By Jim Giannaros

The Newton Theatre will be hosting the “Big Apple Comedy Club V” to showcase some of New York’s best professional comedy acts on May 19 starting at 8 p.m.

The show will make you laugh with raw and eccentric routines, the same acts used in comedy clubs in New York City. The performers in the show are not amateurs; every one has appeared on Comedy Central, NBC and/or HBO.

Featured in this show are comedians Tom Cotter, Michele Balan, Moody McCarthy and Jessica Kirson.

“I am very excited to go to the show, being a big fan of comedy it was awesome to hear that there was a New York show happening just minutes from the school,” said Corey Rosta, a student at SCCC.

Prices for the show are $25 for orchestra and $20 for balcony. There are no age restrictions to the show, but bring your ID just in case.

By Nadia Womble

Purely with motion, the dancers were able to convey the rhythmic idiosyncrasies of the rainforest when SCCC’s Performing Arts Center welcomed the New Jersey Ballet Company to their 4th year at the college on March 31.

This year’s performance, titled Latin Beat II, focused on the cultural and musical aspects of Latin countries and continents. Clear representation of Mexican, African, Cuban and Brazilian influence made its way to the stage during their Saturday night performance.

In Act I, the curtain draws to reveal the dancers in classical Spanish attire. While the men dressed as bull fighters lifted and twirled the ballerinas donned in pastel-colored dresses, the audience provided a solid ovation for each perfectly executed string of movements.

Progression through the first act took viewers from the streets of Spain into the heart of the Amazon.

Choreographer Humberto Teixeira described his inspiration for the segment as “a power created from the blend of three races — blacks, Indians and whites. The music there is like full-bodied wine, spiced with the sharp, sweet scent of cracked fruit…and the dancers become one with the music, writing a new language.”

Teixeira’s choreography had the troupe expressing a spiritual experience.

Once the dancers advanced into the second act, viewers could see how the simplification of their new costumes allowed the audience to focus more intently on the intricacy of their dance moves.

This part, “Hotel Huasteca,” was inspired by the music of Jesus Echevarria. His instrumentals, along with projections of paintings by the glorified Gabriela Rosado Rivera, were featured.

The final act gave viewers a more rustic perspective of Latin culture. It was set in the fields of Cuba, where choreographer Pedro Ruiz chose both music and movements that “harken back to Africa and Spain in exotic poetic and romantic ways. Guajira honors the women who work the land, and is also a tribute to all who labor in the Cuban countryside.”

By Dieter Unrath

The Stanhope House stage, adorned with Bamboozle banners and posters, was descended by singer Brandon Martens. His hat and sweatshirt, stripped from his body, lay on the ground, as the pop punk band ‘In Your Honor’ finished their 20-minute, opening round set.

As Martens gathered his apparel, the judges tallied their scores, showing no emotion or indication of how much they liked the performance. Members of ‘In Your Honor’ hoped that this first round went over well with the judges, because a spot in the famed Bamboozle Festival was on the line, even for a local band of this caliber.

Martens and his band just finished competing in The Break Contest, an annual battle of the bands competition. Winners then get to play at the Bamboozle Festival, to be held May 18-20. It is usually held at the Meadowlands, but this year, to mark its 10^th anniversary, it will be held at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park. More than 900 bands from four states have conformed appearances.

In order to play in the Break Contest, thereby possibly winning a spot in The Bamboozle Festival, bands must sell a set amount of tickets to their fans. Then, they have to compile a 20-minute set that includes one cover song. With battles being held in nine different venues, the bands then have to pass through three rounds to reach the finals.

One grand prize winner will get the opportunity to play a main stage set at the annual Bamboozle Festival. About 25 finalist bands also gain the opportunity to play on smaller side stages during the festival.

The Bamboozle Festival has a reputation of putting out one of the most diverse music lineups in the festival scene. From deathcore to pop, you can find it all at Bamboozle.

“I went to Bamboozle last year and absolutely loved it,” said Chris Giordano, rhythm guitarist of a competing metal band, ‘Collapsing From Within.’

“The line up was amazing and was definitely one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had,” he said.

Bamboozle is flexing its muscles this year. According to their website, headliners include Blink-182, Foo Fighters, Bon Jovi, Skrillex, Incubus, and Mac Miller. With its new beachside location, it’s sure to be one of the biggest concerts of the year, one that local bands would love to play.

“It’s Bamboozle. What band(s) wouldn’t want to play this?” said Giordano.

The Break has given bands lots of opportunities other than playing the famed festival.

“A lot of people at the break liked our (Facebook) page and a few heard our performance and have asked us to play their venues,” said Martens. “The Break basically opened the doors to more venues and a lot more fans.”

