Pictured here from left to right: Musical Director Brent Frederick, Writer/Creator Nancy Holson, Director/Choreographer/Cast Member Jay Falzone, Diane Patrick, Governor Deval Patrick, Cast Members Shannon Turner, Amanda Danskin and Stephen Smith.

Bernard Re, Jr.’s works include two abstract portraits, one melding Barack Obama and Oprah entitled ‘Obama-O-Free’ and ‘Hill-Bill-ery,’ which combines the many faces of Hillary and Bill Clinton. Adam Polsz’s graffiti-like work includes the ‘GOP, Grand Oil Profiteers,’ ‘Chinese Democracy’ and ‘Weapons of Mass Instruction.’

Bernard Re, Jr. is a painter first and foremost and has been in scores of art exhibitions over the years. In May, he was one of 30 artists juried into the National Spring Open Juried Exhibition at the Wayne Arts Center in Wayne, Penn., from a field of over 300 entries. Locally, he recently exhibited in the Science of Abstract Art exhibition at the Lascano Gallery in Great Barrington. He works out of his studio in Canaan, Conn., and holds a day job as Vice President Interactive, of New England Newspapers, Inc. More information can be found on his website at globalhome.com.

Adam Polsz, a native Philadelphian, was schooled in Los Angeles (a UCLA grad) where he worked (and played) in the counterculture graffiti art scene for over a decade. His collaborative work can be seen in the book “The Art of Getting Over” as well as on the website ArtCrimes.org. He is a recent transplant to the state of Conn., and has melded his original graffiti style with an abstracted version of impressionism to produce works in a scale that translate to canvas. He works out of his Middletown, Conn. studio and has exhibited extensively on both coasts.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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?"

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.