In a few weeks, Rufus Wainwright turns 50, and he wants to celebrate his life on the East End with a concert at the Montauk Lighthouse on July 13 that will benefit the site.
"Fifty Isn't the End" is the name of the event, which will not only feature him, but friends such as Jimmy Fallon, Laurie Anderson, Jenni Muldaur, various Wainwright family members, and a backup band. There is also a host committee of notables like Julianne Moore, Isabella Rossellini, Cindy Sherman, Paul Simon, and Liev Schreiber.
Some 30 years after his version of the Leonard Cohen song "Hallelujah" was rejected for the film "Shrek," because the producers deemed his 22-year-old voice too young to suit the main character (his performance released on the soundtrack would help the album reach Platinum status in sales), the recording artist might finally be just the right age to impart all of the song's pathos and complexities. Even if he's not planning to sing it, the crowd will no doubt demand it.
According to the event description and local lore, "Rufus has a lifelong connection to the Hamptons. The Wainwrights are social fixtures in East Hampton. Rufus would spend his childhood summers on Shelter Island where his dad now has a home." He would take the ferry and bike each day to East Hampton.
According to the organizers, it was a dream of Mr. Wainwright's to have a concert on the lawn at the Lighthouse. The director of the Montauk Historical Society, Mia Certic, embraced the idea.
Mr. Wainwright and his husband, Jorn Weisbrodt, met in Berlin, but they solidified their relationship in the guesthouse on Andy Warhol's former Montauk estate during the summer of 2005. They bought a house in Hither Hills in 2008 and were married in its garden in 2012. (They had their reception at the Clam Bar on Napeague and the after-party back in Montauk at the Shagwong Tavern.) Mr. Weisbrodt also turns 50 this year. Although Mr. Wainwright's birthday is actually July 22, that date conflicted with his daughter's summer camp schedule.
The concert will be a benefit for the Montauk Historical Society to support the operations of the Lighthouse. All performers are donating their services, including the band members David Mansfield, G.E. Smith, Shawn Pelton, Tony Shanahan, and Thomas Bartlett.
The doors open at 5 p.m., when there will be food, drinks, and a D.J. The show begins at 7 and will be held rain or shine. Tickets, which start at $150 for adults and $75 for children, can be purchased on the Murmrr website. V.I.P. tickets are available for $300 and provide prime seating locations with lawn chairs and a dedicated bar. General admission ticket holders must take their own chairs.
