Not every summer destination is a place. Some are a room, a piano, and the right voice at the right moment. At LTV Studios in East Hampton, that combination has been arriving reliably for years: Hamptons Summer Songbook by the Sea, produced by Donna Rubin and LTV's Creative Director Josh Gladstone, returns for summer 2026 with a lineup that makes a compelling case for staying on the East End after the beach closes.

The series transforms LTV's industrial-chic television studio into an intimate performance venue with café-style seating, a Baby Grand piano, and production values that belong nowhere near a barn — except that this particular barn has excellent acoustics and professionals running the light board. Eight evenings are scheduled from June 28 through August 29, each featuring a distinct program and performer.

The season opens Sunday, June 28, with Norm Lewis — the Tony-nominated baritone whose recent concert work and Broadway appearances have established him as one of the most compelling performers in American musical theater. The season premiere carries a VIP reception and premium ticketing ($200 front-row VIP café seating; $150 general admission).

Ann Hampton Callaway follows on July 11 in "Here's to Life." On July 18, Klea Blackhurst and Billy Stritch bring "Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael." July 25 features Eric Yves Garcia, Maria Abous, and David Alpern in "Beyond Blue Moon: Before the Broken Hart."

August opens with "A Swell-Egant, Elegant Party" starring Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano, hosted and produced by Laurence Maslon (August 1). August 22 assembles a five-person company — KT Sullivan, Mark Nadler, Christine Pedi, and Stephanie Pope — for "Hey, Old Friend: A Cabaret Jubilee." The following afternoon (August 23), Pamela Morgan performs "What's Cooking? Where Every Song Comes with a Little Spice." Donna McKechnie closes the season on August 29 with "A Musical Memoir."

The setting is as much a part of the draw as the programs themselves. LTV Studios' industrial bones — repurposed into a performance space with modular staging, superb acoustics, and the kind of intimacy that Broadway itself cannot offer — create a different relationship between performer and audience than the usual concert hall or theater. At the Songbook, you can hear a singer breathe between phrases. That matters when the singer is Ann Hampton Callaway.

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For tickets and full season information: www.ltveh.org.