Millpond Live Festival Reimagined
In just a few years, the Millpond Live Festival has become a staple of our region’s summer music scene. This summer, with the arts world turned upside down, the festival has been reimagined as a series of residencies that make space for artists to collaborate, generate new work, and reconnect with audiences in creative ways.
Fridays bring the opportunity for small-audience outdoor concerts at Valley View Farm in Haydenville, MA. Then, on Saturday evenings, you can stream live broadcasts from the stage of the historic Academy of Music Theatre. Coming up this week — Japanese keyboard player BIGYUKI at Valley View Farm and “House Parties for Barbès” streaming from the Academy.
Norman Rockwell Museum Presents ‘Finding Funny in Complicated Times’
The Norman Rockwell Museum offers weekly pop-up virtual chuckles Tuesdays, Aug. 4–Sept. 1 at 5:30 p.m. Today’s foremost cartoonists, illustrators, and editors will share their work, some secrets to their success, and views on the role of cartoons in advancing important ideas. First up — New Yorker cartoonists and husband and wife duo Liza Donnelly and Michael Maslin share how their marriage experiences have informed their work.
2020 Tiny Desk Concert Winner Announced
Today on Morning Edition, NPR Music announced singer-songwriter Linda Diaz as the 2020 Tiny Desk Contest winner. Diaz's winning song, “Green Tea Ice Cream,” is rooted in exploring her passions and honoring what brings her peace in a society that often determines someone's value based on productivity. Her entry video, filmed by Chris Alfonsoat, was chosen out of over 6,000 entries from across the country.
Great Performances
In the Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams
Great Performances follows the personal stories of composer/lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of In the Heights in the months leading up to its 2008 opening night. This young, diverse group of relatively unknown artists and performers dreamed of making it on Broadway but were well aware that a new original musical set in the Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights was a highly risky proposition. They succeeded beyond their wildest expectations, winning four Tony Awards along the way. Watch on NEPM Friday, Aug. 7 at 10 p.m.
Live from the Sanctuary
Northampton’s Live from the Sanctuary presents a benefit series featuring music from various acclaimed local performers. With no audience in the performance space, all performances are streamed live on YouTube. This Sunday, Aug. 9 at 4 p.m., Monica Jakuc Leverett, Smith College Professor Emerita of Music and an internationally distinguished pianist, will be performing pieces for solo piano and toy piano.
Signature Sounds Presents Concerts at Black Birch Vineyard
Signature Sounds presents a socially distanced, limited capacity outdoor concert series at Black Birch Vineyard in Hatfield, MA. Upcoming concerts are Winterpills performing on Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 6:30 p.m. and Kris Delmhorst on Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 6:30 p.m., celebrating the release of her album, Long Day in the Milky Way.
Mahaiwe Drive-In at Simon's Rock
Enjoy a safe and socially distanced movie at the Mahaiwe drive in at Simon's Rock. Upcoming shows: Aug. 6 is Beetlejuice, a fantasy-comedy cult classic, and Aug. 7 and 8 feature The Princess Bride, a fantastical adventure of romance and comedy. Aug. 13 presents American Graffiti, a coming-of-age comedy about two high-school grads, and on Aug. 14 view The Weight of Water, a documentary about a blind man solo kayaking the length of the Grand Canyon. On Aug. 15, enjoy Grease, the classic musical comedy about young love. All shows are at 9 p.m.
