Betty Buckley to Revisit GREY GARDENS at Bay Street's Summer Gala; Lineup Announced!

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts announces the 26th Annual Summer Gala, to take place in Sag Harbor on the Long Wharf on July 15, 2017 benefiting Bay Street's educational and theatrical programs. The evening will include special performances as well as a silent auction, cocktail party, live "Fantasy Auction," dinner and dancing.

The Gala will honor Board member Christine Wächter Campbell & Bill Campbell, patrons J.C. Compton & Nicholas Wentworth, and Broadway director Michael Wilson (Bay Street's Grey Gardens, Broadway's The Trip To Bountiful, The Who's Tommy).

The evening will include special appearances and performances by Broadway stars, with Richard Kind (Amazon's Red Oaks, The Producers, Bay Street's Enter Laughing) as the Celebrity Auctioneer, and Ashlie Atkinson (FX's Rescue Me, BAM's As You Like It/The Tempest/The Bridge Project), star of last summer's world premiere of The Forgotten Woman, as the Emcee.

Honorary chairs for the evening are two of Broadway's most celebrated names, Tony Award-winning producer Daryl Roth (Indecent, Hello, Dolly!, Present Laughter) and Tony Award-winning actress Betty Buckley (Cats, Sunset Boulevard, Bay Street's Grey Gardens). In addition to her role as one of the Honorary Chairs, Betty Buckley will revisit her thrilling performance as Big Edie with a song from Grey Gardens. Obie award-winning actress Lois Smith (The Grapes of Wrath, Marjorie Prime, HBO's True Blood) will also be making an appearance. Tony Award-winning actress Elizabeth Ashley (HBO's Treme, Barefoot in the Park, You Can't Take It With You) will be presenting honoree Michael Wilson with his award. BodieStories: Teresa Fellion Dance Company will also be part of the evening festivities.

"The annual gala is a wonderful event and Bay Street's only fundraiser of the year," says Executive Director Tracy Mitchell. "Besides being a fun night in the theater and on the Wharf, the gala is the cornerstone of our fundraising. Funds raised help to support our educational initiatives as well as other community oriented events at Bay Street. We provide free access to theater for students through Free Student Sunday Matinees, and Pay What You Tuesdays during preview weeks for the community. We also support school vacation kid's camps and with the support of our donors we can offer scholarships to those who need financial assistance. We are so very grateful to Mayor Schroeder and village trustees for use of the Wharf for this important night."

The evening includes both a silent and live auction featuring a week at the beach in St. Barth's for 4 at a luxury 2 bedroom WIMCO villa with unparalleled concierge service and complimentary provisioning, a personalized original song written about the winner by Tony Award nominated composer Andrew Lippa, Accommodations for 2 for 5 nights in Venice, Italy, a walk on role in our summer production of Kiss Me, Kate starring Melissa Errico, Tesla and Maserati driving experiences, tickets to Broadway shows such as Come From Away, Hamilton with a backstage tour, Hello, Dolly! and Hamilton, dining, spa packages and so many more exciting and unique item!

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, Alec Baldwin, Chris Bauer, Joy Behar, Bob Balaban, Mel Brooks, Kim Cattrall, Chevy Chase, Blythe Danner, Edie Falco, Dan Gasby, Kelsey Grammer, 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, Aida Turturro, Naomi Watts and Robert Zimmerman, to name a few.

This year's sponsors (list in progress) include: AIG Wines, Channing Daughters Winery, Hamptons H2O Water, Ketel One Vodka, Sag Harbor Rum, Southampton Publick House, Land's End, Oban, Peconic Landing, Landscape Details, Viking River Cruises, Searles Graphics, Sterling Affair, PSEG LI, Bridgehampton National Bank, Sag Harbor Florist, Hamptons Magazine, Dan's Papers, Purist, Beach Magazine, and WIMCO Villa in St Barth's.

VIP Tables and tickets are available by calling Kim Fink at 631-725-0818, Kim@baystreet.org or online at www.baystreet.org.

BodyStories: The Teresa Fellion Dance is a contemporary dance company that captures and communicates universal human encounters through dynamic, purposeful movement in order to inspire audiences to physically sense emotional and psychological aspects of the human condition on stage. We are a multifaceted, highly physical company laced with provocative, emotional, political and humorous edges.

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.