The News In Revue

Revisit/Review from Ronald K. Baker at NewBerkshire.com:

"Not only does this crew continually hone their material to incorporate some of the most current stuff available but they also improvise on their standard material playing off each other on a moment by moment basis. Hence they have a spontaneity that makes each night something truly special… It remained a struggle not to laugh excessively in order not to miss out on a single syllable of the cutting satire…Get thee to the 'funnery.'”

Read more...

Tickets may be purchased directly at the Theater Box Office (413) 442-8316 or click the Buy Tickets button right now.

Posted by News in Revue at 09:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Review from J. Peter Bergman at BerkshireBrightFocus.com:

"The show is played at a hectic pace by four extremely talented comic actor/singer/dancers, led by a veteran of the show, and its creator’s co-director, Jay Falzone."

“...the only dinner-theater experience in the Berkshires nowadays… a fun place to be in these tired and tacky times.”

Read more...

Tickets may be purchased directly at the Theater Box Office (413) 442-8316 or click the Buy Tickets button right now.

Posted by News in Revue at 09:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From Musical Director Brent Frederick:

It's been a unique and exciting experience to work on The News In Revue! Of course, having a great cast is a huge benefit, but being able to work on such current material is also a new and exciting challenge. I've never worked on a production where we were still writing songs two days prior to opening -- but that's really what sets this show apart from anything else I've encountered.

The material is fresh and Nancy's writing is brilliant... we've been able to write and stage some very challenging production numbers with great harmonies, choreography and direction in a timeframe where a traditional writing process would still be at the concept stage. Everyone is amazingly talented in their respective specialties and it's this creative synergy coupled with a real desire to present meaningful satire that makes it happen! -- BRENT FREDERICK

Posted by News in Revue at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From Cast Member Amanda Danskin:

There's a very good reason I keep coming back to The News In Revue. This is my third summer with the show, and it never, ever feels like work. I know most people say, "I gotta go to work," but you'll never hear me say that.

I always say "I gotta go sing and dance". And the thing about our show is that it's not your frivolous, Sandy-and-Danny sort of singing and dancing. I get to jump on a stage every night and spread the good news that is political satire. I get to make people think and laugh and think some more. My hope is that people leave our show with some fantastic conversation for the car ride home. And hopefully, somewhere in that conversation will be a comment about that cute little red-headed girl with all the energy. She sure was funny! -- AMANDA DANSKIN

Posted by News in Revue at 09:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From Cast Member Shannon Turner:

Well, blow me down! So far this production of The News in Revue has been quite an experience. At first I really wasn't sure what to expect. It was a great learning experience to watch the show evolve since the show...

can change from day to day due to anything ranging from script rewrites, to unexpected ad libs from the cast members. I have definitely discovered that it is best to stay on my toes. Our living situation is also pretty unique... We live together, work together and travel together. I feel really lucky to be around such awesome people all the time. I couldn't ask to be a part of a better gig right now. -- SHANNON TURNER

Posted by News in Revue at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

News In Revue cast members Stephen Smith & Amanda Danskin as Bill and Hillary Clinton outside SPICE Restaurant in Pittsfield

News In Revue cast member Amanda Danskin as Paris Hilton at SPICE

The July 19 Third Thursday performance at SPICE Restaurant in downtown Pittsfield was a great success with The News In Revue's Hillary and Bill Clinton and Paris Hilton performing to hundreds of audience members indoors and on the street! The celebration featured live music, sample performances, live dancing and approximately 60 businesses with open doors, sidewalk dining, activities and sales.

Tickets may be purchased directly at the Theater Box Office (413) 442-8316 or click the Buy Tickets button right now.

Posted by News in Revue at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From Cast Member Stephen Smith:

That's the best part of the show: You can only go with the flow. To try and fight the craziness of the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants would only destroy you. But that's also the show's strength. I have never been involved in a show with such a relaxed atmosphere. Backstage, you try to get yourself as prepared as can be -- you lay out your myriad of costumes you'll be flying through during the show, you get your water bottles filled and ready.

Cough drops (I discovered that I ended up having to do something vocally straining for EVERY scene. Screaming, yelling, etc.) – and you think you're set. But the show starts and just takes you away. Props go awry, you get tickled because you messed up a lyric, everyone is ad libbing like crazy just TRYING to bring each other down, and the audience is eating it up. In past shows, I have never been allowed to have so much fun onstage. Never been free to break through the "fourth wall.” Never been given the freedom to say something off the cuff, or try something new that just popped into my head. It's great. I think it becomes part of the training Live theatre is just that: Live. It changes and things go wrong. But doing a show like this prepares one for just such an occasion. I think it turns mistakes into some of the best bits IN the show. -- STEPHEN SMITH

Posted by News in Revue at 09:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From Director/Choreographer/Cast Member Jay Falzone:

That's my motto. You can always apologize later. But honestly, I've never had to. When you're in the middle of a performance of The News In Revue... particularly when you're in the middle of an audience participation section, it's feast or famine.

