A real-life local family will portray a family in "The Subject Was Roses," Frank D. Gilroy's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, which will launch Bay Street Theater's summer with a three-week run starting May 28.
John Slattery (who played Roger Sterling in "Mad Men") will star as John Cleary, Talia Balsam (who played his wife, Mona, on "Mad Men") is Nettie Cleary, and their son, Harry Slattery, plays Timmy Cleary. The family has had a house in Springs for many years. Scott Wittman, a Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award-winning lyricist, director, and writer, will direct them.
The Sag Harbor theater has also announced its closing production of the summer, Mel Brooks's musical "Young Frankenstein."
"The 2024 summer season at Bay Street is going to bring so much talent to the East End," Scott Schwartz, the theater’s artistic director, said. "Beloved and renowned artists are returning to our stage or making their Bay Street premieres, and we're so excited. I know this is going to be a summer full of bold shows that will be the talk of the town all season long."
Set in a Bronx apartment in 1946, "The Subject of Roses," which won two Tony Awards, is about the emotional conflicts and hidden tensions within the Cleary family.
Following his discharge from the Army after fighting overseas in World War II, Timmy Cleary returns to live with his parents. As the play unfolds, he realizes that his mother and father have drifted apart, and his efforts to ameliorate the situation are unsuccessful.
A New York Times review of the play's 1964 Broadway premiere said, "Frank D. Gilroy has made good on the promise of 'Who'll Save the Plowboy?' His new play, 'The Subject Was Roses,' which opened last night at the Royale Theater, is not only an impressive stride forward but also an honest and touching work in its own right."
"Young Frankenstein," with a book by Mr. Brooks and Thomas Meehan and music and lyrics by Mr. Brooks, premiered on Broadway in 2007 with direction and choreography by Susan Stroman. The musical is based on Mr. Brooks's 1974 film parody of the classic horror genre, which starred Gene Wilder as Dr. Frankenstein and Peter Boyle as the monster. It follows the plot of the film, in which the doctor is summoned to Transylvania to claim his grandfather's estate.
Once there, he tries to fulfill his grandfather's legacy by bringing a corpse back to life, with the help of his sidekick, Igor, his assistant, Inga, and the redoubtable Frau Blucher. That he succeeds is evident when the rejuvenated monster dances to Irving Berlin's "Puttin' on the Ritz."
The production is directed by Stuart Ross, who has directed and/or written more than 50 productions throughout the United States, Canada, and internationally. Gerry McIntyre, a performer and director, will handle the choreography. It will begin its three-week engagement on Aug. 1.
Bay Street's third production will be announced at a later date. Subscriptions for the season are now on sale.
