Bay Street Theater’s Lifetime Achievement Award to Tony Walton

Sag Harbor’s, Bay Street Theater is honoring long-time Theater legend Tony Walton. Will Pomerantz the Assistant Artistic Director of Bay Street Theater said, “Bay Street Theater is thrilled to present Tony Walton with a Lifetime Achievement Award for what is truly an astonishing body of work in theater, film and television. Tony is in the DNA of our organization, having designed our theater and worked in it as a designer and director.  We look forward to welcoming him back for this splendid occasion on August 26th!” 

In an interview about Bay Street’s successful production of Camelot now extended through Sept. 5th, Bay Street’s Artistic Director Scott Schwartz also talked about the tribute for Tony Walton saying, “Is going to be a special Bay Street Theater night.” 

Tony Walton has been and still is one of the most important theatrical designers of the last 50 years. He was also the designer of Bay Street Theater’s original home and designer of many of the productions there during his long illustrious career. He will ne honored with “through story and song.” 

The tribute to Tony Walton titled, “The Devil is in the Details.” will be hosted by acclaimed actress, singer, recording artist, writer along with special friend to the east end, Melissa Errico. She has starred on Broadway with wonderful musical roles such as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, along with Kurt Weill’s One Touch of Venus. She is also known for her albums of songs by Stephen Sondheim and Michel Legrand. 

About hosting the tribute, Ms. Errico said, “It is a real honor to know Tony, it’s going to be a very sassy affair, I am going to sing, I am sure people will cry and tell stories. Every chance to praise him will set everyone’s emotions alight! I am looking forward to it.” 

In an interview with hamptons.com Ms. Errico expanded on her relationship with Tony Walton by saying, “When I visit with him like just two weeks ago, we did what we normally do which is stay up , like really late, like midnight, and then I have to drive back to Bronxville (where she lives). We just talk and talk. 

He is a genius on so many creative fronts, while I haven’t been in the movies that he designed regrettably, I have work with him as a designer, costume designer, set designer, and I have actually been in the lion’s share of his directing work and I absolutely just love the man.” 

Ms. Errico became emotional as she said, “I can say I am definitely looking forward to being the host I don’t think I would recognize my life without Tony in it, I certainly wouldn’t recognize it as life I would enjoy at all. He has really been a friend, a mentor and an inspiration providing me with a taste of glamour, a taste of the great art. In my life, the subway door was kind of closing on the classic era. A time when all the great artist lived liked Tony and his many collaborators. I got a taste through Tony of the best and I never took that for granted. Tony put the Golden Era into my life so I absolutely cherish him. I learned a lot from him and you know Tony is a real artist. I don’t think he looks differently at an off-Broadway show, a production at Bay Street or a big Hollywood movie, everything is just magical. He gets really excited.” 

She shared this too,  “He calls me Malisslet, he has these pet names for people and makes you feel like you are just part of the club every time you work with him and it is just divine  with an opportunity to be creative and I think he has trained me to be like that… he is always just looking for the positive and that’s an amazing quality , his nature is positive. He has been generous to people like me and has mentored many actors. If you want him, he will make time for you.” 

“The Devil is in the Details,” besides including performances by Melissa Errico will include virtual visits from Alec Baldwin, Stephen Schwartz, Kate Burton, Jerry Zaks, David Rockwell and others. 

Tickets and information visit www.BayStreet.org