Bits and Pieces 04.26.12

Beethoven’s Beloved

    Guild Hall and the Hamptons International Film Festival will present “Immortal Beloved,” a film about Beethoven and his mystery love, to whom he wrote a letter just prior to his death. Alec Baldwin will host and will discuss the film with Bob Balaban after the screening.

    Bernard Rose brings the viewer into the mind of Beethoven with his masterful portrait of the deaf composer. Gary Oldman is the star and the music in the film was conducted by George Solti and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra with Yo-Yo Ma and Murray Perahia.

    The event will take place at Guild Hall on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 and $20 for Guild Hall members and may be purchased at GuildHall.org or at the box office three hours prior to curtain.

Concert at Watermill

    The Watermill Center will present “Congruence,” a work-in-progress concert tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.

    The piece was composed by Tristan Perich in residence with Argeo Ascani, a saxophonist. It is a new piece for baritone saxophone and electronic sound. Mr. Ascani will play the saxophone part.

    According to the center, “ ‘Congruence’ represents an evolution of Perich’s sound to the gritty lower frequencies, where tone breaks down and the electronics take on a visceral quality, complementing the physical presence of the saxophone’s guttural voice.”

    The event includes a talk on the science behind 1-bit audio, which is the electronic component of the concert, and will be followed by a Q and A and a reception with the artists. Reservations are required and can be made at tristanandargeo.eventbrite.com.

Seeking New Voices

    The Choral Society of the Hamptons is looking for new members to join up for its summer concert. Singers with experience in choral music or those who can read music and want to give choral singing a try have been invited to audition on May 7.

    Rehearsals for the summer concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church. The concert will be on July 7 at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church’s Parish Hall. The program will feature the Haydn Lord Nelson Mass and include a Handel Coronation Anthem and an orchestral overture.

    Auditions can be scheduled through the society’s executive director, Veronika Semsakova, at execdir@choralsociety ofthehamptons.org. Interested singers are also welcome to attend the first rehearsal and schedule an audition at that time. Further information about auditions and general information can be obtained at choralsocietyofthehamptons.org.

Gatsby’s Long Island

    Natalie Naylor, a New York Humanities Council speaker in the humanities, will discuss “Gatsby’s West Egg and the ‘Slender Riotous Island’ in the 1920s”  at the Montauk Library at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

    F. Scott Fitzgerald began writing “The Great Gatsby” during the 18 months he lived in Great Neck, which became his West Egg. It was Nick Carraway, who called our landmass “that slender riotous island.” Fitzgerald immortalized the Gold Coast mansions on the North Shore, the Great Neck crowd, the old money in Sands Point, which was East Egg, and the Valley of Ashes in Corona.

    While much of Long Island was still farmland, its beaches and airstrips became major attractions, while rum-running and even Ku Klux Klan parades gave the festive atmosphere a dark side.

    Focusing on the historical reality, including aspects featured in “The Great Gatsby,” this presentation also examines the mythologizing of history and memory in Fitzgerald’s novel.

Hamptons Look Wanted

    Those who have the Hamptons look are invited to apply to join the cast of “Royal Pains,” which will begin filming soon on Long Island.

    Grant Wilfley Casting said it is searching for “people with the affluent look and the wardrobe to portray the high-society Hamptons elite.” The casting agent is encouraging those interested to send recent clear photos in their best “summer-fabulous Hamptons” look.

    Roles up for consideration include socialites, model types, ladies who lunch, beachgoers, yachtsmen, golfers, tennis players, owners of ultra high-end cars, bankers, brokers, doctors, nurses, orderlies, E.M.T.s, and attractive partygoers. Submissions are being accepted from Sag/Aftra union members and non-union new faces.

    Those interested should e-mail the photos and include in the body of the e-mail the name, best contact number, union status, height and weight, and age range (within five years of actual age), and which role is of interest. Those with high-end vehicles should include the color, year, make, and model of the car. All materials should go to this address: RPS4@gwcnyc.

‘Vagina Monologues’

    “The Vagina Monologues” will be presented on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Incarnation Lutheran Church of the Hamptons on Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton to benefit the Retreat women’s shelter.

    The play is based on Eve Ensler’s interviews with more than 200 women of all ages and stages of life. The piece celebrates women’s sexuality and strength.

     Tickets are $20. They can be purchased in advance by cash or check by contacting [email protected]. Limited tickets will be available at the door.

Latin Guitar Works

    “Works by Contemporary Latin American Composers,” a concert by Francisco Roldan, a guitarist, will take place on Saturday from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Montauk Library.

    Mr. Roldan, a Colombian musician educated at the Mannes School of Music who has performed widely abroad and in this country, will play for the first time at the library. A member of the ZigZag Quartet, he is on the faculty of the Mannes College of Music Extension and Preparatory Divisions and also teaches at Lehman College of the City University of New York.