Dan's Papers - May 23, 2008 - Take Five 2008 with Jan Silver

Welcome back to the best place for Hamptons entertainment and special events news. Local venues have worked hard over the winter planning theater, music and special performances for the months ahead. This Memorial Day weekend, two stellar Broadway musical performers are here - Linda Eder on Saturday at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center and Betty Buckley Friday through Sunday at Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor. Group for the East End holds its 21st season-opening Environmental Benefit cocktail party at the Madoo Conservancy in Sagaponack Friday (5:30 to 7:30 p.m., 537-1400, $50-60).

Montauk has a fine arts festival Saturday through Monday (where Dan Rattiner will read from his new memoir In the Hamptons), and "Dan's Papers" sponsors its 30th annual Potatohampton 5K run on Sunday to benefit the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center ($25, register 7:30 - 8:45 a.m. at the park south of Montauk Highway and Ocean Rd., Bridgehampton).

Other highlights this weekend: The Will Rogers Follies just opened at Gateway Playhouse in Bellport, Gurney's Inn (Montauk) has a musical tribute show to Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons on Saturday night, and there's a gala concert Sunday evening at the Hampton Synagogue (Westhampton Beach).

Singer/actress Betty Buckley, who won a Tony Award for originating the role of Griselda in Cats (singing the show-stopping "Memories"), will be at Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor, Friday through Sunday evening at 8 p.m. She sings her choice of Broadway show tunes, jazz and pop standards. Tickets are $60, available at the box office (631-725-9500) or online at baystreet.org. (She will also be at East End Books, 53 The Circle, East Hampton on Saturday, 2 to 3:30 p.m., autographing copies of her new CD Quintessence.)

Linda Eder, another powerhouse singer/actress, who created the role of Lucy Harris on Broadway in Jekyll and Hyde, will be onstage at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center this Saturday at 8 p.m. She will perform selections from Broadway shows and pop music classics. Tickets are $75-125 at the PAC box office (631-288-1500) or online at whbpac.org.

"Oh What A Night" is a musical tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons on Saturday evening at Gurney's Inn, Montauk. Tickets are $45; call 631-668-2345 or go to gurneysinn.com. The Hampton Synagogue, Westhampton Beach, has a gala concert celebrating Israel's 60th anniversary this Sunday, 7:30 p.m. (free admission).

Recommended music at local clubs and restaurants: Amagansett at the Stephen Talkhouse - Fri. ska with Dave Wakeling & the English Beat followed by disco/rock with Booga Sugar; Sat. singer/songwriter Martin Sexton then country rock with Nancy Atlas Project; Sun. lady rock band Lez Zeppelin then R&B/reggae artist Winston Irie; East Hampton-Fiddler's Cove (Mambo Loco on Sat.), Turtle Crossing (blues & soul Thurs. with Mamalee Rose & friends); Sagaponack-wine & jazz Thurs. 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Wolffer Estate; Bridgehampton-Jody Carlson jazz trio at Pierre's on Tues., Monica Hughes sings at One Ocean on Thurs.; Water Mill-singer/guitarist Steve Fredericks at Muse on Thurs.; Southampton - new music café Regular's opens on North Sea Rd, Sunnyland Jazz Band at Le Chef on Thurs.; Westhampton Beach - musicians Fri. at Annona, Thurs. to Sat. at The Patio, Fri. & Sat. at Westhampton Steakhouse, Fri. to Sun. at The Artful Dodger.

The hit Broadway musical The Will Rogers Follies is at the Gateway Playhouse, Bellport, through June 14. There are matinee and evening performances ($39-43); call 1-888-4TIX-NOW) or go online to gatewayplayhouse.com. The Hampton Theatre Company opens its production of Ken Ludwig's backstage farce Moon Over Buffalo next Thursday at the Quogue Village Theater. The show runs Thursday through Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons through June 15. Tickets are $10-$22 (631-653-8955 or hamptontheatre.org).

Canio's Books, Sag Harbor, has an eventful weekend. Sam V.K. Wilson reads from his new story collection Idiots and Angels at 6 p.m. Friday. Freelance journalist Lily Koppel talks about the 1930s diary she found in a Manhattan dumpster (Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming A Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal) on Sat., 6 p.m. Notable photographer Kathryn Szoka's new show "PARADE!" opens Sun., 4 to 6 p.m.

Dan Rattiner, founder of Dan's Papers, reads from his new memoir based on 50 years' writing about Hamptons' farmers, fishermen, artists, billionaires and celebrities, at the Montauk Arts Festival on Saturday. He'll be at the Tower building on the Plaza at 11 a.m. (under the gazebo in case of rain), and at the soccer field behind the Montauk movie theater between noon and 2 p.m.

Southampton's Parrish Art Museum continues its "Identity and Survival" film series this Friday at 7 p.m. with Turtles Can Fly, a Kurdish film (with English subtitles) about how some Kurdish refugee children are enduring and surviving in Iraq ($5 members, $7 non-members).