“A Little Night Music,” Stephen Sondheim’s delectable adaptation of the Bergman film “Smiles of a Summer Night,” plays Barrington Stage Company through Aug. 28. Julianne Boyd directs and Robert LaFosse choreographs, with musical direction by Darren R. Cohen. The score, all waltzes, includes Sondheim’s most famous tune, “Send in the Clowns.” The cast includes Tony Award nominee Emily Skinner (“Side Show,” “The Cher Show,” “Prince of Broadway”) as Desiree Armfeldt; Jason Danieley (“Candide,” “Curtains,” “Pretty Woman: The Musical,” “The Full Monty”); as Fredrick Egerman; Tony Award nominee Mary Beth Peil (“Anastasia,” “Follies”) as Madame Armfeldt, and Sierra Boggess (“School of Rock,” “Love Never Dies”) as Countess Charlotte Malcolm. For details: www.barringtonstageco.org.
Wagner in Vermont Festival features two masterpieces, “Das Rheingold” (Aug. 22 and 26), and “Die Walkure” (Aug. 23-27), both presented by TUNDI Productions at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro. There are concerts, dialogues and lectures surrounding the opera performances. Area musicians, including Westfield State University’s Mary Brown Bonacci, NERO’s Cailin Marcel Manson, and Clifton J. Noble Jr., are part of the festival. For details: tundiproductions.org
“Waiting For Godot,” Samuel Beckett’s great absurdist play of the 20th century, comes to Barrington Stage Company’s St. Germain Theatre, Aug. 19 through Sept. 4, in a new production staged by Joe Colarco (who directed last season’s “Sister Sorry”). Mark H. Dold from Broadway’s “The Inheritance” and BSC’s “Harry Clarke,” and Christoper Innvar (“To Kill a Mockingbird” on Broadway) head the cast, with Kevin Isola (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) and Max Wolkowitz co-starring. For details: www.barringtonstasgeco.org.
“Measure for Measure,” Shakespeare’s play about a lord appointed to rule over a chaotic city, joins the repertoire at Shakespeare and Company, with performances Aug. 19 to Sept. 18 at the Tina Packer Playhouse in Lenox. Alice Reagan directs, and Ariel Bock heads the cast. For details: www.shakespeare.org.
“The Full Monty,” the stage adaptation of the hit film, with a book by Terrence McNally and score by David Yazbek, comes to the Little Theatre of Manchester at Cheney Hall, through Aug. 21. John Pike, known for his work at Goodspeed, Hartt School, and the Nutmeg Summer Series, directs. For details: www.cheneyhall.org/shows.
Tian Hui Ng, music director of the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra, and music faculty member at Mount Holyoke College, has been appointed music director of the New England Philharmonic, a community orchestra in Boston. He’ll be juggling these assignments with his roles at the White Snake Project and the Victory Players. For details on New England Philharmonic: nephilharmonic.org. For details on Tian Hui Ng: www.ngtianhui.com.
Brad Shepard brings his new revue, “I’ve Heard That Song Before,” to the Majestic in West Springfield on Aug. 14. The show co-stars Merrill Shepard and Richie Mitnick. For details: majestictheater.com.
The Bob Sparkman Trio, with clarinetist Bob Sparkman, pianist Jerry Noble, and bass guitarist Kara Noble, closes Sevenars’ 54th season of summer concerts with a program of jazz favorites, Aug. 14 in Worthington. Tunes like “Stardust,” “Sweet Georgia Brown,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Avalon,” “Pennies from Heaven,” “Rose Room” and “Frenesi” are only a few stops on this marvelous musical tour, which is a Sevenars season highlight, year after year. For details: www.sevenars.org.
Taneisha Duggan, former associate director of TheaterWorks, has been named associate producer of Octopus Theatricals in New York. Taneisha returns to the area to stage WAM Theatre’s Cadillac Crew this fall. For details: www.taneishaduggan.work.
“The SupaDupa Kid,” a musical based on Berkshires author Ty Allen Jackson’s best-seller, has its world premiere at Barrington Stage through Aug. 12. The cast features local youth, and children’s tickets are free with purchase of adult tickets. For details: www.barringtonstageco.org.
Mark G. Auerbach studied theater at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He has worked for arts organizations nationwide, and reported on the arts for print and broadcast. Mark produces and hosts “ArtsBeat,” “Athenaeum Spotlight” and “On the Mark” for WCPC, Channel 15 in Westfield, and WSKB 89.5 FM. His “Arts Beat” column usually appears Mondays in The Westfield News. He’s a regular contributor to Pioneer Valley Radio and a member of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association.
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