August 4-30
(Long Island, NY) Bay Street Theater is pleased to announce that Tony Award winner Betty Buckley and Drama Desk Award winner Rachel York will star as Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier Beale in GREY GARDENS, the musical,August 4 – 30; with book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie. Michael Wilson directs. The show is currently only available as part of a 2015 Mainstage Season Subscription, which are available by calling the Box Office at 631-725-9500 or online at www.baystreet.org. Single tickets will go on sale beginning June 1.
GREY GARDENS tells the story of Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier Beale, the eccentric aunt and cousin of Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis. It is based on the 1975 documentary by Albert and David Maysles, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Set at the Bouvier mansion in East Hampton, this bold musical follows a mother and daughter on their hilarious and heartbreaking journey from glamorous aristocrats to notorious recluses in a crumbling house filled with memories and cats.
The cast stars Betty Buckley as Edith Bouvier Beale and Rachel York as “Little” Edie Beale/Edith Bouvier Beale; other cast members include: Gracie Beardsley as Lee; Matt Doyle as Joe/Jerry; James Harkness as Brooks Sr./Brooks Jr.; Sarah Hunt as Young Edie; Simon Jones as Major/Peale; and Dakota Quackenbush as Jacqueline.
The production team includes Hope Clarke (Choreography), Andy Einhorn (Music Director), Jeff Cowie (Set Design), Robert Wierzel (Lighting Design), Ilona Somogyi (Costume Design), Heather Urgina (Props), Charles Swan (Assistant Director), Robert Bennett (Production Stage Manager), Denice Yaney (Assistant Stage Manager), and Stewart/Whitley (Casting).
“I am very excited to have a dream cast and creative team joining us for GREY GARDENS at Bay Street this summer!” says Scott Schwartz, Artistic Director for Bay Street Theater. “The brilliant Betty Buckley and Rachel York will bring humanity, depth, and humor to Big and Little Edie Beale, women who are part of the shared heart and history of the Hamptons. They are joined by a cast of dazzling actors and award-winning designers, and we welcome them all. I am confident that under Michael Wilson’s inspired direction, this production will be a perfect finale for our 2015 season and an event not to be missed.”
A “Pay What You Can” performance will be on August 4 at 7 pm. “PWYC” tickets are limited and will be available at the Box Office beginning at 2 pm on August 4. Previews are sponsored by Peconic Landing.
FREE STUDENT SUNDAY MATINEES return this summer for the Mainstage Season. High School and College students can receive (1) FREE admission for the2 pm performance of GREY GARDENS, THE MUSICAL. Student ID must be shown. Based on availability.
Returning this year is TALKBACK TUESDAY with Bay Street’s Artistic Director, Scott Schwartz, and members of GREY GARDENS, THE MUSICAL cast following each Tuesday performance except for preview week on August 5.
Bios for cast confirmed to date:
BETTY BUCKLEY
Betty Buckley. Photo Credit: Bay Street Theater.
Betty Buckley, who has been called “The Voice of Broadway,” is one of theater’s most respected and legendary leading ladies. She is an actress/singer whose career spans theater, film, television and concert halls around the world. She was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame for 2012.
Betty Buckley won a Tony Award for her performance as Grizabella, the Glamour Cat, in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats. She received her second Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a musical for her performance as Hesione inTriumph of Love, and an Olivier Award nomination for her critically acclaimed interpretation of Norma Desmond in the London production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, which she repeated to more rave reviews on Broadway.
Her other Broadway credits include 1776, Pippin, Song and Dance, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and Carrie. Off-Broadway credits include the world premiere of Horton Foote’s The Old Friends for which she received a Drama Desk Nomination in 2014,White’s Lies, Lincoln Center’s Elegies, the original NYSF production of Edwin Drood, The Eros Trilogy, Juno’s Swan and Getting My Act Together and Taking it on, The Road. Regional credits include The Perfectionist, Gypsy, The Threepenny Opera, Camino Real, Buffalo Gal, Arsenic and Old Lace and The Old Friends at Houston’s Alley Theatre. In London she starred in Promises, Promises for which she was nominated for An Evening Standard Award and in 2013 the British premiere of Dear World.
