Summer theater preview: '42nd Street' and more must-see shows on Long Island
Drew Humphrey and Shannon O’Bryan starred in “42nd Street” at The Gateway in 2014. The show is back to kick off the theater's new season. Credit: Jeff Bellante
Come and meet the dancing feet of "42nd Street," spend some enchanted evenings at "South Pacific," enjoy Shakespeare under the stars and more this summer on Long Island stages.
NASSAU
Noelle Eichenbaub, as Tracy Turnblad, right, during a performance of "Hairspray" in 2016 at Cultural Arts Playhouse in Syosset. A new production of the hit musical will be staged from July 26 through Aug. 24. Credit: Bruce Gilbert
CULTURAL ARTS PLAYHOUSE, 170 Michael Dr., Syosset, culturalartsplayhouse.com, 516-694-3330. Year-round regional, off-Off-Broadway-style theater offering professional adult productions, children’s theater performances and theater education classes for ages 7-18. Fee $30. May 3-25 "Catch Me If You Can: The Musical," June 21-July 13 "In the Heights," July 26-Aug. 24 "Hairspray," Sept. 20-Oct. 19 "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical."
EASTLINE THEATRE, eastlinetheatre.org, 516-749-5047. Performances at various locations on Long Island. "King Lear," June 18 at South Huntington Library, June 29 at Plainview-Old Bethpage Library, July 5 at Huntington Summer Arts Festival, Heckscher Park, July 12 at Clark Botanic Garden, Albertson, July 20 at Amityville Beach, Aug. 9 at Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library (in Shirley), Aug. 14 at Elmont Library (all free). "Emma," June 22 at Long Beach Public Library, June 26 at Long Island Museum, Stony Brook, July 13 at Huntington Summer Arts Festival, Heckscher Park, July 26 at Northport Library, July 27 at Amityville Beach, Aug. 7 at North Merrick Library, (all free). Sept. 20-Oct. 5 "The Hours are Feminine," at BACCA Arts Center, 149 N. Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst ($25)
HARDSCRABBLE THEATER, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 298 Conklin St., Farmingdale, hardscrabbletheater.com. Community theater group produces several full-scale productions each year. Fee $25, discounts for students and seniors. June 7, 13-14 and 21 at 8 p.m. and June 8, 15 and 22 at 3 p.m., "The Seafarer" by Conor McPherson."
THE KILLING KOMPANY, killingkompany.com, 212-772-2590. Comedy murder mystery dinner shows, June 19, July 17, Aug. 14, Sept. 18, Oct. 16 and Nov. 13 at Palmer’s American Grille, 123 Fulton St., Farmingdale, $65, 516-420-0609.
MADISON THEATRE AT MOLLOY UNIVERSITY, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre, madisontheatreny.org, 516-323-4444. Facility offering a diverse range of world-class performers in theater, music, dance, cabaret and comedy. Seating capacity: 550. May 30-June 1 and June 6-8 "Legally Blonde: The Musical," $45-$65; July 24-26 children's show "Miss Money Honeybee," $20; Aug. 2-3 "Kiss Me Kate: In Concert," $40-$55.
Plaza Theatrical Productions will present "A Chorus Line" at Elmont Memorial Library Theatre. Credit: Howard Schnapp
PLAZA THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS, P.O. Box 325, East Rockaway, plazatheatrical.com, 516-599-6870. Not-for-profit professional touring company dedicated to the performing arts. Home venue is Elmont Memorial Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. Seating capacity: 400. July 26-27 and 31, Aug 1-3 "A Chorus Line," $45-$49.
THEATRE BOX AT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF FLORAL PARK, 35 Verbena Ave., Floral Park, theatrebox.org, 516-900-2031. Community theater group produces three full-scale productions each year. July 25-26, Aug. 1-2 at 8 p.m. and July 27 and Aug. 3 at 2 p.m., "The Lion in Winter," $10-$20.
SUFFOLK
The Argyle Theatre in Babylon is presenting "Fiddler on the Roof" through June 15. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
ARGYLE THEATRE, 34 W. Main St., Babylon, argyletheatre.com, 844-631-5483. Theatre space offering main stage theatrical productions, children's theater, concerts, comedy, specialty shows, educational programs and venue rentals. Seating capacity: 500. Fee $70-90, children's theater $26. Through June 15 "Fiddler on the Roof," July 10-Aug 31 "The Music Man." Children's theater Through June 15 "Junie B. Jones: The Musical," July 19-Aug. 31 "Sleeping Beauty."
BAY STREET THEATER AND SAG HARBOR CENTER FOR THE ARTS, Main Street and Bay Street, Sag Harbor, baystreet.org, 631-725-9500. Center is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center for the performing arts. May 27-June 15 world premiere of "Bob & Jean, a Love Story" by Robert Schenkkan, $50-$130; June 24-July 20 "Deceived" by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson, $50-$130; July 29-Aug. 24 "Bonnie and Clyde, The Musical," music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Don Black, book by Ivan Menchell, $60-$140. Special pricing for all shows for ages up to 20, $20; and ages 21-30, $30.
CARRIAGE HOUSE PLAYERS, VANDERBILT MUSEUM, 180 Little Neck Rd., Centerport, carriagehouseplayers.org, 516-557-1207. Seasonal Shakespeare Festival, Wed. and Fri. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Fee $20, $15 children. May 16-25 "Medea," June 1-29 "A Midsummer Night's Dream," July 11-Aug. 3 "Othello," Aug. 15-Sept. 7 "Coriolanus."
