Hampton Habitués

Good News Gossip About Our Notable Friends And Neighbors

While others might be reminiscing about the end of 2022, we just can’t wait to see what’s happening next. Boy oh boy do we have a lot to look forward to in 2023. 

Society Spats

First and foremost is the upcoming second installment of Ryan Murphy’s Feud series, which will focus on the late Sag Harbor resident and author Truman Capote and his “swans.” 

Inspired by Laurence Leamer’s book, Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era, the limited series Feud: Capote’s Women, will tell the story of the disastrous fallout and shocking exile that came from Tru’s thinly veiled roman à clef featuring America’s most famous society matrons. 

Set in 1970 and running through his death in 1984, the plot of the Feud will focus on what happened after Tru published the short story “La Côte Basque 1965” in Esquire magazine. The piece, which was extremely racy and very easy to guess who did what, alienated him from his ultra-rich and extremely private female friends. 

Bridgehampton’s Jon Robin Baitz, a Tony and Pulitzer-nominated playwright, will serve as the showrunner for the eight-episode series. Actors on the project include Naomi Watts, who has owned several East End homes, plus Molly Ringwald, Tom Hollander, Diane Lane, Calista Flockhart, Demi Moore, Chloe Sevigny, Treat Williams, and more. 

We’re expecting some good East End scenes as many of those featured and fictionalized — from Lee Radziwill (played by Flockhart), Slim Keith (played by Lane), and Babe Paley (Watts), to C.Z. Guest (Sevigny) — were known to be out and about here in the Hamptons. Oscar-nominated director Gus Van Sant will direct all eight episodes. 

The Plot Thickens

We know that Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence was all over Montauk — and a whole lot of other locations up island — earlier this fall, but we don’t know much else. Except that she was out East filming scenes for the upcoming film No Hard Feelings. 

Described as an “R-rated comedy with a heart,” the movie also stars Natalie Morales, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Laura Benanti — who has frequently appeared at stages all over the East End — and Amagansett’s own Matthew Broderick. The film, which was written by John Phillips and Gene Stupnitsky, was also directed by Stupnitsky, and is set to be released early next summer. 

Mystery Music

We hear that Simon Kirke, Billy Squier and G.E. Smith have been cooking up something good at MonkMusic Studios in East Hampton. Can’t wait to hear what the East Hampton resident / former Bad Company and Free drummer (Kirke), Bridgehampton resident and “The Stroke” singer (Squier) and former Saturday Night Live band front man and longtime Amagansett resident (Smith) have in store for us!

The Great White Wave

Did you know that you can now go on vacation with Alan Cumming? ’Tis true. 

The actor, producer, director, and New York Times bestselling author, as well as an oft-seen Hamptons habitué, is joining up with a handful of other talents to headline The Broadway Cruise early next year. Others who are getting ready to Sail with the Stars include Kristin Chenowith, Randy Rainbow, and Laura Benanti. 

The boat leaves from New York City and heads underway to Bermuda for a short sail from March 31 to April 4. Expected entertainment includes five nights of performances, shows and cabarets, plus panel discussions, fan fave karaoke and more. Interesting!

Awards & More

Congratulations to East Hampton’s Ina Garten, who was recently awarded her very own street. 

It happened when Ina was visited by East Hampton Mayor Jerry Larsen when she stopped by Sagaponack resident Drew Barrymore’s eponymous talk show last month. Ina Garten Way is now officially the honorary name of the corner of Barnes Lane and Newtown Lane. Appropriately, it’s where Garten’s East Hampton post of Barefoot Contessa Fine Foods shop once operated. 

Lastly, a big round of muscular mentions and woohoos go out to Shelter Island’s David Brush, who can now brag that he holds the Guinness Record for the most chin-ups in a 24-hour period. He did it a whopping 6,757 times, demolishing the old record of 5,340 in a full day. Our arms hurt just typing about this good news!