They're either with you and laughing their butts off or you're sinking. And the only way to keep them with you is to always go for the joke!!! Do I ever offend somebody? If they have a sense of humor, I don't see how. We don't pull any punches in our show... no one in the news goes unscathed. Therefore, the audience realizes that no matter what I say, it's just par for the course. And there is sometimes a second where I ask myself, do I make this joke? Of course, it is only a second, and then the answer comes back loud and clear: ALWAYS go for the joke. -- JAY FALZONE

Posted by News in Revue at 09:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Crew Anecdote:

It was a beautiful Sunday morning and I was on a mission to find Mormon pamphlets for our number about Mitt Romney. After a nice online chat with a nice Mormon woman named Martha, she suggested we find the closest Ward to us and ask them if they could provide us with pamphlets. The church was much bigger than I expected and service was just getting out. As I opened the doors to the Ward, it struck me that I haven't been inside a church in years. I passed by a family getting their children from the day care room and then immediately noticed eyes turn in my direction. As I walked by a few more churchgoers, I realized that I was violating a dress code for women. All the women were wearing floor length skirts. I was wearing pants. The nervous knot in my stomach tightened, but I continued with my mission. I found a table in the main lobby filled with pamphlets, but I needed about two-dozen for the Romney number. Also many of the pamphlets had titles like... "Have a family member addicted to porn?"

Not exactly what I was looking for. So, after speaking to a woman cutting construction paper for crafts in a recreation room, she instructed me to find the two Elders. Expecting to find two older gentlemen with three wives standing close by, I was surprised to find a young man with an Elder nametag on. He was probably no older than 30 and quite surprised that I was at the church without being a member. But after telling him I needed the pamphlets for some curious young people in the community, he was more than happy to give me some pamphlets – although not quite enough for our number that mocks their religion. But at that point, standing outside with the two Elders holding their missionary briefcases and giving them excuses as to why they couldn't come to the meeting... I couldn't handle it anymore. I left with my three pamphlets feeling like a bad person for lying right to their faces. Mission unsuccessful but worth a good story.

Posted by News in Revue at 09:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From Staff Member Chelsea Compton:

We had a really responsive crowd last night and it definitely fueled the energy on stage. That's one thing I really love about being involved with The News in Revue. The show is ever changing with each new audience and the actors are great at improvising.

They interact with the audience every night and you never know what's going to happen. Also the commitment to stay in character while singing and dancing from each actor is great to see. Stephen Smith's impression of Don Imus is hysterical and it still makes me laugh every night. We are happy to be involved in a show that can give people a break from the stress of the outside, if only for 90 minutes. Sometimes you just need to sit back, relax and laugh.

Posted by News in Revue at 09:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From Staff Member Lenora Whitecotton:

I watch The News In Revue every night they perform. Not because I have to or because they pay me the big bucks... It's because I want to. I have had several patrons ask if the show changes. I tell them it changes every night.

That's the beauty of live theatre, especially interactive theatre – you never truly see the same show twice. I love noticing what’s been added or taken away; what affect the audience has on the actors, etc. I also love watching the actors try and "break" the other actors: whether it's John McCain dying or God and the Devil fighting about Jerry Falwell. I think everyone should see this show, before it's gone! -- LENORA WHITECOTTON

Posted by News in Revue at 09:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

An excerpt from a recent review:

"The vocals went from superior to beyond as the players showed off three part harmony worthy of The Manhattan Transfer. Just when you thought you’d seen it all, then came tap dancing and choreography wherein the disposal of props from previous skits went seamlessly. This crew is something to behold. The background music was flawless and well balanced. It featured a tour de force by Brent Frederick, musical director and accompanist on keyboard, during a political rally by Al Sharpton for Barak Obama."

Read the entire review...

Tickets may be purchased directly at the Theater Box Office (413) 442-8316 or click the Buy Tickets button right now.

Posted by News in Revue at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

On Monday, July 16, THE NEWS IN REVUE will perform on NPR's Northeast Public Radio station WAMC at 11:23 AM. Tune in to 90.3 FM in the Berkshires or
visit WAMC's website for other station options...

Photo credit K. Kennefick
At the Job Fair with Mama Bush
Stephen Smith (army guy) and Jay Falzone (Barbara Bush)

Come back and visit for the audio once it airs...