Her films include her debut in Brian de Palma’s screen version of Stephen King’sCarrie, Bruce Beresford’s Tender Mercies, Roman Polanski’s Frantic, Woody Allen’s Another Woman, Lawrence Kasden’s Wyatt Earp and M. Night Shymalan’sThe Happening.
On television, Buckley appeared in The Pacific for HBO and twice on the Kennedy Center Honors. She also starred for three seasons in the HBO series Oz and as Abby Bradford in the hit series Eight is Enough. She has appeared as a guest star in numerous television series, miniseries and films for television includingEvergreen, Roses for the Rich the CBS series Without a Trace, Law & Order: SVUfor NBC, ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars and HBO’s Getting On.
Buckley tours in concert worldwide with her ensemble of musicians and recently was featured in the Royal Albert Hall concert of Follies in celebration of Stephen Sondheim’s 85th birthday. She has recorded 16 CD’s, among them Bootleg: Boardmixes from the Road, Quintessence and Betty Buckley 1967 and the Grammy Nominated Stars and the Moon, Betty Buckley Live at the Donmar. Her CD Ah, Men! The Boys of Broadway was released by Palmetto Records in August 2012. Her most recent recording Ghostlight produced by T Bone Burnett was released in September, 2014 also on Palmetto Records. She received her second Grammy Nomination for the audio book The Diaries of Adam and Eve.
RACHEL YORK
Rachel York. Photo Credit: Bay Street Theater.
Rachel York is a dynamic and versatile actress, singer, dancer and comedienne. She is best known for her critically acclaimed Broadway performances in City of Angels, Les Misérables, Victor/Victoria (Drama Desk Award), with Dame Julie Andrews, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Sly Fox with Richard Dreyfuss, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. She also turned heads on television with her courageous portrayal of Lucille Ball in the CBS movie, Lucy. Most recently, Ms. York starred as Reno Sweeny in the national tour of the Tony-Award winning production of Anything Goes(Helen Hayes Award). She created the role of Cruella de Vil in the national tour ofThe 101 Dalmatians Musical; starred as Guenevere in the national tour of Camelotopposite Michael York; and portrayed Lilli Vanessi/Kate in Kiss Me, Kate (US Tour and London’s West End). Off-Broadway Ms. York has starred in The Best Is Yet to Come: The Music of Cy Coleman; Stephen Sondheim’s Putting It Together (MTC, Drama Desk nomination) also with Julie Andrews, Dessa Rose (Lincoln Center Theater, Drama Desk nomination), and New York City Encores! critically acclaimed productions of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes opposite Megan Hilty and Little Meopposite Christian Borle. Favorite regional productions; The Game (a musical adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses); Turn of the Century opposite Jeff Daniels (Goodman Theatre, Chicago); Hello, Dolly! (Boston, IRNE Award); Into the Woods(Boston, IRNE Award); Spamalot; Ragtime; Evita; Summer and Smoke; and The Odd Couple with Jason Alexander and Martin Short. In concert, Ms. York has performed with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall; the National Symphony and the Pittsburgh Pops under the direction of conductor Marvin Hamlisch; Broadway Showstoppers with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops; The Sound of Music at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; the San Francisco Symphony; the Detroit Symphony; the Minnesota Orchestra; the Utah Symphony; the St. Louis Symphony; and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra among others. She has also performed her celebrated cabarets For the Love of It and Let’s Fall In Love to rave reviews nationwide. Ms. York has also appeared on several popular TV series including Hannah Montana, Frasier, Reba, Numb3rs, Close to Home, Spin City, andDiagnosis Murder. She is the voice of Bitty in Higglytown Heroes and Circe on The Justice League. Ms. York’s debut solo album, Let’s Fall in Love was named one of the Top Ten Vocal CDs of the year by Talkin’ Broadway. For more information, please visit her on the web at www.rachelyork.com. Twitter: @theRachelYork
MATT DOYLE
Broadway: The Book of Mormon, War Horse, Bye Bye Birdie, Spring Awakening. Off-Broadway: Brooklynite (Vineyard Theatre), Jasper in Deadland (Prospect Theatre Company). Regional: Jasper in Deadland (5th Avenue Theatre), Giant(Dallas Theater Center.) National Tour: Spring Awakening (Michael Mayer, dir.) TV: Recurred on the CW’s Gossip Girl. FILM: Roles in Private Romeo (Alan Brown, dir.) and Once More with Feeling (Jeff Lipsky, dir.) Doyle is a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
JAMES HARKNESS
James is thrilled to be a part of this production! A Broadway veteran (Aida, The Color Purple, Chicago…) is currently in Beautiful, The Carole King Broadway Musical. Also is an up and coming Director/Choreographer whose next project will be to direct The Color Purple for The Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe.
