Having seen Alfred Hitchcock's classic cinematic thriller "Dial M for Murder" is no reason to miss Jeffrey Hatcher's new adaptation of the original play, which will open at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor on July 1, with previews set to begin on Tuesday.
As the San Diego Tribune said of the adaptation's world premiere last year at the Old Globe in San Diego, " 'Dial M' lives up to its reputation as midcentury thriller, but seen through Hatcher’s fresh eyes, it’s also timeless."
Frederick Knott, an English playwright known for his complex crime-related plots, wrote the play in 1952 and adapted it for the Hitchcock screen version two years later.
In the original story, Tony is a tennis player living off the wealth of his wife, Margot. Knowing that she is having an affair with Mark, an American mystery writer, he plots to have her killed to inherit her money. Needless to say, Tony's carefully crafted plan is subject to a series of unexpected twists and turns. The film stars Ray Milland as Tony, Grace Kelly as Margot, and Robert Cummings as Mark.
In Mr. Hatcher's adaptation, Tony is a struggling writer, and Margot's lover is a woman, Maxine, whose success as an American writer of murder mysteries amps up Tony's jealousy. In addition, the adaptation makes Margot's character more complex than in the original, and Maxine is smart enough to stay one step ahead of Tony.
Mr. Hatcher was given permission by Knott's estate "to streamline the play and change elements in it," said Scott Schwartz, Bay Street's artistic director. "It has this freshness and this kind of contemporary energy," he said. While it's still a thriller, "he's found a lot of humor in it."
The production is directed by Walter Bobbie, a Broadway veteran who won Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for his direction of the 1996 revival of the musical "Chicago."
After Mr. Schwartz sent him the adaptation, "I thought it was smart, witty entertainment," said Mr. Bobbie. "I've also worked with Jeffrey Hatcher before. I just connected with the material, I was available, and I basically said yes right after I read it."
The Bay Street production stars Mamie Gummer as Margot, Erich Bergen as Tony, Rosa Gilmore as Maxine, Reg Rogers as Inspector Hubbard, the investigating officer, and Max Gordon Moore as Lesgate, who Tony draws into his plot to kill Margot.
Mr. Bobbie and Ms. Gummer worked together previously on David Ives's verse play "The School for Lies." "He reached out to me more or less directly," said Ms. Gummer. "I was really flattered. It's fun, and it's so theatrical."
She had seen the film years ago, but "I didn't remember it well, and I made a point of not rewatching it, because I hoped not to be too influenced by Grace Kelly. I don't know that I could do a Grace Kelly, much as I would like to."
Of Ms. Gummer, who may have acting in her DNA as Meryl Streep's daughter, the director said, "I think she's fantastic, and I love working with her. This is our second date."
"One of the things I love about the show is it's very high-style," said Mr. Schwartz. "There will be beautiful costumes" by Jeff Mahshie, an award-winning costume designer, and "beautiful scenery by Anna Louizos, who is a major Broadway set designer."
"Jeffrey Hatcher has done some really smart things that the Knott estate loved." said Mr. Bobbie. "I think it crackles a bit more than the earnestness of the original piece -- which is not to say the original piece is not a classic. As someone who has done revivals, it's very important to have a fresh point of view that honors the material or serves the material. I think that's what Hatcher has done."
"Dial M for Murder" is the first Bay Street production for both Mr. Bobbie and Ms. Gummer. The director has had a house on the East End since the early 1990s and has been attending Bay Street events since its founding.
Ms. Gummer, on the other hand, hasn't spent much time on the East End. "I'm looking forward to settling in there," she said. "I'm going to have my family with me. It should be great. It's like a dreamy summer."
Performances will take place Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 7 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays at 8, except for July 8, the night of Bay Street's summer benefit. Matinees are set for Wednesdays starting July 5 and Sundays beginning July 9. Tickets start at $49.99.
