O Say Can You See Those Great Fireworks?
The Irish weather we’ve been having this summer is enough to bring out the nascent party animal in anyone. What follows is a list of Fireworks Plus, 4th of July agendas so rich in diversion, they’re guaranteed to keep the revelry going, rain or shine. There are demolition derbies, mini-county fairs, an afternoon and evening filled with historically-correct fun and games, and a legendary parade that has been cited by U.S.A. Today as one of America’s 10 Best. Of course, they all end the same way, with fireworks, that awe-inspiring incendiary art.
Food News: Tortillaville, Already on the Move
Tortillaville, a taco and burrito stand across from the Hudson railroad station, had only been open 15 days when owners Allison Culbertson and Brian Branigan were offered a space on the busy corner of Fifth & Warren Streets. Naturally, they grabbed it, and by this weekend, they will be all set up. That’s the beauty of a concession trailer—so easy to move. The only question: the loose conviviality and sense of oasis that made Tortillaville Taco and Burrito Garden such an instant hit in its old, grassy location; is that portable too?
Farming: The Midlife Crisis Career OptionFor 15 years, Roberto Flores ran Seven Hills, the inn next door to The Mount in Lenox. When he finally sold it last spring and found new venues for all the weddings he had booked, he had no idea what to do with his life. During the winter, he decided he wanted to try farming so he went out to California for a six-week apprenticeship and now he’s selling the vegetables he grows in Ashley Falls at the Sheffield and Millerton Farmers’ Markets. |
Happenings: Art By the Train StationCall it MASS MoCA South. The Wassaic Project is an ambitious attempt to bring contemporary art and performance to an unlikely setting: a partially restored granary next to the railroad tracks a half mile south of the last stop on Metro-North’s Harlem Line. On July 3, there will be a benefit opening for an exhibition of non-traditional landscape paintings and photographs to raise funds for the Wassaic Project’s free arts festival in August. |
Parties: Opening Night of Williamstown Theatre FestivalFor 55 summers, the Williamstown Theatre Festival has been assembling the best actors, writers and directors, transforming one of the prettiest college towns in America into a rural Broadway. By tradition, WTF invites the opening night audience to the post performance party, and after seeing A.R. Gurney’s Children theatergoers were treated to watermelon, Champagne and ice cream cones. |
Dan's Diary: The Greatest Generation's Greatest Musical?Rodgers & Hammestein’s Carousel, which was their followup to Oklahoma!, is a musical theater icon, and Barrington Stage Company’s production is emphatic, empathetic and entertaining . . . . Nathan Lane apparently has a doppelgänger named Omri Schein, and he is starring in TriArts’ exhilarating production of Stephen Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. . . . You don’t need to be Jewish to enjoy Annette Miller’s masterful performance as the late Israeli prime minister in Golda’s Balcony at Shakespeare & Company. |
RI Selects: Music & DanceIf you want to feel good about where you live, take a look at the range and quality of the offerings in our region this weekend alone. James Levine conducts an all-Tchaikovsky program at Tanglewood, the Slovenia Ballet performs their extraordinary Radio & Juliet at Jacob’s Pillow, Shirley Jones lights up the Mainstage at Barrington Stage Company, Maria Muldaur sings out for social justice at Infinity Music Hall, and The Capital Steps mocks the status quo at Cranwell Resort. |
Community: The Mix Master of the MahaiweSince its renovation and grand reopening four years ago, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington has become known for its diverse cultural and social offerings—from readings by the Berkshire Playwrights Lab and concerts by Rufus Wainwright and Judy Collins to live broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera and the Obama inauguration. Beryl Jolly is the impresario who keeps the lineup lively. |
