damon in the Robert De Niro film The Good Shepherd. Callaway is a Platinum Award selling writer whose songs are featured on seven of Barbra Streisand's recent albums. She's recorded over 50 albums as a soloist and guest and her latest critically acclaimed album Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration! has been in high rotation on Siriusly Sinatra. Callaway's honors include The Theater World Award, 17 MAC Awards, several Bistro Awards, The Mabel Mercer Award, The Johnny Mercer Award for Songwriting, The Blanton Peale Award for Positive Thinking and her induction into The Women Songwriters Hall of Fame. Her new record Finding Beauty, Originals Volume 1, was recently released via Shanachie Entertainment and debuted at #1 on the iTunes Jazz Chart. 

 

Callaway has performed before on the Mahaiwe's mainstage.

 

Tickets are $102 for general admission café table seating, first-come, first-served.  

 

Terry A La Berry 

Arlo Guthrie's longtime drummer Terry A La Berry will perform a free, family-friendly show on Sunday, Oct.  12 at 11 a.m. Terry entertains audiences large and small with original songs and highly interactive material. He has appeared in several award-winning PBS specials for children and has produced seven albums of his original songs that have been recognized by Parents Choice Awards. He performed at the White House three times for the Easter Egg Roll and at thousands of schools, museums, theaters, camps and libraries, all over the country. 

 

Terry has performed on the Mahaiwe's mainstage with Guthrie several times over recent years.  

 

Attendance is free with advance registration.  

 

Guy Davis 

Guy Davis will perform on Sunday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. Davis is a two-time, back-to-back Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues, a musician, actor, author, and songwriter. Davis uses a blend of roots, blues, folk, rock, rap, spoken word, and world music to comment on – and address – the frustrations of social injustice, touching on historical events and common life struggles. 

 

Davis appeared on the Mahaiwe's mainstage opening for comedian Paul Reiser earlier this year.

 

Tickets are $40 for general admission café table seating, first-come, first-served.  

 

 

The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center team is planning several festive components around the Indigo Room Grand Opening Celebration performances, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony, stand-up comedy, drag bingo and a traditional Chinese lion dance. Details for these activities will be available closer to the date.  

 

Further programming: Matt Cusson, Isaiah J. Thompson

 

Beyond opening weekend, the Indigo Room will offer performances regularly as part of the Mahaiwe's year-round programming. Programming announcements will be made on a rolling basis.  

 

Tickets can be purchased online at mahaiwe.org, or by calling or visiting the Box Office, 413-528-0100, on Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. 

 

The Indigo Room is a flexible performance space in the former Great Barrington firehouse building at 20 Castle Street, next door to the historic Mahaiwe theater. 

 

Seating in the Indigo Room is modular, allowing different audience capacities based on the nature of a program. About 80 patrons fit in an arrangement of café tables; 100 in plain rows; and 150 when standing-room-only. These seating plans can be customized in various combinations, such as with plain rows behind café tables in front. 

Indigo Room concessions include beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks.