Description
"Dewey Memorial Hall 'Keep the Lights On' Virtual Gala 2020 with the Wanda Houston Band."
[cablecast through January 31, 2021.]
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Dewey Hall’s Keep the Lights On Virtual Gala concert with The Wanda Houston Band!
October 29th, at 7PM
The Keep the Lights On virtual concert includes a tribute to longtime board member Priscilla Cote, community testimonials, and a few glimpses of the Hall’s storied past. This event kicks off our Keep the Lights On campaign which will run until January 31st with other events.
The virtual gala concert will be free, but donations are gladly accepted. Contributions can be made at here or by texting ORVILLE to 44321. You may also mail a check to ‘Dewey Memorial Hall’ at P.O. Box 92, Sheffield, MA 01257.
DONATION NOTES: If you want your donation to show up on this page, text or click to donate here. You may also donate in cash at our events, mail a check, or donate through our website. We are adding donation amounts from other sources, but Give Lively does not have a way for us to record individual names, sources, and amounts, so we have to add them as bulk donations--that's why our donors and the donor amount is so much higher than the donation listed on this page!
Due to the pandemic, Dewey Hall has lost most of its normal income, despite some outdoor performances in the late summer and fall. The Hall’s board of directors is seeking to raise $30,000 by the end of January. This will cover normal operating costs for one year. With our outdoor programming and donations, we raised about $1,500 toward this goal in the late summer and fall. If everyone in our community donates $35, we will meet our goal.
The Wanda Houston Band performs R&B and jazz hits of the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Houston has a unique, soaring voice and a compelling stage presence, and the band has a strong following in the tri-state area. Houston has performed professionally throughout the U.S., Europe and Australia. She has appeared on Broadway and in films and TV. She has worked in varying capacities with such artists as Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole, Eartha Kitt and Patti LaBelle. Since arriving in New England, Houston has performed in locales ranging from Hartford to Pittsfield to Great Barrington.
The band was filmed in Dewey Hall in a COVID-safe performance in early October. The combination of their musicianship and the Hall’s acoustics created a magical experience. The performance is stunning. The gala concert has lots of other surprises as well.
Dewey Hall has been a focal point of the southern Berkshires since 1887. The handsome stone building on Sheffield's Village Green offers a space of unparalleled beauty, grace, and acoustic resonance for many kinds of activities, ranging from concerts, lectures, and plays to dances, weddings, and parties. Its cozy library is ideal for a variety of intimate events and meetings.
We look forward to when we can gather inside the Hall again. In the meantime, we hope that the community will unite to support Dewey Hall as both a performance and a gathering space. Smaller accessible venues like this are vital to Berkshire County culture and community.
