Joy Behar, 'Halston,' 'Cagney,' 'Evan Hansen' coming to Bay Street

Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor is celebrating its 35th season in high style with the world premiere of new play about a fashion icon, a song-and-dancefest inspired by a Hollywood legend, a Tony Award-winning musical and another theatrical debut from the mind of comic Joy Behar.

"As an artist, I am always thinking about how a story lives in a space," the theater's artistic director Scott Schwartz said in a statement on Tuesday. "For the first time, our summer lineup includes two world premieres alongside two back-to-back musicals, an exciting and ambitious combination that feels perfectly fitting as we celebrate our 35th year."

Up first will be "Mister Halston," a new one-man play by Raffaele Pacitti that follows the rise, peak and fall of famed fashion designer Halston in the 1970s and '80s. Previews begin June 2 ahead of the June 6 opening, and it wraps June 21.

Just in time for Independence Day comes "Cagney the Musical," about film star James Cagney. Though best known for playing gangsters in classics like "The Roaring Twenties" (1939) and "White Heat" (1949), Cagney earned his sole Oscar for playing vaudevillian George M. Cohan in the flag-waving musical "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942). This show features a blend of original songs by Robert Creighton and Christopher McGovern along with Cohan standards like "Over There" and "You're a Grand Old Flag." "Cagney" begins previews June 30 with its official run from July 3 to 26.

Following "Cagney" is "Dear Evan Hansen," which ran on Broadway from 2018 to 2022 and racked up six Tonys, including best musical. Previews start Aug. 4, it opens Aug. 8 and closes Aug. 29.

Summer winds up (Sept. 1-6) with plenty of laughs courtesy of "The View" co-host Behar with the debut of "Bonkers in the Boroughs," her collection of five short plays about the absurdities of life in New York City. Behar will also star in the show along with some of her friends. 

Tickets for all Bay Street shows can be purchased by calling the box office at 631-725-9500 or going to baystreet.org.