East Lynne Theater Company Presents THE AMERICAN SONGBOOK, 11/8

 On Thurs., November  8, the award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company presents "The American Songbook" where all may test their skills with a Music Trivia Contest. Questions could be about a movie featuring a famous song written by Cole Porter, Bruce Springsteen, or Woodie Guthrie, or what were those lyrics to a song sung by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, or Dolly Parton?  How about what song was sung in which Broadway musical?  To add to the fun, music is performed live by Chris Sooy, Lew London, and Grace Wright, and winners receive prizes. The evening begins at 5:30p.m. with hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.  At 6:00p.m. is a sumptuous dinner, and at 7:00, the competition begins! The MCs for the evening are Mark Lang and Scott Eck.

     There is also a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, and the recipient of the Historic Jackson Street Neighborhood Association Scholarship Fund in the Name of Bob and Toni Green will be announced.

      ELTC is celebrating the near-end of a successful 32^nd season, as it kicks off its exciting line-up for its 33^rd year of world premieres, New Jersey premieres, American classics, nationally touring productions, and educational outreach for all ages. The annual gala will once more take place at Aleathea's Restaurant at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean Street, and the restaurant, once again, is graciously supporting the event.

     This year’s gala is helmed by Dawn Brautigam, Karen Case Cook, and Mark Lang, and many who have attended ELTC’s galas before will recognize most of those performing at this year’s event.  On the piano is Chris Sooy, whose swing band performed in Atlantic City Casino Hotels and night clubs in the tri-state area in the 1980s and 1990s. Recently, his band performed at the Swedesboro Jazz Festival with  Lew London as featured vocalist, guitarist and violinist. Lew is also a professional studio musician, recording engineer, writer, producer, and arranger. He has four albums to his credit in the U.S. and one in Japan, and is a Grammy nominee who performed and co-wrote with Grammy award winner, Steve Goodman. Grace Wright, vocalist, performed in ELTC's "He and She" and this season's "The Poe Mysteries" with Mark Lang. Mark has worked regularly with ELTC since 2001 as an actor, director, graphic and set designer, and gala co-host. New to ELTC is Scott Eck, who is joining in on the fun as Music Trivia co-host, with Mark Lang.  His many credits include the original cast of the interactive comedy "Tony N Tina's Wedding," as well as regional theater and extensive work with his corporate entertainment and training company, Leadership-Masters.

     ELTC is selling 50/50 Raffle Tickets for $40 each, with the opportunity to win $3,600, $1,800, or $600, and purchasers don't have to be present to win. Only 300 tickets will be sold. Checks should be made out to East Lynne Theater Company and mailed to ELTC's office, 121 Fourth Ave., West Cape May, NJ 08204.

     Entering its thirty-third year of entertaining audiences in Cape May and throughout the country, ELTC has much to celebrate. Productions keep receiving high praise, including "The Poe Mysteries" that received a lovely review by Howard Shaprio in "The Philadelphia Inquirer." "The Poe Mysteries," a world premiere, is performing at Ocean Professional Theatre Company in Barnegat from October 24-28, and in Wyckoff, due to funding from the Wyckoff Public Library and The National Endowment's "The Big Read," on October 29. Due to ELTC receiving funding from The Puffin Foundation, "Emma Goldman: My Life" performs on October 26 and 28 at The Mahwah Public Library and The Metropolitan Playhouse in NYC.  ELTC has been asked to provide after-school programs for Wildwood Middle School for five years due to the school receiving funding from the federal 21^st Century Learning Grant.  In 2013, ELTC will be working with Abingdon Theatre in NYC and presenting another world premiere written by James Rana.

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