REVIEW: “Mister Halston” Triumphantly Opens at Bay Street Theater    

There was a lot of buzz before the World Premiere official opening Saturday night of Mister Halston at the Bay Street Theater. It is Bay Street Theater’s first show of the season. Matt McGrath is riveting as Mister Halston. His performance is gripping and powerful, a must-see. The enthusiastic standing ovation at the conclusion validated the pre-show buzz and points to a very successful run of Mister Halston playing now through June 21. The show was introduced to the audience by Artistic Director Scott Schwartz and Executive Director Tracy Mitchell.

Mister Halston is written by Raffaele Pacitti and brilliantly directed by Michael Wilson and produced by Bay Street Theater, Bruce Robert Harris, with Donna Karan as Executive Producer.

Seeing this show is important for several cultural reasons. Besides shining a bright light on an important figure during a cultural shift in the 1970’s through the 1980s, it verbally documents, live on stage, the salient moments that propelled a change in fashion branding. Matt McGrath brings the essence of Halston to life with magnificent panache. Director Michael Wilson has him dashing around the stage like a caged panther, ready to pounce, while also revealing vulnerabilities and delivering touching yet biting humor with sharp wit. Mr. McGrath brings Halston back to flamboyant life right there on the iconic Bay Street stage.

There is an important narrative between the lines of this show. Halston was a proud gay man and stood tall and took some hurtful incoming flak because of that. That underlying theme is both brilliantly woven into the show and portrayed live in real time on stage by Matt McGrath. Then there is the actual colorful story of how Roy Halston Frowick became mononymously known as Halston, the person Newsweek crowned “the premier designer of all America.” The name-dropping in the show adds a certain accent to it and to the way things were pre-internet, TikTok, and Instagram. The scene with the fabric falling from the ceiling is memorable, effective, and, perhaps, award-winning.

It takes a village of talent to produce a one-man show successfully. For this production of Mister Halston, one must start with the Lighting/Projection Designer Mike Billings. Mr. Billings is a proven talent and once again validates his reputation by skillfully lighting this show. Sometimes softly, sometimes suddenly, but always effectively, Mr. Billings’ projections and pointed lighting added to this production.

Scenic Designer James Noone’s brilliant set is a sea of daring red, which helps punctuate Mr. McGrath’s stage presence. Costume Designer David Woolard has Matt McGrath looking very Halston.

John Gromada effectively handles the Sound/Original Music. Kudos to Production Stage Manager Bob Bennett and to Assistant Stage Manager Denise Yaney.

For ticket information and show schedule, visit: www.baystreet.org