Winter at the Mahaiwe
Programming for Great Barrington
By: Mahaiwe - Jan 08, 2011
President's Day Weekend at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center will feature master hip-hop dance company Rennie Harris Puremovement (February 18) and Symphony Space's political cabaret The Thalia Follies: Divided We Stumble (February 20). Other first quarter events include juggling comedians Flying Karamazov Brothers (March 5)and numerous Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD and London's National Theatre Live (NT Live) broadcasts, as well as screenings of classic movies. On Friday February 18 at 10am (school field trip performance) and 8pm, Rennie Harris Puremovement dancers will bring their thrilling hip-hop moves to the Mahaiwe stage. Founded in 1992 by North Philadelphia native Rennie Harris, Rennie Harris Puremovement was conceived with the vision for sharing an appreciation for diversity and is dedicated to preserving and disseminating hip-hop culture through workshops, classes, lecture-demonstrations, dance residencies, mentoring programs and public performances, providing audiences with a sincere view of the essence and spirit of hip-hop, rather than the commercially exploited stereotypes most often presented by the media. Please call the Mahaiwe Box Office for school field trip pricing. Tickets are $12 to $57 for the evening performance. On Sunday, February 20 at 3pm, the Mahaiwe and Symphony Space will co-present The Thalia Follies: Divided We Stumblecreated by Symphony Space's Artistic Director Isaiah Sheffer and Martin Sage. This political cabaret takes a comical and tragical look at the forces that may be ripping our nation apart: red states vs. blue; conservatives, arch-conservatives, liberals, radicals, and crazies at both extremes; true believers and skeptics; vegans and fast-food freaks; nudists and fashionistas. The Thalia Follies troupe of performers includes Ivy Austin, Mary Brienza, Sidney J. Burgoyne, David Buskin, Kathryn Markey, Nora York, and The Chalks. Roy Zimmerman and Jay Leonhart will make guest star appearances at the Mahaiwe. Musical direction is by Lanny Meyers. Tickets are $20 to $40. With their unique blend of music, comedy, dance, theater, and juggling that dazzles young and old alike, the Flying Karamazov Brothers will perform at the Mahaiwe on Saturday, March 5 at 7pm. They are New York's favorite lunatics at the apex of their ambidextrous and alliterative ability. Their show is a combination of humor, both physical and verbal, ranging from highbrow to lowbrow to monobrow. Watch the Flying K's as they prove with each performance that chaos and unexpected events in our lives are the best part of being human. Tickets are $15 to $37. The Emmy and Peabody Award-wining series Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD continues at the Mahaiwe for a fourth year. The schedule includes Adams's Nixon in China (Saturday, February 12 at 1pm), Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride (Saturday, February 26 at 1pm), Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor (Saturday, March 19 at 1pm). Tickets are $18 to $25 (limited availability). Opera expert Scott Eyerly gives an introductory talk about each Met opera before its broadcast. Mixing erudition and humor, Eyerly's lectures enhance the opera-goer's experience. All interested community members are welcome to attend these educational seminars whether attending the broadcast or not. These talks will take place at the Mahaiwe at 11am on Saturday, February 12 (Adams's Nixon in China), Saturday, February 26 (Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride), and Saturday, March 19 (Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor). Tickets are $10 (general admission). "Live in HD" broadcasts at the Mahaiwe also include London'sNational Theatre Live (NT Live), a successful new initiative to broadcast live performances from the National's stages to cinemas worldwide. The schedule includes Shakespeare's Hamlet, directed by Nicholas Hytner (Sunday, Jan 23 at 2pm¾encore presentation), the Tony-winning musical Fela! with choreography by Bill T. Jones (Thursday, January 13 at 2pm), Shakespeare's King Lear starring Derek Jacobi in the title role(Thursday, February 3 at 2pm), and Danny Boyle's production of Frankenstein, a play by Nick Dear, based on the novel by Mary Shelley (Thursday, March 17 at 3pm). Please note: Frankenstein is recommended for audience members age 15+. Tickets to all of the broadcast performances are $18 to $25. The Mahaiwe Movie of the Month series will include On the Waterfront (Saturday, January 22 at 7pm) and Groundhog Day (Wednesday, February 2, which actually is Groundhog Day, at 7pm). Tickets to Mahaiwe Movie of the Month screenings are $6 (general admission). There will also be a special Valentine's Day screening of Casablanca (Monday, February 14 at 7pm). Tickets to the Valentine's event are $7 (general admission). Mahaiwe Movie of the Month is sponsored by Don Buchwald & Associates.
The Mahaiwe Box Office is located at 14 Castle Street in Great Barrington, Mass. Box Office Hours: Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6pm and three hours before show times. For tickets and information, see www.mahaiwe.org.