BASIC Berkshires

Tinker Tots
2026-01-27 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-02-03 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-02-10 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-02-17 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-02-24 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-03-03 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-03-10 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-03-17 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) and 8 more dates | Berkshire Athenaeum, 1 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, MA, 012201
Come tinker and explore with the library and Pittsfield’s CFCE!
Each week children ages 0-2 (siblings welcome) and their caregivers engage in child-centered play, art, music, storytime, and sensory activities to encourage social, fine and gross motor, and pre-literacy skills.
¡Venga a jugar y explorar con la biblioteca y el CFCE de Pittsfield! Cada semana, los niños y sus cuidadores participan en juegos, arte, música, lectura de cuentos y actividades sensoriales centradas en los niños.
Children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult 18+ at all times.
For more information call the Children’s Library: 413-499-9480, ext. 5.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum.
Attendance at library programs constitutes consent to be photographed; photos may be used in print or electronic publicity for the Berkshire Athenaeum.

Chrissi Poland – Forever Muscle Shoals
2026-02-21 20:00 - 22:00 | Indigo Room, 20 Castle Street, Great Barrington, 01230
With special guest Matt Cusson
Acclaimed vocalist and songwriter Chrissi Poland brings Forever Muscle Shoals to the Indigo Room! Forever Muscle Shoals celebrates the songs and sounds recorded in Muscle Shoals, AL, in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, where soul, blues, rock and country converged to create some of the most important recordings in American music. Deeply inspired by sharing the stage with Muscle Shoals icons like Mavis Staples, Ronnie Wood and more, Chrissi Poland is bringing her vocal power, interpretation and stories to songs from Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, Cher, Bob Dylan, and beyond. With the album due out in March 2026, don’t miss the chance to witness Chrissi Poland and this soul-stirring catalogue of music.

Black Violin
2026-02-27 20:00 - 22:00 | Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA, 01230
Step into Black Violin’s Full Circle Tour, where Grammy-nominated duo Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus redefine the possibilities of music by merging classical depth with hip-hop’s pulse. This tour captures the essence of returning to where it all began—transformed and reimagined. Each powerful performance invites audiences to reflect on their own journeys, discovering that even as we evolve, we’re often drawn back to our roots with renewed purpose.

Berkshire Opera Festival's Winterreise
2026-03-07 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-07 14:00 - 15:30 | Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning, Tanglewood, 3 West Hawthorne Road, Lenox, MA, 01240
A rejected lover. A frozen landscape. A profound loneliness. Hailed as the greatest song cycle ever written, Schubert’s Winterreise follows a wandering protagonist on his quest for comfort on a winter’s night. But this is not merely a trek through snow and ice—it is an intimate odyssey into the depths of the soul. Join internationally acclaimed baritone Jarrett Porter and Artistic Director Brian Garman as they take you on this deeply moving and cathartic journey.
For information on discounted tickets, contact Sarah Prouty at sprouty@berkshireoperafestival.org.
This program is funded in part by a grant from the Lenox Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Discounted tickets to BOF’s production of Winterreise are generously sponsored by Adrian & Christine Slywotzky.

Better Than Ezra
2026-03-27 19:30 - 21:00 | Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA, 01230
Songs, albums, live performances — some are simply timeless. From their early roots, circa 1988, playing house parties at Louisiana State University, Better Than Ezra have made their mark on the music world in a major way. Yes, the New Orleans quartet, founded by Kevin Griffin (lead vocals, guitar, piano) and Tom Drummond (bass, backing vocals), who unleash hummable melodies, unshakable guitar riffs, and confessional lyrics, have stood the test of time — from 1995’s number one hit “Good” all the way to Taylor Swift’s famous 2010 cover of the Better Than Ezra classic “Breathless.” And they’re still going strong: in May 2024, the band released their long-anticipated tenth studio album “Super Magick” via Round Hill Records. Named one of the “100 Greatest Alternative Artists of All Time” by “Billboard,” with a legacy that includes inspiring a classic “Saturday Night Live” skit, Better Than Ezra spent 2024 on the road touring their headline “Live a Little Tour” in the spring and continuing through the year, recently wrapping their “Legends of the Fall: Tokyo Drift Tour.”

