COURT HOUSE — Linda Gentille & The Jersey Shore Pops would like the public to know that they hope to announce their complete 2014 Summer Concert Season very soon. Because residents were accustomed to the announcement in advance of the end of the previous season, the box office is receiving dozens of calls every day with questions about the 2014 season. The orchestra officials are currently in negotiation talks with several shore towns, casinos and performing arts centers.
Because the 2013 Summer Concert Season was non-stop work for the past 8 weeks, the orchestra music director Linda Gentille needed a little breathing room before planning the 2014 season.
“This season was our most ambitious and successful season so far, but was enormously time consuming,” commented Jersey Shore Pops president Dr. Nick Holland. “We really didn’t have the time to focus on the concerts and plan our 2014 season as we have done in the past. We finished our Sinatra & Friends concert with a repeat performance on August 18 at the Strand in Lakewood following the PAC show. I know our conductor Linda Gentille is exhausted but very proud of the accomplishments of the orchestra. I know our season ticket holders are waiting patiently and we hope to have the line-up ready to announce in a few weeks. It will be a very successful season to be sure.”
Aug. 17, the popular pops orchestra finished their 2013 Summer Concert Season at the Middle Township Performing Arts Center. This was the last concert in the 8 concert series which was every weekend during the summer beginning on June 28th with their tribute to Irish Music with Colm Fitzmaurice.
The Jersey Shore Pops 2013 Summer Concert Series was the most well attended series of concerts for the Middle Township Performing Arts Center. The total of 8 concerts were well received by over 6200 residents and visitors. The following demographic statistics were tracked from the orchestra’s new online ticketing and record keeping system from Brown Paper Tickets.
58% of all attendees were visitors from outside Cape May County.
38% were Pennsylvania residents who summer at the shore.
42% were Cape May County Residents
48% of patrons said it was the first time they had visited the Middle PAC proving that the Jersey Shore Pops has made The Middle Township PAC a destination for visitors from our of county and state.
This concert series with the orchestra included an artistic collaboration with the Atlantic Youth Orchestra. The Jersey Shore Pops provided 5 scholarships to very talented string players from the Atlantic Youth Orchestra and allowed them to perform as semi-professional musicians along with the three principal founders of the orchestra, Sandra Miller, Suzanne DiVincenzo and Susan Elsayed. This provided a unique experience for the audience and especially the young audiences. Many comments have been received from patrons about this wonderful opportunity for young musicians to collaborate with professional musicians in the orchestra.
Although the orchestra cannot formally announce the 2014 complete Summer Concert Series, they do have 2 concerts already planned and contracted for The Ocean City Music Pier. In addition to those 2 concerts, they have several private paid concert engagements in 2014 with various concert associations including the Landsdale Community Concert Association. They also have Mark Preston of “The Lettermen” under contract for July of 2014 along with a group called Broadway on Tap.
“We have started our contract negotiations with our guest artists which is very exciting,” adds the Music Director for the orchestra. “I saw this entertainer Mark Preston from ‘The Lettermen” and was totally impressed. He is one of the greatest entertainers I have ever seen. We also are planning another Big Band Concert with the music of the Glenn Miller Orchestra and other big band legends such as Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington. Once we confirm the dates and location, I know our season ticket holders will think it was worth the wait. I leave in 2 weeks for my cruise concert season in Asia with Regent Cruises and Royal Caribbean, so I know we will have to finish our negotiations before I leave.”
This concert series was 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.
The concerts which are confirmed for 2014 for the Ocean City Music Pier are as follows:
May 24 at 7:00 p.m.: “America” starring Linda Gentille & The Jersey Shore pops. This big band concert will tribute America Heroes with mainly music Glenn Miller & George Gershwin.
July 26 at 2:00 p.m.: “Country Divas” starring Jacklyn Buckingham & the Jersey Shore Pops. This concert wills tribute the great ladies of country music including Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton and many others. Jacklyn Buckingham has become a regular popular guest entertainer with the orchestra and will break from her traditional Broadway style of singing for this country themed show.
Jersey Shore Pops is a New Jersey non-profit corporation and is comprised of professional musicians from all over South Jersey the orchestra was founded in 2009 by conductor and music director Linda Gentille. Although they have only been in operation for 4 years, they have been able to support their concert budget with ticket sales.
What has made the Jersey Shore Pops the most successful new big band orchestra at the Jersey Shore is the conductor Linda Gentille’s her unique on stage showmanship. As a major headliner, she has performed on stages around the world. Pops president Dr. Nick Holland sums it up:” Gentille’s unique musical style of conducting while performing amazing feats on the piano has made this a must see show in Cape May. Her unique and original orchestrations set her apart from all the other pianist conductors in the nation.”
As an in-demand performer in her own right,Gentille dazzles audiences around the world with her beauty, charisma and musical virtuosity. Growing up in Pacific Palisades, California, Linda began her musical studies taking classes with her Father at Roger Williams’ studio in Los Angeles.
When not conducting The Jersey Shore Pops, Gentille arranges music and performs with her own big band orchestra on luxury cruise lines and in performing arts centers across the United States. Gentille conducts and performs over 75 concerts each year with hundreds of different musicians nationwide. Her unique ability to adapt to various music styles from Classical to Jazz has made her a sought after concert act in performing arts centers around the world.
Tickets for both Ocean City shows are already on sale now because the orchestra likes to plan their season far in advance. Tickets for the shows at the Music Pier start at $20 for children under 12 and range from $25-$40 for adults. There will be a season pass for the 2 concerts available for only $50 that will include a VIP reception and the prime front section seats. To order tickets for either show or the 2014 Ocean City Season Pass, call 1- 609-628-4544 or 1-800-838-3006 or go online at www.JerseyShorePops.org. You can view the seating chart online and all seats are reserved seating on a first come first serve basis.
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