East Lynne Theater Company's Music Trivia Contest to Return 11/7

Since last year's trivia contest was so successful, the award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company is bringing it back with "The American Songbook II." Once more, everyone 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 Jennifer Bissell, and winners receive prizes.

The date is Thursday, November 7, and the evening begins at 5:30p.m. with hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. At 6:00p.m. is a special tastings of Aleathea's specialties, like last year, and at 7:00p.m., the competition begins! The MCs for the evening are Mark Lang and James Rana.

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 33rd season, as it kicks off its exciting line-up for its 34th year of world 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 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. Jennifer Bissell, vocalist, performed in ELTC's recent production of "The Late Christopher Bean" after performing with Andrea McArdle in "Mame" at Bucks County Playhouse and Media Theater. Her work in NYC includes roles at the Mint Theater and Theatre 80 St. Mark's. Mark Lang has worked regularly with ELTC since 2001 as an actor, director, graphic and set designer, and gala co-host, and he, too, was in "The Late Christopher Bean." James Rana, who's acting credits include The Royal Shakespeare Company, is also a playwright. ELTC produced the world premieres of two of his works, "The Poe Mysteries" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Both ELTC productions traveled up to Ocean Professional Theatre Company in Barnegat after making their Cape May debuts. Next season, ELTC presents "Zorro," the world premiere of his adaptation of "The Curse of Capristrano" (1919) by Johnston McCulley in which the masked avenger first appears.

Once more, ELTC is selling 50/50 Raffle Tickets for $50 each, with a limit of only 200 tickets to be sold. First place will be given 30% of the amount received for all tickets sold, which could be $3,000; second place receives 15%; and third prize receives 5% of all tickets sold. The raffle will be held on November 7, but purchasers don't have to be present to win. Patrons may purchase tickets in advance by making checks out to East Lynne Theater Company and mailing them to ELTC's office, 121 Fourth Ave., West Cape May, NJ 08204. Tickets will then be mailed to purchasers.

Entering its thirty-fourth year of entertaining audiences in Cape May and throughout the country, ELTC has much to celebrate. Productions keep receiving high praise, including "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" that received a lovely review by Jay Reisberg in the NYC-based online "Culture Catch." Jan Buttram, co-founder and artistic director of Abingdon Theatre Company, was delighted with ELTC's New Jersey premiere of her play "Lost on the Natchez Trace," and other theater companies in Manhattan have expressed interest in working with ELTC. The company is now in its second year of providing after-school programs for the Wildwood School District due to the school receiving funding from the federal 21st Century Learning Grant.

To attend "The American Songbook II" costs $55. Reservations may be made by calling East Lynne Theater Company at 609-884-5898or via e-mail at eastlynneco@aol.com. All proceeds go to the not-for-profit East Lynne Theater Company to support the production season and educational outreach. Donations from those unable to attend will be gratefully received, and are tax-deductible.

Meanwhile, ELTC, with The Cape May Film Festival, presents the silent classic, "The Cat and the Canary" on October 20 before taking "Sleepy Hollow" to Ocean County, but will return to Cape May in November with "Holmes and Carter Mysteries" and "Christmas with Harte and O. Henry."

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