Feb 08 Saturday
Lisa The WiseBy Puppet Motion/Sarah Nolen
Saturday February 8th, 2025 at 11am & 2pm
The 18th season of Southern Vermont’s favorite winter puppet program is back in February 2025! Dedicated to serving children, families and teachers through the art of puppetry, Sandglass presents a different live puppetry performance every Saturday throughout the month. When Lisa, a brave young girl with a heart of gold, meets Baba Yaga, the most famous witch in the woods, an epic battle of wits ensues. Dancing houses, enchanted dolls, and hilarious "ghost servants" bring this classic Russian fairy tale to life with a contemporary twist. Imaginative shadow puppetry lights the way in this hilariously spooky story about the experiences that make us wise.
In February, Works & Process LaunchPAD will incubate four incredible new projects at Potash Hill in Marlboro. Described by The New York Times as “an exceptional opportunity to understand something of the creative process,” Works & Process provides resources to artists and supports the creative process from studio to stage. The program shares that process with audiences locally and in New York City at the Guggenheim Museum, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (Jerome Robbins Dance Division), and National Sawdust. We are delighted to be part of this artistic journey, which helps shape the art and culture of our time.
Please join us for a free "show and tell" event, presented in collaboration with our friends at Potash Hill, featuring the artists behind two of these exciting projects: Custom of the Coast and Lite Feet with Chrybaby Cozie.
Custom of the Coast by Kamala Sankaram and Paul Muldoon:
Get a first look at a new opera intercutting the life stories of an 18th-century Irish pirate who was sentenced to death and an Indian-born, Irish dentist who died in 2012 after being denied an abortion. Custom of the Coast will also be presented at National Sawdust in NYC on February 9, and will have its full premiere at the Kilkenny Arts Festival later this year.
Lite Feet with Chrybaby Cozie:
Join pioneers of Harlem Lite Feet as they share firsthand stories of the origins and evolution of this vibrant New York City dance tradition. Members of the renowned Bomb Squad, led by the legendary Chrybaby Cozie, bring these stories to life and offer an inside look at creativity and community.
Lumina 2025 is Coming!This February 1 to 17, Lumina is back with a brand-new theme: PLAY! 🎭🌈 What’s New for 2025?✨ POP! Step into a whimsical world of glowing monoliths by Gentilhomme and QDSi, filled with light, music, and surprises for all ages.🚴♂️ Light Lane Hop on a stationary bike to light up dazzling displays and music. Your movement powers the magic.🎻 Harmonies Play with glowing instruments like violins, guitars, and boomboxes in an interactive sound and light experience.🎨 Local RI Art Check out illuminated masterpieces created by amazing local artists, lighting up downtown businesses.Want to stay in the loop? Follow us on Instagram @downtownpvdparks or visit downtownparks.org for all the latest updates.Last winter, over 300,000 people joined us to experience the magic of stunning illuminated art, interactive installations, and community-centered programming that brought downtown Providence to life through Lumina.
Nu-Blu brings the sounds of bluegrass to central Massachusetts from the Blue Ridge Mountains. After releasing four Top Ten Billboard albums, North Carolina based Nu-Blu has quickly established themselves as one of the top acoustic acts in the music industry, delivering songs that range from melancholy to exuberant, and proving at every step that they’ve got a knack for finding their way into the deeper parts of you. Over the years, they’ve garnered major headlines with their George Jones inspired tribute single “Jesus and Jones” featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer ‘Soul Man’ Sam Moore (of the iconic duo Sam and Dave). The award-winning band has also made appearances on Fox TV and had their music featured on CBS “Sunday Morning”. Now they bring bluegrass to the masses as the permanent host of the nationally-syndicated TV show “Bluegrass Ridge,” which airs in 120 million homes worldwide.