SARAH HUNT
A graduate of last year’s Juilliard class, Sarah made her Broadway debut last season in Sting’s The Last Ship. Credits include: 1st National Tour of Spring Awakening, Middletown, Romeo and Juliet, and Twelfth Night.
SIMON JONES
Broadway: The Real Thing, Benefactors, School for Scandal, Getting Married, Private Lives, The Real Inspector Hound, Herbal Bed, Ring Round the Moon, Waiting in the Wings, Blithe Spirit, (also in London’s West End and North American National tour – all with Angela Lansbury). Films include: Privates on Parade, Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, Miracle on 34th Street andThe Devil’s Own. Recent TV: OZ (HBO), to Cambridge Spies (BBC), and the portrayal of C.S.Lewis in The Question of God (PBS) – but still best-known as ‘Bridey’ in TV’s Brideshead Revisited and ‘Arthur Dent’ in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (radio, TV & stage versions). Award-winning Narrator of Audio Books and served for 12 years as co-Artistic Director of TACT, Off-Broadway theatre company. Jones was also in Bay Street Theater’s production of Quartet in 2006 with Kaye Ballard and Sian Phillips. Details: www.simonjonesinfo.com.
GRACIE BEARDSLEY
Gracie Beardsley is thrilled to spend her summer in Sag Harbor working at Bay Street Theater! She was most recently seen in How the Grinch Stole Christmas at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Other regional favorites include The Sound of Music (Paper Mill Playhouse), Mary Poppins (Fireside), and Into the Woods(Kids of the Arts). When not performing, Gracie loves to bake, do voice overs, video blog, travel, and spend time with her family and friends.
DAKOTA RILEY QUAKENBUSH
Dakota Riley Quackenbush is a nine year old resident of East Hampton attending the John Marshal Elementary School. She has appeared in the East Hampton YMCA showcases under the vocal direction Lucy Carracappa-Gordon. She has appeared as Tiny Tim’s sister in a Spectacular Christmas Carol and Tap: An Evening of Rhythm produced by our fabulous variety show at Guild Hall.
The 2015 Mainstage Season is sponsored in part by New York State through the generosity of Assemblyman Fred Thiele and State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle; the New York State Council on The Arts, a State Agency; Town of Southampton; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Shubert Foundation; and fully or partially funded by the Suffolk County Executive’s Office. Adrianne and Jerry Cohen are Associate Producers. Additional support comes from the Joseph Stein New Musical Fund and The New Directions Fund. Preview weeks are sponsored by Peconic Landing. GREY GARDENS is also sponsored in part by Baron’s Cove. Beach Magazine is sponsoring the August 23rd evening performance. For more information about Bay Street Theater log on to www.baystreet.org.
Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center which endeavors to innovate, educate, and entertain a diverse community through the practice of the performing arts. We serve as a social and cultural gathering place, an educational resource, and a home for a community of artists.
