It will take no fewer than two neighboring venues to house the smorgasbord of sounds, sights and savories the Kitchell family of Ashfield has planned for this Friday, Oct. 21.
In an evening they call One Family, Four Artists, One Night, father/muralist Peter Kitchell and wife/mother/designer/illustrator Gayle Kabaker combine their skills in pattern, texture and craftsmanship in the form of a huge installation of light, fabric and paper arts at Greenfield’s Pushkin (pushkin.com) while daughter Sonya Kitchell and son Max Kitchell display their photographic wares across the street at The Arts Block (artsblock.com).
In addition to being the first official art opening at the newly revamped Pushkin, this particular evening is also bookended by musical performances (pianist Miro Sprague and violinist Kenny Butler accompany the opening festivities at 5 p.m. and Sonya, an accomplished vocalist as well, rounds out the evening with a concert proper starting at 9 p.m.) and even a dinner option at the Arts Block, too.
“It was Peter’s idea for he and I to collaborate in a way that showcases our use of pattern,” Kabaker recalls, “as we both do a lot of pattern in our work. I also wanted to include Max and Sonya’s works to make it a family thing. Then when I told Jim Olsen [of Signature Sounds Recordings] the idea, he said, ‘Why not have Sonya do a concert as well?’ So who knows? It may have even been Jim’s idea, now that I think of it, as it’s all such a blur. But we all agreed the Pushkin and Arts Block would be the perfect place to have it.”
Admission to both arts openings are free, but the Kitchell concert will be $15 in advance, $20 at the door. To purchase tickets and/or make dinner reservations, call (413) 774-0150.
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In other news, the Valley’s renowned cast of veteran vocalists, the Young@Heart Chorus, “harmonizes for health” at the Calvin Theater Saturday, Oct. 30 with a little help from fellow a cappella singers The Northampton Tones and The UMass Dynamics.
“We are in the fortunate position to give back to the community that supported the Young@Heart Chorus for the past 30 years,” Chorus Director Bob Cilman says of the decision to dedicate the evening’s performance to celebrating Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s 125th anniversary and to raising funds for future hospital projects, including a comprehensive cancer center and educational programs for nurses.
Cilman went on to note that it was in fact Cooley Dickinson that donated wheelchairs to the Chorus many moons ago, helping to make a tour of Europe possible.
To purchase tickets ($25, $35 or $100, plus service charges), call or stop by Northampton Box Office, 76 Main St., (413) 586-8686, or buy online at iheg.com. The $100 VIP tickets include first-row seating and admission to an after-concert reception with the Young@Heart Chorus, hosted and sponsored by the Hotel Northampton.
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Speaking of “classic rockers” in the literal sense, the New England Doo Wop Society has posted on its website, newenglanddoowopsociety.org, that not only has the the show originally slated for Oct. 29 at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee been cancelled, but no further shows will occur at the longtime home base for the society due to “differences with management policies.”
For now, it appears the Doo Woppers have set up shop at the Holiday Inn in Enfield, as that venue will host an Oct. 22 show featuring Victory, The Cameos and The Mystics. For tickets or more information, call Gary at (413) 478-0901 or Bob at (413) 786-1929.
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Last but not least, in national news, NBC’s The Voice victor Javier Colon has signed on to perform at the Calvin Theater on Tuesday, Nov. 29 and hometown heroes Staind take to the Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday, Nov. 25 in support of their recently released, self-titled full-length. For tickets and more information, kindly point your browser to iheg.com and mohegansun.com respectively.”
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, PO Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 394-4262 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
