On Saturday, May 21, in Great Barrington, opera’s great dramatic soprano Deborah Voigt performed a rare intimate recital at the Mahaiwe Gala to benefit the theater's year-round programming fund. Local opera lovers were thrilled to have Voigt all to themselves, having just seen her star turn as Brunnhilde in the the Metropolitan Opera's "Live in HD" broadcast of Wagner's Die Walkure the previous week. Accompanied by pianist Brian Zeger, she sang both songs from the classical canon and American standards, including a wicked rendition of Irving Berlin’s “I Love a Piano.” After the concert, patrons walked a red carpet set up from the Mahaiwe's front steps to Castle Street Café next door, where they enjoyed a champagne reception with the artists
Jill and Bob Jaffe, a co-artistic director of Berkshire Playwrights Lab; Beryl Jolly, the executive director of the Mahaiwe; Deborah Voigt; Brian Zegerpianist and Voigt’s accompanist on Saturday; Lola Jaffe, founding president and chair of the Mahaiwe board of directors
Russ O’Connor, Darilyn Woods, a vice president of Salisbury Bank, the sponsor of the gala, and Margot Wood.
Horticulturist Valerie Locher with Don Buchwald; Roselle & Alan Chartock of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
Betsy Abelow with Barry & Marjorie Shapiro. Photos by Michael Lavin Flower.
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
