ANTON CHEKHOV, M.D., BROUGHT to STAGE at MASS MoCA
(NORTH ADAMS, Mass.) – It’s often forgotten or overlooked that throughout his life, Anton Chekhov, best known as a writer and dramatist, practiced medicine. In his work-in-progress The Russian Doctor, performed live in the Hunter Center at MASS MoCA on Friday, May 9, at 8pm, Andrew Dawson teams up with a neuroscientist and a medical historian to explore an oft-forgotten element of Anton Chekhov’s legacy: an extraordinary journey across the frozen tundra to the island of Sakhalin and his ensuing contribution to the field of epidemiology.
JAY FARRAR BRINGS ALT-COUNTRY to CLUB HELSINKI HUDSON
(HUDSON, N.Y.) – Singer-songwriter and alt-country pioneer Jay Farrar brings his singular blend of country, folk and rock to Club Helsinki Hudson on Sunday, May 11, at 8pm. A cofounder of legendary alt-country outfit Uncle Tupelo with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Farrar went on to form the group Son Volt and also to carve out as a career as a solo artist. At Helsinki he will perform in a duo format with multi-instrumentalist Gary Hunt. Peter Bruntnell opens.
MOODY BLUES FRONTMAN JUSTIN HAYWARD to PLAY COLONIAL
(PITTSFIELD, Mass.) – Justin Hayward, the lead guitarist and vocalist of legendary rock band the Moody Blues, will perform with his own band at the Colonial Theatre on Tuesday, May 13, at 7:30pm. Performing and recording for more than 40 years with the Moody Blues, Hayward wrote such beloved songs as “Nights In White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Question,” “The Voice,” and “Your Wildest Dreams.” His prolific songwriting helped earn the band over 60 million albums sold.
SHARON VAN ETTEN BRINGS BROOKLYN FOLK-ROCK to HELSINKI HUDSON
(HUDSON, N.Y.) – Brooklyn-based indie folk-rock singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten will preview new songs from her upcoming recording, “Are We There,” when she performs at Club Helsinki Hudson on Friday, May 9, at 9pm. Van Etten is an integral part of the new Brooklyn indie scene, having collaborated, performed or recorded with members of the National, the Antlers, Beirut and the Walkmen, among others.
NEW WORKS TO BE PREMIERED at COCOON THEATRE
(RHINEBECK, N.Y.) – No Theme Performance, featuring an eclectic mix of young artists from Bard, Brooklyn, Bennington, Philadelphia, and elsewhere showing new work in dance, theater, music, and art, will take place at the Cocoon Theatre in Rhinebeck on Saturday, May 10, 2014, at 7pm. Among the performers are Magdalene San Millan, Chelsea Murphy, Anna Kroll, Chloe Engel, Anna Rogovoy, Benny Goldmintz, Olympia Shannon, Bahar Baharloo, Ryan Stoutenburgh, Emma Villavecchia, Eva Bond, Catherine Weingarten, Rebecca Shippee and Tyler Abramson.
PLAN AHEAD
BERNADETTE PETERS, BUDDY GUY, NATALIE MERCHANT, JOSHUA REDMAN HEADING to MAHAIWE
(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.) – Legendary blues singer-guitarist Buddy Guy (Friday, July 11), Broadway musical star Bernadette Peters (Sunday, October 12), folk-rock singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant (Saturday, July 5), and modern jazz artists Joshua Redman and The Bad Plus (Friday, August 8), will perform at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in upcoming months.
Mathieu Amalric
FOREIGN FILMS and DOCUMENTARIES to BE SHOWCASED at 9TH ANNUAL BERKSHIRE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.) – Seventy-five films, including many features of international origin and numerous documentaries, will be screened as part of the 9th annual Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF), held primarily at the Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington and also at the Mahaiwe, the Beacon in Pittsfield, and at the Mount in Lenox, from May 29 through June 1, 2014. Among the highlights are two films featuring the brilliant French actor Mathieu Amalric – France’s answer to Dustin Hoffman – including Venus in Fur, directed by Roman Polanski, and the documentary When Jews Were Funny, tracing Jewish humor from the Borsht Belt through Seinfeld up to today.