Wednesday, April 23
PITTSFIELD — Nostalgia. The world's cultures. Laughter. Those are the building blocks of the Colonial Theatre's 2008-09 season, which opens June 1 and runs through June 14, 2009.

The season runs a gamut from opera at LaScala to music by Pink Floyd, jazz from New Orleans, and performances by Jim Brickman, Arlo Guthrie, Livingston Taylor and his sister, Kate, The Klezmatics, the Drepung Loseling monks from Tibet, and tributes to The Rat Pack, Billy Joel, and Buddy Holly.

It's programming fit for this period of economic uncertainty, says the Colonial's executive director, David Fleming, who unveiled the Colonial's third season — the second he has put together since taking over the Colonial's top job in June 2006 — at a lightly attended public presentation today in the handsomely restored downtown theater.

"I've run theaters in recessions before and it's not very comfortable," Fleming said in an interview a few days before today's presentation. "We usually take the first hit when it comes to discretionary spending.

"My intention was to control our costs and not raise our ticket prices. As a result, a lot of things didn't make the cut."

Cost control was not the only determining factor in putting together the 2008-09 season.

"I wanted to narrow our season down to those things we've

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seen elicit the strongest responses from our audiences in terms of ticket sales," Fleming said. "We've had a strong positive response, for example, to nostalgia. At times of financial stress, people want to look back to times of comfort."

Musical presentations are the season's centerpiece.

Highlights include:

  • Singer-songwriters Marc Cohn, Livingston Taylor and Kate Taylor, Arlo Guthrie, Jim Brickman.

  • Guitarists Jorma Kaukonen, Robben Ford and Ruthie Foster in an evening called "Guitar Blues."

  • The shows "Mother Load," "Menopause the Musical," and "Footloose."

  • Comedy offerings by Steve Solomon ("My Sister's an Only Child"), and Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson ("World of Jewtopia").

  • Tribute shows to the Rat Pack — Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop; Pink Floyd (The Machine Performs Pink Floyd); Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper ("The Winter Dance Party"); and contemporary songwriters Billy Joel and Elton John ("The Piano Men" with Jim Witter).

  • An array of international artists from Peru, China, Ireland, West Africa, Japan, and The Mystical Arts of Tibet with the Drepung Loseling monks, who will be in town for a weeklong residency leading to a performance on June 14.

    For opera fans, the Colonial is presenting a new Sunday Opera series — digital telecasts from the LaScala Opera. The series begins June 1 with "Aida" and continues through July 27 with performances of "Tristan und Isolde," "Il Trittico," "La Traviata," "Maria Stuarda," "La Forza del Destino" and "La Rondine." The LaScala series returns Dec. 21 and will run monthly on Sundays through June 14, 2009.

    The Richard Tucker Gala will be simulcast from the Metropolitan Opera in New York Oct. 26.

    The Young Concert Artists series, featuring up-and-coming concert musicians, will return but as part of the Colonial's Performing Arts for Kids programs.

    The Colonial will host Berkshire Opera's production of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" in August. This presentation is part of a new Colonial series, Berkshire County Collaborators, which features programs by Berkshire County organizations. Included in this group is the Pittsfield Jazz Festival, Pittsfield violinist Yevgeny Kutik, and Darrell Pucciarello's Ballets Metropolis' production of "Dracula."

    Albany-Berkshire Ballet and the Albany Symphony Orchestra also will be at the Colonial.

    The Broadway feel of the current season — with touring productions of "Cats," "Evita," "Mark Twain Tonight," "Ring of Fire," "Late Nite Catechism," and Catch-22" — is missing next year.

    Fleming said the dearth of theatrical productions is reflective of the poor quality of shows that are within the Colonial's price range.

    "What I saw really wasn't good," Fleming said, "so we're not doing a Broadway series."

    Fleming said he will be adding contemporary and classic films to the Colonial's schedule but those attractions won't be announced for some time.

    "I think this collection (of programs) should be one that draws the strongest audience response," Fleming said.

    He'll know soon enough. Public ticket sales begin May 6. Colonial members can purchase tickets now.

    "In our first two seasons, we did a lot of experimentation," Fleming said. "We threw a lot of things against the wall to see what would stick. What you're seeing in 2008-09 is a fairly high percentage of what's stuck."

    To reach Jeffrey Borak: jborak@berkshireeagle.com, (413) 496-6212.