Angela LaGreca and Julie Halston Perform at Bay Street Theater on August 15

Comedians and talents, Angela LaGreca and Julie Halston will be performing their act, It’s a Mad, Mad World…And We’re A Little Angry at Bay Street Theater on Monday, August 15. Dan’s Papers had the opportunity to speak with these very funny ladies, who are also great friends, about their upcoming act, and why you’re going to feel so much better about your own life after seeing their show.

You both are very multi-faceted, crossing between comedy and acting, producing, hosting, writing, singing and so much more. How has being multi-faceted aided in your on-stage acts delivery?
Angela LaGreca (AL): Anything can happen when it’s live, so it’s nice to be able to accommodate that. I can go from telling a joke or a story, to all of a sudden singing something. I like being able to do that.

Julie Halston (JH): I think it really helps all the disciplines. When I write some new material for an example, I also find that I get called on to help write a lot of Broadway fundraisers or Broadway shows, extracurricular stuff. And as we know, the bar is set so high now. I mean, when I see Broadway ensemble players- they’re quadruple threats. Now everyone not only sings, dances, acts, plays musical instruments, but they can do hair, and they’re putting their makeup on themselves.

AL: We’re going to be doing tarot card readings soon (She jokes).

JH: Just don’t ask me to cook a meal, please. The bar is very high and you have to be able to do just about everything nowadays.

It is definitely a “Mad, Mad World.” How do you find your inspiration for the sketches you perform?
AL: Basically wake up, and think about my life. I realize in a two-year span I got married, had a child, started a new job, was diagnosed with cancer, survived that, started another new high-pressured job, then was separated, lost my job, and I will soon be divorced. So I don’t know, there was something in there.

JH: All I do is call Angela and find out about her life, and I say— Oh my God, we got to talk about that! One of the great things about comedy is that it’s fluid. It’s not a play necessarily. You have bullet points you need to hit, but the thing that’s kind of great is that it evolves, and sometimes it evolves as you’re doing it, right then and there.

What can the audience expect of your upcoming act?
JH: We’re going to talk about show business. I have a lot of show biz stories, like when I met Paul McCartney, and things like that. People know that Angela is an amazing singer, and that she can also do amazing impressions, and people know that I read the New York Times wedding announcements like nobody’s business, and I read Joan Crawford, and I read from my yearbook, and people to come to expect some of this in our acts.

AL: Going back to being versatile. There are a lot of comedy shows that are strictly great stand-up comics, but I wouldn’t characterize us as a straight stand-up shot at all. And I also think the audience is going to feel really good about themselves after seeing us, because that’s really the point you know—Their lives will look amazing because they just saw two car wrecks!

What is your process for melding your comedy styles into one complete act?
AL: We’re still working on that, but the thing is, I think we have a lot of similarities. We admire each other, so it’ll be great.

JH: I think our point of view is very similar. We both have a sort of skewered look at the world, because the world is that. We’re also women of a certain age, so we’ve gone through a lot of similar events in our lives, but different, with a different twist with each. We just really like each other. We like working together, so it works. And I think we’re both pretty quick.

If you both could be given one superpower to make this world a little less “mad,” what would your power be, and who or what would it be used on?
JH: I did look into this. I actually always wanted to time travel. I’m really obsessed with time travel. There are a million places I would go. I’d like to see the beheading of Anne Boleyn. I don’t know why. Call me crazy, but I want to see it! I’m very interested in crime and mysteries. And I would like to go back in time, and maybe I could stop some of the terrible things that have happened. But I also know, that’s not the way it works. And I’d like to see The Gettysburg Address.

AL: I’d like to see the Hamptons when they were just potato fields. How about just catapulting everybody over the Long Island Expressway so they land at the Bay Street Theater instead of sitting in five hours of traffic—that’s what I’d like to see. And I’d make it a little less mad, because it’s a little nutty out there.

JH: She’s a little more modern. She’s living in the modern world, which is good. I think that shows a lot of health.

You will be performing at Bay Street Theater on August 15. What are you most looking forward to?
JH: We’re very excited about doing the show. I really think it’s going to be very unique and really fun, and people will walk away not only laughing a lot, but also, they’ve gotten to know us. They really got to know these two women. I’ve done a lot of shows at Bay Street, so it’s comfortable for us. We know it. We know the area. We know people out there, so I think it’s just going to be a lot of fun. We’re bringing people into the living room, and we’re just going to have a big party. I also grew up on Long Island, so I remember when it was a potato field. We’re excited to be there. By the way, we love Dan’s Papers!

AL: I’m looking forward to working again. We love the Hamptons, and yes, we love Dan’s Papers!

Angela LaGreca & Julie Halston will be performing at the Bay Street Theater, 1 Bay Street in Sag Harbor, on August 15 at 8:00 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets visit baystreet.org or call 631-725-9500.