WINDFALL Opens This Week at Bay Street Theater

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is pleased to share production photos of Windfall, the first show of the 2022 Mainstage Season. The new comedy by Scooter Pietsch, directed by Jason Alexander, will make its East Coast premiere this week on Tuesday, May 31, and runs through June 19. The play will be in previews Tuesday through Friday, and will have its Opening Night on Saturday, June 4, at 8 p.m.

Mainstage Subscriptions remain the best opportunity to secure the best seats at the best prices, though single seat tickets are currently available starting at $49.99. To purchase a Mainstage Subscription or tickets, call the Box Office at 631 725 9500 or visit the Mainstage Subscriptions Page at baystreet.org.

In the comedy Windfall, five office workers in Columbus, Ohio toil under the heavy hand of a maniacal boss and dream of a better life. When the boss's antics become too much to bear, they bet their every last cent on a one-billion-dollar lottery jackpot. But the prospect of winning brings out the worst in these best friends. A dark, hilarious comedy that delves into how far any of us would go in our desire to have it all and live the American Dream. Windfall is produced by special arrangement with John Yonover and Ken Davenport. Directed by Jason Alexander.

The cast includes Spencer Garrett as Glenn Brannon (Winning Time, Bombshell, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood); Ro Boddie as Galvan Kidd (Seize The King, Socrates, Appomattox); Badia Farha as Kate Rearden (School Of Rock, Broadway Bounty Hunter, Little Shop of Horrors); Abigail Isom as Hannah Higley (Fun Home, Next To Normal, Annie); Talia Thiesfield as Jacqueline Vanderbilt (FBI, TrollsTopia, Ring Twice For Miranda); and Dylan S. Wallach as Chris Hart (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, We Crashed, A Spectacular Holiday).

The creative team for Windfall at Bay Street Theater includes Jason Alexander, Director; Scooter Pietsch, Playwright; Mike Billings, Scenic & Lighting Designer; Christopher Vergara, Costume Designer; Twi McCallum, Sound Designer; Brian C. Staton, Video Designer; Lauren Page Russell, Props Designer; Cameron King, Assistant Director; Christine Catti, Production Stage Manager; Terysa Malootian, Assistant Stage Manager; and Rebecca Werner, Production Assistant/Covid Safety Manager.

About the Creative Team

Though best known for his award-winning, nine-year stint as the now iconic George Costanza of television's Seinfeld, Jason Alexander has achieved international recognition for a career noted for its extraordinary diversity. Aside from his performances on stage, screen and television, he has worked extensively as a writer, composer, director, producer and teacher of acting. In between all that he has also become an award-winning magician, a notorious poker player and a respected advocate on social and political issues.

For his depiction of "George" on Seinfeld, Jason garnered six Emmy nominations, four Golden Globe nominations, an American Television Award and two American Comedy Awards. He won two Screen Actor Guild Awards as the best actor in a television comedy despite playing a supporting role and in 2012 he was honored to receive the "Julie Harris Award for Lifetime Achievement" from the Actor's Fund.

Aside from Seinfeld, Jason has starred and guested in such shows as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Mad About You, The Grinder, Drunk History, Friends, Two and a Half Men, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Criminal Minds, Monk, Franklin and Bash, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bob Patterson, Listen Up, Hit the Road, Orville and Young Sheldon. He also starred in the television films of Bye Bye Birdie, Cinderella, A Christmas Carol and The Man Who Saved Xmas. Additionally, his voice has been heard most notably in Duckman, The Cleveland Show, American Dad, Tom and Jerry and Kody Kapow. He can also be heard in the animated series Harley Quinn.

His many films include: Pretty Woman, Jacob's Ladder, Love Valor Compassion, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Dunston Checks In, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Shallow Hal. In addition, he directed the feature films For Better or Worse and Just Looking. He is also a distinguished television director, overseeing episodes of Seinfeld, Til Death, Everybody Hates Chris, Mike and Molly, Criminal Minds and Franklin and Bash. He won the American Country Music Award for his direction of Brad Paisley's video "Cooler Online."

While still in college, his desire to work as a stage actor in New York came to be with his debut in the original Broadway cast of the Hal Prince/Stephen Sondheim musical Merrily We Roll Along. He continued starring on Broadway in the original casts of Kander and Ebb's The Rink, Neil Simon's Broadway Bound, Rupert Holmes' Accomplice and his Tony Award winning performance in Jerome Robbin's Broadway. Jason also authored the libretto for that show which went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical. After moving to LA, Jason continued working in the theater, notably serving as the artistic director for the Reprise Theatre Company and for the hit West Coast production of Mel Brook's The Producers in which he starred along with Martin Short. Jason returned to Broadway to star in the Larry David comedy Fish in the Dark at the Cort Theater and in John Patrick Shanley's The Portuguese Kid at Manhattan Theatre Club.

