FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Great Barrington, Mass.—The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center will present stand-up comedian Lewis Black on September 21 and internationally-inspired pop band Pink Martini on October 12.
“The Mahaiwe is thrilled to bring great headlining performers to our stage this fall,” says Mahaiwe Executive Director Janis Martinson. “From Lewis Black’s firebrand humor to Pink Martini’s delightful blend of pop and jazz, these acts bring joy to their fans, and have sold out audiences at the Mahaiwe before. We’re excited to offer new opportunities to see both!”
Lewis Black
Lewis Black will return to the Mahaiwe on Saturday, September 21 at 8 p.m., for “Goodbye Yeller Brick Road, the Final Tour.”
Two-time Grammy award winning comedian/actor/writer Lewis Black uses his trademark style of comedic yelling and finger pointing to expose the absurdities of life. His comedic brilliance makes people laugh at life’s hypocrisies and the insanity he sees in the world. He has performed throughout the United States — including Carnegie Hall and two successful Broadway runs — and around the world.
Black is the longest-running contributor on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and his stand-up specials have appeared on HBO, Comedy Central, Showtime and Epix. His latest stand-up special, Tragically, I Need You — released last year and viewed over 1.6 million times on YouTube — explores topics including his ways of coping with the pandemic, his frustrations with the evolving world, and of course his thoughts about the chaos of America these last few years.
In 2015, Black notably voiced the character “Anger” in the Pixar Academy Award-winning film, Inside Out. His other notable films include Universal’s Accepted co-starring Jonah Hill, Blake Lively and Justin Long, and Man of the Year opposite Robin Williams, Christopher Walken, Laura Linney and Jeff Goldblum.
The comedian has released eight critically acclaimed comedy albums including the 2007 Grammy Award-winner, The Carnegie Hall Performance. He won his second Grammy in 2011 for the album Stark Raving Black and has six Grammys nominations total. He has published three bestsellers: Nothing’s Sacred (Simon & Schuster, 2005), Me of Little Faith (Riverhead Books, 2008) and I’m Dreaming of a Black Christmas (Riverhead Books, 2010).
A published playwright, he’s written over 40 plays and has found his work performed throughout the country, including at the A.C.T. Theatre, the Magic Theatre, The Williamstown Theatre Festival, and The Public Theatre.
Black performed previously at the Mahaiwe in 2018.
Tickets are $70 to $130, with discounts for Mahaiwe Members and individuals ages 30 and under.
Pink Martini
Pink Martini, featuring China Forbes, will make its sixth Mahaiwe appearance on Saturday, October 12 at 8 p.m., amidst the band’s 30th Anniversary Tour.
In 1994 in his hometown of Portland, Ore., Thomas Lauderdale was working in local politics, attending every political fundraiser under the sun, but was dismayed to find the music at these events underwhelming and lackluster. Drawing inspiration from music from all over the world — crossing genres of classical, jazz and old-fashioned pop — and hoping to appeal to conservatives and liberals alike, he founded the “little orchestra” Pink Martini to provide more beautiful and inclusive musical soundtracks for political fundraisers for causes such as civil rights, affordable housing, the environment, libraries, public broadcasting, education and parks.
One year later, Lauderdale called China Forbes, a Harvard classmate who was living in New York City, and asked her to join Pink Martini as the lead singer, and collaborator. Their first song “Sympathique (Je ne veux pas travailler)” became an overnight sensation in France, was nominated for “Song of the Year” at France’s Victoires de la Musique Awards and is still the band’s number one song. Says Lauderdale, “We’re very much an American band, but we spend a lot of time abroad and therefore have the incredible diplomatic opportunity to represent a broader, more inclusive America — the America which remains the most heterogeneously populated country in the world, composed of people of every country, every language, every religion.”
Featuring a dozen musicians, with songs in 25 languages, Pink Martini performs its multilingual repertoire on concert stages on six continents. After making its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 and its orchestral debut with the Oregon Symphony in 1998, the band has gone on to play with more than 50 orchestras around the world, including multiple engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Boston Pops, the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, the San Francisco Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the BBC Concert Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall in London. In 2014, Pink Martini was inducted into both the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame and the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.
Pink Martini has released 11 studio albums on its own independent label Heinz Records (named after Lauderdale’s dog), selling over 3 million albums worldwide.
Tickets are $45 to $125, with discounts for Mahaiwe Members and individuals ages 30 and under.
Tickets
Tickets go on sale to Mahaiwe Members on Wednesday, April 17 at noon, and to the public on Saturday, April 20 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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