Here is the thing about driving east from Albany into the Berkshires on a June evening: by the time you reach Great Barrington, you have stopped thinking about the drive entirely. The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center sits on Castle Street in the middle of town — 681 seats, a proper theater — and on Saturday, June 20, it is hosting Straight No Chaser for one night of the Beach Bash Tour. Show starts at 8:00 PM and runs about an hour and a half, so you are out by 9:30.
About Straight No Chaser
Nine voices. No instruments. Straight No Chaser formed at Indiana University in 1996, went viral in 2008 when a member uploaded their 1998 performance of “The 12 Days of Christmas” to YouTube, and turned that moment into an Atlantic Records deal and a career that has produced three million albums sold worldwide, more than 1.75 million concert tickets, and two RIAA Gold certifications. They have collaborated with Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder — which should tell you something about the company they keep.
The Beach Bash Tour brings summer songs spanning six decades — contemporary hits alongside classics — performed in what member Steve Morgan calls “kind of like Glee and Pitch Perfect, all mixed up together.” That means humor, choreography, and audience participation woven through the whole set. The show closes with an unamplified a cappella finale: no mics, no electronic cueing, just the nine of them standing there making that sound. In a room of 681 people, that is going to land.
About Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
The Mahaiwe is a 681-seat theater in Great Barrington, Massachusetts — about an hour east of Albany through the southern Berkshires, right across the state line. It is a genuine destination drive: the kind of room that rewards the trip. Great Barrington is a walkable town, but summer weekends draw a crowd, so build in a few extra minutes for parking and getting settled before the 8:00 PM curtain.
Tickets
Reserved: $55. Preferred: $75. Premium: $95. If you are 30 or under, tickets are $15 — available at the box office or by calling 413-528-0100 (Wednesday–Saturday, 12–4 PM). Members save $5 per ticket. All prices subject to processing fees. Grab your tickets here.