He has also helmed a number of stage productions including: The God of Hell at The Geffen Playhouse; Broadway Bound at the Odyssey; an updated revival of Damn Yankees and The Fantasticks, as well as Sunday in the Park with George for Reprise, the world premiere of Windfall by Scooter Pietsch for the Arkansas Repertory Theater, Native Gardens at The Pasadena Playhouse, The Joy Wheel at The Ruskin Group Theatre and directed the musical The Last Five Years at Syracuse Stage.

Mr. Alexander tours the country and the world performing his one-man show, As Long As You're Asking, a Conversation with Jason Alexander, which contains music, comedy and conversation. He can also be seen in his whimsical salute to Broadway musicals with some of the finest symphony orchestras throughout the United States. You can stay in touch with Jason via Twitter: @IJasonAlexander.

Scooter Pietsch is a playwright and Emmy-nominated composer and songwriter. Past readings and productions of his plays have included performances by Tony & Emmy-winner Bryan Cranston, Tony-winners Stephanie J. Block, Cady Huffman, Faith Prince and Michelle Pawk. Tony-Nominees Chad Kimball and Marc Kudisch. Also, Jack Coleman, Brandon Dirden, Sebastian Arcelus, Spencer Grammer, Justin Bartha, Nancy Travis, Allison Mack, and many others. His play One Night Standoff is currently being made into a movie. As a composer, Scooter's underscore, themes, and songs have appeared in hundreds of television series and thousands of episodes. Some of these include Pretty Little Liars, Burn Notice, All Dogs Go To Heaven, Greek, American Idol, Sex And The City, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and So You Think You Can Dance. He has also created and executive produced shows for ABC, FOX, Lifetime, VH1 and E!.

Spencer Garrett s a third generation actor whose career spans 30 years in film, television, and theatre. Some film highlights include Public Enemies and Blackhat for Michael Mann; Air Force One; Mike Nichols' Charlie Wilson's War; Thank You For Smoking and The Frontrunner for Jason Reitman; Bobby' and The Public for Emilio Estevez; Lovely and Amazing; and Yes Man; as well as All The Way and Bombshell for Jay Roach; and Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Television credits include more than 150 guest starring or recurring roles including Mad Men, Aquarius, Bosch, For All Mankind, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Voyager, Insecure, Luck, Goliath, Law & Order, Madam Secretary, Masters of Sex, House of Cards, The West Wing, and many others. He currently stars alongside John C. Reilly, Sally Field and Jason Clarke as legendary Lakers sportscaster Chick Hearn in HBO's Winning Time for Adam McKay. Broadway credits include Roots and Wings and America's Spirit at Circle in the Square. Off Broadway and regional credits include In The Moonlight, Eddie, and Alone Together at Pasadena Playhouse; Gunplay and Assassins for Naked Angels; Lynn Nottage's By The Way, Meet Vera Stark at The Geffen; and Adaptation at Ensemble Studio Theatre. He is a frequent contributor to Word Theatre, having performed numerous roles around the country, most recently at Guild Hall in East Hampton with Brian Cox. For L.A Theatreworks, Spencer has performed in The Lion in Winter opposite Alfred Molina and Kathleen Chalfant; Zoot Suit with the original cast; The Country Girl with Mare Winningham; and Oedipus opposite Harry Lennix. As a producer, he has worked on Below The Beltway (Best Film, Newport Film Festival) starring Tate Donovan, Sarah Clarke, and Xander Berkeley. With Garrett/Gordon Productions he produced the global hit podcast America 2.0 starring Laurence Fishburne, Patrick J. Adams, and Kate Walsh, currently streaming on all podcast platforms; and 2021's Quarantine, which raised funds and awareness of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Covid-19 Relief Fund. He is thrilled to be at Bay Street with Jason, Scooter, and this wonderful cast in a truly insane and inspired play that makes the last six years seem positively dull by comparison. For Dana and Jonah, and for Mom, who led the way.

Ro Boddie was most recently seen in Seize The King at Classical Theatre of Harlem. Off-Broadway credits include Socrates at The Public Theater, Appomattox at 59E59 Theater. Select regional credits include A Play is a Poem at the Mark Taper Forum, Blueprints to Freedom at La Jolla Playhouse, Skeleton Crew (tour) at The Old Globe, The Mountaintop at Cleveland Playhouse, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at Baltimore CENTERSTAGE and Philadelphia Theater Company, The Whipping Man at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Pipeline at Studio Theatre, A Boy and His Soul at Round House Theatre, Master Harold...and the Boys at Round House Theatre, and Three Sisters at Studio Theatre. Television credits include Run The World, The Good Wife, Elementary, Person of Interest and Unforgettable. Ro is an alum of University of the North Carolina School of the Arts and was the 2016 Actor of the Year Craig Noel Award recipient.

