Westfield News Group Review: The Color Purple at The Bushnell

My Westfield News Group review of The Color Purple at The Bushnell. Powerful storytelling and distinctive staging. http://thewestfieldnews.com/review-color-purple-bushnell/

My December Succeeding in Small Business Column

My December column for Succeeding in Small Business. Event planning advice from three colleagues: Suzanne Hendery of Renown Health, Howard Sienkiewicz o Zasco Productions, an Julia Bradley Farmer from Northfield Mount Hermon School. https://www.succeedinginsmallbusiness.com/event-planning-dos-and-donts-part-2/#.WibCDCMrJaV

Westfield News Group Reviews: A Christmas Carol and Christmas On The Rocks

My Westfield News Group reviews of two holiday traditions: A Christmas Carol at Hartford Stage has a new "Scrooge". At TheaterWorks, Christmas on The Rocks has a new playlet by Jacques Lamarre. http://thewestfieldnews.com/review-seasonal-theatre-hits-updated/

Media Release: Howard Sienkieciwz Named VP/General Manager of Zasco Productions

ZASCO PRODUCTIONS NAMES HOWARD SIENKIEWICZ VICE-PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER

Chicopee, MA: Zasco Productions, LLC, the Massachusetts event planners and production company, has hired Springfield native and Southampton resident Howard Sienkiewicz as their new Vice President and General Manager, according to Zasco Founder and President/Owner Michael W. Zaskey. Sienkiewicz returns to Western Massachusetts, after having spent two decades as Technical Director for the international event planner and production company Ellen Michaels Presents.

“We’re so pleased that Howard Sienkiewicz agreed to return to Western Massachusetts to join the Zasco team,” said Zaskey.. His experience working globally in theatres, concert halls, convention centers, hotels, and non-traditional venues will help Zasco Productions and our other brand, Big Video Screen, to enhance the level of service we provide our customers throughout the region”.

Howard Sienkiewicz began his career in Springfield, MA as Production Stage Manager of The Springfield Symphony Orchestra, coordinating production for their classical and pop music series, operas and dance programs at Springfield Symphony Hall, at The Summer Pops at Stanley Park, The Berkshire Choral Festival, and the Springfield Symphony New England Tours, under the auspices of New England Presentors. He became Technical Director for Springfield Civic Center and Symphony Hall, and General Manager for Snow Sound, as well as owner of HCS Productions. At Ellen Michaels Presents, he travelled the globe working on events for CA Technologies, Oracle, and Intuit and many others. 

“Years ago”, says Sienkiewicz, “When Michael has getting Zasco started, we had crossed paths while I worked at Springfield Symphony Hall. Years later, when I needed a company to support a large corporate event in Boston, I was given his name. He and the company really impressed me. Going forward, I would use Zasco Productions for all our shows in the Northeast. I even brought them to Las Vegas, Chicago and North Carolina to support various shows. When I decided to get off the road Michael offered me this position and I am thrilled to be returning to my hometown and have the opportunity to work with a great company like Zasco locally and nationally.”

Zasco Productions LLC, a Massachusetts-based owner-operated company for over 25 years, provides fully-integrated, turn-key creative and technical production solutions for corporate, educational, non-profit, theatrical, entertainment, and broadcast events   For details: http://www.zasco.com/  Zasco also owns Big Video Screen.http://www.bigvideoscreen.com/

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Calendar Listings: The Capitol Steps Spring Break Tour

DATELINE: December 1, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


CALENDAR LISTINGS

The Mike Thornton Agency presents
THE CAPITOL STEPS
2018 Spring Break Tour

Friday, April 20, 2018 at 7:30PM
The Academy of Music Theatre
274 Main Street, Northampton, MA 01060
Tickets now on sale at The Academy of Music Box-Office
413-584-9032 ext. 105 or www.aomtheatre.com
Sponsored by New England Public Radio and WGBY Public Television.

Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 8PM
The Warner Theatre
68 Main Street, Torrington, CT 06790
Tickets now on sale at The Warner Theatre Box-Office
860-489-7180 or www.warnertheatre.org

The Capitol Steps have been a national institution for over 35 years, providing a unique blend of musical and political comedy and satire to audiences coast-to-coast.. Each show consists of tasteful lampooning guaranteed to leave both sides of the political spectrum laughing. The troupe started in 1981. Since then, they have appeared on “The Today Show,” “Nightline,” “CBS Evening News” and for many years in specials for NPR. 

The Washington Post calls The Capitol Steps: “An oasis of good-natured ribbing in a fiercely partisan world”. 

Larry King of CNN said of The Capitol Steps: "They're the best. There's no one like them, no one in their league." 

Former President George H. W. Bush said of The Capitol Steps “"The Capitol Steps make it easier to leave public life." : 

The Capitol Steps political musical comedy troupe works overtime to capture the new administrations’ antics in satire and song. And since The Capitol Steps find their laughs in materials ripped from today’s and tomorrow’s headlines you never know whether Steve Bannon, Jeff Sessions, or Kim Jong-un might appear from Mar-A-Lago or The White House.

To preview some of the Capitol Steps materials, visit their website, www.capsteps.com, or find The Capitol Steps on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter (@capsteps)

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Media Release: Kevin Rhodes to Conduct Stuttgart Ballet's Swan Lake

KEVIN RHODES TO GUEST CONDUCT STUTTGART BALLET’S SWAN LAKE THIS DECEMBER

The Massachusetts-based American conductor Kevin Rhodes will be guest conductor of The Stuttgart Ballet’s production of the classicSwan Lake on December 6-15, at the Stuttgart Opera House. Rhodes, who serves as Music Director and Conductor of The Springfield Symphony Orchestra in MA and Traverse Symphony Orchestra in MI, is also Principal Conductor of Boston’s Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, has extensive credits working with ballet companies around the world.

Swan Lake features a score by Tchaikovsky, with choreography by John Cranko and decor by Jurgen Rose.  Swan Lake premiered in Stuttgart in 1963, when the late Cranko was Artistic Director of the German company, which is now acclaimed worldwide. Reid Anderson is the current artistic director. Last summer, Rhodes conducted Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet in Stuttgart.

Kevin Rhodes’ current season includes his return to the Vienna State Opera Ballet, where he’ll conduct the Rudolf Nureyev Gala, celebrating the dancer and choreographer, who would have turned 80 this year. He also conducts Nureyev’s production of Raymonda, to the music of Glazunov. a mixed repertory program of works choreographed by George Balanchine, John Neumeier, and Jerome Robbins; and a mixed bill featuring Frederick Ashton’s ballet Marguerite and Armand, originally created for Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn.

Earlier this year, Maestro Rhodes made his debut conducting Don Quixote at The Norwegian National Ballet in Oslo; last season, he conducted an all-Balanchine program honoring Violette Verdy at the Paris Opera Ballet, and Raymonda in Vienna. 

For The Stuttgart Ballet schedule: https://www.stuttgart-ballet.de/

For Kevin Rhodes’ website: http://kevinrhodesconductor.com/

For Kevin Rhodes biography: http://www.parkerartists.com/Kevin-Rhodes.html

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Westfield News Group ArtsBeat 11/29/17

My Westfield News Group ArtsBeat for 11/29/17. A new "Scrooge" at Hartford Stage, Shakespeare and Company's upcoming season, and more. http://thewestfieldnews.com/arts-beat-201