POE, Noam Pikelny & Stuart Duncan and More Set for Berkshire Theatre Group's Fall Season

Berkshire Theatre Group and Artistic Director/CEO Kate Maguire are excited to announce the 2014 fall schedule of events at The Colonial Theatre, The Garage and The Unicorn Theatre. Tickets are available for purchase to members and passholders on August 15 and to the general public on August 19.

Berkshire Theatre Group's fall season brings legendary rock and country musicians, new works, famed artists, and fun community events to the Berkshires.

The season holds an array of talented musical performances: 10,000 Maniacs, Noam Pikelny & Stuart Duncan, Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, Romance, Soul and Rock 'N Roll, Pure Prairie League, Dave Davies, Blackhawk &The Outlaws and George Thorogood & The Destroyers.

For theatrical offerings: Eric Hill's new play POE is a world premiere about and featuring the stories of the masterful wordsmith Edgar Allen Poe played by longtime BTG alum David Adkins. Comedian and former The View talk show host, Joy Behar takes the stage in her new standup show Me, My Mouth and I. Men are from Venus and Women are from Mars is a one-man fusion of theatre and standup featuring televison's Peter Story. Critically acclaimed Letters Home brings to life actual letters written by soldiers serving in the Middle East. The annual community production, A Christmas Carol brings holiday cheer for all at The Colonial Theatre.

To round out the season, Berkshire Theatre Group's festival of new works, Made in the Berkshires, will celebrate the talents of Berkshire County with a juried selection of events that embody BTG's commitment to presenting the best in the arts.

"I am really excited about the fall season as we continue to bring iconic, internationally-known performers to the Berkshires," said programmer Simon Shaw. "We have a wonderfully varied array of artists sharing their stories through comedy, theatre, and music. As always we aim to attract our many different audiences and welcome them as one to journey with us and strengthen the bonds of our community through the performing arts. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to program all of our stages and look forward to many memorable performances."

Tickets are available for purchase to members and passholders on August 15 and to the general public on August 19. Contact the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street, Pittsfield by calling 413-997-4444. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.berkshiretheatregroup.org. The Ticket Office is open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm and on any performance day from 10am until curtain. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change.

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Classic Albums Live Performs Abbey Road
at The Colonial Theatre
Saturday, September 6 at 8pm
Tickets: A: $50, B: $42.50, C: $35, D: $27.50

Just the name Abbey Road makes you think of another time, a time when music mattered. Abbey Road saw the Beatles let go. It was their swan song album. They wanted to make something that would last and end their legacy with grace and cool. No other album picks up a full head of steam like Abbey Road. Despite their splitting up, the lads beckon us to "Come Together" right from the onset. And they crescendo and say goodbye with kiss of philosophy that not only stands the test of time, but tattoos itself onto our hearts: "And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make."

10,000 Maniacs
The Colonial Theatre
Saturday, September 27
8pm
Tickets: A: $80 B: $60 C: $40

10,000 Maniacs is one of rock's most critically acclaimed bands. The quintet's pop-conscious, literate and lush aesthetic helped reshape FM radio. Along with bands like R.E.M., U2, The Smiths, and The Police, 10,000 Maniacs is considered one of the primary architects of the college rock sound. The Jamestown, New York-born group first gained widespread recognition with 1987's In My Tribe which charted at #37-an impressive feat for a pioneering alternative group-and would go on to sell over 2 million copies. The record featured the hit singles "Hey Jack Kerouac," "Like The Weather," "Don't Talk," and "What's The Matter Here?" Rolling Stone Magazine voted the album in the Top 100 releases of the decade. The band would sell 3 million copies in 1992 with the landmark Our Time In Eden, bolstered by alt-rock radio mainstays like "These Are Days" and "Candy Everybody Wants." MTV's Unplugged, featuring a remake of the classic, "Because the Night," released in 1993, sold over 4 million copies.

10,000 Maniacs has the added distinction of launching the career of singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant, best known for her successful 1995 solo album Tigerlily. Lead singer, Mary Ramsey, is celebrating her 20th anniversary with the group and the 30-year collaboration between Jerome Augustyniak, Steven Gustafson and Dennis Drew, forms a nuanced and compelling rhythm section. Guitarist Jeffery Erickson is making his debut.