Also affectionately known as "Lady Rose," Badia Farha was born in Newark and began her journey to entertain anyone who would listen at the age of 2. As a graduate of NYU with a MA in Music and Performing Arts/Musical Theatre, she explodes on the stage and you can't keep your eyes off her! In 2020, Badia sang the theme song on an Emmy-winning commercial for BWI Airport where they remade the classic Staples song I'll Take You There to We'll Take You There. A powerhouse performer, you can catch her on the Broadway stage and on your TV screen! Badia is a Broadway Actress (School of Rock) and a fierce rock belter who's performed on and Off-Broadway (Broadway Bounty Hunter), in multiple Broadway tours (Little Shop of Horrors, RENT), and graced the stages of the most sought-after regional theaters in the nation. Some television credits include FBI's Most Wanted (CBS), a new mini-series called The Wolves (DA Karen West), A Gifted Man (CBS), and America's Got Talent (NBC), among others. She can be heard on several cast albums, in addition to the acclaimed Off-Broadway hit Broadway Bounty Hunter.

Abigail Isom is thrilled to be a part of Windfall at Bay Street Theater! Favorite credits include Fun Home (Medium Alison) and Next to Normal (Natalie) at The Fulton Theatre; Annie (Star to Be) and Seussical (JoJo) at The Muny; and Hairspray (Penny) and Snoopy! (Peppermint Patty) at Theatre Aspen. Abigail is a graduate of Otterbein University. Many thanks to Jason Alexander, Scooter Pietsch, Stewart Whitley, Stewart Talent NY, her family, friends, and everyone at Bay Street. abigailisom.com @abigailisom

Talia Thiesfield is currently recurring as NYPD Rep Maya on FBI (CBS) and as the voice of Blues on TrollsTopia (Hulu). She has appeared Off-Broadway in Ring Twice For Miranda (NY City Center) and Marie Christine (3LD). Recent regional credits include a Broadway World Regional Award winning run as Daniela in In The Heights (Dallas Theatre Center), a CT Critics Circle Award nominated run as Aldonza in Man of La Mancha (Ivoryton Playhouse), The Witch in Into The Woods (The Hangar Theater), and appearances at Goodspeed Musicals, Center Theatre Group, and CT Rep. Talia also stars as Kira in the award-winning film Inez & Doug & Kira, and has appeared on such television shows as Succession, Suspicion, Kevin Can Wait, Limitless, and Veep. She is represented by CLA Partners. taliathiesfield.com

Dylan S. Wallach is thrilled to be making his Bay Street debut! Broadway credits include Betrayal. Off-Broadway credits include Love, Love, Love, and POPE; and the National Tour of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Television credits include We Crashed, A Spectacular Holiday, and Mannies. Thank you to the creative team, cast, and Bay Street Theater for this incredible opportunity. Love to my family, my fiancée Sarah, our dogs Josh and Warren, and my agents at TalentWorks. @DSWallach. Enjoy the show!

Subscriptions

Subscriptions are now on sale and remain the only way to get the best seats for the best price. For more information or to purchase a 2022 Mainstage Season subscription, log on to baystreet.org. While we are committed to producing our 2022 Mainstage Season, Bay Street Theater acknowledges that there may be changes to our schedule, our productions, and cancellations, if necessary. Mainstage Subscriptions are a terrific way to support our season, and retain their value despite any changes to the schedule.

The 2022 Mainstage Season is made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; New York State through the generosity of Assemblyman Fred Thiele and State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle; Town of Southampton; The Shubert Foundation; The Neuwirth Foundation; Suffolk County Office of Film & Cultural Affairs; fully or partially funded by the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development & Planning; Maggio's Environmental; and Weill Cornell Medicine. Support for new work comes from the Joseph Stein New Musical Fund.

Bay Street Theater is a fully vaccinated company. All attendance is available via touchless ticketing. All guests are required to wear a mask upon entry to the theater. For full list of COVID-19-related safety procedures and guidelines for in-person events, please visit us online at baystreet.org.

Bay Street Theater is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center, which endeavors to innovate, educate, and entertain a diverse community through the practice of the performing arts. It serves as a social and cultural gathering place, an educational resource, and a home for a community of artists.