Theatre Music and Art of The Berkshires
Tanglewood, down the road in Lenox , is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Named after Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Tanglewood Tales,” Tanglewood has been offering music concerts since 1936. The famed shed was built in 1938 with seats for 5,100, yet over the years great numbers of concert-goers have picknicked then listened to music on the lawn under the stars.
Ozawa Hall
In 1994, Tanglewood expanded an built Ozawa Hall. For more information about the Tanglewood season: http://www.bso.org/
Close to Jericho Valley Inn are two exceptional art museums: the Williams College Museum of Art and MASS MoCA. The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is housed in an old mill in North Adams. Since opening in 1999, MoCA has become one of the country’s leading exhibition spaces for contemporary art, including some outstanding large-scale installations.
Exploring the restored interior of the mill is as interesting as the art itself.
MASS MoCA
Williamstown, a quaint and picturesque New England town, is home to a small treasure of a museum: the Williams College Museum of Art. Founded in 1926, the museum’s permanent American collection contain works by Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, and Edward Hopper; its European collection is complemented by works on loan by Picasso, Braque and Chagall.
Williams College Museum of Art
In summer, the Berkshires are alive with theater and dance. Nearby Williamstown plays host to the Williamstown Theater Festival, where stars of Hollywood and Broadway come to perform both classical and contemporary theater. Whether its Shakespeare, Chekhov, Inge or Tom Stoppard, the WTF offers extraordinary sets and passionate performances.
Frank Langella & Blythe Danner, Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” 1974
Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival is located south of us in Becket, Massachusetts. The Pillow is America’s longest-running dance festival and will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2007. It presents some of the world’s best dance companies during its summer season. With 3 unique stages on 163 acres, there is much to see.
Stay at Jericho Valley Inn, and take advantage of the extraordinary variety and quality the Berkshires have to offer in music, dance, theater and the arts.
OTHER CULTURAL TREASURES
Jericho Valley Inn is ideally located for exploration and enjoyment of the many cultural treasures the Berkshires have to offer. Long a magnet for some of America’s best writers, the Berkshires combine the peace and charm of rural America with the sophistication and culture of the big cities of Boston and New York.
Hawthorne, Melville, and Edith Wharton all came here for inspiration.
A short 30-minute ride from Williamstown south to Lenox takes you to the Berkshire homes of all three. To get to Herman Melville’s Arrowhead: Take Route 2 (The Mohawk Trail) to Route 7 South. Follow Route 7 South until you cross the Pittsfield-Lenox town line. Turn left onto Holmes Road at the traffic light. Arrowhead is 1.5 miles ahead on the left.
Arrowhead is owned and maintained by the Berkshire Historical Association. Located on 780 Holmes Road in Pittsfield, it is 10 minutes away from Edith Wharton’s former estate, The Mount, and the red cottage Hawthorne lived in opposite Tanglewood in Lenox.
Arrowhead
And for thirteen years wrote prodigiously, working on Moby-Dick, Pierre, The Confidence-Man, Israel Potter, The Piazza Tales, and some of his best known short stories: “Benito Cereno” and “Bartleby the Scrivener.”
The view from Arrowhead
“In fine clear June days, the bloom of these mountains is beyond expression delightful … On one side the eye follows for the space of an eagle’s flight, the serpentine mountain chains, southward from the great purple dome of Taconic – the St. Peter’s of these hills – northwards to the twin summits of Saddleback, which is the two-steepled natural cathedral of Berkshire; while low down to the west the Housatonic winds on in her watery labyrinth, through charming meadows basking in the reflected rays from the hill-sides.”
Melville Israel Potter
Herman Melville’s Arrowhead is open daily from Memorial Day Weekend to Columbus Day from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CLOSED THURSDAY. Tours begin hourly, with the first tour at 11:00 a.m. and the last tour at 3:00 p.m. Tours of Arrowhead are available in the off-season.
$12.00 adults
$5.00 students (with valid student ID)
$3.00 children (6-14)
Children 5 and under free
http://www.mobydick.org/
For more information:
Herman Melville’s Arrowhead
780 Holmes Road
Pittsfield MA 01201
Telephone (413) 442-1793
Fax (413) 443-1449
info@mobydick.org
Edith Wharton, the author of the extraordinary novels “Ethan Frome,” “Summer,” “The Age of Innocence,” and “The House of Mirth” called The Mount “my first real home.” Restored by Edith Wharton Restoration, The Mount is definitely worth a visit.
The Mount
“On a slope overlooking the dark waters and densely wooded shores of Laurel Lake we built a spacious and dignified house … “There for over ten years I lived and gardened and wrote contentedly, and should doubtless have ended my days there had not a grave change in my husband’s health made the burden of the property too heavy.
