FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Great Barrington, Mass.—The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center will present performances from comedian Ryan Hamilton on June 17, jazz trumpeter Chris Botti on July 13, banjoist Béla Fleck with a full bluegrass band on August 4, and entertainers Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro in a cabaret show on August 11. The theater will announce more 2023 performances in the coming weeks and throughout the year.
“After belly-laughing while watching his clips on Youtube, I am thrilled to be introducing Ryan Hamilton to Berkshire audiences,” says Mahaiwe Executive Director Janis Martinson. “His sly, accessible humor has a tone of genial genius that is a good fit for the Mahaiwe stage. Chris Botti, Béla Fleck, Alan Cumming, and Ari Shapiro, musical luminaries we are pleased to be able to bring back, are all versatile geniuses of varying flavors. Botti brings jazz and pop influences in his rich sound; Fleck and his amazingly talented band are homing in on bluegrass licks for this show; and Cumming and Shapiro are mixing a sprightly spirit into their cabaret performance.”
Ryan Hamilton
Comedian Ryan Hamilton will perform stand-up on Saturday, June 17 at 8 p.m. Ryan’s one-hour Netflix stand-up special, Happy Face, has been reviewed as “the special you can’t watch enough times.” This has been followed by a wealth of television appearances and a non-stop headlining tour. Armed with the unique perspective of growing up in rural Idaho to become a favorite in the New York stand-up comedy scene, he’s one-of-a-kind. He’s been named one of Rolling Stone’s Five Comics to Watch; and his recent appearances include The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Conan, as well as opening spots for Jerry Seinfeld and Jim Gaffigan. Tickets are $29 to $44, with discounts for Mahaiwe Members and individuals ages 30 and under.
Chris Botti
The Mahaiwe will present jazz trumpeter Chris Botti on Thursday, July 13 at 8 p.m. For over two decades, Grammy Award-winning master trumpeter and composer Chris Botti has amassed a spectacular variety of honors, including multiple Gold and Platinum albums, to become the nation’s largest selling instrumental artist. His mesmerizing performances with a stunning array of legends such as Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Yo-Yo Ma, Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Andrea Bocelli have cemented his place as one of the most brilliant and inspiring forces of the contemporary music scene. Whether he’s performing with illustrious symphonies or at renowned venues around the globe, his unparalleled crystalline and poetic sound transcends musical boundaries. Tickets are $53 to $128, with discounts for Mahaiwe Members and individuals ages 30 and under.
Béla Fleck – My Bluegrass Heart Band
Renowned banjoist Béla Fleck will perform with a band in support of his newest album, My Bluegrass Heart (2021), on Friday, August 4 at 8 p.m. Béla’s My Bluegrass Heart Band features Grammy-winning Fiddler Hall of Famer Michael Cleveland, as well as Sierra Hull, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz, and Bryan Sutton.
My Bluegrass Heart marks the third chapter in a decades-spanning trilogy which, by the 15-time Grammy-winner’s own counting, started with 1988’s Drive and continued with The Bluegrass Sessions, released eleven years later. Over the long and lauded course of his unique creative run, Fleck – the world’s premier banjo virtuoso and a celebrated musical adventurer – has both dug deep into his instrument’s complex global history and unlocked the breadth of its possibilities. My Bluegrass Heart is a homecoming in sound, to be sure.
Tickets are $50 to $75, with discounts for Mahaiwe Members and individuals ages 30 and under.
Alan Cumming & Ari Shapiro: Och & Oy! A Considered Cabaret
Multi-talented entertainers Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro will perform in Och & Oy! A Considered Cabaret on Friday, August 11 at 8 p.m. Cumming (Cabaret, The Good Wife) and Shapiro (NPR’s All Things Considered, Pink Martini) both transport audiences to other worlds through their stories. Now, they’re joining forces in song. Witness the exclusive debut of their new evening of tunes and tall tales titled Och & Oy! A Considered Cabaret. Musical direction by Henry Koperski.
Originally planned for 2020 and postponed numerous times, this program and the capacity to finally present it hold special significance to the Mahaiwe community and fans of Cumming and Shapiro. Tickets are $41 to $146, with discounts for Mahaiwe Members and individuals ages 30 and under.
Tickets
Tickets for Ryan Hamilton and Chris Botti go on sale to Mahaiwe Members this Friday, March 10 at noon and to the public next Wednesday, March 15 at noon. Tickets for Béla Fleck and Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro go on sale to Mahaiwe Members next Friday, March 17 at noon and to the public on Wednesday, March 22 at noon. Tickets can be purchased online at mahaiwe.org, or by calling or visiting the Box Office, 413-528-0100, on Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
For more information on Mahaiwe Membership, visit mahaiwe.org/membership, or contact Advancement Manager Melissa Canavan at 413-644-9040, ext. 107 or melissa@mahaiwe.org.
Individuals ages 30 and under are eligible for $15 tickets directly through the Box Office.
For the latest COVID safety protocols, visit mahaiwe.org/update.
About the Mahaiwe
Located in downtown Great Barrington, Mass., the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center is the year-round presenter of world-class music, dance, theater, classic films, Live in HD broadcasts, and arts education programs for the southern Berkshires and neighboring regions. The intimate jewel box of a theater opened in 1905. Since 2005, the performing arts center has hosted over 1,500 events and welcomed over half a million people through its doors. More than 25,700 students from 73 different schools have benefited from the Mahaiwe’s school-time performances and residencies. For more information, see mahaiwe.org.
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