The title of "Sammy and Me," a musical set to open a one-week run at Sag Harbor's Bay Street Theater on Monday, tells only part of the story. Starring Eric Jordan Young, directed by Wendy Dann, and co-written by both, the play is about Sammy Davis Jr. and Mr. Young -- who, like Davis, can act, sing, and dance, and who plays not only himself but numerous other characters as well.
"Eric and Wendy created this show, which is sort of about Eric's journey as a young Black man trying to break into the entertainment industry, but also his fascination with Sammy Davis Jr.," said Scott Schwartz, Bay Street's artistic director.
Part celebrity biography, part self-portrait of Mr. Young, the show features songs from Davis's vast catalog, including "Where Or When," "That Old Black Magic," "Mr. Bojangles," and "The Candy Man."
Mr. Young is an accomplished producer, director, choreographer, entertainer, and playwright, whose Broadway credits include "Ragtime," "Chicago," "Seussical," and "Look of Love." In addition to Off Broadway and regional theaters, he has played Las Vegas stages and symphonies throughout the country.
Ms. Dann served for seven seasons as associate artistic director with Kevin Moriarty at the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca. Her original play "Birds of East Africa" premiered at the Kitchen Theatre Company, also in Ithaca, and she has directed plays at theaters in Dallas, St. Louis, Syracuse, and Albany.
During a conversation between Mr. Young and Ms. Dann, recorded when "Sammy and Me" played at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Mr. Young talked about his early interest in Davis.
"He did everything. He seemed to be the Black guy that always appeared on television . . . I knew that he carried on some kind of legacy. I think that was something that really attracted me to him."
It wasn't until he went to college, he said, that he fully appreciated the breadth of the star's accomplishments, which, in addition to television, included Broadway, films, and Vegas. "He was opening so many doors, and doing so many different forms of entertainment. If there hadn't been a Sammy Davis Jr., doing what he did then, I don't think things would have progressed as quickly."
"You wouldn't have Michael Jackson," said Ms. Dann.
"You wouldn't have Richard Pryor," added Mr. Young.
"He was the bridge from one generation to now," said Ms. Dann.
Mr. Young pointed out that before Davis, audiences who came to see Black people in shows were used to looking at actors who, onstage, looked only at each other.
"Sammy was the first to break that and talk to the audience," said Ms. Dann. She went on to elaborate on the connection between Mr. Young and Davis.
"The 'me,' who Eric plays -- he also plays 30 other people -- seems kind of stuck in the middle. He's African-American, but he grew up in a white town, he's someone who feels he doesn't fit in in either world. Sammy, I think, felt stuck in the middle, too. After the show comes down, a lot of people come up to Eric and say, 'That's me. I know what it feels like to be the only one.' "
Of the Atlanta production, Arts Critic Atlanta said, "Young has pulled off a mini-triumph in making his relationship with Davis as interesting as Davis's own life. Young is a physically gifted performer whose acting is as warm as the theater's intimate confines. He deftly changes gears on his multiple characters' personalities, often employing his dancer's grace by literally spinning into another character."
Showtimes are Monday at 8 p.m., Wednesday at 7, next Thursday at 4, Friday, Aug. 18, at 8, Aug. 19 at 5, and Aug. 20 at 7. Tickets start at $49.99.
