‘Broadway on Tap’ Comes to Middle PAC, Aug. 9

COURT HOUSE – Linda Gentille & The Jersey Shore Pops will return to the Middle Township PAC Aug. 9 with a brand new show called Broadway on Tap. This high energy Broadway spectacular will star a singing and dancing duo called Two on Tap. This talented duo will bring audiences back in time to the era when couples like Fred & Ginger and Mickey & Judy filled the silver screen with tight vocal harmony and precision tap choreography.
Classic songs, fantastic vocals, gorgeous costumes and exciting tap dancing mix for Two on Tap! Celebrated performers Melissa Giattino and Ron DeStefano pay tribute to the Great American Songbook and classic Broadway song-and-dance in this fun, lively, and fast-paced show that gets crowds singing and dancing along from their seats. Featuring sensational new arrangements of standards like “I Got Rhythm” and “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby,” as well as rousing favorites like “Sing, Sing, Sing” and “L-O-V-E,” Two on Tap uses fresh, original choreography to show how classic song-and-dance still endures and entertains.
Based in New York City, Two on Tap is Melissa Giattino, a true triple-threat who made her Broadway debut in 42nd Street and was featured as a member of the Radio City Rockettes, and Ron DeStefano, an award-winning tenor who showcased his skills at Lincoln Center and on the Broadway National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof. Together, they have an unmatched chemistry that crosses the footlights to create one unforgettable show. Two on Tap is a truly unique experience – soaring vocals, spirited dance numbers, and a vibrant, modern trip down memory lane for audiences of all ages.
Conductor and music director for the orchestra Linda Gentille first saw the duo on a Princess Cruise and was completely impressed. Gentille continues, “I knew the minute I saw their first number that our audiences would love this tap dancing, singing duo. They are one of the most talented duo I have ever seen and I wanted to bring a dance show to our audiences this year to expand our variety shows. I think they will be a huge sensation this summer with the pops.”
Melissa Giattino began her professional performing career at the age of 17 in the National Tour of A Chorus Line and hasn’t looked back since. While appearing in the all-Gershwin musical Crazy for You at the famous Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia, Giattino auditioned for the Hal Prince/Susan Stroman production of Show Boat and soon found herself singing and dancing alongside an all-star cast on London’s West End. Her talents as a true “triple-threat” performer eventually led her back to her home state of New York, where she made her Broadway Debut as an original revival cast member of the tap-dancing spectacular, 42nd Street.
Her incredible talents have been featured as a member of the most well-known kick-line in history, the Radio City Rockettes, and she has assisted and dance-captained for some of the most famous tap choreographers in the business, including Tony Award winner Danny Daniels and Tony Award nominee Randy Skinner. Gifted with a beautiful voice as well, Giattino has starred in musicals on stages around the world, including the title role in the International Tour of Peter Pan, Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, Esther Smith in Meet Me in St. Louis, and Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun.
Ron DeStefano has garnered rave reviews and awards for his performances around the world, from the hottest cabaret venues of New York City to the lavish opera houses of Europe. Originally from South Florida, DeStefano spent his college years balancing classical vocal performance studies at Florida State University with professional musical theatre roles at Seaside Music Theater in Daytona Beach. Following graduation, he made his way to Manhattan, began auditioning for the Broadway stage, and only months later found himself making his international debut with the Tony-Award winning musical Evita.
Since then, he has crisscrossed North America, singing and dancing at some of the most historic and well-reputed venues in the United States, including New York City’s Lincoln Center (Babes in Toyland), Connecticut’s Goodspeed Opera House (No, No, Nanette) and New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse (Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella). DeStefano starred opposite Academy Award nominee Theodore Bikel in the National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof, and he has lent his lyric tenor to song-and-dance roles in many shows including 42nd Street, Anything Goes, and Sugar Babies. No stranger to the New York City nightclub circuit, he received the coveted Back Stage Bistro Award for his cabaret work and has multiple studio recordings to his credit.
The final concert in the Jersey Shore Pops Summer Concert Series for the popular orchestra will be Aug. 23 at 7:00 p.m. The final show Great Balls of Fire, Legends of Piano will star the dynamic conductor of the orchestra, entertainer and pianist Linda Gentille.
This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The funds were administered by the Cape May County Culture and Heritage Commission, under the authority of the County Library Commission, for the Board of Chosen Freeholders. This program is also made possible by generous support from our sponsors: The Avalon Golf Course, The McMahon Agency, Doug Heun, Friedman L.L.P, Shore Veterinarians and The Jessie Creek Winery.
Individual tickets are $25- $40 and the group rate for groups of over 20 is $22 a ticket. To purchase tickets , please call the BPT Ticket Office at 800-838-3006 or 609-628-4544. You can also choose your own seats online by going to www.JerseyShorePops.org. Tickets are also now available at the PAC for walk up purchases for individual ticket sales. The theater is located at 212 Bayberry Ave, off exit 10 off the Garden State Parkway. There is convenient and free parking at the facility.