POE
written and directed by Eric Hill
featuring David Adkins
WORLD PREMIERE

at The Unicorn Theatre, Stockbridge
The Larry Vaber Stage
Previews October 2 and October 3
Opening Night/Press Opening October 4
Closing: October 26
Tickets: $35

Performance Dates:
Thursday, October 2 at 7pm (Preview)
Friday, October 3 at 7pm (Preview)
Saturday, October 4 at 7pm (Opening Night)
Sunday, October 5 at 2pm
Thursday, October 9 at 7pm
Saturday, October 11 at 7pm
Sunday, October 12 at 2pm
Monday, October 13 at 2pm
Thursday, October 16 at 7pm
Friday, October 17 at 7pm
Saturday, October 18 at 7pm
Sunday, October 19 at 2pm
Thursday, October 23 at 7pm
Friday, October 24 at 7pm
Saturday, October 25 at 7pm
Sunday, October 26 at 2pm (Closing)

From the masterful wordsmith Edgar Allen Poe, the poetic and macabre tales of terror come to life in a brilliant reflection of the writer by Eric Hill.

"POE is a new play about the great American poet and short story writer and his mysterious disappearance for four days in Baltimore in 1849," said director Eric Hill,"Found nearly dead outside a 14th Ward polling station on the evening of election day, Poe's last wanderings in the city he made famous are the subject of this play that examines the man behind the poems and stories."

Made in the Berkshires Festival
Friday, October 11 through Sunday, October 13
Tickets: TBA
at The Colonial Theatre, The Unicorn Theatre, and The Garage

The 4th annual festival features cutting-edge theatrical works performed as staged readings, live music, film, short stories and dance in a festival atmosphere like no other. New and innovative pieces as well as established work will be presented by local Berkshire County playwrights, actors, directors, musicians and performers. Featured as performance blocks, Made in the Berkshires will allow audiences to enjoy the breadth and depth of the artistic talent that has landed in Berkshire County while celebrating the best in the visual and performing arts. Professional artists and artists-in-the-making gather to share their talent with the Berkshire community. The festival will once again be curated by Hilary Somers Deely and Barbara Sims, two local artists who have helped create the rich cultural tapestry that permeates the Berkshires.

Noam Pikelny & Stuart Duncan
The Colonial Theatre
Thursday, October 16
8pm
Tickets: A: $35 B: $25 C:$15

Fans and students of the banjo and fiddle know Stuart Duncan and Noam Pikelny as among the very finest to have ever plied their trade, with all the attendant awards and critical acclaim that entails. This should be a must see event! -Bluegrass Today

Noam Pikelny has emerged as the preeminent banjoist among a new generation of acoustic musicians. Noam is a founding member of Punch Brothers, a string ensemble which The Boston Globe calls "a virtuosic revelation." In 2010, he was awarded the first annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. In 2012, Noam's second album, Beat The Devil and Carry A Rail received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. Pikelny has shared the stage with The Decemberists, Marcus Mumford, Béla Fleck and more and continues to broaden the awareness of the banjo in the mainstream through his work with Punch Brothers, collaborating with Wilco, Fiona Apple, Norah Jones, & Jon Brion for the soundtrack to This is 40, and a collaboration with Marcus Mumford for the Coen Brothers' film, Inside Llewyn Davis.

Stuart Duncan is one of the finest and fully realized violin players in any genre. He is able to improvise perfect and utterly new ideas that are exactly what the musical moment requires, and he is able to do this, with perfect tone, at the frighteningly fast tempos required in today's contemporary bluegrass. This combination of perfection and inspiration has not gone unnoticed, and so Stuart has performed on thousands of recording sessions, featuring all of Nashville's finest players and singers. His discography is approaching the size of a metropolitan telephone directory, and his recording career demonstrates his ability to shift easily from the most ancient sounding Appalachian tune, to some deeply jazz and funk-inflected contemporary melody. Stuart's fiddle playing is deeply rooted in the tradition of such masters as Benny Martin and Byron Berline, but is itself something completely and thrillingly new. In addition to his extensive recording and performing career as a fiddler, Stuart also sings, writes songs, and plays mandolin, guitar, and banjo.

Joy Behar: Me, My Mouth, and I
The Colonial Theatre
Friday, October 17
8pm
Tickets: A: $65 B: $50 C: $35

Joy Behar is a comedic original and a leading woman both on stage and screen. She received an Emmy award for her performance on The View, where she was a member of the cast for sixteen years. She also hosted her own talk shows, The Joy Behar Show and "Say Anything."

