Bits And Pieces 02.07.13
Talent Show Auditions
“Talent Showcase,” a regional public access show broadcast on Cablevision, will be holding auditions on Feb. 23 at Cablevision’s headquarters in Hauppauge. The shows are taped at LTV Studios in East Hampton.
The show typically holds auditions on a biannual basis and is in its eighth year. It is open to all Long Island residents. The show is looking for singers (but not bands), impressionists, comedians, magicians, and other acts of all ages. Those interested must register first online at talent-showcase.com. No walk-ins will be seen.
Films at Guild Hall
“Barrymore,” a new film based on the play by William Luce, starring the Academy Award winner Christopher Plummer, will be shown on Saturday at 8 p.m. at the John Drew Theater at Guild Hall. A portrayal of John Barrymore, one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of all time, “Barrymore” premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival and will be shown in movie theaters around the world this year.
Tickets are $18, $16 for members, and are available online at guildhall.org or at the box office three hours prior to curtain.
On Sunday afternoon at 4:30, Guild Hall and the East Hampton Library will present “Foreign Letters” as part the library’s annual free winter film series. Directed by Ela Their, the film depicts Ellie, a 12-year-old immigrant from Israel who is lonely and homesick. Life brightens when she meets Thuy, a Vietnamese refugee her age, and they teach one another about life in America.
“Foreign Letters” is in English, Hebrew, and Vietnamese, with English subtitles.
‘Echo in Camera’
The Watermill Center will present Roman Paska/Dead Puppet’s open rehearsal presentation of their current work in progress, “Echo in Camera,” on Saturday at 6 p.m. “Echo in Camera” is a performance that recasts the Orpheus legend as a puppet play within a play. Their work in residence at Watermill has focused on the development of the performance through discussions, improvisations, and rehearsals, particularly on refining the performance technique with puppets created uniquely for the production.
A brief Q and A with Roman Paska, the current artist-in-residence, will follow the presentation, along with a reception with all the artists. Attendees have been invited to arrive early, at 3:30 p.m., to tour the building and grounds. Both the rehearsal and the tour are free, but reservations are requested.
UnValentines Day
Bay Street Theatre is hosting its first ever “UnValentines” Valentine’s Day event with the screening of “The War of the Roses” next Thursday at 8 p.m. The $10 admission includes a glass of wine.
The film stars Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner along with Danny DiVito, who directed the 1989 film about a married couple who try everything to get each other to leave the house in a vicious divorce battle.
“Whether you’re single, married, or divorced, all are welcome,” said Tracy Mitchell, Bay Street’s executive director.
Music on Sundays
The Hampton Library in Bridgehampton aims to warm up your winter with Sunday afternoon musical presentations through March 3. This week at 2, Prentiss Dunn, a musicologist, returns with relatively unknown masterpieces said to be demanding but exceptionally rewarding and life-enhancing works. These will include a British dramatization and performance (on period instruments) of Beethoven’s “Eroica,” the Triple Concerto, the first “Razamovsky” string quartet, the Misa Solemnis, and two of the late string quartets, Op. 132 and 135. All performances are presented on DVD.
From Schubert, attendees will be treated to the “Death and the Maiden” string quartet and the C major string quintet. Both pieces are performed in newly released DVD performances by the Hagen Quartet. The usual “surprise” encores by other composers are also promised.
Mistress of Monticello
Shannon Lanier, a descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings through their third son, Madison Hemings, plans to attend Saturday’s 8 p.m. performance of “The Mistress of Monticello” at the Southampton Cultural Center. The play, written and directed by Tina Andrews, will also be presented on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Ms. Andrews’ award-winning CBS miniseries “Sally Hemings: An American Scandal,” which she wrote and executive produced, was based on “The Mistress of Monticello.” She interviewed Mr. Lanier for her research on the miniseries; Mr. Lanier served as a consultant. He, with Jane Feldman, is the author of “Jefferson’s Children: The Story of One American Family.” He is also a national television correspondent and senior producer at Black Enterprise magazine.
Tickets are $10, $5 for students under 21, and are available at the door starting 40 minutes before the performance.
Music at St. Luke’s
“Four Hands, Two Hearts” is the title of a concert at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, East Hampton, that’s designed to put attendees in the spirit of Saint Valentine. Soyeon Kate Lee and Ran Dank will play piano selections adapted for four hands and taken from ballets on Saturday, beginning at 4 p.m.
Ms. Lee and Mr. Dank, who are both a professional and romantic partnership, have won many awards separately and together. They will perform pieces from Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite,” Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite,” and others.
Tickets are $20, with students age 18 and younger admitted free. They may be purchased the day of the event. The concert will take place at Hoie Hall.