Posted by News in Revue at 09:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In the last few years, we have received many requests to relocate the show to a more comfortable theater space with better sight lines and we have been listening. We’re excited to be a part of Pittsfield’s burgeoning arts community and welcome patrons to our new summer home.

Photo credit K. Kennefick
The Constitution
Jay Falzone (Thomas Jefferson), Stephen Smith (George Washington), Amanda Danskin (Betsy Ross) and Shannon Turner (Ben Franklin)

Tickets may be purchased directly at the Theater Box Office (413) 442-8316 or click the Buy Tickets button right now.

Centrally located on the Pittsfield-Lenox line, THE NEWS IN REVUE’s brand-new dinner-theater format takes the spotlight in The Mountainside Playhouse located at the foot of the historic Bousquet Mountain Ski Resort. We are celebrating the show’s 14th season of musical mayhem, having performed at Cranwell Resort in Lenox for the past seven years.

The new performance space is the result of a joint venture between Holson Productions LLC, the production company of THE NEWS IN REVUE, and the owners of Bousquet Mountain.

Posted by News in Revue at 09:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

“Frankly, Falzone has real star quality. He is a charismatic triple-threat, equally adept at caricature, singing and dancing, with boundless energy. Just when you think he would be ready to collapse into a heap at the show’s end he launches into another vigorous dancing routine.” – Gail Burns, theater critic
Read more of her recent review here...

Co-director and choreographer Jay Falzone has returned as a cast member for his ninth summer with the Berkshire troupe. Falzone is Writer-Creator Nancy Holson’s long-time collaborator and has directed Off Broadway shows in addition to national tours. His recent work in BUSH WARS was hailed by the NY Times:

“Falzone… reaches an energetic intensity… that propels the evening to heights of helpless mania.” Falzone recently directed the world premiere of PARENTING 101: A MUSICAL GUIDE FOR RAISING PARENTS with Holson and is developing a new musical entitled YOU DON'T KNOW JACK, for which he wrote the book and lyrics.

Also returning to the Berkshires is Amanda Danskin. Additional cast members joining the troupe this season include Shannon Turner and Musical Director Brent Frederick.

Tickets may be purchased directly at the Theater Box Office (413) 442-8316 or click the Buy Tickets button right now.

Posted by News in Revue at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

“Frankly, I think Holson and Falzone will be a hard act to follow.”

Read more...

Tickets may be purchased directly at the Theater Box Office (413) 442-8316 or click the Buy Tickets button right now.

Posted by News in Revue at 09:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

At a news conference Monday, Mayor James Ruberto welcomed The News In Revue to the city, and was impersonated by troupe member Jay Falzone, who took over the podium and performed the rest of the news conference event.

Ruberto called The News In Revue "the best kept secret in the Berkshires. “But we're going to change all that, and I just know it will strive to greater heights in Pittsfield."

Tickets may be purchased directly at the Theater Box Office (413) 442-8316 or click the Buy Tickets button right now.

Read more...

Watch video of impersonation...

Posted by News in Revue at 09:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

PITTSFIELD -- Supremely confident that it knows exactly what the its audience here wants - cutting-edge satirical commentary about politics and the other front-page issues — The News in Revue is back for its 14th summer. And it's in a brand new location.

Nancy Holson, the group's producer and director, and the writer of all those biting lyrics, said the company is delighted to occupy its roomy new digs in the Mountainside Playhouse…

Tickets may be purchased directly at the Theater Box Office (413) 442-8316 or click the Buy Tickets button right now.

Read more...

Posted by News in Revue at 09:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

THE NEWS IN REVUE, the Emmy Award-winning musical political satire troupe, kicked off its summer performance season at their new Pittsfield venue on Opening Night, Saturday, June 30 to a full house.

Photo credit K. Kennefick
The Constitution
Stephen Smith (George Washington) and Amanda Danskin (Betsy Ross)

Fast paced and side-splittingly funny, each actor plays multiple characters in the course of the 90-minute show. From Hillary Clinton and Rosie O’Donnell to Obama and Osama...

Tickets may be purchased directly at the Theater Box Office (413) 442-8316 or click the Buy Tickets button right now.

from the unemployment office with Tony Blair to a job fair for illegal immigrants, THE NEWS IN REVUE is on the job making mincemeat and mayhem out of the people and places in the headlines.

Hailed “A delight,” by The New York Times and “Very clever,” by WNBC-TV, THE NEWS IN REVUE is written and created by Nancy Holson, writer/director of the Off-Broadway hit musical BUSH WARS. Created in 1992, THE NEWS IN REVUE has performed continuously in various cities throughout the country and has won five Emmy Awards for its series of PBS specials, two of which were for Ms. Holson’s writing.

Posted by News in Revue at 09:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)