Pittsfield City Jazz Festival: The Empire Jazz Orchestra
The Colonial Theatre
Saturday, October 18
8pm
Tickets: $20 and $35

The Empire Jazz Orchestra is the reigning big band in the northeast, performing ensemble music from all eras of jazz. This special event, organized for the 10th annual Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, features three female guest saxophonists: Claire Daly (baritone), Ada Rovatti (alto), and Sharel Cassity (tenor). Also appearing: alumni of the Berkshires Jazz Youth Ensemble.

Romance, Soul & Rock 'N Roll presents: Stage and Screen
The Colonial Theatre
Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26
7:30pm
Tickets: $20

Romance, Soul & Rock N' Roll is happy to be back at The Colonial Theatre performing in their 13th annual show. This year's show, "Stage & Screen" is full of familiar songs that audience members will want to sing along with, as well an exciting surprise or two! Director Ted Concepcion, Assistant Director Donna Vidoli and Musical Director David Pickard, along with an amazing cast promise to thoroughly entertain you!! All proceeds to benefit The Colonial Theatre!

Men Are From Mars-Woman Are From Venus Live!
Sneak Preview Show!
The Colonial Theatre
Thursday, October 30
7:30pm
Tickets: $54

Men Are From Mars-Woman Are From Venus LIVE! Is a one-man fusion of theatre and stand-up starring Peter Story and based on the New York Times #1 best-selling book of the last decade by John Gray. Moving swiftly through a series of vignettes, the show covers everything from dating and marriage to the bedroom.

Starring in this theatrical comedy is Peter Story. Peter has appeared on CSI, Without a Trace, Ugly Betty and recurring roles on The Tonight Show and Rob Lowe's The Lyon's Den. He is a proud alum of the Harmony Project and an avid storyteller with The Moth on NPR.

Letters Home
The Colonial Theatre
Sunday, November 9 at 2pm
Tickets: $20; $10 children 16 & under

Letters Home puts the wars in Afghanistan & Iraq front and center by bringing to life actual letters written by soldiers serving in the Middle East. The production is inspired by The New York Times Op-Ed Article "The Things They Wrote" and the subsequent HBO documentary Last Letters Home, and additionally uses letters and correspondences from Frank Schaeffer's books, Voices From the Front, Letters Home From America's Military Family, Faith of Our Sons, and Keeping Faith. The play, without politicizing, gives audiences a powerful portrait of the soldier experience in the ongoing war. The initial production was critically acclaimed and was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for "Outstanding New Play."

Pure Prairie League
The Colonial Theatre
Saturday, November 15
8pm
Tickets: A: $70 B: $50 C: $30

Country rockers, Pure Prairie League, took their name from an obscure 19th century temperance Union mentioned in the 1939 film, Dodge City. But this distinctly American band, with its 40-year career and long line of top hits, escaped obscurity long ago. Although a fan favorite right out of the gate it took a number of years before PPL, formed by vocalist/guitar player Craig Fuller, had their first hit. "AIMEE" not only put PPL on the map but went on to become perhaps the most well known and beloved country rock songs of all time. PPL prospered over the years with Mike Reilly as well as Country superstar Vince Gill, who was a band member for a short time. Whether they are "Pickin to Beat the Devil" or taking you riding down a "Two Lane Highway," Pure Prairie League is a sure fire good time.

Dave Davies
The Colonial Theatre
Wednesday, November 26
7:30pm
Tickets: A: $70 B: $50 C: $30

Dave Davies founded the Kinks in the early 1960s and forever changed music after he sliced up the speaker cone of a little green amp and created a revolutionary, distorted guitar tone and frenetic solo on the song "You Really Got Me." Musicologist Joe Harrington described the Kinks' influence: "'You Really Got Me', 'All Day and All of the Night'...were predecessors of the whole three-chord genre ... the Kinks did a lot to help turn rock 'n' roll into rock." Writer Bill Crowley wrote "As lead guitarist and founder of The Kinks, Dave Davies is one of the most unpredictable and original forces in rock, without whom guitar-rock styles including heavy metal and punk would have been inconceivable. A member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Dave's massive guitar sounds have inspired bands from Van Halen to Green Day." Dave's new album I Will Be Me is a return to his groundbreaking guitar sound and innovative songwriting.