“But meanwhile The Mount was to give me country cares and joys, long happy rides and drives through the wooded lanes of that loveliest region, the companionship of a few dear friends, and the freedom from trivial obligations which was necessary if I was to go on with my writing. The Mount was my first real home … its blessed influence still lives in me.”
Edith Wharton “A Backward Glance” 1934
Jericho Valley Summer Arts 2007
The seasons have changed here at Jericho Valley and Spring is upon us and moving into Summer.
As usual there is almost too much to do here in the Berkshires once Memorial Day has come and gone: the greatest variety of top-notch theater, dance, music, art exhibitions and countless opportunities to go into the stunning countryside of our beautiful Berkshires Hills.
The nearby Williamstown Theater Festival always attracts actors from Hollywood to Broadway. You’re sure to see some of your favorites from the big screen to TV. This season, the WTF is offering some tried and true theatrical gems on the Main Stage. “The Front Page” runs from July 04 – 15; “Blithe Spirit” July 18 – 29; “The Corn is Green” from August 01 – 12; and “The Autumn Garden” from August 15 – 26.
Allison Janney
Barrington Stage, now relocated to the renovated theater at 30 Union Street in Pittsfield, features a summer season of “West Side Story” from June 13 to July 14; Peter Shaffer’s “Black Comedy” from July 19 – August 4, and Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” from August 9 – August 26.
Shakespeare & Company of Lenox, Massachusetts is featuring “Rough Crossing” by Tom Stoppard in the Founders’ Theatre from May 25 – September 2. Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” will play in the Founders’ Theatre from June 8 – September 1. “Blue/Orange” runs in the Founders’ Theatre, July 5 – September 2. And on July 27 – September 2 S&Co offers “Antony and Cleopatra”by William Shakespeare. The Fall season features “The Secret of Sherlock Holmes” by Jeremy Paul from September 28 – October 28.
Tom Stoppard’s “Rough Crossing” at Shakespeare & Company
The Unicorn is offering Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie” from May 24 to June 30; “My Pal George” from July 3 – July 21; “Two-headed” from July 25 – August 18; and “Educating Rita” from August 21 through October 20.
For families, the BTF will be presenting “Cinderella” at The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield from June 27 through July 28.
Cinderella
The first dialogue will compare works by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh to works in the Clark’s collection. Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait (Vincent Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam) will be juxtaposed with Self-Portrait by Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
Top: Self-portrait, c.1875, by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Bottom: Self-portrait, 1887, by Vincent van Gogh
Étretat, the Needle Rock and Porte d’Aval, c. 1885, by Claude Monet
Dré Wapenaar: Pavilion
Fransje Killars
While there, it is always wonderful to check out the Museum’s toys by Alexander Calder. As the Museum puts it, this is your chance to “make the seal bounce a ball on its nose; see the duck waddle across the room; and watch as mesmerizing spirals go round and round.”
Alexander Calder
Other highlights include performance by some of the classical music’s greatest artists, including cellist Yo-Yo Ma (August 4); pianist Emanuel Ax (August 12); violinist Joshua Bell (July 27) and Itzhak Perlman (August 11), and conductors like Maestro Levine, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos (August 12 and 19), Andre Previn (July 8, and 13), and Kurt Masur (July 29).
Yo Yo Ma
Boston Pops Laureate Conductor John Williams returns to the Tanglewood podium for the always-popular Film Night at Tanglewood (August 25) featuring Mr. Williams’ music to the Harry Potter films.
Tanglewood celebrates July 4th with “The New Cars” – comprising original members of the successful and influential new wave band “The Cars” at 7 p.m. And Berkshire native James Taylor returns to Tanglewood on August 24 in the Koussevitzky Music Shed.
James Taylor
Highlights of the season include the Pillow’s contribution to Dutch Arts in the Berkshires: the Nederlands Dans Theater II performs three contemporary stunners: Jirà Kylián’s Sleepless, Hans van Manen’s Simple Things, and Johann Inger’s Dream Play. Wednesday July 4 – Sunday July 8.
From Wednesday July 11 – Sunday July 15, the Pillow presents the exclusive appearance of Dancers of the Royal Danish Ballet, including a world premiere by Louise Midjord. Legendary Bournonville masterpieces to be performed include excerpts from Napoli and Flower Festival in Genzano.
The Pillow also offers performances by two great American choreographers. The Paul Taylor Company performs July 18 – July 22. Works to be performed include classics such as Esplanade, Piazzolla Caldera, and Aureole.
Lisa Viola and dancers in Esplanade, choreographed by Paul Taylor.
Photo by Lois Greenfield.
Well this is, of course, just a small sample of what awaits you when you join us at Jericho Valley Inn this summer.
Check back soon, and we’ll tell you about all the exciting summer activities for your children.
Book your Room with Us Today !
The Berkshires
