Fasten your seatbelts for a busy Hamptons summer season that’s off-and-running with great entertainers starting with the Memorial Day weekend. Mark your calendars!

Guild Hall’s “grand re-opening” is May 22-24 for its state-of-the-art John Drew Theater (jewel-box design preserved by architect Robert A.M. Stern during an almost two-year renovation). Alec Baldwin hosts Friday night’s salute to the Hamptons International Film Festival and the debut screening of The Cove, the Audience Award-winning documentary from this year’s Sundance Film Festival. On Saturday, Liza Minnelli performs with cabaret star/musical arranger/pianist Billy Stritch and a benefit dinner follows. Sunday is family day with the re-opening ceremony and picnic starting at noon.

Other highlights in Guild Hall’s early summer schedule are a benefit preview of “The Garden As Art” at Martha Stewart’s East Hampton home June 20 (3 p.m.), Eli Wallach and Peter Sabri in a Playwrights Theatre of East Hampton production (June 21), cabaret with Marilyn Maye on June 26, WordTheatre’s stage and screen stars reading award-winning stories on June 27 (Andrew McCarthy, Kate Burton, Samantha Mathis, Lynn Whitfield and others), and Harris Yulin directing Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece The Glass Menagerie (July 8-26). Guild Hall’s full schedule of art exhibitions, world cinema screenings, and entertainment is online at guildhall.org.

Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor, kicks off Memorial weekend with singer/songwriter Phoebe Snow performing Friday and Saturday evenings. Broadway stars Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley bring their recent Manhattan cabaret show to the Bay Street stage on Sunday, May 24. The first theater production is John Van Druten’s magical comedy Bell, Book & Candle (June 2-28), followed by the American premiere of Moira Buffini’s satire Dinner (July 7 to August 2). Great American Songbook star Michael Feinstein performs on June 22, and Broadway star Betty Buckley presents her new cabaret show July 3 and 4. Bay Street’s Comedy Club returns on Monday nights with Caroline Rhea (June 8), Louie Anderson (June 15), David Brenner (July 13), Jim Breuer (July 27) and more in August. The complete Bay Street schedule and ticket purchases are online at baystreet.org or call the box office at (631) 725-9500.

The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center starts its summer season with comedian DL Hughley on May 23 and Broadway star Kelli O’Hara on May 24. The Ultimate Doo Wop Show (The Skyliners, The Marcels, The Zodiacs and others) comes in June 5, and Frankie Avalon is there June 28. July headliners include Paula Poundstone (July 3), The Wallflowers (July 4), Joe Cocker (July 5), Phoebe Snow (July 12), The Spinners (July 19), Joan Baez (July 26), and Joan Rivers (July 31). PAC also has a world cinema series midweek and outstanding children’s entertainment. A complete schedule and ticket purchases are online at whbpac.org; the box office opens after noon (631-288-1500).

Southampton’s Parrish Art Museum holds its exceptional “Landscape Pleasures” weekend June 13-14. The theme is “Color” and Isaac Mizrahi, Dan Pearson and Judith Tankard are the featured Saturday morning speakers. There’s a cocktail party Saturday evening and tours of five Southampton estate gardens on Sunday. The Parrish continues its film series on Friday evenings and this year’s elegant Midsummer Party is July 11. The gala honors Dorothy Lichtenstein and is co-chaired by Agnes Gund and Jo Carole Lauder with Larry Gagosian heading the host committee. Information for all Museum events is online at parrishart.org or call (631) 283-2118.

Pianofest, the summer program for concert artists, opens its season at the Levitas Center for the Arts (Southampton Cultural Center) on June 29 and moves to the Avram Theater at Stony Brook University’s Southampton campus on July 6 for its weekly 5 p.m. recitals. Stony Brook’s Summer Writers Conferences (fiction, poetry, films, playwriting, children’s lit) run July 8 through August 2 with a well-known faculty including Alan Alda, E.L. Doctorow, Chris Durang, Marsha Norman, Frank McCourt and Joyce Carol Oates. Attend some of the evening “performances”—check the schedule online at www.stonybrook.edu/writers.

Artistic director Marya Martin attracts world-class musicians to the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, opening July 29 with an outdoor concert at the Bridge Hampton Historical Society. Programs continue at the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church and other venues through August 28 (bcmf.org). The local music club with a great line-up of rock, blues, soul, folk, and salsa is Amagansett’s Stephen Talkhouse. Some of the performers coming to this intimate space are Martin Sexton (May 24), the Radiators (May 30), Richie Havens (June 19), Jorma Kaukonen (June 27), Joan Osborne (July 4) and Leon Russell (July 26). The complete Talkhouse schedule and ticket information is online at stephentalkhouse.com or call (631) 267-3117.

Each village’s public library has informative speakers, films and other programs all summer such as Southampton’s Rogers Memorial Library presenting classical guitarist William Feasley with “Echoes of Goya” on May 31 (3 p.m.). The Bookhampton shops and Sag Harbor’s Canio’s Books have well-known writers with their new work each weekend, and OSO Restaurant at the Southampton Inn has a dinner-with-writers series.

Hot-spot Nello Summertimes in Southampton for superb dining and dancing is open and the Asian cuisine of Philippe Chow debuts at Philippe East Hampton (the former Kobe Club, Three Mile Harbor Rd.). Southampton’s Long Island Sound music store on Jobs Lane closed and Norah’s moved in. Diane von Furstenberg’s hop is opening at 53B Jobs Lane. The Southampton Hospital Thrift Store moved behind Herrick’s Hardware on Main St. and Annie’s Organic Café and Market just opened across from the old post office on Nugent St. Southampton’s new post office is across from Schmidt’s Market on North Sea Road. Welcome back!

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