Whoopi Goldberg to Headline 2018 Mahaiwe Gala

The 2018 Mahaiwe Gala in Great Barrington will feature a well-known headliner.

The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center announced via a press release that the longtime comedian, actor and talk show host will headline the annual event Sunday, July 29. The event will kick off at 8 p.m. and will benefit the performing arts center’s year-round programs and to honor founding board member Sharon Casdin.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate this season with Whoopi Goldberg as our 2018 Gala performer,” says Mahaiwe Executive Director Beryl Jolly. “Her stellar talents cross many fields and genres. It promises to be a powerful and unforgettable night of entertainment with a one-of-a-kind performer.”

“We are delighted to be honoring a founding board member who has quietly done so much for this region. Sharon generously signed on to the Mahaiwe’s restoration 15 years ago because she understood what bringing back this community treasure would mean to Great Barrington and the surrounding towns,” says Mahaiwe Board Chair Maggie Buchwald. “Both with her presence at the theater and in her own life, she typifies much of what the Mahaiwe stands for; she is here year-round, usually with a group of friends, for a wide variety of performers.  She takes joy in the art and in the sharing of it, and we are the richer for it.”

According to the release, Goldberg will "share her unique observations on current events and a wide variety of topics that are on her mind." There will also be a special Q & A portion with audience members. An actor, author, entrepreneur, and human rights advocate, as well as the moderator of the Emmy award-winning “The View,” Goldberg is one of an elite group of artists who have won the Grammy, the Academy Award, the Golden Globe, the Emmy, and a Tony.

Gala honoree Sharon Casdin, along with her late husband Jeffrey, was central to the founding of the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, serving on its Board of Directors, and as an enthusiastic audience member for a wide range of programming.  She loves art, theater, opera, gardening, and travel, and is deeply committed to the southern Berkshire community.

Tickets will go on sale for the event to members June 6, and to the public on June 8. Performance-only tickets will be on sale for $100 and $150, while Gala package tickets, which includes a pre-show dinner catered by Peter Platt of Old Inn on the Green, will start at $500.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, head to the Mahaiwe website.