
Blythe Danner in an evening gown? Yes, of course. How about a clown suit? She does that too, and she sings and dances in the medley of one act plays, Tonight at 8:30, penned by Noel Coward and directed by Tony Walton now showing at Guild Hall. The third play, “Red Peppers,” features Danner in a vaudeville duet with Simon Jones. This sublime actress, as comic as DeNiro’s wife in The Focker movies as she was playing Matthew Broderick’s socialite mom in Nice Work if You Can Get It on Broadway, channels Lucille Ball.
Especially good too is Kate Mueth, as a lower class housewife who wanders into the spectacular deco apartment in “Hands Across the Sea.” James Lawson adds a dashing elegance, cleaned up nicely. Backstage last Sunday night, he recounted a compliment from Alec Baldwin: You look good on stage. You really do. He never says that, said Lawson obviously tickled. Director Tony Walton said the biggest challenge in this revival was remembering the moves, because the original performers Gertrude Lawrence and Noel Coward himself were 20 years younger when the plays premiered. With those shoes to fill, Danner and Jones are simply marvelous.
At Bay Street Theatre’s annual “Rock the Dock” summer gala in Sag Harbor, guests Aida Turturro and Nelson DeMille posed for photos and milled about, hoping for a breeze. Susan Lucci, the large coiffed queen of daytime soaps wore a skintight strapless cocktail dress, ready to take on her M. C. role. Passing yachts, you could say, were part of the outdoor décor.
And speaking of décor, the annual East Hampton Antiques Show at Mulford Farm drew a tony crowd to their tents, featuring a jazz band at the cocktail opening on Friday. The jewelry was particularly alluring. At one display, a man, an impatient husband perhaps, coaxed a hesitant woman about an oversized silver chain bracelet she was trying on, her wrist extended as she appreciated the look. Buy it, he said, to wit she replied, I’ll think about it.
Graphic Design: Salpeter Ventura



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