We would like to give a shout out to our dear friend Jesse Suphan, who is participating in the comedy night at Chameleons Night Club in Pittsfield, Ma on January 14th starting at 7pm. If you didnt already know he was funny, go to the show and you will see why everyone laughs at him. There will also be many other funny people there from all around making you laugh till you cry. It promises to be a great show, so bring some laughter into your weekend this weekend and show your support for events going on in Pittsfield. For more information check out the event page on the Discover Pittsfield website at
http://discoverpittsfield.com/events/?event_id=19729

Happy New Years everyone!

We hope that it was a happy and safe one. We here at Out in the Berkshires have been thinking about the new years and new beginnings; and we started to think about what we can do differently and how to get ourselves and our community together. We want to become the group for the LGBTQ community and its allies to get together and celebrate life and eachother.

One of the ways we will be doing this is by creating a monthly event in Pittsfield for everyone to attend, friends, family, and “family”. We are also looking into marching in the Boston Gay Pride Parade as a way to get some outside attention as well. We always welcome ideas for events to be done and as always we will keep you posted as to what we planon our website and our facebook page. We look forward to your support and suggestions for the new year.

Please send suggestions to ctoomey@pittsfieldch.com.

The Out in the Berkshires Weekend returns for it 3rd year celebrating and focusing on the many contributions that the LGBT community has on the arts starting November 10 until the 13 with a stunning array of events including documentaries, movies, dances, and karaoke.

Starting off the weekend will be a showing of The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Beacon Cinema hosted by the one and only Taffy Darling from Rumpy’s in Lenox. Show starts at 8pm, tickets are only $9 and there will be a social hour with drink specials at Brulee’s following the movie. Come and see a cult classic and afterwards you can socialize with your friends and be entertained by Taffy Darling.

On Friday we will be playing Common Thread: Stories from the Quilt, sponsored by Berkshire Stonewall Coalition, at The Berkshire Museum at 2pm free entry. There will be a discussion following the movie. At 8 pm New Stage will be holding the second annual Karaogay with Ken de Loreto as MC and Erica Spizz as KJ, join them for a night of singing out your favorite songs.

Saturday starts off with Weekend playing at the Berkshire Museum at 7pm, tickets are only $5. At 2pm the Live Out Loud Youth Project will be premiering is movie, “The Truth About Gender: Youth Stories of Gender Diversity” at New Stage Preforming Art Center. An original 30 minute film produced with youth from Berkshire County exploring their experience living outside the gender binary. The film includes digital stories created by the youth, as well as interviews about the storytelling process. Visual art pieces from Live Out Loud Youth Project members will be displayed at this event, with a suggested donation of $5 showing starts at 3pm and there will be another showing at 3:30pm.

Wrapping up the day we have Quite Queer hosting “ON TOP” from 9pm to 1am on the top floor of the Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield. More than just a DJed dance party, Quite Queer has strived from the beginning to bring fresh, queer musical talent into the Berkshires. In that spirit, Tayisha Busay of New York City, who has just released their first album, “FOCUS/VIRUS”, will be performing. Tayisha Busay brings creative beats and tremendous energy with them when they perform. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door, with limited capacity. The event will be 21 + with a cash bar and suggested dress code of “filth and glitter” in honor of Tayisha Busay.

On the final day, Sunday, we will be holding a panel discussion with brunch at Y Bar at 11am tickets will be $20. The discussion will be A Gay History of the Berkshires, with panel members from varying generations, that have created a name for themselves in the area while being openly gay will share their triumphs and tribulations on the road to becoming who they are now. There will also be on display a variety of archival information about the gay community in the Berkshires throughout the years. After the brunch and panel there will be a social hour where we will wrap up the weekend and celebrate.

You can find more information on each individual event on our Facebook page Out Berkshires or contact the Office of Cultural Development at (413) 499-9348.

Who wouldn't want these two to zest up the holiday season?

Christmas with Tom and Trixie: Is That All There Is? $20, 8pm upstairs in the ballroom of Jae’s Spice.

Nothing says “Christmas” like a drag queen and an ex-porn star! And that’s why famed Hudson Valley drag sensation Trixie Starr and Tom Judson (a.k.a. GayVN Award winner “Gus Mattox”) have teamed up to create what promises to be the holiday cabaret spectacular of 2010.
Judson, who has appeared on Broadway in Cabaret and on tour in 42nd Street, will be at the piano, playing holiday songs and singing traditional cabaret favorites. A seasoned performer in his own right, Judson has been touring in his one-man show Canned Ham (selling out this past summer in Provincetown, MA.)

Ms. Starr is well known to audiences up and down the Hudson Valley as hostess extraordinaire (Trixie’s Whorehouse dance parties, Trixie’s BINGO Madness soirees and as the proprietress of “from Trixie’s Oven”, purveyor of fine baked goods in select coffee shops in the area. Trixie is the driving force and President of the Hudson Pride Foundation, the first official gay and lesbian organization in Columbia County, and planners of the Hudson Pride parade. Trix is also the President of CAPB, the Capital District’s fabulous gay bowling league and bowls every Sunday night in Schenectady. She keeps busy.

