Last Minute Going-Ons!

We haven’t heard much from The Clark this season since they have begun their renovations, but this week they have a couple events happening that we want you to know about!

Saturday, March 1^st

The Clark will be broadcasting Alexander Borodin’s Prince Igor at 12 pm.  In the words of The New York Times, Dmitri Tcherniakov’s production includes, “dreamlike, wrenchingly human and viscerally theatrical” stage. Ildar Abdrazakov will be singing the title role and Gianandrea Noseda will conduct. Be sure to NOT miss out on this classic, and purchase your tickets while they are available. Tickets are $25 and the approximate running time of the show is 270 minutes. Because of limited parking, The Clark encourages guests to arrive 20 minutes or so before show time.

Thursday, March 13^th

The Clark will be hosting, “Looking at Lunch Time” at 12:30 pm. Join Michael Cassin, director of the Center for Education in the visual Arts, in the intimate galleries of Stone Hill Center for a look at pieces from their permanent collection. Currently on display are three installations: Sacred and Profane: Four Hundred Years of Religious and Mythological Paintings; Face Time: Portraits and Figures in Paintings and Sculpture; and Land, Sea, and Sky: The Natural World in Art 1600-1900. Come take a gander and chat about your favorite pieces!

http://www.clarkart.edu/

It’s All Purple and Gold in Williamstown!

Williams’ Homecoming weekend is upon us! Are you planning your homecoming weekend with your Eph in Williamstown this week? Well here’s what Williams College and the surrounding areas have to offer while you’re here!

Looking for a fun Friday evening?

“Standards, Show Tunes and Surprises” is happening Friday night, November 8^th in the Tavern at the Williams Inn. Howie Levitz, TGL Tunes, plays the piano every Friday night! Come dance and enjoy great music!

Berkshire Theatre Group presents Gordon Lightfoot at The Colonial Theatre on November 8^th. Gordon Lightfoot has recorded 20 albums and received five GRAMMY nominations. His songs have been aired regularly and his radio hits in the USA have earned five #1s, five Top 10s and thirteen Top 40 hits. This is guaranteed to be a great concert!

At Williams: There will be the Homecoming Chili Fest on November 9^th. Join the Williams community for chili and Eph camaraderie under their hospitality tent at Weston Field.

While you’re here, be sure to visit the Homecoming Spirit tent next to Hospitality Tent for purple projects, face painting, pictures with the Purple Cow and Williams spirit treats and goodies!

Then of course, grab your chili and find a spot in the stands to cheer on the Williams Football team as they take on Amherst at 12pm! Go Ephs!

For the Clark Art fans out there, The Clark will be hosting Live in HD: Tosca on November, 9^th. Tosca, the famed opera that includes some of Giacomo Puccini’s most beloved melodies, will be airing live at the institute from the Metropolitan Opera.

Be sure to bring the whole family for all the fun and pack your best purple and gold outfits for game day and the weekend activities! Book your rooms while there are still rooms left and come stay with us at the 1896 House! We can’t wait to see you!

We have a new blogger!

We would like to introduce you to Blair, our new front desk assistant and blogger.  She is local to Williamstown, so is familiar with the community, byways, backroads &  little known points of interest in the Berkshires.  We hope you enjoy her suggestions and commentaries.

~Denise & Sue

Photo courtesy of hotblack

It’s Fall ya’ll! And might you be wondering what there is to do while you’re visiting the Berkshires?

While lots of visitors are down about the Clark being closed due to some expansion projects this season, there  is still PLENTY to do during your visit in the Berkshires! While the Clark’s traditional gallery spaces are closed, there is a selection of works from their permanent collection on view in their Stone Hill Center galleries and their library remains open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.

Maybe you’re not so interested in the Clark while they’re under construction but you’re still looking for something to do with the family? What better way to get into the fall spirit and embrace all its spookiness by attending one of Jiminy Peak’s 13 Nights at Jiminy, The Plantation of Jericho, in Hancock, MA! As Fall settles in the valley, ghosts of the mountain’s haunted past rise again! This haunted mountain promises to reach new heights of terror and fall fun from Sept. 28th through Oct. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 25, 26, 29, 30, and 31^st.

Perhaps you have little ones who aren’t particularly interested in being scared out of their skin quite yet? Or maybe even some of your adult friends aren’t keen on the idea of dressed up goblins and creatures jumping out at them in the dark woods. Then a broad daylight visit to Whitney’s Farm Market in Cheshire, MA is the adventure for you! Join them for their annual Pumpkin Fest with u-pick pumpkins, corn maze, hay rides, face painting, petting zoo, scavenger hunts and more. This is a perfect fall weekend adventure from Sept. 13th through Oct. 31st.

These are just some of the exciting fall activities going on in the area this season. So plan your weekends and book your rooms with me at the 1896 House and come spend fall with us in the Berkshires!

Things to do this weekend, Annual Festival of Trees, the Arts and More!

Photo credit mensatic

Saturday and Sunday through December 30, 2012 (also during the week)

16th Annual Festival of Trees at Bennington Museum

75 Main Street

Bennington, VT 05201

A Community Created Exhibit of Uniquely Designed and Decorated Holiday Trees each in a beautiful, and sometimes whimsical, vignette.  Items from the museum’s collection are added to these vignettes to produce a perfect blend of a current design with historical elements. Over 20 vignettes are being created for the entire family to enjoy, along with the traditional trees installed in the galleries.  Then there is the over 40 tabletop trees, each decorated by elementary school classes from Bennington and surrounding communities.

Saturday, December 15, 7:30 PM

Seagull (Thinking of you)

87 Marshall Street

North Adams, MA 01247

Seagull (Thinking of you) is a new live performance that works with, against, and beneath Chekhov’s The Seagull. Director Tina Satter’s unique contemporary voice takes on the beauty and darkness of Chekhov’s play in a beautiful act of theatrical rethinking. Satter draws from Chekhov’s letters, varying Seagull translations, quasi-biographical facts from early productions of the play in Russia, and Chekhov’s perverse sense of comedy to consider anew what makes the human heart beat and why we ever try to say something out loud. With her Half Straddle collaborators, Satter deconstructs the texts to create an unexpected new work of theater that is ultimately about making something with people you could love: just like Chekhov wanted, with a Russian folk metal-influenced score.

From http://www.massmoca.org/event_details.php?id=772

The Met-Live in HD: Aida

Verdi’s iconic opera set in ancient Egypt stars powerhouse Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska, who makes her Met debut in the title role of an enslaved Ethiopian princess. Olga Borodina, one of the world’s best-known interpreters of the role, sings Aida’s royal rival, Amneris, and Roberto Alagna is the hero Radamès, who must choose between his love for Aida and his duty to his country. Fabio Luisi conducts his first Met performances of the opera, which also stars George Gagnidze as the Ethiopian king, Amonasro. Sonja Frisell’s spectacular staging uses the full theatrical capabilities of the Met stage to immerse the audience in the grandeur of ancient Egypt. 12:55pm. Tickets $25/$22 members/$18 students. Purchase online or at 413.458.0638.

http://www.clarkart.edu/

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Potter Brothers Demo Day

Potter Brothers is bringing in reps from top ski & snowboard manufacturers along with fleets of their skis, snowboards, & helmets to give you a taste of what’s on the market this year. Come test out their new gear, ask questions, & figure out what equipment is best for you! 8:30am – 2pm.

Jiminy Peak

37 Corey Road

Hancock, MA 01237

Phone: (413) 738-5500

http://www.jiminypeak.com/