By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, Mass., Saturday, July 9, 2011) — Wet weather can’t rain on the Pittsfield Colonials’ parade right now. Despite a light but steady drizzle for most of the night, Pittsfield’s eighth inning rally and spectacular defense propelled the C’s to a 2-1 victory before 1,547 jacked-up fans at Historic Wahconah […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, ADD # 1, JULY 8, 2011 ITEM: BORING BROADSHEET PUBLISHES 2nd PUFF PIECE ON NO SHOW IN TWO DAZE — We won’t subject ourselves to cruel and unusual punishment by going back to the BB today to see the headline on Ned Oliver’s piece […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2011) — THE PLANET put it “out there” on the pass line coming out: We wrote that last night’s game, the first after the 4,009 on July 4, would be a litmus test for the future of the Pittsfield Colonials franchise. We set […]
A REVIEW OF “MOONCHILDREN” NOW PLAYING AT THE UNICORN STAGE, BERKSHIRE THEATER FESTIVAL, STOCKBRIDGE, MASS., THROUGH JULY 16. BOX OFFICE (413) 298-5576 or ONLINE AT www.berkshiretheatre.org. By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Arts (STOCKBRIDGE, Mass., JULY 7, 2011) — Michael Weller’s originally titled his play Moonchildren with the name of a disease. “Cancer,” however, places too much […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Arts ADD #1 (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WED., July 6, 2011, 1st ADD) — Shakespeare & Company’s current production of the Bard’s farce comedy, “As You Like It,” drives home a point about Will that, while once startlingly original, has, through repetition stemming from its truth, become a cliché. The point? Shakespeare […]
By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, JULY 5, 2011) — Attendance, tremendous ball game, chintzy fireworks, and another JT review: These four items occupy our time this delightful morning deep in haven’s hinterland, otherwise known as The Berkshires. ATTENDANCE — A serendipitous confluence of events enabled us to finally provide the most accurate number for […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Sports (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, JULY 5, 2011) — Johnny homered. Pat and Matt made it stand up. That’s all you need to know about the Pittsfield Colonials’ thrilling Fourth of July 1-0 win over Bill Buckner’s Brocton Rox at a rocking Wahconah Park with 4,009 fans on hand. Johnny Welch […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, Mass., Sunday, July 3, 2011) — The C’s have a flair for the dramatic. This time, it was a Bomb from Bomback. For the second straight night, the Pittsfield Colonials took a pulsating game Bill Buckner’s Brocton Rox at historic Wahconah Park, pulling out a 3-2 win in […]
By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2011) — As if you didn’t know or suspect that the Boring Broadsheet, the lone daily “newspaper” serving the citizens of Pittsfield, was part of the rigged dice game that will end in Chris “No Show” Speranzo as the next clerk magistrate, you find evidence in […]
By JERRI CHAPLIN PLANET VALENTI Arts (STOCKBRIDGE, Mass., Sunday, July 3) — When Tanglewood’s summer schedule came out last January, we were delighted to see “James Taylor and the Boston Pops” on the roster. Based on the assumption and expectation the concert would mean all-Taylor with the Pops all evening, we snapped up tickets. Assumptions […]
By DAN VALENTI EXCLUSIVE! BREAKING NEWS ON ‘NO SHOW’ (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, Saturday, July 2, 2011) — THE PLANET is rather pressed for time this busy holiday weekend, but we have the final piece of the puzzle on the Beacon Hill Fix that will lead to the ascendance of Chris “No Show” Speranzo to the […]
By DAN VALENTI ‘GUESTING’ WIH THE ‘BESTING’ THIS AM ON “GMP” (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, Friday, July 1, 2011) — THE PLANET starts with thanks to our Right Honorable Good Friend, John Krol, for his call yesterday. “Good Morning, Pittsfield,” needed a last-minute guest to fill the hour today. Krol called, and THE PLANET answered. We […]
By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, June 30, 2011) — Today we take on another of Pittsfield Third Rails. Everybody loves a parade, right? And when that parade is billed as “your Hometown parade,” loving comes as easy as a swan paddling through Lake Tranquility, right? However, what if “your Hometown parade” consisted of largely […]
By DAN VALENTI FIRST ADD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2011 BUDGET BUZZARDS RUBBER STAMP JIMMY’S WISH LIST, 7-3 The city council’s 7-3 approval of the nearly $130 million budget submitted by Mayor Jimmy Ruberto marks another round of business as usual. Three councilors voted for THE PEOPLE of Pittsfield. Melissa Mazzeo, Mike Ward, and Christine Yon […]
JACOB’S PILLOW OPENS 70th SEASON WITH RAIN AND SPARKLE By JERRI CHAPLIN PLANET VALENTI Arts (BECKETT, Mass., June 29, 2011) — Rain dampened the new outdoor stage but couldn’t wash out the triumphant opening of the 79th season of the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and honored guests marked the opening of the […]
By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, June 28, 2011) — Looking for the perfect summer vacation? The Planet knows what it looks like. We articulate herein, from the pen of our “Family” correspondent, Felix Carroll. Then, we present a review of the most “visual” and poetic motion picture The Planet has seen since Stanley Kubrick’s […]
