Bay Street Theater Offers Impressive Fall Lineup
The Bay Street Theater and Sag Harbor Center for the Arts has greatly expanded its slate of programming in recent years, offering year-round concerts and shows in addition to its summer mainstage season.
On Saturday, October 10, Tony winner Laura Benanti will take the stage. Benanti won the 2008 Tony Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Gypsy Rose Lee in Gypsy, opposite Patti Lupone and directed by Arthur Laurents.
The laughs continue at Bay Street when the All-Star Comedy Show, hosted by Joseph Vecsey and featuring Adrienne Iapalucci, Sergio Chicon and Leonard Ouzts, returns to Bay Street on Friday, October 16.
On Saturday, October 17, check out the first performance of G.E. Smith’s “Portraits” series. This innovative show, produced and curated by Taylor Barton, features legendary musicians Dan Rizzie, Ralph Gibson and Carter Burwell performing while artists—painters, actors and writers—showcase their talents. The series continues on Friday, October 30, with Roger Waters performing. The “Portraits” series wraps on Saturday, November 7, with performer Ethan Hawke.
Celebrate Halloween with the kids from Friday, October 23, through Sunday, October 25, when Stages presents Frankenstein Follies. The annual show is performed by kids and teens, and is geared toward young audiences. You can also enjoy a spooky, grown-up night out on Saturday, October 31, at the Hoodoo Loungers’ Halloween Costume Dance Party.
Literature Live! returns in November with Bay Street’s production of Of Mice and Men, based on the book by John Steinbeck. Literature Live! productions are open to schools and the public and present powerful theatrical adaptations of classic books. Of Mice and Men runs from November 9 to November 28.
Bay Street is in the process of developing an exciting lineup of kids’ programming in partnership with Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre, which will be making Bay Street Theater its new home. Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre, which has been a Sag Harbor fixture for 15 years, will be able to expand the scope of its shows with the bigger, full-featured performance space. “By partnering with Bay Street, we won’t have to maintain [an independent space], while Bay Street gets a chunk of programming they didn’t have before—an early childhood program,” says Goat on a Boat founder and artistic director Liz Joyce. “When we started in 2001 it was just going to be a summer theater. A lot of families were just starting to live full-time in Sag Harbor.” While the schedule is still being ironed out, Joyce expects a diverse lineup. “We do holiday programming. We do Thanksgiving weekend, weekends around Christmas and New Year, and in March we’ll likely do a puppet show every weekend because of the long winter,” she says.
“It’s a transitional time. We’ll see what people want, what opportunities there are. We want to be an introduction to theater for kids.” Joyce notes that some of the toddler-based groups and activities might be scaled down in favor of programs that are geared toward early school-aged kids, but that Goat on a Boat will still be a great theatrical destination for kids. “Goat on a Boat is going to be a little different but being Bay Street is going to be amazing. We can’t wait to celebrate another 15 years.”
Bay Street Theater is located at 1 Bay Street, Sag Harbor. For more information, call 631-725-9500 and visit baystreet.org. For more on Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre, visit goatonaboat.org.