Klea Blackhurst and Billy Stritch Reunite for One-Night Hamptons Tribute to Hoagy Carmichael

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/ -- Hamptons Summer Songbook by the Sea, the live concert series bringing leading Broadway, cabaret and American Songbook performers to the East End, continues its third season with Klea Blackhurst and Billy Stritch performing “Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael” at LTV Studios in Wainscott on Saturday, July 18th, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.

The one-night-only performance brings together two powerhouse artists in a critically acclaimed show celebrating Hoagy Carmichael, one of America’s most treasured songwriters. Carmichael, the composer, pianist, singer, actor and bandleader, helped shape the sound of 20th-century American popular music with standards including “Skylark,” “Georgia on My Mind,” “Heart and Soul” and “Stardust.”

Created as the first artistic collaboration between Blackhurst and Stritch, “Dreaming of a Song” mines the Carmichael catalog with sophistication, warmth and theatrical flair. The program moves from beloved classics to lesser-known gems, including “Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief,” “My Resistance Is Low” and “Walk It Off,” while giving each performer room to shine through solos and duets that highlight Carmichael’s musical range.

Blackhurst brings an ebullient Broadway presence to the evening, matched by Stritch’s suave crooning and celebrated musicianship. Together, the pair offer audiences what has been described as a “remarkably entertaining show with all the Heart and Soul of the legendary composer himself,” while Cabaret Scenes praised the duo as “as compatible as caviar and champagne.”

A veteran of major stages from The London Palladium and Carnegie Hall to The Royal Albert Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Cafe Carlyle and The Bluebird Cafe, Blackhurst has starred in productions including “Hello, Dolly!” at Goodspeed Musicals and “Gypsy” at Drury Lane in Chicago. Her Off-Broadway credits include “Party Face,” “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” “Bingo,” “Radio Gals” and “Oil City Symphony.”

Stritch, a pianist and singer who has been a fixture of the New York and national nightclub scene for nearly four decades, is perhaps best known for his 25-year role as musical director for Liza Minnelli. He has also served as musical director for Marilyn Maye, Linda Lavin, Melissa Manchester and Tony Bennett, and is the bandleader for “Jim Caruso’s Cast Party” at Birdland.

The July 18th performance continues the spirit of Hamptons Summer Songbook by the Sea, which pairs world-class performers with the intimacy of LTV Studios’ black-box setting, café-style seating, superb acoustics and an up-close concert experience designed for storytelling, connection and sophisticated summer entertainment.

The 2026 season continues with David Alpern hosting Maria Abous and Eric Yves Garcia in an evening devoted to Lorenz Hart on July 25th; “A Swell-egant, Elegant Party,” hosted by Laurence Maslon and starring Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano, on August 1st; KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler joined by Stephanie Pope and Christine Pedi in a program co-sponsored by the Mabel Mercer Foundation on August 22nd; and a season finale 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 concert series brings world-class cabaret and Broadway talent to the East End. Produced by Donna Rubin and LTV’s Creative Director Josh Gladstone, this unique musical experience transforms LTV’s industrial-chic television studio into an intimate performance venue complete with state-of-the-art lighting, superb acoustics, café-style seating, modular staging, and a stunning Baby Grand piano. The Songbook series offers a front-row seat to legendary music, interpreted by today’s finest performers in an up-close, unforgettable setting. Whether you are rolling 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
IG: @ltveh | FB: LTVEH | X / T: @localtveh | Y: @LTVeasthampton

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.
+1 212-967-6900
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
X

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.