Sag Harbor, NY - May 14 , 2014 - Bay Street Theater is pleased to announce that its 23rd Annual Summer Gala will take place in Sag Harbor at the Long Wharf on July 12, 2014 to benefit Bay Street’s educational and theatrical programs. The chairs of the event are longstanding patrons of the theater and the arts, Christine Wächter-Campbell & Bill Campbell, and Pia & Jimmy Zankel.
This year’s benefit will feature a farm-to-table dinner prepared by Hamptons Chef Peter Ambrose, dancing and live entertainment, and exciting live and silent auctions. New this year is a Pre-Gala VIP Cocktail Reception featuring a meet-and-greet and performances by Broadway stars and the Honoree Awards Presentation at the Theater at 6:00 pm for VIP guests. VIP tables begin at $10,000, with VIP tickets at $1,000. General admission tickets are $550, $395 for Young Professionals 40 and under. The gala’s cocktail party and silent auction will begin at The Tent at 7:00 pm, and dinner will be served at 8:00 pm.
“We are delighted that our benefit will feature performances by the very talented Broadway stars, Tony award-winning actress and singer Patina Miller, and Obie award winner and actress and singer, Tovah Feldshuh, who will also act as celebrity auctioneer,” says Scott Schwartz, Bay Street’s Artistic Director. “The evening will also include surprise guests and performances – all reflecting the “NEW” Bay Street.”
Special Performances
Patina Miller won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the revival of “Pippin.” Known for originating the role of disco diva wannabe Deloris Van Cartier in the 2009 West End and 2011 Broadway productions of “Sister Act,” Miller has been signed to play the role of Commander Paylor in upcoming movies, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2.” Tovah Feldshuh is well known for her Broadway role as Golda Meir in “Golda’s Balcony,” the film “Kissing Jessica Stein,” and from “Law & Order.” Scott Schwartz directed “Golda’s Balcony,” which set a record as the longest-running one-woman play in Broadway history.
“With our new Artistic Director, Scott Schwartz, at the helm, this year’s benefit promises to be a very exciting event,” adds Executive Director, Tracy Mitchell. “ What a great night to honor our acclaimed Honorees while supporting our important education and theatrical programs.”
The gala will honor Arts visionaries Kate Burton, April Gornik, and Sheldon Harnick. Burton is an acclaimed Broadway, film & TV actress, whose credits include Broadway (“Hedda Gabler”), film (“The First Wives Club”) and television (“Scandal,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Grimm”). Kate is the daughter of the actor, Richard Burton, and the late Sybil Christopher, Bay Street's co-founder with Emma Walton Hamilton & Stephen Hamilton. American artist April Gornik, known for her landscapes, will be honored for her contributions to fine art and to the village of Sag Harbor. Her artwork is exhibited at the Danese/Corey Gallery in New York, and included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among many other national museums and private collections. Tony award-winning Broadway lyricist Sheldon Harnick, renowned for his collaborations with composer Jerry Bock on hit musicals such as “Fiddler on the Roof,” will also be honored. Harnick’s other credits include “Fiorello,” “The Apple Tree,” and “Cyrano: The Musical.”
Items in this year’s live and silent auctions include VIP tickets to IF/THEN with a backstage tour and meet & greet with Idina Menzel, a 3-day 2-night stay at the Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo, a week-long stay for 4 at a luxury Wimco Villa in St. Bart’s, 18 holes of golf for two with Richard Kind at The Bridge, tickets to some of the hottest Broadway shows with exclusive backstage tours, and much more!
This year’s sponsors (list in progress) include: The Bridge Golf Course, Bridgehampton Florist, Channing Daughters Winery, East End Limousine, Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica, The Golden Pear, David Lawenda/Facebook, Merrill DataSite, Peconic Landing, Peter Ambrose Events & Catering, Pierre’s Restaurant, Searles Graphics, Soho Grand Hotel, Southampton Publick House, Suffolk County National Bank, The Port of Egypt, Wimco Villas, Worth, and media sponsors include Dan’s Papers, Edible East End and Hamptons Magazine.
Past attendees include Broadway and film luminaries, business leaders and some of the most influential people in our community: Alan Alda, Julie Andrews, Lauren Bacall, Alec Baldwin, Chris Bauer, Joy Behar, Mel Brooks, Kim Cattrall, Chevy Chase, Blythe Danner, Kelsey Grammer, Anne Jackson, Billy Joel, Star Jones, Richard Kind, Nathan Lane, Susan Lucci, Terrence McNally, Rosie O’Donnell, Mercedes Ruehl, Liev Schreiber, B. Smith, Eli Wallach, Naomi Watts and Robert Zimmerman, to name a few.
VIP Tables and tickets are available by calling Diana Aceti at 631-725-0818 ext. 112, diana@baystreet.org. General admissions tickets are available at 631-725-0818, or baystreet.org or events@baystreet.org.
Mission
Bay Street Theater is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center which endeavors to innovate, educate, and entertain a diverse community through the practice of the performing arts. We serve as a social and cultural gathering place, an educational resource, and a home for a community of artists. Bay Street is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible according to IRS regulations.
Photo of Kate Burton courtesy of Huntington Theatre Company.