But Trixie has been cooking up more than just cookies lately; she proposed the “Tom & Trixie Show” as a combination cabaret evening/fundraising event for various local organizations. Not seeing her complete lack of experience at such a theatrical endeavor as a drawback, Tom jumped at the offer.

The show will include a variety of holiday and popular songs, audience singalongs and even a fundraising BINGO game at intermission. And at each show Tom & Trixie will be joined by a fabulous local guest star to add even more gaiety to the evening.

“Christmas with Tom & Trixie: Is That All There Is?” will be full of fun and imbued with the holiday spirit. So come all ye faithful, ye faithless and everything in between to the musical, mirthful must-see holiday show of 2010!

Want to see more?

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Email Tom – tom@tomjudson.com or Trixie – Trixie@GayHudson.com

Watch

Kathy Mattea

Kathy Mattea: Songs and the Season at The Colonial Theatre Saturday 11/27/10 8pm

Kathy Mattea presents an all-new holiday program following up her Grammy Award-winning and Emmy-nominated holiday program Good News. Ranging widely across musical boundaries of country, folk and gospel, her show’s spiritual message is a thoughtful blend of old favorites and new songs.

Buy a CD

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Saturday November 13 at 8pm at the Colonial

Kate Clinton is a faith-based, tax-paying, America-loving political humorist and family entertainer. With a career spanning over 25 years, Clinton has worked through economic booms and busts, Disneyfication and Walmartization, gay movements and gay markets, lesbian chic and queer eyes, and ten presidential inaugurals. She still believes that humor gets us through peacetime, wartime and scoundrel time.

Pittsfield, the lively entertainment hub of bucolic Berkshire County in western Massachusetts, hosts the 2nd annual “Out in the Berkshires” weekend on Columbus Day weekend, October 8 – 10. Held in concert with National Coming Out day on October 11, and proudly sponsored by the Rainbow Times, Cultural Pittsfield and the Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition. Enjoy gorgeous fall foliage and gay-friendly arts and nightlife!

Out in the Berkshires kicks off Friday evening with the opening reception for the Out in the Berkshires group art show, featuring regional artists from the LGBTQ community. Friday evening continues with Karao-Gay with karaoke champion Ken De Loreto as your ever-so-charming MC. Saturday enjoy the gorgeous fall foliage in the Berkshires and don’t miss the Downtown Pittsfield Open Studios, an opportunity to peek into some of the 60+ artist studios and galleries in downtown Pittsfield. Afterwards, you’re invited to the Come Out & Dance Party with DJ BFG into the wee hours. Sunday brings a Family & Friends Benefit Brunch at the scrumptious Jae’s Spice that’s also a benefit for Out in the Berkshires programming, followed by a late evening screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Keep up with everything LGBTQ-friendly in the Berkshires at www.outintheberkshires.com and look for online on Facebook and Twitter too!

Friday, October 8, 5-7pm Out in the Berkshires art show opening
Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue Pittsfield, MA
FREE More info: 413.499.9348 mwhilden@pittsfieldch.com
A group show featuring regional artists from the LGBTQ community, including abstract painter Joe Goodwin, trans artists Autumn Doyle and Justin Adkins, mixed media artists Timothy Kushi and Donald Clark, photographers Susan Mikula, the late Vaal London-Kane and Kit Restivo, sculptor Joseph Wheaton currently in a two person show at the Berkshire Museum, painters Jaysin Eli and Michelle Bellici, and fiber artist Nathan Hanford.

Friday, October 8 (doors open 9:30pm) 10pm-1am Karao-Gay karaoke night!
$5/$7 NEW STAGE 55 North Street, Pittsfield MA
Let your inner diva shine with Karaoke Master Ken Deloreto at the helm and KJ Spizz behind the turntable into the wee hours, Cash bar. Reservations 413.418.0999.

Saturday, October 9, 9pm -1am Come Out & Dance Dance Party
$5 NEW STAGE 55 North Street, Pittsfield MA
Let your true self out with the deliriously popular DJ BFG spinning tracks.

Sunday, October 10 11:30am Friends & Family Benefit Brunch
$20 Jae’s Spice 297 North Street 443-1234
Support continued Out in the Berkshires events & programming while enjoying a delicious buffet brunch, tea & coffee galore & a cash bar. Reservations suggested.

Sunday, October 10 , 10pm Rocky Horror Picture Show
$9 Beacon Cinema, 55 North Street, Pittsfield MA
www.thebeaconcinema.com
Let’s do the Time Warp during this late night showing of this cult classic! Dress up encouraged, prize for best costume.

