Jersey Shore Pops to End Season Ticket Sales in June

COURT HOUSE – Season ticket sales will end for the Summer Concert Series on June 10, 2014. The price of the season pass is discounted at $100 for all 4 Saturday evening shows in the series now until that date..
The Season Pass includes complimentary admission to various “After Show VIP Events” including the opening night reception. Season ticket holders have the chance to choose their own choice seats before the individual tickets go on sale in February and will be priced for individual seating from $25 for rear balcony -$45 for orchestra VIP center seats. The announcement of the summer concert series had been highly anticipated by the public. Dr. Holland, president of the orchestra states, “We had several delays in our announcement this year as we negotiated with various guest artists and the school board. But we feel the wait will be well worth it and this will be the most entertaining season of our orchestra’s history!”
The Jersey Shore Pops 2014 Summer Concert Series will include 4 concerts with a focus on variety entertainers from around the United States and Canada including the following:
July 12 at 7:00 p.m. Mark Preston of The Letterman
July 19 at 7:00 p.m. Sinatra Sizzles
Aug. 9, at 7:00 p.m. Broadway on Tap
Aug. 23 at 7:00 p.m. Great Balls of Fire, Legends of Piano
The series will open at the Middle Township Performing Arts Center on Saturday, July 12 at 7:00 p.m. with Mark Preston, formerly of The Lettermen. The young man from South Bend began his career as an actor before launching into the musical arena. Preston’s unique talent preceded him again, and he was asked twice to join the world famous recording group, The Lettermen. With the second invitation, Preston accepted and spent 10 years with the group. During that time, Preston recorded several CDs. The group’s most recent recording “New Directions 2010” with the Les Brown Jr. Orchestra, was put forward for 3 Grammy Nominations. In 2001, Preston’s contributions to The Lettermen were recognized when the group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame. The late, great, Tennessee Ernie Ford was right when he spoke of Mark Preston. Today his comment would be “Cock your pistols, there IS no stopping this talented singer”…
Preston’s was asked to open for the First Lady of Comedy, Phyllis Diller. “I love to refer to Mark Preston as my protégé”, said Ms. Diller. “He has one of the strongest, most beautiful voices I have ever heard. He really gets to an audience. He sings, acts, emotes, is handsome…everything.”
Continuing July 19 at 7:00 p.m., will be Sinatra Sizzles, with a popular multimedia tribute event to the great Chairman of the Board. This show will star singing sensation Claude Eric, a favorite with the PAC audiences.
The Jersey Shore Pops conductor Linda Gentille is known as an excellent talent buyer, bringing wonderful international acts to the shore. Once again, she has done that with a group called Two on Tap, a popular singing and dancing Broadway duo. They will star in Broadway on Tap on Aug. 9, at 7:00 p.m. 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.
Gentille is very exciting to present this new group to make their Jersey Shore debut, as it will appeal to a family audience. Gentille states, “We are hoping that this show will bring in a young demographic to our shows with students of dance. They will absolutely love this talented duo as they amaze audiences while they sing and dance simultaneously. This will be our first presentation of dance in our 5 year series history.”
Ending the 2014 Summer Concert Season will be a show that stars the popular and charismatic music director for the orchestra, Linda Gentille. Aug. 23, 2014 at 7:00 p.m., the pops will present Great Balls of Fire, Legends of the Piano starring Linda Gentille. The show features the music from the great piano legends of the last 50 years including Jerry Lee Lewis, Liberace, Roger Williams, Billy Joel, Elton John, Barry Manilow, Stevie Wonder, Fats Waller, Floyd Cramer and Victor Borge. It will include such piano classics as Piano Man, Just the Way You Are, Chopstix, Great Balls of Fire, Copacabana, Mandy, Can’t Smile Without You, Crocodile Rock, Your Song, Just the Way You Are, Beer Barrel Polka, This Joint is Jumping , Rhapsody in Blue and of course Great Balls of Fire . This spectacular new Broadway style show will include video clips depicting the rise to stardom of these great performers. It is a chronological walk through time with these artists while the songs they made famous are performed.
Gentille musical director and conductor of The Jersey Shore Pops is a popular international entertainer and travels the world when not conducting and performing with the popular pops orchestra. She performs 8 months a year on luxury cruise lines, including Princess, Oceania, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. This is the first show she has performed that brings in more recent piano legends such as Billy Joel and Elton John. Gentille specializes in American classic and ragtime music. Gentille says,”I love the music of Gershwin and Porter, but wanted to develop a show that would also appeal to younger audiences. I included the old favorites from Liberace and Roger Williams, but have added music from Billy Joel and Elton John which gives the show a great variety. It is a great family show for music and piano lovers of all ages.”
The Jersey Shore Pops is a big band orchestra with string section, modeled after the orchestras of the Frank Sinatra era which featured a string section along with the bid band sounds. The orchestra was founded by entertainer and conductor Linda Gentille in 2009. The orchestra features 25 of the finest New Jersey musicians either born or based in New Jersey and has become the most popular orchestra at the shore and an attraction for tourists from all over the east coast for the past 5 years. Many Philly Pops fans patronize the Jersey Shore Pops Summer Concert Series when the Philly Pops is on vacation during the summer months
Assistant musical arranger for the orchestra is Clifford Buggs, renowned trumpet soloist and former leader of the Coast Guard Band in Cape May. The concert mistress for the 2014 season is once again Susan Elsayed. Before becoming the principal concert mistress for the Jersey Shore Pops, Elsayed had an impressive performing resume. Elsayed studied with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra and earned her violin performance Bachelor`s Degree from The Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts. She was the Concertmistress of the Ocean City Pops during the 80`s under the leadership of Frank Ruggeri and currently is also violinist with the Masterworks Choir/Ensemble. Elsayed has performed as a principal violinist in the main show rooms of the casinos for such headliners as Frank Sinatra, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli and Tony Bennett and many other stars.
Special pops guest vocalist Jacklyn Buckingham will return again this season as a guest artist in several of the shows. Her beauty and talent have made her a favorite with the orchestra audiences. Other talented members of the pops orchestra are: Angela Guido, Ted Blohm and Jim Tangney (Trombone), Paul Butler, Cindy Yenloevich , Christopher Kobik, Paul Butler, Gene Teece, Brian Height and Walter Palmer (Sax, Clarinet and Flute) , Dominic Scalfaro (Trumpet) Susanne Di Vincenzo, Briana Saddler, Christine Mello, Heain Kim, Emily Ip ( Cello) Sandy Miller, Susan Elsayed, Amina Elsayed, Sara Smith, Mary Jo Zahradnik, Elizabeth Maxfield, Sara Smith, Amanda Dupras (Violins) Karen Kessler ( Viola) Ray Deeley and Sandy Eldred, James Hines and Jody Solani (Bass).
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.
To purchase tickets to the 2014 Jersey Shore Pops Summer Season, please call the JSP Ticket Office at 800-838-3006. You can choose your own seats online by going to www.JerseyShorePops.org. Tickets are now going to be available once again at the PAC for walk up purchases for individual ticket sales only which begin on June 11, 2014. 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 and it is handicapped accessible.