Dan's Papers - May 30, 2008 - Take Five 2008 with Jan Silver

The seasonal parade of music, theater, book readings, film and special events is on. Singer/songwriter Ray LaMontagne's concert at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center is a sellout tonight, but there are still seats for blues/soul songstress Bettye LaVette's performance on Saturday evening. The Hampton Theatre Company's production of the comedy Moon Over Buffalo just opened in Quogue and The Radiators play at Amagansett's Stephen Talkhouse on Saturday. Also coming up this week, Bay Street Theatre's production of the Charles Busch spoof Shanghai Moon previews next Tuesday in Sag Harbor, and a noontime introduction to Opera of the Hamptons' Carmen production is next Wednesday in Southampton.

Vanity Fair writer Michael Schnayerson reads from his dramatic exposé Coal River on Saturday in Sag Harbor, and Dan's Papers founder Dan Rattiner continues reading chapters from his memoir In the Hamptons tonight in East Hampton and Saturday morning in Sagaponack. Southampton's Parrish Art Museum screens Jim Sheridan's dramatic film In America on Friday evening, and Vanessa Gould's new documentary about the Japanese art of origami on Saturday evening.

Celebrity photographers Barry Gordin and Michael Knigin collaboration of photomontages open Saturday at Ashawagh Hall, East Hampton and runs through June 8 (portion of sales donated to Animal Rescue Fund).

The Surfrider Foundation holds its annual interscholastic competition at 9 a.m. Saturday at Ditch Plains Beach, Montauk (if no waves, the contest is held on Sunday). Our local Planned Parenthood chapter has a big cocktail party, estate tour and auction from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday in East Hampton (tickets $250; call 631-240-1128 or email Deborah.Lowen-Klein@pphp.org). Westhampton Beach has its annual spring arts & crafts show on the village green this Saturday and Sunday.

Whiskey-tinged blues and soul singer Bettye LaVette is at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Saturday, 8 p.m. Tickets are $40-60, sold online at whbpac.org or by calling the box office at 631-288-1500. Singer/songwriter Ray LaMontagne's show tonight is sold out, but check with the box office just before the 8 p.m. show time for cancellations or returned tickets.

Opera of the Hamptons musical director Atarah Hazzan will be at the Rogers Memorial Library, Southampton, at noon next Wednesday with an introduction to George Bizet's popular opera Carmen. There is no admission charge for this program, but space is limited, so call 631-283-0774 ext. 523 to reserve a seat (and bring lunch, if you wish). Opera of the Hamptons' full production of Carmen will be Saturday, August 9, at the Southampton Cultural Center.

Recommended music at local clubs and restaurants: Amagansett - live music weekends at Surf Shack; at Stephen Talkhouse, on Fri., blues/soul with Mamalee Rose & friends followed by the disco/rock of Booga Sugar. Sat., New Orleans rock band The Radiators, followed by charity rock band The Giving Tree. Sun., singer/songwriter James McMurtry; 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 - soft jazz Sun. night & 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 - music café Regular's on North Sea Rd, Sunnyland Jazz Band at Le Chef on Thurs.; Westhampton Beach - live music Fri. at Annona, Thurs. to Sat. at The Patio, Fri. & Sat. at Westhampton Steakhouse (Swingset Quartet on Thurs.), Fri. to Sun. at The Artful Dodger, Thurs. to Sat. at Starr Boggs.

Ken Ludwig's madcap comedy Moon Over Buffalo, about the misadventures of actors touring in a play, just opened at the Quogue Village Theatre. The Hampton Theatre Company production plays Thursday through Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees until June 15. Tickets ($10-22) are sold online at hamptontheatre.org or call 631-653-8955.

Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor, opens its 17th season with Charles Busch's 1930s melodramatic spoof Shanghai Moon. Busch and Julie Halston head the cast, directed by Carl Andress. The show begins previews next Tuesday at 8 p.m., opens next Saturday, and runs Tuesdays through Sundays until June 29. For tickets ($50-65), call the box office at 631-725-9500 or go online to www.baystreet.org.

Tonight, architectural historian Anne Surchin talks about "When Precedent Becomes Desire: Evolution of East Hampton's Houses 1880-1930" at Clinton Academy Museum, East Hampton, 7 p.m. Dan's Papers founder Dan Rattiner reads from his memoir In the Hamptons at Alison's restaurant at the Maidstone Arms, East Hampton, 6:30 tonight (admission price includes dinner; for reservations, call 631-324-5440). On Saturday at 11 a.m., Dan reads about his sea serpent hoax story at Long Pond (Widow Gavit's Lane, Sagaponack).

Laura Dave reads from her new novel The Divorce Party at BookHampton, Amagansett Square, on Saturday at 5 p.m. Vanity Fair writer Michael Schnayerson reads from his new book about West Virginia conservationists battling the powerful coal-mining Massey Energy company in Appalachia, Coal River, on Saturday, 6 p.m., at Canio's Books, Sag Harbor.

The Parrish Art Museum's "Identity and Survival" series continues tonight with director Jim Sheridan's well-received story of a family of illegal Irish immigrants struggling to survive in contemporary New York. In America goes on at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 for museum members and $7 for non-members. On Saturday, at 7 p.m., the Parrish has a sneak preview of Vanessa Gould's new documentary Between the Folds. It is the story of the Japanese art of paper folding (origami), a combination of science and sculpture, old and new. Ms. Gould will be at the screening to answer questions from the audience (free admission).