This sort of exposure is evident with every band in the competition.

“In the past week and a half alone, we’ve been booked for five to seven shows,” said Giordano.

By Dieter Unrath

The Stanhope House stage, adorned with Bamboozle banners and posters, was descended by singer Brandon Martens. His hat and sweatshirt, stripped from his body, lay on the ground, as the pop punk band ‘In Your Honor’ finished their 20-minute, opening round set.

As Martens gathered his apparel, the judges tallied their scores, showing no emotion or indication of how much they liked the performance. ‘In Your Honor’ hoped that this first round went over well with the judges, because a spot in the famed Bamboozle Festival was on the line, even for a local band of this caliber.

Martens and his band just finished competing in The Break Contest, an annual battle of the bands competition. Winners then get to play at the Bamboozle Festival, to be held May 18-20. It is usually held at the Meadowlands, but this year, to mark its 10^th anniversary, it will be held at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park. More than 900 bands from four states have conformed appearances.

In order to play in the Break Contest, thereby possibly winning a spot in The Bamboozle Festival, bands must sell a set amount of tickets to their fans. Then, they have to compile a 20-minute set that includes one cover song. With battles being held in nine different venues, the bands then have to pass through three rounds to reach the finals.

One grand prize winner will get the opportunity to play a main stage set at the annual Bamboozle Festival. About 25 finalist bands also gain the opportunity to play on smaller side stages during the festival.

The Bamboozle Festival has a reputation of putting out one of the most diverse music lineups in the festival scene. From deathcore to pop, you can find it all at Bamboozle.

“I went to Bamboozle last year and absolutely loved it,” said Chris Giordano, rhythm guitarist of a competing metal band, ‘Collapsing From Within.’

“The line up was amazing and was definitely one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had,” he said.

Bamboozle is flexing its muscles this year. According to their website, headliners include Blink-182, Foo Fighters, Bon Jovi, Skrillex, Incubus, and Mac Miller. With its new beachside location, it’s sure to be one of the biggest concerts of the year, one that local bands would love to play.

“It’s Bamboozle. What band(s) wouldn’t want to play this?” said Giordano.

The Break has given bands lots of opportunities other than playing the famed festival.

“A lot of people at the break liked our (Facebook) page and a few heard our performance and have asked us to play their venues,” said Martens. “The Break basically opened the doors to more venues and a lot more fans.”

This sort of exposure is evident with every band in the competition.

“In the past week and a half alone, we’ve been booked for five to seven shows,” said Giordano.

The bands have actively been planning their second round performance.

“We’re opening our set with a brand new song,” said Martens. “You can also expect a lot more stage performance.”

Matt Ciuffitelli as Oscar Madison and Tommy J. Wright as Felix Unger

You’ve seen them in the movies, you’ve watched them on TV, now come and experience Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple” on SCCC’s Performing Art Center’s stage. 

Let us entertain you as Tim Chenard directs his first ever student product with an amazing cast including Matt Ciuffitelli as Oscar Madison and Tommy J. Wright as Felix Unger. 

Tickets are being sold at the SCCC Box office and online at www.sussex.edu.  Just $5.00 for students and staff, $10.00 for the community. So bring a date or the whole family on Friday February 24th at 7 pm and Saturday the 25th, 2 pm matinee or 7 pm.

By Andrea Ulrich

As darkness fell in Vernon on the late-summer festival, a young man spun balls of fire as he danced to the psychedelic music that was played on the stage in front of him.

People gathered and watched; some sat on the grass, while some stood and took pictures. A projector screen behind the young fire spinner showed thought-provoking images, while vendors near the stage and sold artwork, jewelry and vegetarian food.

All are welcome at EVOLVEFEST — the very young, the very old and everyone in between. Artists, musicians and poets are drawn to EVOLVEFEST, as well others that want to be part of positive change and evolve together in a peaceful way — through art, music and yoga.

For four days in early September, thousands of people were gathered at Rickey Farm for EVOLVEFEST. Created and produced by singer/songwriter, Dave Bryson, EVOLVEFEST is an annual music and yoga festival that encourages positive change when it comes to issues concerning the environment and sustainable living, personal creativity and spirituality. The festival also emphasizes the need to overcome ignorance.

“Evolve becomes more of a community where you look at people and make really great friends, as opposed to other festivals where it’s mostly a personal experience…but evolve has workshops and healers and lots of activities that bring people together in a loving way,” said Chris Diorio, a vendor that sold his artwork at the festival.

Most evolvers set up tents and camped for the weekend, which created a temporary community. Neighbors shared their resources and their ideas and made it a learning experience.

