Pothole Pictures: It’s a Wonderful Life
Shelburne Falls Theater at Memorial Hall
Friday Dec. 19 and Saturday, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Come out and see Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, John Barrymoreand a host of wonderful character actors again on the big screen in the newly renovated Shelburne Falls Theater. Director Frank Capra's movie about the small-town values and struggles of the generation that survived the Great Depression and triumphed in WWII is timeless. Plan to arrive at 7 p.m. for a half hour of local music: the West County Resistance Chorus on Friday, a ukelele sing along with Amy Cullen on Saturday.
José Gonzales & Banda Criolla: Parranda at the Marigold
Marigold Theater, Easthampton
Friday, December 19 at 8 p.m.
José Gonzales brings Banda Criolla back to Marigold Theater, this time for a tinsel-bright Parranda playing a rich selection of Latin holiday music.
Massachusetts Academy of Ballet: The Nutcracker
Leslie Phillips Theater, Holyoke Community College
Saturday, Dec 20 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Founded in 2005, the Massachusetts Academy of Ballet is a Holyoke-based training school for students interested in pursuing a career in classical ballet and for all students who value excellent training and artistic education. Their production of The Nutcracker promises to be charming.
A German Holiday: Works for Advent and Christmas by Bach and Zelenka
Grace Episcopal Church, Amherst
Saturday Dec. 20 at 3 p.m.
The rediscovery of Jan Dismas Zelenka's musical legacy has brought his work increasingly into the musical mainstream. His music is original, distinctive, and dazzling. (Spotify recently fed me the Kyrie from his Missa Paschalis, and it grabbed me.) The showpiece of this concert is Zelenka’s Missa Dei Filii, a gorgeous mass setting composed in 1740. Zelenka's music is original, distinctive, and dazzling. Also on the program: selections from the Cantatas for Advent and Christmas by Johann Sebastian Bach. A fine group of singers, many from Blue Heron Ensemble regulars, will be the vocal soloists.
Hatfield Luminarium
Saturday, Dec. 20 from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Here’s a local town tradition that goes back over four decades! Held on the Saturday before Christmas, the Hatfield Luminarium draws hundreds of people in a celebration of light. It starts with a concert at the First Congregational Church of Hatfield. The library offers a book giveaway and craft activities, there’s a town wide lighting of luminarium candles, a holiday program at Town Hall, and refreshments with Santa at the fire station.
Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show
HOPE Center for the Arts, Springfield
Saturday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m.
For more than seven decades, the Blind Boys of Alabama have lifted spirits around the world with their timeless harmonies and soul-stirring gospel sound. Their celebrated Christmas program is a joyful blend of traditional holiday classics and soul-infused gospel songs, delivered with the Blind Boys’ trademark vocal power and heartfelt conviction.
Pioneer Valley Symphony Chamber Singers: Poetry in the Snow
First Congregational Church, Amherst
Saturday, Dec. 20 at 1 p.m.
The PVS Chamber Singers present a program featuring settings of five Emily Dickinson poems, along with Christmas carols, including numerous carols that Emily herself might have heard or sung. Plus, Christmas tunes by Holst, a setting of Longfellow's poem, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” some jazzy tunes, and more. This concert is presented in collaboration with the Emily Dickinson Museum. There’s a ticket package that includes the concert and a same-day tour of the museum.
Opera On Tap – Drunk Opera History Messiah Sing
Iron Horse, Northampton
Sunday, Dec. 21 at 1 p.m.
It’s a Messiah sing unlike any you’ve attended before. Dust off your score, head to the Iron Horse for Opera on Taps' annual holiday celebration, where they’ll dish the dirt on Handel and his famous oratorio. Get into the holiday spirit with all your Messiah favorites, including a rousing barroom Hallelujah chorus.
Jake Manzi
The Parlor Room, Northampton
Friday, Dec. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Jake Manzi is a Los Angeles based singer/songwriter, raised in Western Massachusetts. With a subtle touch for turning up pure song-stuff out of life, channeling the likes of Marshall Crenshaw and Tom Petty, of Lucinda Williams and Bruce Springsteen, Manzi offers you his singular take on what contemporary pop-rock can be.
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Bach at New Year's: The Six Brandenburg Concertos
Academy of Music, Northampton
Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.
