Auction of Little Edie Beale Letters Set for Today Before GREY GARDENS Revival at Bay Street

Ten letters and card written to veteran publicist /author Walter Newkirk (memoraBEALEia, Letters of Little Edie Beale, The Secret Life of Walter Newkirk) will be auctioned by Julien's Auctions today and tomorrow, June 26 and June 27. For additional information, go to www.juliensauctions.com.

The auction preceeds a revival of Grey Gardens at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, NY starring Tony winner Betty Buckley and Rachel York.

2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the documentary film Grey Gardens debut at The New York Film Festival. Since that time, "Little Edie" Beale has emerged as a fashion icon to designers like Michael Kors, Isaac Mizrahi, John Galliano and Phillip Lim,

A day after its co-creator died, the restored version of landmark 1975 documentary Grey Gardens enjoyed one of the few strong outings among specialty box office debuts. Fellow docs An Honest Liar and Merchants Of Doubt weren't so fortunate, opening to considerably less moviegoer zeal.

A beautifully restored version of the Maysles brothers' Grey Gardens opened at Film Forum in New York a day after the film's great co-director Albert Maysles died at age 88, grossing $12K in the single venue.

The documentary Grey Gardens was transformed into a Tony Award winning musical on Broadway in 2006 and an Emmy and Golden Globe award winning HBO film starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange. The musical also had productions in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

Author and veteran publicist Walter Newkirk first met Edie Beale in 1976 when Grey Gardens was playing at the Paris Theatre in NYC. He traveled to the house to interview Edie for his college newspaper, The Rutgers Daily Targum. They became friends

Mr. Newkirk writes about Miss Beale in his books memoraBEALEia, Letters of Little Edie Beale, and The Secret Life of Walter Newkirk, which are sold by The Andy Warhol Museum, Book Hampton in East Hmapton and South Hampton, NY and The Larry Edmunds Bookshop in Los Angeles. His booksare part of the libraries at Harvard University, Dartmouth University and Rutgers University.

Letters To Be Auctioned:

1. August 4, 1977 Sent from GG as indicated on stationary in Edie's handwriting - Edie discusses preparation to sell the Grey Gardens estate.

2. August 13, 1977 Sent from Grey Gardens as indicated on the stationary in Edie's handwriting - Edie prepares to sell the house and misses her mother, who died seven months earlier

3. December 5,1977 Christmas cardSent from Grey Gardens as indicated on the stationary in Edie's handwriting - Edie writes about her upcoming bus ride on East Hampton Jitney to NYC for her "eye operation" to remove a cataract.

4. August 5, 1978 Sent from Grey Gardens as indicated on the "grape" stationary - Edie wrote about her act at Reno Sweeney's

5. December 25 1978 Christmas Card sent from Grey Gardens Edie writes a brief not about :"working on the 3rd floor" and "not being ready to sell the house

6. transcribed by Edie in her handwriting from Zolar's It's All In The Stars a horoscope for Walter Newkirk August 1-10 and August 8 are dates cited

7. written on a piece of note size stationary from the BARBIZON HOTEL For Women where Edie stayed when she lived in NYC and discusses in Grey Gardens.

8 written on a piece of note paper with graphic of a fish taped to top of note paper this is about a book party for the book The Cinematic Cat - Edie writes about the party and Pat Loud the literary agent for the book who hosted the party./

9, GOD BLESS AMERICA color art taped on top of note shortly after 9/11, Edie writes "I do not think this is a good time for a musical; GG." circa 10/2011

10 Dated April 23 20000 An Easter Card created on an Easter themed placemat from a diner

Tony winner Betty Buckley (Cats) and Broadway vet Rachel York (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) will star in the Bay Street Theater's production of the musical Grey Gardens this summer in Sag Harbor on Long Island.

Based on the 1975 documentary film of the same name by Albert and David Maysles, tells the story of Big Edie (Buckley) and Little Edie Beale (York), a mother and daughter who ended up living as recluses in a run-down Long Island mansion. The musical version features a book by Doug Wright and a score by Michael Korie and Scott Frankel.

Michael Wilson (The Trip to Bountiful) helms the production, which will run August 4-30. The company also includes Gracie Beardsley, Matt Doyle, James Harkness, Sarah Hunt, Simon Jones, and Dakota Quackenbush.

Grey Gardens originally opened at Playwrights Horizons in March 2006 before transferring to Broadway's Walter Kerr Theatre in November 2006. Directed by Michael Greif, the production starred Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson as Little Edie and Big Edie, both of whom won Tony Awards.

The Bay Street Theater is located just about eight miles away from the actual Grey Gardens mansion in East Hampton.

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