FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Great Barrington, Mass.—Novelist Terry Hayes, dance company Ballet Hispánico, blues rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Samantha Fish, “Sing & Swing” – A Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents Production, and blues rock guitarist and vocalist Joanne Shaw Taylor will appear on the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center stage this winter.
“These performances are sure to add zip to the mud season,” says Mahaiwe Executive Director Janis Martinson. “Terry Hayes has a thriller to share; renowned dance troupe Ballet Hispánico will bring stirring rhythms; and Jazz at Lincoln Center offers musical virtuosity in an American Songbook rendering. With Samantha Fish and Joanne Shaw Taylor one month apart, we have two powerhouses wielding guitars and vocals to take the blues to new heights.”
The Bookloft & Mahaiwe present: A Live Conversation with Terry Hayes / New Book Release – Year of the Locust
The Mahaiwe and The Bookloft will co-present a live talk with Terry Hayes to commemorate the release of his new novel, The Year of the Locust, on Monday, February 5 at 7 p.m. The event will be moderated by Joe Donahue of WAMC Radio’s The Roundtable.
The Year of the Locust is Terry Hayes’ second novel. His first, I Am Pilgrim was an international bestseller.
Hayes launched his creative writing career partnering with Geroge Miller on the screenplay for Road Warrior/Mad Max 2. He also co-produced and wrote Dead Calm, the film which launched Nicole Kidman’s international movie career, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and many TV movies and mini-series – including Bodyline and Bangkok Hilton – two of which received international Emmy nominations. In all, he has won over twenty film and television awards.
Hayes was born in Sussex, England, and migrated to Australia where he worked in journalism early in his career. After moving to Los Angeles, he worked as a screenwriter on major studio productions. His credits include Payback with Mel Gibson, From Hell, starring Johnny Depp, and Vertical Limit with Chris O’Donnell. He has also done un-credited writing on a host of other movies including Reign of Fire, Cliffhanger and Flightplan, starring Jodie Foster.
Tickets are $8 for general admission and $40 for general admission plus a copy of the book.
Ballet Hispánico
Ballet Hispánico – the nation’s renowned Latine/x/Hispanic dance organization and one of America’s Cultural Treasures – will return to the Mahaiwe stage on Saturday, March 2 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. For 50 years, Ballet Hispánico has been bringing communities together to celebrate and explore Latino cultures through innovative dance performances, transformative dance training, and enduring community engagement experiences.
The organization’s founder, National Medal of Arts recipient Tina Ramirez, sought to give voice to the Hispanic experience and break through stereotypes. Today, Ballet Hispánico is led by Artistic Director & CEO Eduardo Vilaro, an acclaimed choreographer and former member of the company, whose vision of social equity, cultural identity, and quality arts education for all drives its programs. Vilaro has infused Ballet Hispánico’s legacy with a bold and eclectic brand of contemporary dance that reflects America’s changing cultural landscape.
The company’s repertory for these performances consists of Línea Recta by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, ¡Si Señor! ¡Es Mi Son! (excerpt) by Alberto Alonso, Danse Creole (excerpt) by Geoffrey Holder, Buscando a Juan (excerpt) by Eduardo Vilaro, and 18+1 by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano.
Tickets are $34 to $84 with discounts for Mahaiwe Members and individuals ages 30 and under.
Samantha Fish
Blues rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Samantha Fish will perform on Saturday, March 16 at 8 p.m., with an opening act performance by Sgt. Splendor.
Samantha Fish is known first and foremost for her fretwork. Fish’s secret weapon is her astute and nuanced storytelling and ultra-vivid detail from carefully honing her craft. As one of the most dynamic blues forces in the world today she continues to blaze a trail of her own. In 2022, Fish worked with producer Jon Spencer of the Blues Explosion and featured Outlaw Country legend Jesse Dayton and the two landed a chart-topping album Death Wish Blues which is nominated for a Grammy Award nomination in the Contemporary Blues Category. Fish was a highlight on Eric Clapton’s Crossroads show in Los Angeles last September and spent most of the year touring the Death Wish Blues project. Over the years, Fish has maintained her reputation as a phenomenal live act and repeatedly turned out critically acclaimed albums, earning an ever-growing number of accolades. In 2024, Samantha will be touring with her own band playing the songs that her fans love.
Tickets are $34 to $54 with discounts for Mahaiwe Members and individuals ages 30 and under.
Sing & Swing” – A Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents Production
The Mahaiwe will present “Sing & Swing,” a Jazz at Lincoln Center Production featuring Bria Skonberg and Benny Benack III, on Saturday, March 23 at 8 p.m.
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents touring initiative provides great jazz programming, featuring up-and-coming musicians who have been identified as rising stars by JALC. After the success of JALC Presents Songs We Love tour, this new and highly anticipated touring project from Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents celebrates the Great American Songbook in all of its playful – and sophisticated glory – brought to life by two of this generation’s brightest stars.
Each armed with prodigious trumpet talent and vocal charm, Co-Music Directors Bria Skonberg and Benny Benack III will re-live and re-imagine some of the classic partners in jazz and popular song, including Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and Bing Crosby and Dean Martin and Peggy Lee. Featuring songs by Gershwin, Ellington, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and many more and joined by a who’s who of New York all-stars, this is an “unforgettable” evening of singin’ and swingin’ with Bria and Benny.
Performers include Bria Skonberg on trumpet and vocals, Benny Benack III on trumpet and vocals, Jocelyn Gould on guitar, Miki Yamanaka on piano, Charles Goold on drums, and Mark Lewandowski on bass.
For over three decades, Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) has been a leading advocate for jazz, culture, and arts education globally. Under the direction of Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center has brought the art form of jazz from the heart of New York City to over 446 cities in more than 40 countries.
Tickets are $34 to $69 with discounts for Mahaiwe Members and individuals ages 30 and under.
Joanne Shaw Taylor
Blues rock guitarist and vocalist Joanne Shaw Taylor will perform at the Mahaiwe on Friday, April 19 at 8 p.m.
Join Joanne Shaw Taylor and her stellar band performing songs from her critically acclaimed studio album, Nobody’s Fool, as well as songs from the upcoming new album. Her guitar prowess, vocal abilities, and songwriting talents reach new heights as she presents a bold slate of material at the peak of her career. Taylor will also dig deep into her rich back catalogue where she will hand-pick songs from her previous recordings along with classic blues songs.
Tickets are $34 to $64 with discounts for Mahaiwe Members and individuals ages 30 and under.
Tickets
Tickets go on sale to Mahaiwe Members on Wednesday, December 13 at noon, and to the public on Friday, December 15 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 74 different schools have benefited from the Mahaiwe’s school-time performances and residencies. For more information, see mahaiwe.org.
Images:
“Sing & Swing” – A Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents Production