Concert celebrating protest music
Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity in Florence will host “Four Roads to Freedom,” a concert and community engagement project that highlights protest music from Black, Jewish, Irish and Latin American social justice movements, on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m.
Featured performers include Gloria Matlock, performing Black Civil Rights anthems; Kira Jewitt and Ivan Belvis, performing Irish rebel songs; Nicholas Emden, performing South American Nueva Canción music; and Adah Hetko, performing Yiddish labor songs.
“At a time of growing social division, ‘Four Roads to Freedom’ demonstrates how people from different cultures, languages, and historical experiences have used music to express hope, resilience, and the pursuit of a more just society. The project promotes cross-cultural understanding while celebrating traditions of civic engagement and social change,” a press release said.
Tickets, not including fees, are $25 general admission, $35 for seating in the first three rows, $20 for seniors, or $10 for students. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit dreamupevents.org.
Easthampton Theater’s auditions for ‘Godspell’
Easthampton Theater Company will hold auditions for its March 2027 production of “Godspell” on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Southampton’s Fellowship Hall. Rehearsals will start in Easthampton the week of Sunday, Dec. 6.
Interested actors need to prepare one of the provided musical selections and a brief story based on one of three prompts: a “hot take” about a favorite character, a crazy travel story, or the two items one would bring to a desert island.
The plot of “Godspell,” according to the audition listing, is: “A small group of people help Jesus Christ tell different parables by using a wide variety of games, storytelling techniques and a hefty dose of comic timing. An eclectic blend of songs, ranging in style from pop to vaudeville, is employed as the story of Jesus’ life dances across the stage. … Dissolving hauntingly into the Last Supper and the Crucifixion, Jesus’ messages of kindness, tolerance and love come vibrantly to life.”
To sign up for an audition slot or for more information about the show, characters, and audition requirements, visit easthamptontheater.com.
Learn how to make comic books
HumanArtis, formerly known as Human Scale Art Space, will host two workshops about the process of creating comic books from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Nov. 7, at its space in Northampton, 245 Main St., Suite 201.
Gary Smith, a local comic book producer and artist, will teach participants how to design comic books, how to build a “dummy” book, and how to have their comics published. The workshop is feared toward both amateur and professional artists.
Admission is a suggested donation of $20 for both workshops, but no one will be turned away for an inability to pay. Registration is required at humanscaleartspace.org. Participants should also bring a lunch.
CitySpace event to honor ballroom culture
CitySpace will present “The Culture,” a show celebrating ballroom culture, on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 8 p.m.
“The Culture” will be hosted by Pay It Forward artist London Saint Chanel, the head of the Springfield-based ballroom house The Maison of Saint Morta. According to a press release, the event “celebrates the creativity, artistry, and legacy of ballroom culture through dance, runway, and performance. More than a showcase, the evening offers audiences an opportunity to experience a vibrant cultural tradition built on self expression, resilience, and community, while highlighting the performers and visionaries carrying that legacy forward today.”
Tickets are $11.38 to $21.68, sliding scale and fees included, via cityspaceeasthampton.org. This show is only for ages 18 and up.
Suzanne Vega performing in Florence
Singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega will perform at Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity in Florence on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m.
Vega’s show will include songs like “Tom’s Diner,” “Luka,” and “Marlene On The Wall,” as well as songs from her most recent album, “Flying with Angels,” which is also her first full-length album of original songs in more than a decade.
“Each song on the album takes place in an atmosphere of struggle,” Vega said of the album in a press release. “Struggle to survive, to speak, to dominate, to win, to escape, to help someone else, or just live.”
Vega will be joined by guitarist Gerry Leonard, known for performing with David Bowie, Rufus Wainwright, and Laurie Anderson, and cellist Stephanie Winters.
Tickets are $90.76, including fees, via bombyx.live/events/suzanne-vega.
