A Very 413 Christmas Carol
Treehouse Brewery, South Deerfield
Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m.
Get ready for A Very 413 Christmas Carol, brought to you by NEPM for one night only at Tree House Brewing Company in South Deerfield. This fun staged reading adds a festive local twist to Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale. With the talented Elizabeth Perkins as Scrooge and a lively cast of NEPM hosts, reporters, and special guests, we’ll capture the holiday spirit and the charm of western Mass. Plus, music by Fenway Park organist Josh Kantor. It’s a heartwarming take on a beloved tradition that reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas.
Grinchmas
Springfield Museums
Now open
Celebrate the Season in Seussian Style! Grinchmas is an annual celebration at the Springfield Museums, where The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum and the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden honor Springfield native Theodore Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, the author who revolutionized learning how to read by making it fun. Go to the Grinch’s Grotto in the Wood Museum of Springfield History where you can step inside the Grinch’s home on Mount Crumpit and strike a pose for holiday photos. The Grotto now features an interactive Who-ville Snack Shack and a towering ice sculpture station.
Fall Festival of Shakespeare
Shakespeare & Company's Tina Packer Playhouse, Lee
Thursday, Nov, 21 – Sunday, Nov. 24
Now in its 36th year, the Fall Festival of Shakespeare brings together more than 500 high school students from 10 schools across Massachusetts and New York for a nine-week, non-competitive exploration of Shakespeare’s plays culminating in full-scale productions at their schools and on the main stage at the Tina Packer Playhouse. Participating schools include Berkshire Waldorf High School, Pittsfield High, Lenox Memorial High, Mount Everett Regional School in Sheffield, Lee Middle and High Schools, Monument Mountain, Springfield Central High School and Mt. Greylock Regional High School.
Nightwood
The Mount, Lenox
Friday, Nov. 22 – Saturday, Jan. 4
Weekends and select weekday evenings from 5 – 8 p.m.
Head to Edith Wharton’s home where you will be transported into a magical landscape with stunning scenic elements, dramatic lighting, and a beautiful musical. Drawing inspiration from the natural world of The Mount, NightWood takes you on a 1-mile illuminated path through woods and gardens. This year, there’s a new trail that takes you deeper into the woods, and several new encounters that explore the lifecycle of trees. Children 12 and under are free.
Northampton Antiquarian Book, Ephemera and Book Arts Fair
Northampton Center for the Arts
Friday, Nov. 22 from 5 – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
This fair offers a huge variety of books and ephemera ranging from rare travel books to literary first editions, paper Americana to historic account books and manuscripts, fine letter press printing and fine bindings, small press poetry books, mystery and science fiction, books on the counter culture and queer studies, signed books and first editions. Also, handmade journals, handmade paper, fine bindings, artist books, limited edition wood engravings, and early printed books. Fun fact: The NEPM Book Club is a sponsor!
The Secret Chord: A Leonard Cohen Tribute
Hawks & Reed, Greenfield
Friday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m.
The Secret Chord is a four-piece band, enhanced by a dynamic trio of vocalists that focuses on bringing a unique interpretation to Leonard Cohen’s timeless songs. Infusing elements of folk, jazz, and rock into their performance, The Secret Chord delivers a rich and evocative experience. The Opening group, After the Rain, performs a wide variety of music, from traditional Appalachian to classic rock to contemporary folk.
Seo Jungmin: One, My Utopia!
Bowker Auditorium, UMass
Friday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Seo Jungmin wields virtuosic command of her instrument, the 25-string gayageum, to produce powerful, expansive, and boundary-pushing music. In One, My Utopia!, Seo’s masterful playing is complemented by You Byoungwook’s percussion and Kim Yulhee’s pansori (traditional Korean story song) vocals. You will be spellbound by a blend of tradition and contemporary expression from one of the world’s most influential cultures.
Reframing the Gaze: Maria Theresia Paradis, Blind Musicians, and Musical Culture before and after Braille
Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley
Friday. Nov. 22 and Saturday Nov. 23
How lucky we are to live in a place where international scholars convene and we have the chance to be a part of it! In honor of the bicentenary of the blind Viennese pianist, composer, and educator Maria Theresia Paradis (1759-1824), this interdisciplinary symposium features two keynote speakers and a dozen international scholars discussing various aspects of Paradis’s life, works, worlds, and impact. It culminates in a free concert that reconstructs one of her Vienna school concerts from the 1810s, and presents the modern-day world premiere of an excerpt from her recently rediscovered cantata Das Wiedersehen.