BlackHawk & The Outlaws
The Colonial Theatre
Thursday, December4
8pm
Tickets: A: $79 B: $59 C: $39

In 1993, Henry Paul, Dave Robbins, and Van Stephenson formed BlackHawk and exploded onto the country music landscape in 1993 with their self-titled album and top 10 hit single "Goodbye Says It All." Three more hit singles followed, "Every Once In A While," "I Sure Can Smell The Rain" and "That's Just About Right", propelling the album to platinum status. They maintained that pace in the years that followed, scoring a dozen top ten hits, including two number ones, while selling more than seven million records. Tragedy struck in 1999 when Van was diagnosed with melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. After a long and courageous fight, Van lost his battle in 2001. Henry and Dave honored his dying wish that BlackHawk continue to make great music. They established the Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research Fund in his memory, donating the proceeds of their efforts to the Vanderbilt Cancer Research Center. Over the course of their amazing career, BlackHawk's songs have touched people young and old. Their unique musical character has been a catalyst in bringing non-country music fans to the genre. Twenty-one years after their arrival, BlackHawk's legend grows. Henry Paul and Dave Robbins just released their first new album in 12 years, Brothers of The Southland.

Formed in Tampa in 1972, The Outlaws, known for their triple-guitar rock attack and three-part country harmonies, became one of the first acts signed by Clive Davis. The band's first three albums The Outlaws, Lady In Waiting and Hurry Sundown featuring such rock radio favorites as "There Goes Another Love Song," "Green Grass & High Tides," "Knoxville Girl" and "Freeborn Man" would become worldwide gold and platinum landmarks of the Southern Rock era. Known as "The Florida Guitar Army" by their fans, The Outlaws earned a formidable reputation as an incendiary live act touring with friends The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Charlie Daniels Band as well as The Doobie Brothers, The Who, The Eagles and The Rolling Stones. For 40 years, The Outlaws celebrated triumphs and endured tragedies to remain one of the most influential and best-loved bands of the genre. Now, they return with new music, new focus and an uncompromising new mission: It's about a band of brothers bound together by history, harmony and the road. It's about a group that respects its own legacy while refusing to be defined by its past. The band just released a new album 4 years in the making, It's About Pride.

A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens
adapted by Eric Hill
at The Colonial Theatre
Tickets: Adults: $37 Children 16 and under: $27

Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2pm
Thursday, Dec. 18 at 7pm
Friday, Dec. 19 at 7pm
Saturday, Dec, 20 at 2pm and 7pm
Sunday, Dec. 21 at 2pm and 7pm
Monday, Dec. 22 at 7pm

Revel in the joy and redemptive power of Christmas as told in the timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, the infamous miser who is reformed and shown the error of his ways by four spirits. Journey back to Victorian England and experience the classic story filled with terrific turns and infused with holiday music.

George Thorogood & The Destroyers: 40 Years Strong
The Colonial Theatre
Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 7:30pm
Tickets: A: $85 B: $65 C: $45

For George Thorogood and his longtime band The Destroyers: Jeff Simon (drums, percussion), Bill Blough (bass guitar), Jim Suhler (rhythm guitar) and Buddy Leach (saxophone) their 40th anniversary is indestructible proof that staying true to yourself and the music can still mean something. And, with a catalog of iconic hits that includes "Who Do You Love," "I Drink Alone," "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer," "Move It On Over," "Bad To The Bone" and more being able to share it with audiences is what will always matter. Ultimately, the 40 Years Strong Tour is 50% celebration, 50% declaration and 100% Thorogood throwdown.

Fall/Winter 2014 Calendar of Events
Classic Albums Live Abbey Road The Colonial Theatre, Saturday, September 6, 8pm
10,000 Maniacs The Colonial Theatre, Saturday, September 27, 8pm
POE, at The Unicorn Theatre, October 2-October 26
Made in the Berkshires Festival The Colonial, The Unicorn, The Garage, October 11-13
Noam Pikelny & Stuart Duncan The Colonial Theatre, Thursday, October 16, 8pm
Joy Behar: Me, My Mouth, and I The Colonial Theatre, Friday, October 17, 8pm
Pittsfield City Jazz Festival: The Empire Jazz Orchestra The Colonial Theatre, Saturday, October 18, 8pm
Romance, Soul & Rock 'N Roll presents: Stage and Screen The Colonial Theatre, Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26, 7:30pm
Men Are From Mars-Woman Are From Venus Live! Sneak Preview Show! The Colonial Theatre
Thursday, October 30, 7:30pm
Letters Home The Colonial Theatre, Sunday, November 9 at 2pm
Pure Prairie League The Colonial Theatre, Saturday, November 15, 8pm
Dave Davies The Colonial Theatre, Wednesday, November 26, 7:30pm
BlackHawk&The Outlaws The Colonial Theatre, Thursday, December 4, 8pm
A Christmas Carol The Colonial Theatre, December 14-22
George Thorogood & The Destroyers: 40 Years Strong The Colonial Theatre, Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 7:30pm