The Colonial Theatre – Venue Spotlight
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The Colonial Theatre is a venerable and revered institution located in the heart of the Berkshires in Pittsfield, MA. Opened in 1903, the venue has presented countless concerts, theater productions, and other events throughout the years. The Colonial will host legends of the jamband scene, Melvin Seals & JGB, on Thursday October 11th. Tickets are available on the Berkshire Theatre Group website at this link.
LMNR had a chance to catch up with Tor Krautter, a mainstay in the jamband scene as well as Western Mass in various incarnations including the Last Waltz Live and the crossover tribute act Steal Your Peach Band. Krautter is the program manager of the theater and was happy to give us some information about this gem of a venue.
LMNR: What’s the history of the venue? How old is it? What neighborhood of Pittsfield is it in?
Tor Krautter: For a full history of the theater, check out this link: https://www.berkshiretheatregroup.org/about/history/history-of-the-colonial-theatre
The Colonial Theatre is located on Rt 7 (South St) on the south side of Pittsfield
LMNR: What’s the layout of the theatre?
TK: The Theatre has 3 levels, Orchestra at 310 seats, Balcony at 264 seats and The Gallery at 182 seats. We also have a 2nd performance space called The Garage. It’s our large lobby (with a full bar) that we convert into a nightclub with a capacity of up to 150.
LMNR: What does the Colonial offer to patrons in terms of amenities (bar, concessions, etc.)?
TK: We have a full bar and concessions stand with local craft brews and snacks available. We just started FREE pre-show entertainment in The Garage, opening the room (and bar) a few hours early with acoustic performers. Yours truly will be performing before JGB on 10/11!
LMNR: Who has the Colonial hosted in years past?
TK: We have had Bob Weir, DSO, Hot Tuna, James Taylor, Arlo Guthrie, Rusted Root, Barefoot Truth, Dave Bromberg, Steal Your Peach Band, etc.
LMNR: What’s your dream act to have at the Colonial?
TK: For me personally I would love to see one of the legends like Sir Paul or Sir Elton do an intimate performance at The Colonial. Tickets would be in the thousands but it would be sooo worth it!!
LMNR: What’s the upcoming roster for the fall/winter season?
TK: 10/5 – Harvest & Rust a Neil Young Experience (Garage)
10/11 – Melvin Seals & JGB (The Colonial)
10/12 – The Glen Campbell Xperience (Colonial)
10/13 – Christian McBride (Colonial)
10/19 – The Make Comedy Great Again Tour (Colonial)
10/25 – Comedy Garage with Katie Goodman (Garage)
10/27 – Berkshire Musicians Tribute to Tom Petty (Colonial)
11/1 – Respect: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin featuring Jen Durkin, Wanda Houston, Gina Coleman & Danelia Cotton (Colonial)
11/2 – Eagles Community Band (Colonial)
11/8 – Warren Miller Film: Face of Winter (Colonial)
11/10 – BonJourney: A tribute to Bon Jovi and Journey (Colonial)
11/15 – Comedy Garage with Cathrine Cohen (Garage)
11/17 – Start Making Sense: A Talking Heads Tribute (Colonial)
11/25 – Children’s Holiday Extravaganza (Colonial)
12/1-2 – The Nutcracker 2018 (Colonial)
12/8-22 A Christmas Carol (Colonial)
LMNR: As program manager for the theatre, what are some of your responsibilities? What do you enjoy most about the job?
TK: My responsibilities are basically scouting out talent to potentially present in one of our spaces. I have weekly meetings with our artistic director and marketing and production teams and we decide if it is something we want to pursue. I then execute the offer, contract etc. It’s fun! I’m working in the business I know and love but from the other side of it. I’m learning a lot.
LMNR: Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
TK: Just that I am working hard to make this work. The Colonial Theatre is an amazing beautiful, majestic theatre with state of the art facilities. We can handle just about any event from the opera to a full-blown get-down, dance party concert. At the end of the day, though, it’s a community theatre and we want to make sure we serve our community the best we can. I am committed to keeping my door open to feedback and ideas. Don’t be afraid to communicate with me.
To submit a story or to just say hello, email us at [email protected]
