Dan's Papers - June 22, 2007 - Take Five 2007 with Jan Silver

We head into another week of great entertainment. Upcoming jazz/gospel/r&b singer Lizz Wright is at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center tonight followed by comedienne Lily Tomlin tomorrow. Sag Harbor's Bay Street Theatre has the U.S. premiere of The Night Season and, on Monday, its Comedy Club features Jim Breuer. The Perlman Music Program begins its classical works-in-progress concerts tonight and Pianofest opens its summer recital series in Southampton on Monday. There are always good performers at local clubs but Amagansett's Stephen Talkhouse has the great New Orleans soul/blues/R&B Neville Brothers on Sunday night.

Worthy benefits scheduled here this weekend: "Summer Solstice Celebration" tonight, 7 p.m. at B.Smith's restaurant, Sag Harbor, for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation (celebrities host cocktail party/auction; tickets $200 in advance 973-374-2690 or $250 at the door); "Artists Against Abuse" cocktails/dinner/art auction for the only local domestic-abuse shelter The Retreat, hosted by actress Lorraine Bracco and Fox Entertainment News's Bill McCuddy (Sat., 6 p.m., Hampton Hall, Southampton, from $400; call 631-329-4398); "Vegas, Baby, Vegas," BBQ dinner/dance for the Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education (Sat., 7:30 p.m., Luna Farm, Sagaponack; www.loveheals.org or 917-351-8670).

Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor, has the American premiere of Rebecca Lenkiewicz's play The Night Season onstage through July 1. Featuring actors Katherine Helmond, Michael O'Keefe and Kellie Overbey, this drama with comedy is directed by Lonny Price. Performances are Tues. through Sun. evenings plus matinees on Wed. and Sat. On Monday evening, Saturday Night Live veteran and "Goat Boy" comedian Jim Breuer is the Comedy Club attraction. Tickets to all Bay Street performances start at $50; call the box office at (631) 725-9500 or go online to www.baystreet.org.

Lily Tomlin comes to the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. An award-winning actress and comedienne with an anti-establishment streak in her humor, an evening with Tomlin is never boring. Tickets ($100-150) are available at the box office (631-288-1500) or online at www.whbpac.org.

River Theatre Company presents an original comedy, Amelia Earhart and Martha Graham: Soaring, this Saturday as a luncheon show at Tom McBrien's Restaurant in Hampton Bays. The performers are Bobbie Ruth as Martha Graham and Brittany Brown as flyer/flapper Earhart. Meal and show are $37; call (631) 728-7137 for reservations.

The rich, contralto voice of Lizz Wright singing folk, jazz, gospel and more can be heard at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center tonight, 8:30 p.m. Tickets ($35-55) are at the box office (631-288-1500) or online at www.whbpac.org.

The Perlman Music Program, a summer camp for gifted young musicians on Shelter Island run by violinist Itzhak Perlman and his wife Toby, opens its summer season with a faculty concert tonight at 7:30 p.m. The very talented campers will play on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and there are concerts scheduled weekly through August 25 at different East End locations. There is no admission charge to most of the programs unless it's a benefit; call the camp at (631) 749-0740 for the weekly performance schedule.

Pianofest, the program for emerging concert pianists directed by Paul Schenly of the Cleveland School of Music, begins its weekly recitals this Monday, 5 p.m., at the Levitas Center for the Arts, Pond Lane, Southampton. Tickets are $10 at the door (no charge for students) and a reception to meet the artists follows the program. Pianofest is also giving a recital next Thursday, June 28, at East Hampton High School, 5 p.m. (free admission).

The New York Groove Associates are playing a combination of jazz mixed with African percussion on Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the opening of a group art show at LTV Studios, Wainscott (free admission).

Recommended performers at local clubs and restaurants: Amagansett - at the Stephen Talkhouse (631-267-3117) on Fri. (singer/songwriter Dar Williams then reggae with Winston Irie), Sat. (singer/songwriter Dave Barnes then dance band The Giving Tree, (Sun.) Neville Brothers, (Mon.) The Strawbs, (Thurs.) Bastards of Boom. Jazz club Estia Cantina, Amagansett (631-267-6320) - Latin jazz pianist Luis Perdomo on Fri. (7 & 9) and Sat. (8 & 10), salsa with Bill Smith and Mambo Loco next Thurs. East Hampton - jazz Fri. at Almondito, Coco Restaurant (Maidstone Arms) has pop and jazz standards with Jane Hastay and Peter Martin Weiss (Fri.) and country/pop/blues with Jim Turner (Sat.); Prime 103 has Annie Morgan Band on Fri.; Turtle Crossing has Mama Lee & Friends on Fri.; Fiddler's Cove has Jim Turner on Sun., East Hampton Point has reggae Sun. Sagaponack - Twilight Thursdays (5-7:30 p.m.) at Wolffer Estate Vineyard with live music. Bridgehampton - World Pie has jazz & pop standards Sun. afternoon with Stefanie Cardinali Group, Pierre's Restaurant has Vanessa Trouble on Sun. and Jody Carlson next Tues. Water Mill - acoustic guitarist Steve Fredericks on Thurs. at Muse. Southampton - Latin rhythms with Ludmilla on Thurs. at Le Chef, reggae Fri. at Wildthyme, open mike Thurs. at Tugboat's North Sea House. Hampton Bays - live music Fri. at Buckley's Inn Between. Westhampton Beach - acoustic musicians Fri.& Sat, in Annona's lounge, acoustic guitarist Steve Fredericks (Fri.) and Mambo Loco Cuban jazz band (Sun.) at The Patio; East Quogue - Paul Mahos Band on Fri. & Sun., Annie Morgan Band on Wed.

Educator Mariette McCarty will talk about her book Little Big Minds: Sharing Philosophy with Children on Friday, 6 p.m., at Canio's Books, Sag Harbor. Author Simon Van Booy reads from his new collection The Secret Lives of People in Love followed by poet Lucas Hunt reading from his work on Saturday, 6 p.m., at Canio's. Also in Sag Harbor on Friday at Temple Adas Israel, 8 p.m., international affairs expert Prof. Ralph Buultjens will speak about "Israel and the Future of the Middle East." On Saturday at BookHampton, Southampton, at 5:30 p.m., Holly Peterson will read from her humorous new book The Manny. Also on Saturday at BookHampton, Sag Harbor, successful editor Mary South will speak about her life-changing experiences in her memoir The Cure for Anything Is Salt Water.

Southampton's Parrish Art Museum continues its "Six Artists" film series with the story of legendary songwriter Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man. Filmed at the Sydney Opera House, the documentary also features Bono, U2, Rufus Wainwright and Nick Cave (tonight, 8 p.m., $5 Museum members, $7 guests).