“Cagney the Musical,” which bills itself as being about “Hollywood’s tough guy in tap shoes,” will bring one of the screen’s most iconic performers to Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor starting Tuesday and continuing through July 26.
The play brings James Cagney to life through rhythm, song, and movement. The title role is played by Robert Creighton, who also co-write the music and lyrics with Christopher McGovern. Peter Colley wrote the book, Will Pomerantz, Bay Street’s associate artistic director, will direct, and the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester will play Ma Cagney.
The high-energy musical traces Cagney’s rise from the streets of New York to Hollywood legend through tap dance, storytelling, and a score that blends original songs with tunes by George M. Cohan, whom Cagney brought to the big screen in “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” That film earned him an Academy Award for best actor in a leading role and featured such memorable songs as “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “Give My Regards to Broadway.”
In addition to being a rags-to-riches story, “the show is kind of a love letter to the Golden Age of Hollywood, and part of that is through dance,” said Scott Schwartz, Bay Street’s artistic director. “It’s a big, big dance show, there’s incredible tap dancing, and all forms of dance.”
“Cagney the Musical” is produced in association with Riki Kane Larimer and executive-produced by Kate Edelman Johnson. The creative team includes original choreography by Josh Bergasse, a Tony Award nominee, expanded by Jeremy Benton; fight direction by Rick Sordelet; music direction, orchestrations, and vocal arrangements by Doug Oberhamer; scenic design by Christopher Swader and Justin Swader; costume design by Barbara Erin Delo; lighting design by Mike Billings; sound design by Shaughn Bryant; hair and makeup design by Liz Printz, and production stage management by Amber R. Dettmers.
It’s no accident that “Cagney the Musical” will be on stage over the Fourth of July weekend during the nation’s 250th anniversary, said Schwartz. The theater wanted to do something that “celebrates the best of America. It has a patriotic heart. But not political, I want to make that clear.”
The first big dance show at Bay Street in years, “Cagney the Musical” was created specifically for the theater. Tickets are $65.99 to $149.99.
