Can you talk without moving your lips? Taylor Mason can. Go to the show and see if you think the dummy on his lap is talking.
Regarding the summer secular schedule in OG, Mike Love of the Beach Boys told APP.com, regarding the Great Auditorium, “I love that place, it’s great, it’s one of the classic venues that we perform at,” Love said of the Great Auditorium in a 2014 interview.”
And, he added with a laugh, “One of the great things about Ocean Grove is the proximity to some fantastic ice cream parlors. We find a lot of pleasure in coming there.”
And he is just one of many GA Saturday night performers who have praised that fabulous music venue as they stood on the stage of the GA including Tony Bennett who liked to try and sing acapella there. I have heard quite a few musicians and singers express how awed they felt being inside that giant cello of a building.
CAST OF GYPSY (2008 Broadway revival:)
No disrespect intended for Taylor Mason. However the thought of featuring a ventriloquist as a major summer event leaves me “tongue tied”.
Noticed in the OGCMA Newsletter, they wrote:
“We have also restructured the Program Department and are looking for two people, Program Director and a Program Assistant/Marketing. If you are interested go to the website and download the Job Description under Employment Opportunities. Resumés need to be submitted by May 22nd.”
I guess that explains the removal of the doo wop concerts, etc. Maybe there is still hope for some good concerts with an available position for program director waiting to be filled!
TWR. We have also urged some different programming here of the sort that is for the residents in town–cultural events that can be shared by Grovers in smaller venues and without the need to attract thousands of outsiders to swarm over town.
There should be a balance of events: we need less of the sort that closes and clogs Main Avenue and the Pathway and more of the sort that you and we have mentioned that brings the community together.
Well, this is just opinion…I feel that O.G. still retains a devout core, but the lure of our beaches and certainly the construction of condos has attracted an influx of new owners and visitors who appreciate the family-friendly atmosphere, but are more secular in their lifestyle. They spend their days here and then go to Asbury for entertainment.
I would like to see more dollars stay right in town for the businesses and the support of Camp Meeting.
How about some local artists that might seek to perform in Ocean Grove? How about some dance performances? Bring back the Gospel night! Theater!
I think we can do better than this summer program if we want to.
I’m not sure that this program reflects the change of demographics in our town.
Could we not use the concerts as a way to bring money into Ocean Grove instead of sending it to Asbury?
Editor’s note: TWR, we have been fascinated by the changing demographics here. What is your assessment of those changes?
Do you mean to study the demographics to figure out how to get our own citizens to patronize the shows in town? It is my impression that those shows were more for out-of-town tourists. I rarely saw people I recognized from OG at the Saturday night shows.
As for “bringing money into OG,” Do you mean tourist dollars for the benefit of the CMA and/or merchants in town, or are you referring to something else?> Thanks, Paul @Blogfinger