“I learned to love myself and others more fully, which is what I learn every year at evolve, so every year I evolve a little more into that idea,” Chris said.

EVOLVEFEST, held September 2-5, featured more than 50 bands, with two stages. There were 25 yoga instructors that taught on stage, and a kid’s yoga workshop was available. Other attractions of EVOLVEFEST included vibrational poetry, energy healing, a hula hooping workshop and a didgeridoo workshop.

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The Many Adventures of Samhill Road

     For those of you who don’t know, I play in a band called Samhill Road. We are an acoustic duo who have been performing together for the past 8 years. We’ve been featured on Radio, Television, Magazines, Newspapers, we do shows where we raise money and bring in canned goods to go to local food pantries and homeless shelters. We’ve played on the streets of New Brunswick, NJ, and many other interesting places, but the coolest so far has been in Orlando, Florida! We recently played a show in Walt Disney World as a featured artist right outside the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride at the Magic Kingdom. What a blast! This was the most fun show we’ve probably played and we can say that it is definitely one of our best. The audience was incredible and very receptive of us, and the cool thing is you can find it all at www.youtube.com/samhillroadband! We recently went to Atlanta, GA to record with Grammy Award Winning Producer Scotty Wilbanks who plays keyboards for a band called Third Day. We’re working on an album with him called “It’s About Time”. We try to play anywhere and everywhere we can. If you’d like to give us a try, you can find everything at www.samhillroad.com and www.reverbnation.com/samhillroad! Our next show will be October 2^nd at the Church of the Nazarene in Warwick, NY! We go on at 7:30 PM opening for Nashville singer Chris Williams. Feel free to check it out!

-Andrew Gallagher

Comedy Takes the Stage (For More Than One Night) with

“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” at SCCC

By Kristen Jones

The Performing Arts Center at Sussex County Community College is currently in the process of their fall, comedy musical, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”  The scripts were written by Burt Shevelone and Larry Gelbart; music and lyrics arranged by Stephen Sondheim; and original Broadway production directed by Harold S. Prince.   SCCC’s production will be directed by Stella Trikouros, choreographed by Kate DiGerolamo, and music taught by Phillip Lid.   The open auditions were held the first week of September and the cast list has been determined:

SENEX Tom Hallett                                       DOMINA Deb Nannery
HERO Louis Pieri                                          HYSTERIUM Cody Riker
PSEUDOLUS Tim Chenard                          ERRONIUS Rusty Coelho
MILES GLORIOSUS Thatcher Iliff            LYCUS Matt Ciuffitelli
TINTINABULA Asia Fader                         PANACEA Kristen Jones
THE GEMINAE (2)                                     GYMNASIA Samantha Sabyan

Chelsea Erhard                                               VIBRATA Lauren DeVore                     

Cristina Medina                                              PHILIA Chelsea Kelsey

ENSEMBLE

Samantha Bushman    Alison Dill   Matthew Estock    Matt Foy   Kayla Holzer   Anthony Luisi
Greta Nappa    Rory Liam Randall    William Shepard     Matthew Torres    Michelle VanAllen

“If you were not cast it does not mean that you are not talented. Please consider auditioning again. We are doing the “Laramie Project” in the spring with acting class students, Performing Arts Club students, SCCC students and some community members,” Stella said on the musical group’s Facebook page.  The Performing Arts Clubs plans on having an eventful next two semesters.  The dates and show times of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” will be December 3^rd at 7:30 pm, December 4^th at 2 pm and 7 pm, and December 5^th at 2 pm and 7 pm.  Prices of admission will vary from $5-$15, depending on age and student or non-student status.

By: Stacy Bockbrader

Tired of the usual? Tune into SCCC’s latest hit show, “ON THE RISE” airing on EDTV Channel 20 Friday nights at 11 pm, and on YouTube. Hosted by our own Ashley Intveld, she shoots you into the future of art and music. Ashley has already sat down with local up-and-coming bands including “Drunk Uncle Bob,” Bucket ‘O Sunshine, and “Please Exist”.

Check out these awesome interviews and indulge yourself in the exciting new look of music. Our fall season is full of new music, interview high jinx, band show schedules and info on where to see your favorites. Check out these links and look for us on EDTV20. Be sure to leave us your feedback on YouTube!

Their personalities kept us laughing on the set of On The Rise, but when it comes to their music, Drunk Uncle Bob’s performances are no laughing matter. This four-man band recreates a vast array of music from back in the day to today’s biggest hits along with their captivating presence. Check out what they had to say on the latest installment of On The Rise, brought to you by the College Hill News.