Arts in the Area: ‘Funny Women of a Certain Age’ coming to Chicopee this month
Comedian Jess Miller is bringing the nationally touring comedy showcase "Funny Women of a Certain Age" to the Portuguese Club in Chicopee on Saturday, March 21. Created and produced by comedian Carole Montgomery, the series celebrates women who have lived enough life to tell it like it is. The show has appeared on Showtime three times, premiering as the network's highest-rated comedy special of the year.
The evening begins with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and buffet-style dinner service at 5:45 p.m., featuring slow-braised corned beef with mustard cream sauce or pasta primavera with eggplant parmesan, along with butter-braised cabbage, roasted baby potatoes, glazed carrots, fresh bread and salad. The comedy show starts at 7 p.m. with performances by Montgomery, Vicky Kuperman and Missy Hall. Tickets are $69 and available at jessmillercomedy.com.
Back Porch Festival
The Back Porch Festival returns to downtown Northampton Friday to Sunday, March 27-29, presented by Signature Sounds Presents and The Parlor Room Collective. The festival's expanded format, which debuted in 2023, brings more than 60 bands to 12 venues. Headliners at The Academy of Music include BERTHA: Grateful Drag on Friday, March 27 at 8 p.m., described as the world's first Grateful Dead drag band. Saturday features the Back Porch Bluegrass Spectacular with Peter Rowan and Sam Grisman Project playing music from Old & In The Way, the short-lived bluegrass band that featured Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, Vasser Clements, John Kahn and Peter Rowan. The Sunday evening show featuring Grammy-winning supergroup I'm With Her with special guest Olive Klug is sold out.
The festival includes a free live broadcast of The Back Porch radio show from The Iron Horse on Sunday, March 29, at 9 a.m. and a special screening of "You Got Gold: A Celebration of John Prine" at 11 a.m., featuring performances by Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Tyler Childers, Lucinda Williams, Dwight Yoakam, Jason Isbell and Bob Weir. The full schedule is available at www.backporchfest.com.
'Circus Fire' at TheaterWorks Hartford
TheaterWorks Hartford announced details for its world premiere production of "Circus Fire," running April 16 through May 23, at the historic First Company Governor's Foot Guard in downtown Hartford. The production has already been extended due to increased demand.
Written by Connecticut playwright Jacques Lamarre and directed by Jared Mezzocchi, the show runs approximately 100 minutes with no intermission. Performances are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $70 and are available at twhartford.org or by calling 860-527-7838.
Eva Fierst Student Curatorial Program
The University Museum of Contemporary Art at UMass is celebrating 20 years of its student-curated exhibition program. The Eva Fierst Student Curatorial Program, founded in 2006, provides graduate students with hands-on experience in museum curation. This year's exhibition, Déjà vu: The Cycles That Haunt Us, co-curated by Suzanne Bagia and Caelen Trujillo, is on view through May 8. Drawing from the museum's collection of more than 3,800 contemporary works on paper, the show includes photographs by Andy Warhol, work by painter Joan Snyder, and a newly acquired print by Native American painter Emmi Whitehorse.
WAM Theatre's 2026 season
WAM Theatre announced its 2026 season, which includes full productions of Rooted by playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer and Camp Siegfried by Tony Award nominee Bess Wohl. Fresh Takes readings will feature Amani by playwright a.k. payne and Gorgeous by playwright Keiko Green. Passes are on sale now, with single tickets available mid-March.
Beyond performances, WAM Theatre's season includes community engagement initiatives across Berkshire County. In April, WAM partners with Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and MOSAIC to host a Women in Leadership Panel. In May, WAM collaborates with the Elizabeth Freeman Center to honor 50 years of support for survivors of domestic violence in the Berkshires. June marks the launch of WAM's Ballot Ballad program at The Lenox Library, using arts as a tool for democratic learning among students. The season concludes with a partnership with Berkshire Community College to develop a new work inspired by Louisa May Alcott, to be shared publicly in December 2026.
More information is available at www.WAMTheatre.com.
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