If she weren’t such a genuinely gracious person, we might agree with others that singer Wanda Houston is our Berkshires diva. She is, after all, arguably the busiest performer in the Berkshires, and inarguably, the one with a huge fan club in the area. We know and love her, and follow her from venue to venue for her joyous mix of jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel, and rock and roll. She’s a headliner among women in the Berkshires for sure, but there are so many other female musicians and women of note — who aren’t musicians — that Houston felt compelled to create a special event to make sure others know about them. “Song and Dance! A Celebration of Women in the Berkshires” at The Colonial Theatre on March 24 will be a concert and acknowledgment, says Houston “by Berkshire women for Berkshire women.” (Men, of course, are welcome.)

Houston has put together an event with the other popular female singers in the area: Gina Coleman and Mary Ann Palermo. They’ll be accompanied by The All-Star Women’s Band. Members of the Olga Dunn Dance Co will perform. Interspersed among the musical performances will be tributes to women in the community who have largely been unsung.

“I wanted to bring attention to women who do things above and beyond, but don’t always get the awards,” she says. She rattles off the names of some of the honorees: Jane Ralph, executive director of Construct; Ilana Steinhauer, executive director of Volunteers in Medicine; Gwendolyn VanSant, chief executive offer and co-founding director of Multicultural BRIDGE; and Barbara Seddon, treasurer of Berkshires Jazz.

“About five years ago, I was singing at the Mission [tapas bar, now closed] with all women singers,” she says. “and thought about how different we all are, all the different things we’re each doing.” As one of Berkshire Magazine’s "Berkshire 25" last year, she was struck by the contributions of the other female nominees. And last summer, Houston portrayed Elizabeth Freeman in a one-woman play about the civil rights icon, the slave who sued for her freedom and won it in 1781 (Freeman was born in Claverack and died in Stockbridge).

“This is a celebration and acknowledgement of her,” Houston says. “She was the beginning of the end of slavery in the country. Why don’t we know more about her? And why don’t we know more about other women in our community doing amazing things? We need to bring attention to them.”

While Houston — singer, actress, recording artist, and vocal coach — gets her share of attention (including, we have to add, placing first in Rural Intelligence’s Readers’ Choice local band/musician category last year), how often to you see a band of female musicians? And local musicians, to boot? It’s her mission to bring these women to the front of stage, as well as shine a light on Elizabeth Freeman, a part of our local history, and namesake of the Elizabeth Freeman Center, the Berkshires nonprofit that serves victims of domestic and sexual violence. Fittingly, a portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to that Center.

“Song and Dance! A Celebration of Women of the Berkshires
Friday, March 24, 7:30 p.m.
The Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield, MA

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