Snow Farm Seconds Sale
Snow Farm, Williamsburg
Fridays – Sundays Nov. 22 through Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
For its annual sale, Snow Farm, the renowned nonprofit residential craft school, is transforming its dining hall and four studios into spacious galleries featuring work from over 250 artists. There are so many treasures — in glass, ceramics, clothing, jewelry, baskets, wood, cards, prints, ornaments, and more — that they show new pieces every weekend. What are seconds? Seconds can be excess inventory, experimental pieces, discontinued lines, or slightly flawed items. To the artist they might be seconds, but most pieces look perfect, and prices are perfect, too!
Pioneer Valley Cappella: Music on the Theme of Peace
Friday, Nov. 22, 7:30 p.m. at Edwards Church, Northampton,
Saturday, Nov. 23, 7:30 p.m. at All Saints Church, South Hadley
This interesting and timely choral program will include music ranging from uplifting folksong arrangements from Zambia and Kenya, Elizabethan sacred music, and a set of American spirituals — one of them by the group's conductor, Geoffrey Hudson. The central work, a powerful setting of "Dona Nobis Pacem" by the contemporary Latvian composer Peteris Vasks, pulsates with gorgeous harmonies, and will be accompanied by Kell Julliard, Dean of the Western Massachusetts chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Festive Holiday Market
Greylock WORKS, North Adams
Saturday, Nov. 23 from 10 am – 4 p.m.
This curated holiday experience is happening in a huge light-filled 30,000 square foot former mill. You’ll have the chance to meet local makers and become intimately familiar with their work, from conception to realization. There will also be a play area for kids, phenomenal local food, and savory libations served by the Distillery and Berkshire Cider Project. It’s a convivial regional gathering that welcomes everyone to celebrate handmade craft, individual pride, and authenticity.
Tosca
The Met: Live in HD 2024-2025 Season Opener
The Mahaiwe in Great Barrington, Hampshire Mall in Hadley, Beacon Cinema in Pittsfield, Memorial Hall Theater in Shelburne Falls, West Springfield 15
Saturday, Nov. 23 at 12:55 p.m.
Many opera lovers, myself included, consider these Met Live in HD broadcasts as the absolute best application of technology. Choose your local cinema, grab a comfy seat and escape into Puccini’s melodrama about a volatile diva, a sadistic police chief, and an idealistic artist that has offended and thrilled audiences for more than a century. My favorite thing about these broadcasts — the live backstage segments during the intermissions.
Pay It Forward Series: The Maverick Session
CitySpace, Easthampton
Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Presented by musician and organizer Swazy, The Maverick Session will be an electrifying hip-hop showcase of musical talent from and surrounding areas. Local artists and underground talent will take the stage to celebrate the vibrant sounds of hip-hop/rap and beyond. Swazy, a Pay It Forward recipient, is a passionate hip-hop and rap musician who was born in Hartford and now lives in Springfield. Pay It Forward is a CitySpace program that offers artists venue access to develop works, connect with the community, access skill building opportunities, and produce performances.
Hayley Jane Band with King Manzi
The Drake, Amherst
Saturday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m.
Hayley Jane pulls inspiration from a variety of styles, including 60s and 70s rock, musical theater, folk, blues, soul, psychedelic, funk and bluegrass. Her music has been praised for successfully combining a diverse sound with clever, over-the-top lyrics and Vaudevillian-style storytelling. King Manzi opens. If you like the Eagles, Jackson Browne, the Everly Brothers and Neil Young, you will like King Manzi.
The Hampshire Choral Society Fall Concert
Abbey Chapel, Mount Holyoke College
Sunday, Nov. 24 at 3 p.m.
For their Fall concert, the Hampshire Choral Society, under the direction of musical director Paige Graham, will present Antonín Dvořák's Mass in D Major accompanied by Clifton J. Noble on organ and with soloists drawn from the Hampshire Choral Society. its fall concert, the choir will perform Antonín Dvořák's Mass in D Major accompanied by Clifton J. Noble on organ and with soloists drawn from the Hampshire Choral Society. The Hampshire Young People's Chorus, directed by K. C. Conlan, will also be featured.