Classical NEPM and the Berkshire Bach Society present Bach at New Year’s: The Six Brandenburg’ Concertos, an event that has been a holiday tradition since 1993. Nine-time Grammy winner and artistic director Eugene Drucker leads the Berkshire Bach Ensemble in all six of Bach’s iconic works that combine virtuosity, beauty, introspection, and joy.
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Majestic Theater, West Springfield
Thursday, Jan. 8 – Sunday, Feb. 15
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a fast-paced, hilarious parody of Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Sherlock Holmes mystery. The legendary detective Sherlock Holmes and his trusty companion, Dr. Watson, investigate the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville, who is believed to have been killed by a supernatural hound. With just three actors playing multiple roles, with plenty of physical comedy, slapstick, and quick costume changes, the suspenseful and eerie plot is brought to life in this delightful, high-energy romp that both spoofs and celebrates the iconic detective story.
Springfield Symphony Orchestra: Let’s Groove Tonight: Motown & The Philly Sound
Springfield Symphony Hall
Saturday, Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Magic melodies come to life as the pop, soul and R&B sounds of Motown and the famous hits from the Philly Sound combine in an exciting concert experience. Led by three extraordinary vocalists, this incredible evening is full of classic hit songs made famous by The Spinners, The Stylistics, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Lou Rawls, Diana Ross, Gamble & Huff and Percy Sledge.
Valley Classical: Isidore String Quartet
Sweeney Concert Hall, Smith College
Sunday, Feb. 1 at 3 p.m.
Winners of a 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant, and the 14th Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2022, the New York City-based Isidore String Quartet was formed in 2019 with a vision to revisit, rediscover, and reinvigorate the repertory. The quartet is heavily influenced by the Juilliard String Quartet and the idea of “approaching the established as if it were brand new, and the new as if it were firmly established.”
Paul Taylor Dance Company
Tillis Performance Hall, UMass
Friday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m.
The Paul Taylor Dance Company has been a presence in Fine Arts Center seasons since 1978. One of the most revered ensembles in modern dance, the company has been innovating and transforming dance since 1954. For this performance, the company will bring us a classic work by its founder, Speaking in Tongues (1988), along with How Love Sounds, a 2025 commission by Hope Boykin, who whose celebrated career as a dancer included twenty years with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Cochemea
MASS MoCA, North Adams
Saturday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m.
For over 25 years, multi-instrumentalist and composer Cochemea has built a distinct career as a soloist, section player, and composer/arranger, collaborating with artists across genres — from his long tenure with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings to work with Kevin Morby, Run The Jewels, Jon Batiste, Amy Winehouse, The Roots, Archie Shepp, Mark Ronson, and Quincy Jones, among many others.
Ms. Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton
Iron Horse, Northampton
Sunday, March 1 at 7 p.m.
Ms. Lisa Fischer spent much of her career as an elite backup singer for artists such as Luther Vandross, the Rolling Stones, Sting, Tina Turner or Nine Inch Nails. But when her story was featured in the 2013 documentary “20 Feet From Stardom,” Fischer experienced a course-changing epiphany. “The film gave me a chance to take stock and realize I could start defining my own path.” Seizing the moment, Fischer partnered with string wizard and arranger JC Maillard’s Grand Baton, a group capable of following her in just about any musical direction.
NEPM's Smart & Funny People: An Evening with Fran Lebowitz
Academy of Music, Northampton
Saturday, April 18, at 8 p.m.
We’re rolling out a new event series called “NEPM's Smart & Funny People.” In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators. Lebowitz's essays and interviews offer her acerbic views on current events and the media — as well as pet peeves including tourists, baggage-claim areas, after-shave lotion, adults who roller skate, children who speak French, or anyone who is unduly tan. Now, she's one of NEPM's Smart & Funny People.
NEPM's Smart & Funny People: An Evening with Ira Glass
Academy of Music
Saturday, Oct. 3 at 8 p.m.
Ira Glass isn’t just a voice you know — he’s a pioneer. Since 1995, This American Life has shaped the way millions of us experience stories every week. His work has earned nine Peabody Awards, the first-ever Pulitzer Prize for audio journalism, and a spot in the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. He’s a stellar choice for NEPM’s Smart & Funny People event series!