And special thanks to our friends & sponsors at:

On Saturday, September 26^th at 2pm, don’t miss a very unique matinee at Rebel Sound Records! The Trans Fusions National Tour comes to Pittsfield, featuring performances by Modern Day Pinnochio, Geppetta, Jamez Terry and Kian Xie.

Fueled by the belief that the power of Performance, Art, and Music can surpass the boundaries of language and culture, Modern Day Pinnochio (a.k.a. A.J. Bryce) looks forward to hitting the road with the Trans-Genre Project and sharing the beautiful stories, struggles, and dreams that the Transgender Community brings to the surface with their powerful works of art.

Continue reading »

Veteran acoustic performer Catie Curtis has toured extensively in North America, including playing at several festivals, such as the Newport Folk Festival. She has also supported, among others, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dar Williams, Girlyman and Bonnie Raitt. She also played on the final Lilith Fair tour. This Saturday see her right here in the Berkshires at the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield supported by Jonatha Brooke.
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Showing at Beacon Cinema July 30^th – August 5^th at 12:10, 2:35, 5:00, 7:20 and 9:45 pm.

Lisa Cholodenko’s latest film and winner of the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival, The Kids Are All Right makes its debut in Pittsfield this weekend. Directed by Cholodenko (High Art, Laurel Canyon), The Kids Are All Right is based on an original screen play written by her in part with Stuart Blumberg.

The film captures the dynamic of Nic and Jules (three-time Academy Award nominee Annette Bening and four-time Academy Award nominee Julianne Moore) and their family. They are married and share a cozy suburban Southern California home with their teenage children, Joni and Laser (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson). Nic and Jules – sometimes referred to as the “Momses” – gave birth to and raised their children, and built a family life for the four of them. As Joni prepares to leave for college, 15-year-old Laser presses her for a big favor. He wants Joni, now 18, to help him find their biological father; the two teenagers were conceived by donor insemination. Joni makes the call and as their donor father, Paul (Mark Ruffalo), comes into the lives of the forthright four, an unexpected new chapter begins for them as family ties are defined, re-defined, and then re-re-defined.
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This Sunday, August 1^st, don’t miss a free performance of Diana Yanez one-woman show, Viva La Evolucion, at 7pm at Williams’ College ’62 Center.  The performance is one night only and then moves on to SoHo Playhouse where it will run from August 19^th-29^th.

Viva La Evolucion, written and performed by Diana Yanez and directed by Marjorie Duffield, is Yanez story of growing up Queer and Cuban in America, more specifically, Miami Beach.
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The Kolok Gallery, cordially invites you to attend their opening reception with the artist this Saturday, July 31^st, from 5:30 – 8 pm. Kolok Gallery is the only gay-owned gallery in Berkshire County and would like encourage more participation from the queer community here in the hills.

 The gallery represents and exhibits artwork by emerging and mid-career, nationally and internationally-based artists. The current exhibition on view at Kolok, titled “home•less•bound•ness; (hom´lis´bound´nis´) –noun, 1. and other transient ideas”, is composed of new sculpture and installation work by artist Robert Mateo Diago.
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OUT@BSC returns for its second installment of the summer on July 29 at 8pm with a performance of ART and a post-show party at One West Restaurant and Lounge at the Crowne Plaza, where  both drinks and appetizers are just $5.

Barrington Stage Company describes Yasmina Reza’s Art as “A thought provoking, deliciously witty, Tony Award-winning comedy” about the extraordinary and hilarious tests on three men’s friendships when one of them buys a white on white painting for a colossal amount of money.

Showtime is at 8pm. Those who call for tickets at 413-236-8888 can get 10% discount by mentioning OUT@BSC.

For more information about OUT night at Barrington Stage, visit this delightful entry from Berkshire on Stage.

Berkshire Stonewall will be hosting a spring dance at the Elk’s Club in Pittsfield on Saturday, April 17th, from 8:30pm – 12:30am!
$5 members/$10 non-members
FREE ADMISSION if you Join/Renew your membership at the door!The event will have a cash bar (with cheap drinks!) , DJ, and appetizers, and a 50/50 raffle to benefit the Live Out Loud Youth Project: youth dance on May 14th at Jae’s Spice Upstairs.

LIVE OUT LOUD’s mission is to empower, energize and enable Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth to live the life of their dreams through the celebration of the richness and diversity of our shared experience, the visibility of role models and the dissemination of information. For more information visit the group’s FACEBOOK page here.

Also… Continue reading »

This Saturday night, February 13^th, the upstairs of Jae’s Spice will host the second Quite Queer event titled “Heart On”. The party has a high fashion theme and prizes will be given out to the top three most interesting and unique outfits. There also will be a “prom-style” photo booth with on-site printing, wild Valentine-inspired decorations, and specialty cocktails served.

The event is $5 for ages 21+ and $8 for 18+ with a full cash bar for legal drinkers. This event follows the first successful Quite Queer event that took place October 10^th, 2009 at the Elks Club in Pittsfield. Continue reading »