Dan's Papers - May 22, 2009 - A Memorial Day of Events to Remember

There's certainly lots to do Memorial Day weekend, but one of the most highly anticipated events is the grand reopening of the John Drew Theater at Guild Hall in East Hampton, after a five-year renovation and restoration project.

Guild Hall will host a series of events over the holiday weekend, but easily the most high profile is the intimate evening of music with the iconic Liza Minnelli, featuring Grammy-winning composer, musical director and performer Billy Stritch on piano, on May 23. Gala tickets to see the two-time Tony award winner, who recently sold out her show on Broadway, cost $1,000 and include the 7 p.m. performance as well as a dinner that follows at 8:30 p.m. There are also a limited number of tickets available for $500, which include entry to the performance as well as a post-show wine reception. Call the Guild Hall box office to purchase tickets at 631-324-0806 or go to guildhall.org.

The night before, on May 22 at 8 p.m., Alec Baldwin will be on hand to host a screening of The Cove, presented by the Hamptons International Film Festival. The Cove, which recently won the Audience Award for best documentary at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, follows a group of activists in Japan as they attempt to infiltrate a mysterious cove in order to expose the slaughter of dolphins and the sale of their mercury-tainted meat in markets. After the screening, there will be a Q & A with the film's director, Louis Psihoyos, and a surprise guest. Tickets are $20 and $18 for Guild Hall members.

Then, on Sunday, May 24, is Guild Hall's free Community Day event, featuring performances by local musicians between 2 and 10 p.m., following a light picnic in the gardens at noon. And with crafts for children available in the Boots Lamb Education Center between 2 and 4 p.m., this is an ideal event for the entire family.

Kicking off the music portion of the event is the well-known Mama Lee Rose & Friends - covering everything from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin - at 2 p.m. Acoustic duo Black Sparrow, running the gamut from blues to folk to country, takes the stage at 3 p.m., followed by Evolution 3 at 4 p.m. Popular local dance band, The Blue Collar Band, is on at 5:15 p.m. with The Surf Dogs up next at 6:45 p.m. Covering classic rock songs by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and The Doors, The Lost Keys close out the day long festival, with a two-hour set starting at 8 p.m.

Of course, there are many other varied events taking place across the East End this weekend as well. Comedian DL Hughley, who has hosted his own news program on CNN and starred in sitcoms and HBO specials, will be at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $100/$80/$60. Broadway star and soprano Kelli O'Hara is at WBPAC the next night at 8 p.m. Tickets are $100/$85/$70.

Over in Sag Harbor, at the Bay Street Theater, singer-songwriter Phoebe Snow will perform Friday and Saturday, and Broadway performers Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley will be featured the next night. For more information, go to baystreet.org.

As usual, The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett has a great line-up of music scheduled to kick off the summer season. Friday night you can catch Easy Star Allstars and Booga Sugar. Saturday night features Lez Zeppelin, an all-female Led Zeppelin cover band, followed by hometown favorite Nancy Atlas. Martin Sexton performs his annual Memorial Day gig on Sunday, followed by Winston Irie. To check out the schedule for yourself, go to stephentalkhouse.com.

Classical music fans should head to the Southampton Cultural Center on Saturday at 7 p.m. to catch pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi. An international star, the Italian-born Pompa-Baldi will never the less be performing as part of the SCC's Rising Stars Piano Recital Series. His performance will feature works by Hummel, Debussy and Rachmaninoff. Go to southamptonculturalcenter.org.

In Bridgehampton, at the Presbyterian Church between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, the South Fork Craftsmen's Guild will hold its annual spring show and sale, featuring the work of local professional artisans and craftspeople. For more information, go to www.southforkcrafts.com.

Also on Saturday, the third annual "Kites for a Cure" family kite fly benefit will take place on Coopers Beach in Southampton between 4 and 6 p.m. Hosted by Uniting Against Lung Cancer, a $25 donation gets you a kite, snacks and an afternoon of family fun. For more information about the charity or how to register for this event, go to unitingagainstlungcancer.org.

The Southampton Hospital Foundation will hold its annual summer gala "Here Comes the Sun" on Sunday, May 24 at the Westhampton Country Club. Go to southamptonhospital.org/foundation for more info.

And if you find yourself all the way east in Montauk, make sure you stop by the Montauk Fine Arts Festival, featuring the work of some of the top artists from across the country. This free event is open to the public, and will be held on the Village Green.

Meanwhile, if you're on the North Fork, the East End Arts Council's annual Mosaic Street Painting Festival on Main Street in Riverhead on Sunday, from 12 to 5 p.m., is not to be missed. This free celebration of the arts makes a perfect family outing, and includes an arts and craft show and sale, street painting, performances by area musicians and activities to keep the kids busy and entertained. Call 631-727-0900 for more information.

So even if you don't get the chance to help celebrate the grand re-opening of the John Drew Theater at Guild Hall, there are plenty of other great events to choose from this Memorial Day weekend.