The CM Performing Arts Center will present "Anything Goes" on the main stage. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
CM PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 931 Montauk Hwy., Oakdale, cmpac.com, 631-218-2810. Main Stage: Aug. 16-Sept. 7 "Anything Goes," $40. Family Theatre: July 12-27 "Junie B. Jones," $20; Aug. 3-30 "Madagascar: A Musical Adventure," $20.
GATEWAY PLAYHOUSE, 215 S. Country Rd., Bellport, thegateway.org, 631-286-1133. Main Stage series of professional musical theater productions featuring Broadway actors. Fee $59-$99; ages 17 and under, half price. May 2-June 1 "42nd Street," June 20-July 13 "Pretty Woman: The Musical," Aug. 1-31 "Phantom." Seating capacity: 500.
HAMPTON THEATRE COMPANY, Quogue Community Hall, 125 Jessup Ave., Quogue, hamptontheatre.org, 631-653-8955. A not-for-profit theater community. May 22-June 8 "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," $25-$40.
JAMES STREET PLAYHOUSE AT BABYLON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 21 James St., Babylon, facebook.com/jamesstreetplayersbabylon, email for tickets: thejamesstreetplayers@gmail.com. This all-volunteer community theater group produces family-friendly musicals or plays. July 25-27 "Suessical the Musical," $25 at the door, $28 through Eventbrite.
Richard Dolce is one of the owners of the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
JOHN W. ENGEMAN THEATER AT NORTHPORT, 250 Main St., Northport, engemantheater.com, 631-261-2900. A year-round professional theater offering Broadway actors. Seating capacity: 400. Fee $80-$96. May 15-June 29 "South Pacific," July 10-Aug. 24 "Footloose: the Musical."
MANES STUDIO THEATRE OF LONG ISLAND, 141 S. Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst, studiotheatrelongisland.com, 631-226-8400. Fee $30-$35. July 5-20 "Hairspray," Aug. 29-Sept. 14 "Boeing Boeing," Sept. 19-Oct. 5 "Falsettos," Oct. 10-26 "I'll Be Back Before Midnight."
THE MINSTREL PLAYERS, 130 Main St., Northport, theminstrelplayersinc.org, 516-361-7232. Fee $20. July 19-20 and 26-27 "Much Ado About Nothing," Oct. 18-19 and 25-26 "Arsenic and Old Lace."
MODERN CLASSICS THEATRE COMPANY, BACCA Arts Center, 149 N. Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst, mctli.com. This not-for-profit organization performs classic and contemporary plays. Fee $25. May 17-June 1 "As Bees in Honey Drown" by Douglas Carter Beane, July 12-13, 18-20 and 25-27 "A View From the Bridge" by Arthur Miller.
NORTH FORK COMMUNITY THEATRE, 12700 Old Sound Ave., Mattituck, nfct.com, 631-298-6328. Theater group produces plays and other forms of dramatic presentation. Fee $25-$30. May 15-June 1 "The Wizard of Oz," July 17-Aug. 3 "School of Rock."
SOUTH SHORE THEATRE EXPERIENCE, 115 S. Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst, southshoretheatre.com, 631-669-0506. Not-for-profit organization performs Broadway and Off-Broadway classics, as well as original works from local writers. Fee $25 for Main Stage plays. May 2-June 10 "Waverly Gallery" by Kenneth Lonergan, June 12-14 "Shooting Star" by Steven Dietz, June 20-28 "Where We're Born" by Lucy Thurber, July 18-26 "Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson" (a musical), Aug. 2-10 "Dearly Beloved," Aug. 28-30 "All In a Day's Work" (South Shore Theatre's annual one-act festival), Sept. 5-13 "Agnes of God," Sept. 26-Oct. 4 "Rasheeda Speaking." Shakespeare in the Park, "Henry lV Part 1," free, various dates and locations in July and August, including Argyle Gazebo, Lindenhurst Gazebo and Lindenhurst Library.
South Shore Theatre Experience actors during a dress rehearsal of "Taming of the Shrew" at Argyle Gazebo in Babylon in July 2019. This summer, the company will present "Henry lV Part 1," at various dates and locations in July and August, including Argyle Gazebo, Lindenhurst Gazebo and Lindenhurst Library. Credit: Yeong-Ung Yang
SOUTHAMPTON CULTURAL CENTER, 25 Pond Lane, Southampton, scc-arts.org, 631-287-4377. This not-for-profit organization combines art, education, dance, music and theater to engage the entire community with the arts. Aug. 22-23 Shakespeare in the Park at Agawam Park, Southampton, 7:30 p.m., free.
STALLER CENTER FOR THE ARTS, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Rd., Stony Brook, stallercenter.com, 631-632-2787. Regular season is Sept.-May, with the Stony Brook Film Festival, July 17-28. Center offers dance, music, theatrical performances and shows. Seating capacity, Main Stage: 1,050, Recital Hall: 380.
Theatre Three on Main Street in Port Jefferson will present "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" for children. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
THEATRE THREE, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson, theatrethree.com, 631-928-9100. Main stage: May 24-June 22 “Half Time, the New Musical About Not Acting Your Age," $25-$40. Children’s Theater: May 29-June 21 “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” $12. Main Stage seating capacity: 408.
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