Berkshires schedules and hotels

What’s there to do in the Berkshires during July 2009? There is more first-rate theatre, music, and dance being performed, as well as fine art being exhibited, in this New England community during the summer than you can shake a stick at!

You’ll find comprehensive schedules and information for all the major venues and performing arts organizations of Berkshire county with a browse of our categories (or by clicking through the “tag cloud”), but here we’re trying to be even more helpful by presenting all the dope you’d need to attend nine suggested events during July in the Berkshires.

Tanglewood – Opening night – All-Tchaikovsky

Maestro James Levine opens his fifth season as the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s music director on Friday, July 3 in the Koussevitsky Music Shed in Lenox, MA with an all-Tchaikovsky program, Symphony No. 6 Pathétique, and the Piano Concerto No.1 with pianist Yefim Bronfman.

• Friday, July 3, 2009 – 8:30
• Google map: 297 West St., Lenox, MA 01240
• More info: 888.266.7575, customerservice@bso.org
• Program notes, Pathetique (PDF)
• Find Tanglewood tickets
• Tanglewood 2009 schedule overview

Berkshire Theatre Festival – The Prisoner of Second Avenue

Scheduled to run on the Berkshire Theatre Festival’s Main Stage in Stockbridge, MA from July 21 through August 8 is the Neil Simon play The Prisoner of Second Avenue, directed by Warner Shook, and a cast that includes Veanne Cox, Jeanne Paulsen, Alice Playten, and Stephen DeRosa.

• July 21-Aug. 8 – Opening night: July 25
• Google map – 6 East St., Stockbridge, MA
• More info: 413-298-5576 – info@berkshiretheatre.org
• Find Berkshire Theatre Festival tickets
• Berkshire Theatre Festival 2009 schedule overview

Jacob’s Pillow – Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

European choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Orbo Novo (New World) will be given its world premiere performance run by Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet in the Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA from July 8 through July 12, 2009.

• World premiere – Wednesday, July 8, 8PM
• Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet – see video
• Google map: 358 George Carter Road, Becket MA
• Further info: 413-243-0745; info@jacobspillow.org
• Jacob’s Pillow 2009 schedule overview

Williamstown Theatre Festival – True West

Pulitzer Prize winner Sam Shepard’s play True West, directed by Daniel Goldstein, with a cast including Paul Sparks, Nate Corddry, Stephen Kunken, and Debra Jo Rupp will be performed on the WTF’s Main Stage from July 15 through July 26, 2009.

• July 15-26 – Opening night: July 16
• Google map – 84 Spring St, Williamstown, MA
• More info: 413-597-3400 – wtfinfo@wtfestival.org
• Find Williamstown Theatre Festival tickets
• Williamstown Theatre Festival 2009 schedule details

Clark Art Institute – Georgia O’Keefe (Film)

One of the special events scheduled during the June 7 – September 7, 2009 exhibition Dove/O’Keefe; Circles of Influence, at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown,MA, will be 3 screenings of the film, Georgia O’Keeffe, wherein Ms. O’Keefe openly discusses her work and inspirations taken from the haunting mountain deserts of New Mexico.

• Friday, July 24, 2PM
• Google map: 225 South St., Williamstown, MA
• About the exhibition: Dove/O’Keefe at the Clark
• More info: 413-458-2303, General info.

Norman Rockwell Museum – Peter Rockwell Day!

Highlighting the 40th anniversary of the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA is the exhibition, Fantastical Faces of Peter Rockwell: A Sculptor’s Retrospective, on display from July 11 through October 25, 2009. Join Peter Rockwell for: a hands-on demonstration of the process of building 3D form around an armature in clay; Exhibition Walk and Talk – his commentary will lead you through indoor and outdoor gallery spaces; opening lecture & book signing – history of stone carving and the evolution of Peter Rockwell’s artwork, followed by a book signing and special reception with the artist.

• July 11, 2009 – 11AM – 5:30PM
• Google map: 9 Glendale Rd. Stockbridge, MA
• Find tickets
• More info: 413-298-4100; e-mail form

Shakespeare and Co. – Othello

William Shakespeare’s Othello, the gut-wrenching story of love, racism and betrayal, is being performed again this summer from July 3 through September 6, at Shakespeare and Co. in Lenox, MA. Tony Simotes directs a cast that includes John Douglas Thompson as Othello and Michael Hammond as Iago.

See also: Review of August 6, 2008 performance of Othello at Shakespeare and Co.

• July 3-Sept. 6 – Opening night July 4 7:30
• Google map: 70 Kemble St., Lenox, MA
• Find Shakespeare and Co. tickets
• More info: 413-637-1199, general@shakespeare.org
• Shakespeare and Co. 2009 schedule overview

Barrington Stage Co. – Sleuth

On the schedule for the 15th season of Barrington Stage Co., in Pittsfield, MA, is Anthony Shaffer’s Tony Award-winning thriller Sleuth, running July 16 through August 1. It will be directed by Jesse Berger and star Emmy Award-winner Charles Shaughnessy and Jeremy Bobb.

• Opening night – Sunday, July 19 at 5PM
• Google map: 30 Union St., Pittsfield, MA
• Find Barrington Stage Co. tickets
• More info: 413-236-8888; info@barringtonstageco.org
• Review of the June 21, 2009 performance of Carousel at Barrington Stage Co.

MASS MoCA – Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival

North Adams explodes with music from Thursday, July 16, through Saturday, August 1, as the fellows and faculty of the Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival use every available space on the MASS MoCA campus and throughout the community to create and perform new music.

• Highlight event: Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians” – July 25, 8PM
• Google map: 87 Marshall Street, North Adams, MA
• About “Bang on a Can summer festival” – pdf
• More info: 413.MoCA.111