Arts

Arts

Prodigal Percussionist: Kenny Aronoff’s Berkshire Rock Star Homecoming

By Robert Burke Warren “I was born with a lot of energy," says drummer extraordinaire and rock star Kenny Aronoff, on the phone from a Tempe, Arizona hotel. It is the understatement of the day. Technically, he is on a break from touring with John Fogerty, taking time to

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Arts

New Movie, 'Look Away,' Stars Hudson

By Jamie Larson When Location Manager Matthew Chamberlin needed to find small town backdrops with texture, character and some “authentic grit" for the setting of the dark comedy Look Away, starring Matthew Broderick and Chloe Sevigny, he said he found everything he could have hoped for in the always

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Arts

Review: "The Comedy of Errors" at Shakespeare & Company

By Dan Shaw When you walk into the Tina Packer Playhouse at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox for its production of The Comedy of Errors, you feel as if you’ve stumbled into a backyard barbecue scene about to be shot for a John Waters movie. The actors, who are

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Arts

At Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, Watch Musicals In The Making

By Robert Burke Warren When it comes to creating art, inspiration is only a fraction of the process. Artists also contend with time constraints, isolation, and financial woes, especially in aggressively capitalist, crowded, notoriously noisy New York City. Musical theater folks have it particularly hard; Broadway depends on lavish sure-

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Arts

Review: "Merrily We Roll Along" at Sharon Playhouse

By Dan ShawWalking out of the Sharon Playhouse after its exhilarating production of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, it’s impossible to comprehend how this musical was a flop when it opened on Broadway in 1981, closing after 16 performances. The story of three best friends — composer Franklin

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Arts

Q & A With Author And Activist Letty Cottin Pogrebin

"Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate" is the latest work by feminist icon Letty Cottin Pogrebin. Set in 1980s New York City, the novel focuses on Zach Levy, son of Holocaust survivors, who promises his mother on her deathbed that he will marry within the tribe.  Conflict ensues

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Arts

Review: "Oklahoma!" at Bard Summerscape

By Dan Shaw Everything is up to date at Bard Summerscape, where director Daniel Fish has gone as far as he can go in reimagining Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! (which opened on Broadway in 1943), transforming it into an edgy, immersive and sexy musical. If you’ve seen Oklahoma!

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Arts

'Dog Down' Pairs Man And Beast For Mutual Benefit

By Amy Krzanik “I’ve always been crazy about dogs, but when I was younger, my parents wouldn’t let me have one and it made me furious," says Candide Jones. “As an adult, I’ve had as many as five dogs at a time, but my veterinarian says

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Arts

Review: "My Fair Lady" at Sharon Playhouse

By Dan Shaw As the nine-piece Sharon Playhouse orchestra delivers a rousing rendition of the lush, melodic Overture to Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady, the heart overflows with expectations and the mind with anxiety: One wonders whether Rufus Collins as Professor Henry Higgins and Lee Harrington as

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Arts

Readers: Enjoy A Day Of Books And Authors At 'Off The Page'

By Paige Darrah New York City residents might be familiar with “Open House," in which publishing giant Random House invites readers to its offices to spend a day with A-list authors. In the wake of those successful events, Random House will take authors "Off the Page"

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Arts

Review: "Man of La Mancha" at Barrington Stage

By Dan Shaw We all know that Barrington Stage Company’s formidable founder Julianne Boyd excels when she is directing musicals with dark themes —remember her productions of Carousel and Sweeney Todd? Now, with Man of La Mancha, which is set in a prison during the Spanish Inquisition, she has

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Arts

Bard's 'Oklahoma' Puts The Audience In The Action (Picnic Style)

Heading the cast are Damon Daunno, Allison Strong, Amber Gray and Mary Testa. Photo by Julieta Cervantes. By Robert Burke Warren Bard SummerScape’s upcoming production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved Oklahoma! offers some surprises, especially if you’ve already seen the musical in its typically broad theatrical glory.

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