FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Great Barrington, Mass.—The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center will present three mainstage programs, four Indigo Room acts, and one screening this August: the 2026 Mahaiwe Gala with Anthony Roth Costanzo on August 2; New York Theatre Workshop’s Mind the Gap public performance on August 7; The American President (1995) on August 7; Lala Tamar & Friends on August 8; Wizard Academy! on August 9; Ari Hest on August 14; Mike Lebovitz on August 15; and Berkshire Opera Festival’s Lucia di Lammermoor on August 22, 25, and 28.
Mainstage: 2026 Gala with Anthony Roth Costanzo
Opera singer Anthony Roth Costanzo will perform at the Mahaiwe’s 2026 Gala on Sunday, August 2 at 8 p.m.
Grammy-winning countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo began performing professionally at the age of 11 and has since appeared in opera, concert, recital, film, and on Broadway. He is the General Director and President of Opera Philadelphia, and the Artistic Director of SongStudio at Carnegie Hall. He has appeared with many of the world’s leading opera companies and orchestras including the Metropolitan Opera, Opera National de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Teatro Real Madrid, New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Met Orchestra Chamber Ensemble, and NDR at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, among others. He has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Versailles, Madison Square Garden, The Hollywood Bowl, Kabuki-Za Tokyo, The Guggenheim, The Park Avenue Armory, and Joe’s Pub.
Costanzo stars in the Metropolitan Opera’s recording and DVD of Akhnaten, which won him a Grammy Award, and his solo album ARC was nominated for a Grammy, as was his recording of the title role in John Corigliano’s Lord of Cries. Constanzo collaborated with cabaret legend Justin Vivian Bond on the album Only an Octave Apart. His future projects include a new solo album and a forthcoming book.
As a producer, he has created projects for The Paris Opera, The New York Philharmonic, The BBC Proms, WQXR, and St. Ann’s Warehouse, among others. Costanzo graduated with honors from Princeton University and the Manhattan School of Music. A winner of the Met Opera National Council Auditions and Operalia, Costanzo also has an Honorary Doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music, and he has been a visiting fellow at Oxford University and a distinguished visiting scholar at Harvard University.
Costanzo’s performance will include pianist Bryan Wagorn.
Performance-only tickets are $75 to $100.
Indigo Room: Mind the Gap
Following a weeklong theatre workshop at the Mahaiwe, participating youth and elders will perform in a public show at the Indigo Room on Friday, August 7 at 7 p.m.
Named Mind the Gap, the program is conducted by New York Theatre Workshop and focuses on themes including identity, legacy, and empathy.
Attendance is free with reservations.
Screening: 100 Years of Movies – The American President (1995)
The Mahaiwe will screen The American President (1995) on Friday, August 7 at 7 p.m., concluding this year’s 100 Years of Movies lineup.
The American President is a political romantic comedy about President and widower Andrew Shepherd’s (Michael Douglas) struggle to balance his professional, political and personal life. In the mix are his Chief of Staff (Martin Sheen), his Senior Advisor (Michael J. Fox) and a high-powered lobbyist (Annette Bening). Directed by Rob Reiner with a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, the film was the inspiration for Sorkin’s hit series, The West Wing. Rated PG-13.
100 Years of Movies screenings feature introductions by director Deborah Reinisch.
Tickets are $8 or $5 for ages 12 and under.
Indigo Room: Lala Tamar & Friends
World music act Lala Tamar & Friends featuring Yacouba Sissoko will perform two shows at the Indigo Room on Saturday, August 8 at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Lala Tamar is what happens when Moroccan soul and Brazilian beats meet on the dance floor. A singer songwriter, poet, guimbri player, dancer and world traveler, Lala Tamar stirs ancient North African rituals into fresh, feminine alchemy. She sings in Arabic, Amazigh and Portuguese, making music that feels like flipping through your grandmother’s photo album while dancing in a poppy dreamscape.
Lala made history as the first artist to record a contemporary album in Haquetia and one of the first women to introduce the guimbri to new musical worlds. She’s shared stages with North African greats like Karim Ziad, Khadija El Warzazia, and Mehdi Nassouly, and recently made her Lincoln Center debut in New York City.
With her new original album in the making, written mainly in Darija, Lala takes you on an intimate feminine Moroccan dive, an up-beat tribute to her ancestry. Lala invites you to join her world: a place of play and poetry, softness and strength, where music isn’t just heard… it’s remembered.
The ensemble explores the sounds of a caravan moving through the Sahara, shaabi grooves from Agahadir and Algiers, African strings, Arab ornamentations, music for ceremonies of healing, trances and spells of connection, poetry pulled from distant centuries. It is an unforgettable evening of friendship, love and humanity that transcends borders.
Master kora player Yacouba Sissoko devotes his musical gift to expand the awareness of West African history and culture, spread the word of peace, and empower his listeners to take charge and realize their imagined futures. His performances have a magical effect on audiences as he skillfully transforms the traditional songs and stories of his forefathers into modern day messages of peace, love, and harmony. Yacouba was born to a well-known Djeli family in Kita, Mali. For centuries, Djelis have been the musical storytellers, a position that is inherited through a family bloodline. Highly respected within their communities, they are the keepers of the factual history and the fictional fables of past rulers, nobles, social groups and families. The kora, a 21-stringed plucked instrument with a gourd resonator, is the traditional instrument accompanying their songs. At the age of 9, Yacouba started learning the kora and the oral traditions associated with it from his grandfather. By 15, he was touring the country sharing the stories passed down through his family for centuries. He attended the National Institute of the Arts in Bamako, where he immediately caught the attention of the music world there and began touring with noted artists and ensembles such as Ami Koita, Kandia Kouyate, the Raoul Fulero Ensemble, and l’Ensemble National du Mali (the orchestra that both his mother and grandmother sang with). Rooted to give back to the community, Yacouba offers cultural programs and benefit concerts all over the world. He continues to blend his virtuosity effortlessly with other musical styles, ranging from Indian ragas to Appalachian tunes. Currently, Yacouba can be seen performing regularly with Regina Carter and his own band, SIYA.
