An Evening of “Home Work” with Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

Bay Street Theater is joining forces with the Sag Harbor Cinema for a special event to benefit both organizations — a film screening, Q&A and book signing to celebrate the publication of Julie Andrews’ second memoir, “Home Work: A Memoir of my Hollywood Years,” co-written with her daughter, Sag Harbor resident and Bay Street co-founder, Emma Walton Hamilton.

The event on Sunday, November 10, begins with a 3 p.m. screening of Blake Edwards’s 1986 film “That’s Life!” in which both Andrews and Walton Hamilton appear. A conversation and Q&A with Andrews and Walton Hamilton follows moderated by Sag Harbor Cinema’s artistic director Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan.

“That’s Life!” tells the story of successful architect Harvey Fairchild (played by Jack Lemmon, as a proxy for Blake Edwards) who tortures his family and friends with his fears of aging and death as he approaches his 60th birthday. Unbeknownst to him, his renowned singer wife (Andrews) is awaiting the results of a throat biopsy. Robert Loggia co-stars as a Catholic priest, alongside his real-life wife Felicia Farr, as a fortune teller. Andrews’ and Edwards’ real daughters, Emma Walton Hamilton and Jennifer Edwards, portray the Fairchild daughters, and Jack Lemmon’s son, Chris Lemmon, portrays the Fairchild son, Josh.

“That’s Life!” was independently produced by Edwards from a script that originated as a 13-page treatment co-authored with Milton Wexler and from which the actors improvised and contributed dialogue.

“We are so pleased to be working together on this truly special joint fundraising event that benefits both the Sag Harbor Cinema and Bay Street,” says Tracy Mitchell, Bay Streets’ executive director. “We think it is wonderful when arts organizations can help each other in our missions of enriching the communities we serve with quality arts and educational programs.

“This event marks a new day for both our organizations,” she adds, “and we are excited to begin developing programming that compliments one another from this point forward.”

“We are delighted to collaborate with Bay Street Theater,” says Gillian Gordon, Sag Harbor Cinema’s executive director. “As neighboring arts centers, we share a passion for Julie Andrews’ work, and look forward to celebrating her new memoir, co-authored by her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, who is co-founder of Bay Street as well as being on our advisory board.”

A sequel to Andrews’ best-selling first memoir, “Home: A Memoir of My Early Years” (Hyperion), “Home Work” is the second installment and covers her extraordinary journey to Hollywood, from the celebrated launch of her film career with “Mary Poppins” and “The Sound of Music,” through critical praise for films like “The Americanization of Emily” and “Hawaii!” to her numerous collaborations with husband, director Blake Edwards, including “S.O.B,” “Victor/Victoria,” “10” and “That’s Life!”.

“This is a very intimate memoir that every film buff should have, as it offers great insight into cinema, and shows Julie Andrews’ true passion for it,” says Vallan. “The artistic collaboration between Andrews and her husband, Blake Edwards, has a unique place in American film. Their work together is personal, innovative, beautiful to look at and so much fun.

“‘That’s Life!,’ the last film they did together and the one that concludes “Home Work,” seemed particularly well suited for this screening,” Vallan adds. “It is their most overtly autobiographical film … and is a brilliant mix of home movie and Hollywood glam.”

Tickets to the film screening and conversation are $85 and include a pre-signed copy of the book. A limited number of VIP seats are available for $150, and include a live book signing immediately following the event. Bay Street Theater is on Long Wharf in Sag Harbor. Tickets available at baystreet.org or 631-725-9500.