Ocean City Music Pier Welcomes Jersey Shore Pops

OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City Music Pier once again welcomes Linda Gentille & The Jersey Shore Pops July 26 at 2:00 p.m. for their first matinee of the season. Jacklyn Buckingham will star in this multi-media show titled “Country Divas”. This concert will tribute the great ladies of country music including Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, Shania Twain 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.
Country Divas is a multi-media musical designed by the orchestra’s conductor Linda Gentille. The show will feature the life and times of the great ladies of country music. Dr. Nick Holland, President of the Jersey Shore Pops states: “This is the first time the orchestra has delved into country music and I think it will be a big hit with families in Ocean City. We decided on a matinee to allow families a choice of activities. We are very excited about this new show and hope to welcome many new fans in our audience.”
Jacklyn Buckingham made her debut with the Pops in 2010 and was such a huge success, that they made her the first official regular guest vocalist for the orchestra. Buckingham is a Graduate of Montclair State University with a B.A. in Theater and a minor in Musical Theater. She has performed in numerous musicals including Les Miserables, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The World Goes Round and Cabaret. She is currently a member of the Shaken Not Stirred Players whose ‘Broadway By Request’ show has wowed audiences around the area and recently performed to a sold out audience at the Mohegan Sun Resort in Connecticut. Buckingham has become one of the most popular guest vocalists with the orchestra over the past 3 years.
Conductor and music director of the orchestra comments, “Jacklyn has such a beautiful stage voice and poise that our audiences just love her. We are so glad she is available to participate in our third full season of the pops. This season, we will be writing special duet arrangements for her and our other male guest vocalists. It will be a wonderful addition to our current programming.”
The Jersey Shore Pops 2014 Summer Concert Series will continue with two more concerts with a focus on variety entertainers from around the United States and Canada including the following:
Aug. 9, at 7:00 p.m. Broadway on Tap: starring Two on Tap
Aug. 23 at 7:00 p.m. Great Balls of Fire, Legends of Piano starring Linda Gentille
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) ,Clifford Buggs, John Drechen, Dominic Scalfaro ( Trumpet) Susanne Di Vincenzo, Briana Saddler, Heain Kim, Emily Ip ( Cello) Sandy Miller, Susan Elsayed, Amina Elsayed, Mary Jo Zahradnik, Sara Smith, Oriana Moreno, (Violins) Karen Kessler ( Viola) Ray Deeley,(Drums) 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.
To purchase tickets for Country Divas please visit the Ocean City Music Pier Box Office or call 1-800-838-3006 or go online to choose your own seats at : www.CountryDivas.BrownPaperTickets.com. The theater box office will be open all day for walk up purchases and the doors to the theater will open at 1:15 p.m.