COURT HOUSE – Linda Gentille & The Jersey Shore Pops will present “Great Balls of Fire, Legends of Piano” in their 2014 Summer Concert Series. The show will be held Aug. 23 at 7:00 p.m. at the Middle Township Performing Arts Center. The show stars the conductor and musical director of the orchestra, piano entertainer 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. This is the final show in the successful Summer Concert Series for the orchestra and is expected to draw the largest crowd of the summer season at the PAC.
As a major headline act, Gentille has performed in over 30 US states, and 20 countries. She began her career with The Liberace Show as a teenager and quickly developed her own touring show. She performed on numerous television shows and became known as an international piano superstar in China.. Recently Linda completed her 14th concert tour of China where she holds the world record, according to the Chinese Ministry of Culture, for performing more concerts (over 150 to date) in China than any other Artist…truly an incredible achievement and the envy of the international entertainment industry as China becomes an ever increasing destination of strong interest for entertainers from all corners of the globe. As Linda does in many other foreign countries, in China she conducts her press conferences, and communicates with and sings for her audiences in their own language, an additional talent that further ingratiates Linda to her huge international following. In all, Linda speaks eight foreign languages, including Mandarin.
When not conducting the Jersey Shore Pops, Gentille, an international in demand entertainer, arranges music and travels the world 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.
This is the first show she has performed that brings in younger 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.
The assistant music director for the orchestra is John Drechen, Band Director at Lower Cape May Regional High School for many years. Since 1994, he has been the Pit Conductor for musicals at Lower Cape May Regional High School, conducting for 12 musicals, including; “Funny Girl”, “Bye, Bye, Birdie”, “Sweet Charity”, and several others. 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 Ruggieri 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.
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, Heain Kim, Emily Ip ( Cello) Sandy Miller, Susan Elsayed, Amina Elsayed, Mary Jo Zahradnik, Elizabeth Maxfield, Sara Smith, Oriana Moreno, Carlos Santiago (Violins) Karen Kessler ( Viola) Ray Deeley( Drums) Ben Hemsley ( Percussion) and Sandy Eldred and Jim Hines(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. 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 for Great Balls of Fire with The Jersey Shore Pops 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.
Court House – Middle Township Public Schools needs to go back to uniform policy. Where the students wear polo shirts and khakis. The school is out of control, the kids also need discipline.