"The Booker Prize-winning Life & Times of Michael K, written by J.M Coetzee, is a stunning novel depicting the arduous personal struggles that accompanies from intense political conflict. South Africa’s Baxter Theater and Handspring Puppet Company’s inventive, poignant adaptation of this seminal book has won plaudits across Europe in New York, and now it’s coming to Boston
The hauntingly beautiful story follows Michael K, a simple man who embarks on a journey through South Africa, ravaged by civil war, to return his mother to die on the farm where she was born. He finds strength in his own humanity, his profound connection to the earth, and his unique path, which, as it unfolds, reveals to him his reason for living."
JIG, a Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC) production, is a fresh take on TIDC’s internationally-renowned, alternative approach to a traditional form. Centered by a live band in a unique space, JIG immerses audiences in an authentic experience that celebrates the power of vibrations, rhythm, and movement—redefining what is possible for Irish music and dance.
Feb 09 Sunday
John Feffer’s one man show The Wedding Jester is a fictional account inspired by the real-life making of the Fiddler on the Roof film, telling how a Jewish stand-up comedian confronts a non-Jewish director of over errors in the film’s script. The Wedding Jester traces the history of Jewish comedy from the weddings of the Old Country to the Borscht Belt of the United States, challenging our notions of authenticity and of what is “too Jewish” or “not Jewish enough”.The performance is 60 minutes followed by a 30-minute Q&A.
Silver Chord Bowl 2025In its 41st year, the Silver Chord Bowl is the oldest and most respected collegiate a cappella showcase in the region, hosted in John M. Greene Hall on the Smith College campus. This year’s event will begin with a performance by Northampton High School’s very own Northamptones, followed by Smith College Smithereens, Berklee College of Music Upper Structure A Cappella, Rochester Institute of Technology Eight Beat Measure, UMass Amherst Duly Noted, The University of Connecticut Extreme Measures, Northeastern University Treble on Huntington.Steve Sanderson of the Northampton Arts Council/WRSI 93.9 the River will host the Silver Chord Bowl with Smith College President Sarah Willie-LeBreton and the Mayor of Northampton, Gina-Louise Sciarra.When? Sunday, February 9 – 2:00 PM Showtime, Doors Open at 1:30 PMWhere? John M. Greene Hall is located on the Smith College campus, 60 Elm Street, Northampton, MA 01060Tickets? In Advance: Premium Reserved Seating All Ages - $35General Reserved Seating All Ages - $15Advance Ticket Outlet: FreshTixOnline - https://www.freshtix.com/events/silver-chord-bowl-2Over the phone - You can call 678-701-6114Tickets are sent via email moments after the transaction is completedIn-person Advance Ticket Outlets:State Street Fruit Store in Northampton and Cooper’s Corner in FlorenceA limited number of General Assigned Seating Tickets for All Ages for $15 will be available at State Street Fruit Store and Cooper’s Corner in Florence. The tickets are reserved seating, so please pay attention to the section, row, and section you buy. Day of - Only on February 9, 2025, starting at 1:00 PM: Available at the John M. Greene Box OfficeDay of at John M. Greene Hall Box Office Prices -Premium Reserved Seating All Ages - $40General Reserved Seating All Ages - $20Headline Sponsor:Smith CollegeMedia Sponsors:Daily Hampshire Gazette, The Republican, New England Pubic Media, WRSI 93.9 FM the River, WHMP, Northampton Open MediaOrganizational Support: Massachusetts Cultural Council, City of NorthamptonAbout Sarah Willie-LeBreton:She is the 12th president of Smith College and began her term on July 1, 2023. In addition to being a dedicated scholar, educator, and leader, she loves music of all kinds and has been known to hit the dance floor during campus celebrations. She has been spending her first months in Northampton getting to know the City, its values, and its traditions—tonight’s Silver Chord Bowl among them. PARKING INFORMATION:SMITH COLLEGE CAMPUS MAP - PLEASE CLICK HEREPARKING IS FREE ON SUNDAYS IN NORTHAMPTON AND ON THE SMITH COLLEGE CAMPUS. PLEASE REFER TO THE MAP ABOVE FOR PARKING