“Adam Gopnik’s New York”
2026-04-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA, 01230
Adam Gopnik, noted “New Yorker” writer and best-selling author, brings his new one-man show, “Adam Gopnik’s New York,” to the Mahaiwe’s mainstage. Produced by Steve Martin and James L Nederlander, “Adam Gopnik’s New York” delivers mischief, meanings, and tales that shimmer with insight and charm, in an intimate and luxurious evening of entertainment.
“The show includes everything from the making of Central Park, which is a microcosm of everything we love about New York City, to the story of my own psychoanalysis, the most unsuccessful in the history of therapy,” says Gopnik.
Critic Robert Siegel shared praise in “The New York Times:” “[Adam Gopnik] gave a performance of his one man show about life in New York with great emphasis on his misadventures in psychoanalysis, which was both hilarious and very wise.”
A staff writer at “The New Yorker,” Gopnik has been contributing to magazine since 1986. During his tenure, he has written fiction, humor, criticism, book reviews, personal essays, Profiles, and reported pieces from abroad. He was the magazine’s art critic from 1987 to 1995 and the Paris correspondent from 1995 to 2000. From 2000 to 2005, he wrote a journal about New York life.

Indigo Comedy Night with Jim Tews
2026-04-10 20:00 - 21:30 | Indigo Room, 20 Castle Street, Great Barrington, 01230
With host Thomas Attila Lewis and featured support
Jim Tews has performed all over the U.S. and internationally. He’s been a part of several notable comedy festivals including San Francisco Sketchfest and Just For Laughs Montreal. His two live albums debuted in the top three comedy titles on the iTunes charts, and both receive regular play on satellite radio. He’s appeared on NBC, FX, and more. He continues to perform mostly in New York but is willing to travel to whatever other cities, states, or countries will have him.

Juanito Pascual Trio
2026-04-11 20:00 - 21:30 | Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA, 01230
Juanito Pascual has been called “one of the hottest flamenco guitarists in recent years,” (NPR) and is best known for his creative and masterful blending of flamenco with jazz, rock, and world influences. He has performed on five continents and collaborated with Grammy-winning artists including Jorge Pardo (Paco de Lucia Sextet, Chick Corea), flamenco maestro Antonio Rey, and jazz great John Patitucci, among many others. His trio features virtuoso bassist Brad Barrett and the multitalented maestro Jose Moreno on percussion and vocals. Be prepared for a night of soulful melodies, hypnotic rhythms and the fire, elegance and virtuosity of these three acclaimed artists.

Berkshire Opera Festival's Free Family Concert: Once Upon an Opera
2026-04-12 14:00 - 15:00 | Indigo Room, 20 Castle Street, Great Barrington, 01230
Back by popular demand! Berkshire Opera Festival’s Free Family Concert returns with a lively mix of opera favorites and instantly recognizable melodies. This fun, one-hour interactive performance invites kids and adults to experience live opera up close—perfect for a memorable family outing. This unforgettable afternoon of music is free and open to all ages, but you’ll want to reserve your seats today as seating is limited. Once Upon an Opera is recommended for children of all ages with accompanying caregivers.
Event Details:
Sunday, April 12 at 2:00 PM
Indigo Room, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
20 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA
Duration: 1 hour (no intermission)
Free (reservations encouraged)
Register here:
https://www.berkshireoperafestival.org/onceuponanopera

London’s National Theatre in HD: “All My Sons”
2026-04-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA, 01230
Bryan Cranston (‘Breaking Bad’) and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (‘Hard Truths’) feature in a five-star, triumphantly acclaimed new production of Arthur Miller’s classic play, from visionary director Ivo Van Hove (‘A View from the Bridge’).
One family, the heart of the American dream. When wartime delivers profits for Joe, it comes at a price when his partner is charged with criminal manufacturing deals, and his eldest son goes missing in action. Will peacetime bring peace of mind, or will he be confronted by the consequence of his actions?
Filmed live from the West End, Paapa Essiedu (‘I May Destroy You’), Tom Glynn-Carney (‘House of the Dragon’), and Hayley Squires (‘I, Daniel Blake’) also feature in this disturbingly prescient play.

