Billy Stritch and Klea Blackhurst (Photo Credit: Hamptons Summer Songbook by the Sea)
Klea Blackhurst and Billy Stritch Flyer (Photo Credit: Hamptons Summer Songbook by the Sea)
The Wainscott concert continues the series’ third season with an evening of Broadway, cabaret and Great American Songbook favorites
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, July 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The live concert series Hamptons Summer Songbook by the Sea, which brings premier Broadway, cabaret, and American Songbook artists to the East End, is moving forward with its third season. On Saturday, July 18th, 2026, at 7:30 p.m., Klea Blackhurst and Billy Stritch will present “Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael” at LTV Studios in Wainscott.
This single-evening event reunites two exceptional performers in a widely praised show that honors Hoagy Carmichael, among America’s most beloved songwriters. As a composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader, Carmichael helped define the sound of 20th-century American popular music through standards like “Skylark,” “Georgia on My Mind,” “Heart and Soul,” and “Stardust.”
“Dreaming of a Song” was conceived as the first artistic partnership between Blackhurst and Stritch, delving into Carmichael’s repertoire with elegance, warmth, and theatricality. The set list ranges from well-known favorites to hidden treasures, including “Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief,” “My Resistance Is Low,” and “Walk It Off,” while allowing each artist to shine through solos and duets that showcase Carmichael’s musical versatility.
Blackhurst brings a vibrant Broadway energy to the stage, complemented by Stritch’s smooth vocal style and accomplished musicianship. Together, they deliver what has been called a “remarkably entertaining show with all the Heart and Soul of the legendary composer himself,” and Cabaret Scenes described the pair as “as compatible as caviar and champagne.”
Blackhurst has performed on major stages worldwide, including The London Palladium, Carnegie Hall, The Royal Albert Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Cafe Carlyle, and The Bluebird Cafe. Her stage credits include starring roles in “Hello, Dolly!” at Goodspeed Musicals and “Gypsy” at Drury Lane in Chicago. Off-Broadway, she has appeared in “Party Face,” “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” “Bingo,” “Radio Gals,” and “Oil City Symphony.”
Stritch, a pianist and singer who has been a staple of the New York and national nightclub scene for almost 40 years, is most recognized for his 25-year tenure as musical director for Liza Minnelli. He has also held the same role for Marilyn Maye, Linda Lavin, Melissa Manchester, and Tony Bennett, and serves as bandleader for “Jim Caruso’s Cast Party” at Birdland.
The July 18th show continues the tradition of Hamptons Summer Songbook by the Sea, which pairs world-class talent with the intimacy of LTV Studios’ black-box theater, café-style seating, excellent acoustics, and a close-up concert experience designed for storytelling, connection, and refined summer entertainment.
The 2026 season goes on with David Alpern hosting Maria Abous and Eric Yves Garcia in a program honoring Lorenz Hart on July 25th; “A Swell-egant, Elegant Party,” hosted by Laurence Maslon and featuring Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano, on August 1st; KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler joined by Stephanie Pope and Christine Pedi in a presentation co-sponsored by the Mabel Mercer Foundation on August 22nd; and a season closer with Tony Award-winning “A Chorus Line” star Donna McKechnie on August 29th.
About Hamptons Summer Songbook By The Sea:
LTV Studios in East Hampton hosts this concert series, bringing top-tier cabaret and Broadway performers to the East End. Produced by Donna Rubin and LTV’s Creative Director Josh Gladstone, this distinctive musical experience turns LTV’s industrial-chic television studio into an intimate performance venue featuring state-of-the-art lighting, superb acoustics, café-style seating, modular staging, and a stunning Baby Grand piano. The Songbook series provides a front-row seat to legendary music, interpreted by today’s finest artists in a close, unforgettable setting. Whether you’re coming off the beach or seeking an evening of sophisticated song, Hamptons Summer Songbook by the Sea is your new go-to destination for live music in the Hamptons.
LTV is a tax-exempt 501c(3) organization and donations are deductible as defined by IRS regulations.
For more information, please visit: www.ltveh.org
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About Klea Blackhurst:
Klea Blackhurst has performed in legendary halls from The London Palladium to Carnegie Hall, The Royal Albert Hall to Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Cafe Carlyle to The Bluebird Cafe. She starred in Goodspeed Musicals’ 50th anniversary production of Hello, Dolly! and led a critically lauded production of Gypsy at Drury Lane in Chicago. She’s brought her brand of comedy to the development of many new works, notably the world premiere of Hazel directed by Lucie Arnaz, The Nutty Professor, directed by Jerry Lewis, Dolly: A True Original Musical, and Elephant Shoes. Off-Broadway credits include Party Face, opposite Hayley Mills; A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Bingo, Radio Gals, Oil City Symphony. Other credits: Ragtime with the Boston Pops, Show Boat with Glimmerglass Opera, Into the Woods with Opera North and Chicago at Pioneer Theatre Company in her hometown of Salt Lake City. Klea is a distinguished Alumna of the University of Utah.
For more information, please visit: www.kleablackhurst.com
About Billy Stritch:
Pianist-singer Billy Stritch has been a presence on the New York and national nightclub scene for nearly four decades. Perhaps best known for his 25-year position as musical director for Liza Minnelli, Billy also served in that capacity with Marilyn Maye, Linda Lavin, Melissa Manchester and the legendary Tony Bennett. He was recently named the Outstanding Musical Director for the fifth time by the readers of Broadway World and his 2022 solo engagement at New York’s famed Birdland Jazz Club was voted Vocal Jazz Engagement of the year. Billy is the bandleader for “Jim Caruso’s Cast Party” every Monday night at Birdland and the twosome also have a long-running Sunday night residency at Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel.
Follow Billy on www.billystritch.com and Instagram: @billystritch
Norah Lawlor
Lawlor Media Group, Inc.
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