Arlo Guthrie at Shakespeare & Company
Benefit Performance on December 5
By: Bob Fowler - Nov 24, 2009
For one very special evening, Shakespeare & Company becomes Arlo and Company! Arlo Guthrie, the legendary songwriter, performer, and longtime Berkshire resident, is donating his efforts for a one-time benefit performance to benefit Shakespeare & Company's internationally recognized performance, training and education programs. Arlo plays an intimate, solo acoustic set at Founders' Theatre on Saturday, December 5 at 8pm.The performance is followed by a dessert reception. Tickets are available in three tiers: $100, $65 and $30. Tickets are available from the Box Office at (413) 637-3353 or boxoffice@shakespeare.org, or by visiting www.shakespeare.org.
As part of this special event, a host of Berkshire businesses are showing their generosity, co-sponsoring the event by donating some of their proceeds on this weekend to Shakespeare & Company. The heart of this groundswell of support is a delicious "dine-around." S&Co. encourages everyone attending the show—and anyone else with a taste for the wonderful cuisine available at locally owned eateries—to dine at one of the participating restaurants the evening of December 5. Full details about each business's participation, including the hours the offer is in effect, is available at www.shakespeare.org
.Participants in the "dine-around" donating a portion of their proceeds on the evening of December 5 to S&Co. include Alta Restaurant and Wine Bar, Berkshire Harvest, Betty's Pizza Shack, Bizen/Kaiseki, Brix Wine Bar, Fin, Firefly, Haven Café & Bakery, Jonathan's Bistro, The Lion's Den at The Red Lion Inn, Cranwell Mansions Restaurant at Cranwell Resort & Spa, and Zinc.
The dessert reception is donated by Samel's Deli and Catering, and the Cornell Inn is providing a special offer for lodging that weekend. Some have extended their participation beyond that evening, and new restaurants are being added daily; please check the up-to-the-minute list on www.shakespeare.org before making your plans for the weekend of December 5. Businesses interesting in joining this effort should contact Associate Director of Publicity Jeremy D. Goodwin at (413) 637-1199 ext. 145.
"I think Arlo is making a big statement by donating his great talent to this cause, and we can't wait for this very special evening," S&Co. Artistic Director Tony Simotes says. "Plus, there's an unexpected full-circle element to this, as the first refrigerator the Company ever owned was donated by the old Alice 's Restaurant! You can't make that stuff up."
"But the best part may be our chance to support our neighbors in the local business community by encouraging our patrons to enjoy the best the Berkshires has to offer by shopping and dining with locally owned businesses this weekend. The groundswell of support for S&Co. made manifest in recent months is incredibly encouraging, and it's great that with this event our friends and neighbors have a chance to support us and support other local businesses at the same time."
Guthrie plays this benefit during a break from his ongoing Guthrie Family Rides Again Tour, on which he's joined by many members of his extended family for performances highlighting songs created by contemporary artists from the previously unpublished lyrics of Woody Guthrie. This is the only scheduled opportunity to see Arlo perform in New England until his appearance at Symphony Hall in Boston this coming June.