April Entertainment at Dino's Backstage and The Celebrity Room Announced

pring has sprung at Dino's Backstage and The Celebrity Room with April's lively entertainment lineup! This month's performances (in order of appearance) include Jonathan Karrant, Courtney Day, Paula Johns "Happy Birthday Ella", Bob Egan (for his Singer's Showcase), Michael Richard Kelly with a special birthday celebration weekend for Dino Kelly-Cataldi and, the last weekend in April features Jeffrey Coon. Dino's Backstage and The Celebrity Room - the unique dining and entertainment experience reminiscent of the sophisticated supper clubs of the 40s and 50s - is located at 287 Keswick Avenue in Glenside, PA. There is Saturday and SundayBrunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 with a new and exciting bar menu. and soon dining al fresco with outdoor bar and lounge area will be open. See www.dinosbackstage.com or call 215-884-2000 for more information, including specific music charges and minimums in The Celebrity Room.

Here's the April entertainment calendar:

April 7 and 8 (both at 8 p.m.) - Jonathan Karrant

April 9 (7 p.m.) - Courtney Day

April 14 and 15 (both at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.) - Paula Johns - "Happy Birthday Ella"

April 19 through April 26 (all at 8 p.m.) - Bob Egan Singer's Showcase

April 21 and 22 (both at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.) - Michael Richard Kelly - "Dino's Birthday Weekend"

April 28 and 29 (both 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.) - Jeffrey Coon

About the Artists:

Jonathan Karrant has received honors for his unique musical talent in several states. His achievements include the New York City Jazz Cabaret Honors, "Best Singer" for the Bravo California Awards and he was named one of the Top 12 Rising Jazz Vocalists in New York by the NYC Jazz Record. His album, "On and On", became hit #4 on the Jazz charts. A music critic in Cabaret Scenes wrote, "From classic selections of the American Songbook to his own jazzy twist on contemporary songs, you'll be thrilled by this engaging young singer."

Courtney Day is a cabaret singer who makes the Great American Songbook come alive through an intimate and personal connection to the lyrics and a willingness to share her emotional experience of the songs with her audience. The first singer to appear at the legendary Cabaret Room at Odette's in New Hope, Pennsylvania, Day has also played a number of early popular New York cabaret rooms including Judy's, Danny's Skylight Room, Eighty-Eights. She has done a live recording at Don't Tell Mama and has also performed at Archie's and The Duplex. In Europe, she's appeared at the Paris nightclub, Bouchon, and in London at Pizza on the Park. She has a second CD titled "State of Bliss".

A lifelong performer whose credentials include a BA in dance and training at the School of American Ballet in New York City, Day retired from running The Green Street Dance Company in suburban Philadelphia.

Michael Richard Kelly, entertainment director and co-owner of Dino's Backstage, Michael has been a professional singer for over 35 years. He came to Philadelphia in 1983 to do the musical spoof "Forbidden Broadway" at The Bellevue-Stratford, and performed for the royal family of Monaco in 1985 when performing "The All-Night Strut" at The Casino De Monte Carlo for a month. He did his first cabaret show at Odette's in New Hope, Pennsylvania in 1987, and he found that it was the perfect medium for him. In 1995, Michael, won "Philadelphia Magazine's - Best of Philly® - Cabaret Act-1995" after performing for over a year at "The Club Above", in Philadelphia. He was asked to do his first cabaret in New York at Danny's Skylight Room in 2003. The show was called, "I Sing For My Father", an homage to the memory of his father, Leon E. Kelly, who was a singer, radio and television broadcaster, and news anchor.

Paula Johns is an accomplished cabaret singer and jazz vocalist who hails from Philadelphia. She is often compared to Ella Fitzgerald and other great contemporaries of that era, but Paula brings her own distinctive panache to each song she sings, especially the songs from The Great American Songbooks. With a voice like butter, she enjoys a great lyric that tugs at your heartstring, as well as a lyric that'll make you fall off your seat with laughter. Her passion for the music ignites the emotions of her audiences and allows them to feel the stories that each song tells.

Bob Egan has continued to appear throughout PA, NJ and New York for the past 30 years. He is an accomplished accompanist and musical director for vocalists. Bob is best known for his singers open-mic nights, which he holds weekly at Bowman's Tavern in New Hope PA and regularly at The Claridge Hotel (Atlantic City NJ), The Clinton House (Clinton NJ) and in Asbury Park NJ at Moonstruck, The Asbury (Hotel) and Tim McLoone's Asbury Grille. He also can be seen at the piano at The Nassau Club (Princeton, NJ), and The Bernards Inn (Bernardsville, NJ). Bob was the creator of the famous piano bar at Odette's, which ran for 21 years and was the winner of the "Best of Philly" Award for the "Best Piano Bar." His repertoire includes thousands of songs from The Great American Songbook, Broadway and Standards -- straight through to the current Pop Hits of today.

Jeffrey Coon, a singer and actor, has been a member of Philadelphia's theatre community since 1993. He's happy to perform at Dino's Backstage. He has performed in close to 100 professional productions and worked at most of the area's theatre companies including Walnut Street Theatre, Arden Theatre Company, Act 2 Playhouse, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Prince Music Theatre. Nationally, he has toured with "South Pacific" and appeared at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre and Houston's T.U.T.S. He is a 10-time Barrymore Award nominee, winning for his performance as Dominique in "The Baker's Wife" at Arden Theatre Company. Favorite roles include Georges Seurat ("Sunday in the Park with George"}, Stanley Kowalski ("A Streetcar Named Desire"), Charles Lindbergh ("Baby Case" - World Premiere), Che Guevara ("Evita"), Father Flynn ("Doubt"), and Harold Hill in ("The Music Man"). He has worked as a director and vocal coach for the University of Pennsylvania's Summer Music Theatre program and as an adjunct professor at Temple University. He is the co-creator and Executive Director of "The Summer Club", a night club cabaret show featuring musical standards, stand up comedy and a 17-piece Big Band.

About Dino's Backstage and The Celebrity Room:

Imagine the sophisticated scene of the supper clubs of the 40's and 50's! That's exactly what co-owners Dino Kelly-Cataldi and Michael Kelly-Cataldi did when they dreamed up Dino's Backstage and The Celebrity Room, the deluxe restaurant, bar and cabaret in Keswick Village, Glenside, PA. They combined wonderful entertainment, outstanding food, impeccable service and magnificent décor in a building designed by the legendary Horace Trumbauer and a space created by the highly-acclaimEd Stokes Architecture. Shortly after they opened, Dino's was named #1 restaurant for Ambiance from OpenTable.com. Located at 287 N Keswick Ave. in Glenside, there are four dining options - the dining room, the bar, the luxurious Celebrity Room and outdoor dining -- that can accommodate up to 120 diners. There is a new and exciting bar menu. Dining al fresco with outdoor bar and lounge area will be open weather permitting. Hours areWednesday to Sunday, beginning at 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday Brunch - 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (215) 884-2000.

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