by Mark G. Auerbach
The Capitol Steps. Photo by Richard Termine.
The Capitol Steps Return to Northampton on April 20
The Capitol Steps, the political musical satire group that has been putting the “mock” in democracy since 1981, returns to Northampton’s Academy of Music Theatre for their first appearance in Paradise City since 2009, with one performance only on Friday, April 20 at 7:30PM.
With plenty of opportunities to find laughs amidst the buffoonery in our Nation’s Capital, The Capitol Steps works overtime to capture the new administration’s antics in satire and song. And since The Capitol Steps mine their laughs from materials ripped from today’s and tomorrow’s headlines, you never know whether Rex Tillerson, Vladimir Putin, Jeff Sessions, or Kim Jong-un might appear from Mar-A-Lago or The White House.
The Capitol Steps’ upcoming performance of mostly new material and some old favorites “is cheaper than therapy”, says Mike Thornton, the Northern Connecticut native, who has been playing presidents from Reagan to Trump in his 21 years with The Capitol Steps. “No matter who is making the news, we all need a laugh. And as fast as a politician can send a tweet, our writers text us a new song or joke. Our show transcends all political views, and there’s always more than enough happening that’s worthy of satire.”
The Northampton performance of The Capitol Steps is made possible with support by New England Public Radio and WGBY Public Television.
For details on The Capitol Steps : www.capsteps.com, For Northampton performance details: 413-584-9032 ext. 105 or www.aomtheatre.com,
Leslie Odom Jr
Of Note
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra has announced its upcoming Pops series at The Bushnell. Carolyn Kuan conducts the opener, Star Wars: A New Hope In Concert on October 27. Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr follows on December 8. Let’s Dance, conducted by Carolyn Kuan on March 23 presents shimmy, tango, waltz, cha cha and more. The Pops perform Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™ in Concert on April 6. For details: 860-987-5900 or www.hartfordsymphony.org.
The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington has received a $50,000 Feigenbaum Foundation grant to fund arts education programs that welcome thousands of schoolchildren to live performances; support the theater’s youth ticket discount program, and important facility repairs and upgrades that are part of a Massachusetts Cultural Council Cultural Facilities Fund matching grant program. For details: www.mahaiwe.org
Debra Jo Rupp won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for her performance in The Cake at the Echo Theatre Company. The Berkshires resident returns home, when The Cake plays at Pittsfield’s Barrington Stage Company June 21-July 15. For details: https://barringtonstageco.org/season-shows/the-cake
Keep in Mind
Arts Beat Radio host Mark G. Auerbach talks with The Bushnell’s Paul Marte about the upcoming Broadway series that includes Hamilton; Silverthorne Theatre director Chris Rohmann about the world premiere of a new musical based on Moliere’s Tartuffe, and Ilona Somogyi, costume designer of Goodspeed’s The Will Rogers Follies. Tune in Wednesday, April 18 at 9AM on 89.5FM/WSKB. Tune in live on the airwaves, on Comcast ch. 15, or www.wskb.org
David Sedaris
David Sedaris, the best-selling author and humorist, visits The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield on April 13, under the auspices of Berkshire Theatre Group in association with The Bookloft. His forthcoming book of essays entitled Calypso is set to be published June 2018, and a second volume of his diaries is expected for summer 2019. For details: 413-997-4444 or www.berkshiretheatregroup.org.
The Texas Tenors
The Texas Tenors, the 3-time Emmy Award winning classical crossover, trio vocal group formed in 2009 by country singer JC Fisher, pop singer Marcus Collins and opera singer John Hagen, head to Springfield for a performance with The Springfield Symphony Orchestra on April 21 at Symphony Hall. Nicholas Palmer conducts. They were a top four finalist in the fourth season of America’s Got Talent, making them the highest ranking vocal group in the show’s history. For details: 413-733-2291 or www.springfieldsymphony.org.
The Young@Heart Chorus perform their new show Welcome To Your Life on April 21 at The Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, before heading to Europe on a tour. The performance also honors Roz Cilman, mother of Young@Heart founder Bob Cilman, who celebrates her 100th birthday on April 21. For details: 413-584-9032 ext. 105 or www.aomtheatre.com,
The UMass Wind Ensemble will perform at the Annual Saxophone Festival on April 14, at the UMass Fine Arts Center, under the auspices of the UMass Department of Music and Dance. Led by Director of Wind Studies Matthew Westgate, the Wind Ensemble will perform a number of works that feature the saxophone, including Northeastern Suite by UMass faculty member Felipe Salles, and Phillipe Geiss’s Sax Heroes featuring the acclaimed saxophone group The Moanin’ Frogs. For details: 413-545-2511, or www.fineartscenter.com
The Celtic Spirit, featuring Eileen Ivers will be performed by The Hartford Symphony Pops on April 21 at The Bushnell. Carolyn Kuan conducts. For details: 860-987-5900 or www.hartfordsymphony.org.
Alexander Calder’s White Rectangle, Red Disc, and Steel Hoops, from Joel Thome’s 1976 reconstruction of Socrate
American Puppet Modernism: The Early 20th Century, the new exhibit at UConn’s Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, features ground-breaking modernist performance sculptures first designed by famed Connecticut sculptor Alexander Calder for the 1936 production of Erik Satie’s symphonic drama Socrate at Hartford’s Wadsworth Atheneum. The Calders are on display through July 1. For details: 860-486-8580 or www.bimp.uconn.edu
Guys and Dolls, the musical comedy classic, is rocking the boat at West Springfield’s Majestic Theater through May 27. Damon Runyon’s colorful Times Square characters sing a slew of Frank Loesser showstoppers, from “Luck Be A Lady Tonight”, “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” to “A Bushel and a Peck”. Rand Foerster directs and Mitch Chakour is music director. For details: 413-747-7797 or www.majestictheater.com.
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Mark G. Auerbach studied theatre at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He’s worked for arts organizations and reported on theatre for newspapers and radio. Mark produces and hosts ArtsBeat Radio for 89.5fm/WSKB.