Michael Feinstein – Big Band Broadway with the Carnegie Hall Ensemble
2026-05-01 20:00 - 22:00 | Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA, 01230
Broadway never sounds better than when it swings. With the greatest contemporary jazz musicians, Michael Feinstein swings the songbook into the 21st Century.
Featuring music from quintessential shows such as ‘Cabaret,’ ‘Hello Dolly,’ and ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ to ‘Into the Woods,’ and ‘Chicago,’ Big Band Broadway delivers modern and classic showtunes with the timeless tradition of Carnegie Hall in a way that only Michael Feinstein can do.

Berkshire Opera Festival Presents: Flower and Hawk
2026-05-02 14:00 - 15:00 | Ventfort Hall, 104 Walker Street, Lenox, MA
Event Details:
Saturday, May 2 at 2:00 PM
Ventfort Hall Mansion & Gilded Age Museum
104 Walker Street, Lenox, MA
Duration: 50 minutes (no intermission)
$30 General Admission | $15 Students | Free for eligible Card to Culture participants
Tickets:
https://www.eleoonline.net/Pages/WebForms/Mobile/ShowFormMobile.aspx?id=9e3f5ca6-2063-40c4-a9a6-dfc3168a7b6b&linkto=928&mc_cid=8c61d15434&mc_eid=0ac850c819
Step into the riveting world of Eleanor of Aquitaine—queen of two nations, mother of kings, and one of the Middle Ages’ most powerful women. In Flower and Hawk, she relives the triumphs and betrayals of her extraordinary life from her imprisonment in Salisbury Tower in this gripping monodrama by celebrated American composer Carlisle Floyd.
Starring soprano Ashley Marie Robillard, accompanied by pianist Grant Loehnig, this special presentation also marks the centennial of Carlisle Floyd, offering a moving tribute to one of America’s most influential opera composers.
Following the performance, audience members are invited to stay for a post-show chat and Q&A with the artists over light refreshments—an intimate opportunity to explore the work and its connections to Berkshire Opera Festival.

Railroad Earth
2026-05-09 20:00 - 21:30 | Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA, 01230
For over two decades, Railroad Earth has captivated audiences with gleefully unpredictable live shows and eloquent and elevated studio output. The group introduced its signature sound on 2001’s ‘The Black Bear Sessions.’ Between selling out hallowed venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO, they’ve been responsible for launching signature festivals Hangtown Music Festival in Placerville, CA and Hillberry: The Harvest Moon Festival in Eureka Springs, AR. Sought after by legends, the John Denver Estate tapped them to put lyrics penned by the late John Denver to music on the 2019 vinyl EP, ‘Railroad Earth: The John Denver Letters.’

Berkshire Native Jordan Loder – Homecoming Concert, May 15 in Great Barrington
2026-05-15 19:00 - 20:30
Kirtan with Jordan Loder featuring Jurian Hughes
Internationally touring kirtan artist Jordan Loder, a proud Berkshire native, will perform a special homecoming concert on Friday, May 15, 2026 at Better Yoga Berkshires in Great Barrington.
The evening of devotional, meditative music will feature special guest Jurian Hughes, senior Kripalu faculty member and beloved teacher of yoga, voice, and intuitive movement, providing responding vocals.

Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM Doors at 6:30 PM
Venue: Better Yoga Berkshires, 40 Railroad Street, 2nd Floor, Great Barrington, MA 01230

Tickets: $22 in advance / $30 at the door (advance purchase strongly encouraged)
