Super Troupe
Pilobolus Dance Theatre has been praised with innumerable adjectives over its 34-year history: endearing, emotional, witty, hilarious, colorful — and my favorite, from The Los Angeles Times: “physically awesome.” Founded in 1971 by Dartmouth College students with no dance training, the company has grown into an influential, international sensation. Blending humor, music, vivid images, and acrobatic movement, Pilobolus has performed on Sesame Street, Oprah, Ellen, and the 2007 Academy Awards.
Pilobolus also makes education and community-building a strong part of their programming. On Feb. 21, one month before the UMass show, the company will hold a fun and fast-paced Family Alphabet Workshop in the lobby of the Fine Arts Center, for families and people of all ages. This workshop has a cap of 30 people, so call 413-545-0190 to register, or email hrathbun@admin.umass.edu.
Pilobolus Dance Theatre, March 22, 7:30 p.m., $10-50, UMass Fine Arts Center, UMass.
Method and Madness
It’s hard out here for a prince. The trials and torments of Hamlet have occupied stages for 400 years, but the poor young Danish royal’s family crisis hasn’t become any less thorny with time. For a fresh, powerhouse take on the classic story, the National Theatre of London has staged a new production with theatre and film star Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC’s Sherlock, The Imitation Game) in the title role. The show is broadcast live to movie screens around the world, including Amherst Cinema.
Cumberbatch wowed crowds with his performance in another National Theatre Live show in 2011: Frankenstein. That production, directed by Danny Boyle, swapped Cumberbatch and fellow actor Jonny Lee Miller back and forth each night between the roles of the noble prodigy and his unpredictable monster. For his work in Hamlet, the talented 39-year-old actor will have to embody a little bit of both.
Hamlet, Dec. 5, 1 p.m.; Dec. 15, 7 p.m.; Dec. 19, 1 p.m.; $24, Amherst Cinema, Amherst.
Gumboot and Ballet
Dada Masilo is not your typical ballet choreographer. The South African dancer is known for taking classical works of dance and incorporating modern themes that resonate with and reflect her home country. In Masilo’s production of Swan Lake, her company of male and female dancers keep Tchaikovsky’s music, themes, tutus and pointes intact, but weave high-energy, down-to-earth South African pantsula and gumboot into the mix. In this performance Masilo tackles the issues of sex, gender, and homophobia in a country confronting the impact of AIDS. There is partial nudity, so the show is recommended for ages 14 and up.
Audience members are invited for a pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall lobby, and to stay for a post-performance talk with the company immediately following the performance.
Swan Lake, Jan. 26, 2016, 7:30 p.m. $10-$40. Fine Arts Center, 151 Presidential Drive, UMass Amherst, (413) 545-2511 or 800-999-UMAS.
His Way
Iconic crooner Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) would have turned 100 this year, and his music lives on like that of few other American artists — especially in the wee small hours. At Springfield’s CityStage this holiday season, lovers of Ol’ Blue Eyes can spend an evening with the voice that lives on as well: in Sinatra tribute artist Patrick Tobin, whose suave and funny performance has charmed audiences across the world. The evening of songs is followed by a birthday cake and dessert reception.
A Sinatra Centennial Celebration, Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m., $25-$29, CityStage, Springfield.
Old, Old, Old, Old School Christmas
Have a yearning for days of yore? Visit them this season at Old Sturbridge Village where the historical reenactment museum is hosting Christmas by Candlelight. The annual event includes a recreation of Mrs. Cratchit’s Christmas dinner, sleigh rides, gingerbread houses, holiday traditions explained — like why we roast chestnuts, and what is a yule log anyway? —Victorian carolers, Christmas keepsakes to make and take home, puppet and magic shows, stories, nativity gospel readings, and a visit from Santa Claus and his buddy Father Christmas.
Christmas by Candlelight, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings Dec. 1-20. $18. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge, (800) 733-1830.
Heavy Lifting
How does one artist go about transforming the enormous Building 5, the main gallery at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, into something their own? Richard Nonas has a few new ideas, and his 50-year career designing art pieces in raw industrial spaces is a good match for this indoor venue, which is almost the size of a football field.
Nonas worked in anthropology through his 20s, living with and studying American Indian communities in the Southwest and Canada. When he turned to art, he made a name for himself creating minimalist installations that amplify and distort geometry and perspective. The museum writes: “His totemic sculptures — made from earthy and industrial materials that have a timeless character (wooden railroad ties, granite curbstones, massive boulders, and thick steel plates) — have reimagined space and terrain all over the world.”
Richard Nonas at MASS MoCA, February 2016, $18, MASS MoCA, North Adams, www.massmoca.org.
Winter Music Fest
globalFEST started as an annual showcase in New York, but has since grown into an international brand, building audiences for world music with stages at SXSW, Bonnaroo, and beyond. The fest’s artists are always changing, but in February a Creole cast will be playing in Amherst. The Creole Carnival will feature the reigning queen of Haitian songs Emeline Michel, Rio’s innovative samba masters Casuarina, and Jamaica’s one-stringed guitar virtuoso Brushy One String (pictured in gallery above). The show starts at 8 p.m., but arrive early at 6:30 p.m., for a pre-performance talk about Brazilian samba with the artists.
globalFEST on the Road: Creole Carnival, Feb. 27, 8 p.m. $10-$35. Fine Arts Centter Concert Hall.
Chag Urim Sameach!
Celebrate the Festival of Lights with family at the Yiddish Book Center. Sing holiday songs with Asya Vaisman Schulman, director of the center’s language institute, accompanied by Brian Bender. Stay for holiday-themed children’s stories and crafts. But the best part is the center will have a day-long scavenger hunt for young detektivn (detectives).
Celebrate Hannukha, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. Free. Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West St., Amherst, (413) 256-4900.
