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Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

14 Castle St, Great Barrington, MA 01230
413-528-0100
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Type: Theatres
Owner description: The Mahaiwe Theater opened in September 1905 and is one of the oldest surviving theaters in the country. In its early years, the theater presented... more » Owner description: The Mahaiwe Theater opened in September 1905 and is one of the oldest surviving theaters in the country. In its early years, the theater presented touring vaudeville acts and performers such as John Philip Sousa. It was transformed into a movie palace in 1930 and has been in continuous operation for over 100 years. Celebrated for its splendid acoustics, the theatre has played an important role in the life of the area.The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center was formed in December 2002 and launched its first six-month presenting season with a Centennial Celebration in May 2005. The theater has been newly restored, with great attention to historical detail, at a cost of over $9 million. The restoration was overseen by noted architect, Hugh Hardy, with engineering and construction by skilled Berkshire craftspeople and artisans. The theater is a recipient of support from Save America’s Treasures, the historical restoration has been certified by the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the National Park Service. In addition, The Mahaiwe is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places!The Mahaiwe is now a unique year-round performing arts center presenting music, dance, theater, opera, and classic films in the southern Berkshires. The theater seats almost 700 audience members. We have brought hundreds of live events as well as classic films, and the Metropolitan Opera “Live in HD” broadcasts to the theater’s stage and screen as well as hosted dozens of performances presented by others. The Mahaiwe strives to welcome the broadest possible community into our theater on an ongoing basis. « less
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22 reviews from our community

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Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 June 2013

A theater sinking into disrepair is resurrected into a community-sponsored venue for the arts. A painstaking restoration with outstanding programming.

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Sarasota, Florida
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
10 attraction reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 May 2013

Small intimate venue enabling close appreciation of artists. Probably a significant baby boomer audience.

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SpecialK55
Top Contributor
72 reviews 72 reviews
6 attraction reviews
Reviews in 34 cities Reviews in 34 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 April 2013

The Mahaiwe is a small theatre founded in 1905 and recently renovated. Although some seats afford better views than others, we couldn't see how you could go wrong with ANY of the seats. Acoustics were amazing. We saw Brad Mehldau and Chris Thile - a performance worthy of separate reviews by those more qualified to write them. Suffice to say,... More

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Monterey, Massachusetts
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 April 2013

Went to see David Sedaris at the Mahaiwe. All the obvious were easy and simple: searching for events, purchasing tickets, obtaining purchase confirmation. The marquis blazed in the early evening and as always there's a buzz in front of the theatre as people filter into the lobby. My tiny little nit-pick: if the theatre has two windows why isn't one... More

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See 2 more reviews by ChrisCooks for Great Barrington
Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
Senior Contributor
47 reviews 47 reviews
16 attraction reviews
Reviews in 20 cities Reviews in 20 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 December 2012

The Mahaiwe has been restored to its original glory and is a lovely performing arts space. Worth the trip.

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See 6 more reviews by NolaAK for Great Barrington
Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Senior Contributor
43 reviews 43 reviews
3 attraction reviews
Reviews in 21 cities Reviews in 21 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 December 2012

Renovated in a way that truly brings back the elegance of yesterday's entertainment venues. Some really great shows happen here. Just last night it was "The Temptations" lve. Berkshire Playwrights Lab stages free readings of new plays here in the summer with some great actors.

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See 10 more reviews by mikalis for Great Barrington
Gainesville, Florida
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 November 2012

This was my first visit to the Mahaiwe since the mid-1960s. The restoration is wonderful. It took a concert by blues man Keb Mo and his band to entice me back. He rocked the house! Even the balcony where I was seated had a terrific view of the performers. My one complaint would be the seating of late patrons who... More

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See 8 more reviews by SearlesGirl for Great Barrington
Massachusetts
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 September 2012

This landmark is deservedly a source of local pride. Recently renovated, the theater is a nice size—neither too big nor too small—and has a sense of intimacy. Contributing to the vibrant spirit of the place is that local residents serve as ushers and the lower level has an exhibit on the theater’s history. We tried to buy front-row, side-section seats... More

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Stamford, CT
Senior Contributor
42 reviews 42 reviews
11 attraction reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 September 2012

I have experienced some wonderful concerts here. The staff are fine, but when I complained about the A/C (it was very warm in the orchestra section), the house manager did not seemed all that happy with me. A nicer attitude would have been appreciated.

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See 3 more reviews by babsy0910 for Great Barrington
Hoosick, New York
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
3 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 August 2012

Easy online ticketing, not a bad seat in the house, and house intro before show is never ridiculously self-aggrandizing like other venues.

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See 2 more reviews by hoosick for Great Barrington

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