Sag Harbor, NY - May 26, 2016 - Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts announces the 25th Annual Summer Gala, celebrating Bay Street's Silver Anniversary, totake place in Sag Harbor on the Long Wharf on July 9, 2016 benefiting Bay Street's educational and theatrical programs. The evening will include a special performance of scenes from productions from the past 25 years, as well as a silent auction, cocktail party, Live "Fantasy Auction," dinner and dancing.
Alec Baldwin among is among the list of special appearances and performances planned for the gala. Photo By: Justin Jay.
Arlene & Alan Alda serve as Honorary Chairs for the celebration. The Gala will honor founding Board member and patrons, Adrianne and Jerry Cohen, Bay Street's visionary founders Emma Walton Hamilton and Stephen Hamilton, and founding supporter Patrick Malloy III. The evening will include special appearances and performances by Jason Alexander, Alec Baldwin, Josh Grisetti, and Harris Yulin. Richard Kind will be the Celebrity Auctioneer and B.D. Wong will be the Emcee for the evening.
Richard Kindis the Celebrity Auctioneer for the evening.
The Bay Street location has come a long way since its early days as a munitions factory, a roller rink, and night club, with Bay Street Theater providing first rate, professional productions on the East End for the past 25 years.
B.D. Wong is the Emcee for the evening.
"So hard to believe it's been 25 years since we were scrubbing bathrooms, painting walls, hanging lights and installing theatre seats," says co-founder Stephen Hamilton, "... all while our first production, Men's Lives, was being loaded onto the newly built stage!"
Since the early days, that "can do" spirit has continued to prevail as Bay Street serves a diverse audience with year-round educational and theatrical programming including the Mainstage Productions, Literature Live!, the New Works Festival, Comedy Club, music programming, Children's theater camps, College Internship Program and much more throughout the year.
"We couldn't be happier that the baton has been so ably picked up by Bay Street's terrific new leadership team, Scott, Tracy and Steven, (sic Todrys, recently elected Board Chair)" says Emma Walton Hamilton. "Here's to the next 25 years!"
Items in this year's live and silent auctions include a week at the beach in St. Bart's at a luxury WIMCO villa with unparalleled concierge service and complimentary provisioning, Viking River Cruises, experience the highlights of the legendary Rhine in just 8 days for two, a personalized original song written about the winner by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, the men who brought us cherished favorites such as Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Wicked, The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors, Pippin, and Godspell, and so many more exciting auction items!
Past attendees at Bay Street's Gala include Broadway and film luminaries, business leaders and some of the most influential people in our community: Arlene & Alan Alda, Julie Andrews, Lauren Bacall, Alec Baldwin, Chris Bauer, Joy Behar, Bob Balaban, Mel Brooks, Kim Cattrall, Chevy Chase, Blythe Danner, Dan Gasby, Kelsey Grammer, Anne Jackson, Billy Joel, Star Jones, Richard Kind, Nathan Lane, Susan Lucci, Terrence McNally, Rosie O'Donnell, Mercedes Ruehl, Liev Schreiber, Stephen Schwartz, Susan Stroman, B. Smith, Eli Wallach, Naomi Watts and Robert Zimmerman, to name a few.
This year's sponsors (list in progress as of May, 2016) include: flowered centerpieces and additional table décor created by Michael Grim of the Bridgehampton Florist, Channing Daughters Winery, East End Limousine, FaceBook, Hamptons H2O Water, Ketel One Vodka, Land's End, Peconic Landing, Searles Graphics, Porsche of Southampton, Southampton Publick House, Sterling Affair, Viking River Cruises, and WIMCO Villa in St Barts.
VIP Tables and tickets are available by calling Kim Fink at 631-725-0818, email. General admissions tickets are also available online at www.baystreet.org.
Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts 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.