Tickets are $43 general admission, café table seating.
Mainstage: Wizard Academy!
The Mahaiwe will present a free family program, Wizard Academy!, on Sunday, August 9 at 4 p.m.
The bumbling Professor Hackensneeze (David Engel) makes a visit from the Realm of Mysteries to teach children 4 to 12 the secrets of their innermost powers. Join this loony professor of wizardry as he leads children on a zany day-in-the-life of a “Wizard in Training” (W.I.T). During Wizard Academy!, children will have their brain, eyes and reflexes tested with fun challenges and illusions that stir up the primal forces of their imaginations with instruction on potions, wand etiquette, and levitation. Hallmarks of this riotous family-friendly show are madcap sound effects, slapstick antics, talking trolls and a visit from his furry sidekick Mortimer. Children encouraged to attend in costume. Ages 4 and up.
David Engel is a veteran family entertainer and sailor who tours his eccentric clown-theatre acts and inspirational arts in education shows to performing arts centers, festivals, and educational institutions nationwide.
Attendance is free with reservations.
This program is sponsored by Highland Street Foundation’s August Adventures 2026.
Indigo Room: Ari Hest
Folk musician Ari Hest will perform at the Indigo Room on Friday, August 14 at 8 p.m.
Ari Hest has crafted a unique path in music – independently building a loyal following through relentless college touring, then on to major label albums, and then reimagining listener engagement through fan-driven projects like “52” and his Patreon-powered “The Treehouse Project.”
A Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter (best folk album, 2017) who began his career two decades ago, he’s performed both in the U.S. and abroad with artists like The Indigo Girls, Martin Sexton, Judy Collins and Suzanne Vega.
Many of Ari’s songs have appeared on TV and film – The Path, The Lincoln Lawyer, Private Practice, Army Wives, and One Tree Hill to name a few.
Ari’s newest endeavor, “The Treehouse Project,” has him writing, recording and releasing a song on his Patreon every two weeks since early 2022. Based on the votes of his subscribers, he remixes the 10 favorite songs from each year and releases an album. The project is currently in its fourth year and is approaching 100 original songs.
Tickets are $35 general admission, café table seating.
Indigo Comedy Night: Mike Lebovitz
Comedian Mike Lebovitz will perform at the Indigo Room on Saturday, August 15 at 8 p.m., as part of the venue’s ongoing comedy series.
Mike Lebovitz began his comedy career at the age of six with clowning classes at the local JCC. He’s been delighting crowds with his intoxicating brand of wild-eyed humor ever since. Lebo’s irreverent bar-stool philosophy careens from topic to topic like a runaway freight train with dubious couplings. Audiences have described the experience as “spontaneous,” “joyful” and “slightly terrifying.”
Lebo cut his teeth in Chicago (not as painful as it sounds), where he was a regular at Zanies Comedy Club, The Laugh Factory and Comedy Bar Chicago. He co-founded the popular showcase, Comedians You Should Know, which he brought to New York City in 2016. It has since become the weekly go-to spot to see comedy legends and up-and-comers rock the same mic.
Internationally, Lebo has offended olfactory bulbs in Montreal as a “New Face” of the 2013 Just For Laughs, and he won The Montreux Comedy Festival competition in Switzerland. He’s been featured on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, and HBO’s The Deuce. His debut album, Two Slob Household is available on all platforms; be sure to check out his Don’t Tell Special, School vs. Sleep: The Eternal Struggle on Peacock, Amazon Prime and YouTube.
Indigo Comedy Night shows are hosted by Thomas Attila Lewis and feature supporting comedians before the headliner. This performance is for ages 18 and up.
Indigo Comedy Night shows are sponsored by Fairfield Inn by Mariott.
Tickets are $30 general admission, café table seating.
Mainstage: Berkshire Opera Festival’s Lucia di Lammermoor
The Mahaiwe and Berkshire Opera Festival will present Lucia di Lammermoor on Saturday, August 22 at 1 p.m.; Tuesday, August 25 at 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, August 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Lucia di Lammermoor reigns as the crown jewel of bel canto opera. Set amid the foggy moors and ancient castles of Scotland, Donizetti’s masterpiece tells the tragic story of Lucia, whose forbidden love for her family’s sworn enemy drives her to the brink of madness. When her brother forces her into a loveless marriage, Lucia’s heart—and mind—shatter in one of opera’s most unforgettable scenes. Renowned for its breathtaking drama and virtuosic singing, Lucia di Lammermoor remains one of the most celebrated works in the operatic canon, a timeless showcase of the full power and passion of the human voice.
Tickets start at $20.
Tickets
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 for live Mahaiwe Presents events on the mainstage. Visit or call the Box Office to redeem this offer.
The Mahaiwe accepts ConnectorCare/WIC/EBT cards — four free tickets to movies or HD broadcasts per individual. Learn more at mahaiwe.org/visit/ticketing-offers.
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, opera, 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 2,500 events and welcomed over 600,000 people through its doors. More than 28,000 students from 77 different schools have benefited from the Mahaiwe’s school-time performances and residencies. In 2025, the Mahaiwe opened a second performance venue, the Indigo Room. For more information, see mahaiwe.org.
About the Indigo Room
The Indigo Room is a flexible performance venue in the former Great Barrington firehouse building at 20 Castle Street, next door to the historic Mahaiwe theater. Audience capacity ranges between 75 and 150 based on the floor plan for a given performance.
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