FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Great Barrington, Mass.—The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center will present rock music legend Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues on July 19, and the Grammy-winning choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo on August 9.
“Justin Hayward and Ladysmith Black Mambazo make two more great additions to our programming this summer, adding classic rock and South African vocal styles to the lineup” says Executive Director Janis Martinson. “After announcing comedian Patton Oswalt last week, and a host of other musical acts including Ben Folds, Keb’ Mo’, and Lyle Lovett with Lisa Loeb before that, we are building a calendar with variety and quality as two of our biggest priorities.”
The Mahaiwe announces programming on a rolling basis, scheduling year-round.
Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues
The Mahaiwe will present Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues on Friday, July 19 at 8 p.m. Having chalked up over fifty years at the peak of the music and entertainment industry, Justin Hayward’s voice and guitar playing has been heard the world over. Known principally as the vocalist, lead guitarist and composer for the widely prolific English rock band The Moody Blues, his is an enduring talent that has helped to define the times in which he has worked.
As the driving force behind The Moody Blues, Justin penned classics like “Nights in White Satin,” “Question,” “New Horizons,” “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Story in Your Eyes,” “The Voice” and “Your Wildest Dreams.” Over the last five and a half decades, the band has sold upwards of fifty-five million albums and, along with Justin as a solo artist and writer, received numerous awards. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, whilst Justin was personally honored in 2022 with an OBE.
English guitar player Mike Dawes will provide support as the night’s opening act.
Tickets are $43 to $83, with discounts for Mahaiwe Members and individuals ages 30 and under.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ladysmith Black Mambazo will return to the Mahaiwe stage on Friday, August 9 at 8 p.m., having sold out the theater during its last visit in 2015.
For 60 years, South Africa’s five-time Grammy Award winners, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has warmed the hearts of audiences worldwide with uplifting vocal harmonies, signature dance moves and charming onstage banter. It was Paul Simon’s 1987 Graceland album that introduced Ladysmith Black Mambazo to the world. The late former South African President Nelson Mandela designated the group “South Africa’s cultural ambassadors to the world,” a title the members carry with them with the highest honor. In 2018 the group received not one but two Grammy Award nominations for two separate albums, a first in the history of World Music. These two nominations brought their career total to 19 Grammy Award nominations. One of these albums, Shaka Zulu Revisited, won Best World Music Album. This was the group’s fifth Grammy Award win, the most for any World Music group. In 2019, Ladysmith Black Mambazo collaborated for the third time with the famed Steppenwolf Theatre Company on a production entitled Lindiwe and released an album with songs from the show.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo has performed for millions of people, singing a message of peace, love and harmony. With their 2024 release, Soothe My Soul…Songs From Our South African Church, the group puts their own spin on gospel music.
Tickets are $39 to $59, with discounts for Mahaiwe Members and individuals ages 30 and under.
Tickets
Tickets go on sale to Mahaiwe Members on Wednesday, March 20 at noon, and to the public on Friday, 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.
To learn more about Mahaiwe Membership, contact Brenna Hull at 413-644-9040 x107 or brenna@mahaiwe.org, or visit mahaiwe.org/membership.
Individuals ages 30 and under are eligible for $15 youth tickets. Visit the Box Office or call 413-528-0100 Wednesday through Saturday, from noon to 4 p.m.
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 26,000 students from 75 different schools have benefited from the Mahaiwe’s school-time performances and residencies. For more information, see mahaiwe.org.
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