Jeff Coon and More Continue AN EVENING AT THE CAPE MAY SUMMER CLUB, 8/16

Cape May's own and Philadelphia favorite, Jeff Coon, is co-creating and hosting three unique, cabaret-style variety shows for shore audiences at the Cape May Convention Hall this summer. The second performance of An Evening at the Cape May Summer Club is in two weeks, August 16, 2014.

These shows are being co-created with Ree Carney Dunphy. Dunphy is known for assisting in creating and operating Carney's, the legendary pub on the University of Philadelphia's campus, and the famous Carney's Restaurant and Bar in Cape May, New Jersey. In addition, Dunphy plays a pivotal role with the American Cancer Society and is a co-creator of the black tie event, the BasketBall, one of Philadelphia's premiere social events.

According to Mr. Coon, An Evening at the Cape May Summer Club will have three performances that promise to be "swinging events chock full of singing, dancing and fantastic fun. Hosted by me and featuring some of my most talented friends, along with an incredible seventeen-piece live band." This is an evening of live entertainment that you will not get anywhere else at the Jersey Shore. The shows will highlight music from the Golden Era of Song, Broadway Standards and Shore Favorites specially created for each evening at the Summer Club. Each show also features a variety of special guests, including multi-talented actor JP Dunphy, comedian Tony Braithwaite, Broadway's Jennifer Hope Wills, Philadelphia favorite Fran Prisco and others. In addition, each show will offer a chance for audience members to meet members of the cast and beverages sold by Carney's, a landmark restaurant in Cape May. "Audiences will enjoy completely different shows at each performance. We have amazing talent lined up that will change from show to show, along with specialty acts and dance routines that will vary as well. Audiences members will see a new show each time they attend," says Mr. Coon. This is one event that you do not want to miss in Cape May this summer.

In order to make it as easy as possible for audiences to not miss a moment at the Summer Club, an express trolley shuttle will be available to audience members starting at 7 p.m. on the evening of each show. Free parking is available at Cape May City Elementary School, located at 921 Lafayette Street in Cape May, where a trolley will then pick up attendees and shuttle them to Convention Hall for each performance. The trolley service will be available after the show until 11 p.m. to get people to their vehicles.

One of the primary motivations for the creation of this event was to help establish and grow a connection between An Evening at the Cape May Summer Club and the Cape May community at large. According to Dunphy, "We wanted to create an event that the visitors will come to, but more so, the residents of Cape May could call their own." With that in mind, the organizers of this event established a scholarship to be awarded to students from the Lower Cape May Regional school district who are currently involved in the live arts (theatre, music, dance), and who aspire to pursue their craft professionally. "The Lower Cape May Regional school district and the teachers and arts program within it are almost singularly responsible for my ability of having been a professional performer for over twenty years. I wanted to use these evenings not only as a way to feature amazing talent in concerts for Cape May, but also as a way to reestablish a commitment to the community and the teachers and artists who helped educate and motivate me. This scholarship is meant just for that," says Mr. Coon.

As a way to highlight the scholarship aspect of the Cape May Summer Club and the worthy benefits of mentorship within the arts, on August 16th, the show will feature two young and talented actresses and singers, Alexis Gwynn and Skylar Raye Noyes. These two gifted young ladies have worked on many stages throughout the Philadelphia area, and are perfect examples of how beneficial partnerships between professional artists with established careers and young people aspiring to pursue the arts professionally can be. This will be a very special part of an already special series of events.

To purchase tickets, visit capemaysummerclub.com or call (609) 884-9563. Additional information, including confirmed special guests, can be found at facebook.com/capemaysummerclub and on Twitter @cmsummerclub. Tickets for this event are $35.

ABOUT JEFF COON - Jeff Coon is a 1988 Graduate of Lower Cape May Regional High School. He attended University of Pennsylvania, and, during the summer months, returned home to Cape May to work at Carney's, Restaurant Maureen (now M'Ocean), Summers and EsTaTi (now Cabanas). He graduated from Penn in 1993 with a Theatre Arts degree, and has been a professional actor and singer ever since. Called by Philadelphia Weekly "one of Philadelphia's most talented and vocally gifted musical performers," Mr. Coon has appeared in over 100 professional productions, and been nominated for 10 Barrymore Awards (Philadelphia's theatre awards), winning once. He appears frequently at Walnut Street Theatre and Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia, and has performed nationally with Philadelphia Theatre Company, The Kennedy Center, The Prince Music Theatre, Houston's Theatre Under the Stars and Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, among others. He has performed as Jean Valjean (LES MISERABLES), Harold Hill (The Music Man), Che (Evita), and Gaston (Beauty and the Beast), in addition to numerous other notable roles. Mr. Coon has also worked as a producer for Zakarak Productions of Wallingford, PA and produced live corporate events.

Pictured: JP Dunphy, Jeffrey Coon, Fran Prisco and Larry Lees. Photo by Joey Abramowicz.

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