OC Pops To Celebrate Tradition Of 'Wizard Of Oz'

OCEAN CITY, NJ — “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” has been enchanting audiences of all kinds for over 100 years, and an upcoming concert in Ocean City is looking to capture that magic.

“The Wonderful Music of Oz” pays tribute to L. Frank Baum’s classic novel, originally published on May 17, 1900. The book has since been adapted as a movie (“The Wizard of Oz”) and a sequel (“Return to Oz”), on Broadway (“Wicked,” “The Wiz”) and on the radio ("Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," "Tin Man").

New York’s top vocalists will take a trip down the Yellow Brick Road on Sunday, Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets are $20 to $25 and are available at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice, by calling 609-399-6111, or in-person at the City Hall Welcome Center, the Roy Gillian Welcome Center on the Route 52 causeway and the Ocean City Music Pier Box Office.

The cast photos and biographies were provided by Ocean City Public Information Officer Doug Bergen:

JOHN BOSWELL

Pianist John Boswell has served as musical director for Judy Collins, Andy Williams, Bob Newhart, Scott Coulter, Maude Maggart, Faith Prince, Carmen Cusack, Babbie Green, Jason Graae and a host of other fine talents. John played the role of “Moose” in the national tour of Crazy For You and has appeared on The Tonight Show, Today Show, CBS This Morning, Regis And Kathie Lee, General Hospital and was the piano playing hands of Nancy McKeon on the sit-com THE FACTS OF LIFE. Recent concerts with symphonies have included Jerry Herman: The Broadway Legacy Concert, BLOCKBUSTER BROADWAY!, Sheena Easton and Scott Coulter: The Spy Who Loved Me and MUSIC OF THE KNIGHTS. John has been heard singing in the shows THREE MEN AND A BABY...GRAND, CINEMA TOAST, BROADWAY TODAY, WISEGUYS and the New York cult hit CASHINO. Broadway/Off Broadway credits include Crazy For You, The Secret Garden, LIZA! Steppin' Out At Radio City Music Hall,Back To Bacharach And David and The Kathy And Mo Show: Parallel Lives. His monthly concerts in 2017 at The Gardenia in Los Angeles have been crowd pleasers. John has eight CDs of original piano music and a ninth on the way. While a student at UCLA, John received the Frank Sinatra Award for popular instrumentalists.

MELVIN TUNSTALL, III

North Carolina native Melvin Tunstall made his Broadway debut in BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at the Sondheim Theater and has been performing with the show for over 1200 performances! Before taking Broadway by storm, he appeared in the European Tour of the Tony Award winning hit musical AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'! which played many of the world’s most renowned stages including the legendary Folies Bergère in Paris, France. Prior to joining the company, Melvin originated the role of “Ja’Keith” in the Original Toronto Company of the Broadway smash Rock of Ages. after originating the role of “Ja’Keith” in the Toronto Company of the Broadway smash ROCK OF AGES. Melvin is also the book writer of the hit off-Broadway musical POLKADOTS: THE COOL KIDS MUSICAL. His original musical BLooM! was a finalist in the renowned NAMT Festival in New York City. PETER, DARLING…, his highly anticipated new musical version of the classic Peter Pan, was commissioned by and will premiere at Casa Mañana Theatre in TX, Spring 2018. Melvin currently resides in New York City where he is hard at work writing the book, melodies and lyrics to SENIOR CLASS: a new musical Pygmalion.

SCOTT COULTER

Scott Coulter is one of New York’s most honored vocalists. For his work in cabaret, Scott has received five MAC Awards (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs), five Bistro Awards and two Nightlife Awards for Outstanding Vocalist and has performed at most of NYC’s top rooms including Birdland, 54 Below, The Oak Room at the Algonquin, and Feinstein’s at The Regency where he spent a record-setting eight months performing the revue 11 O’CLOCK NUMBERS AT 11 O’CLOCK which he also co-created, directed and musically arranged. His self-titled debut CD won the 2003 MAC Award for Outstanding Recording and was chosen as the best recording of the year by TheatreMania and Cabaret Scenes magazines. Scott was director and star of A CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE SYMPHONIC CONCERT in its world premiere with the Baltimore Symphony and reprised his performance in the Emmy-nominated PBS production which premiered in December 2013.

Since 1997, Scott has performed around the country with award-winning songwriting duo Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich in their many revues. While singing with Goldrich and Heisler he was discovered by Oscar and Grammy winning composer Stephen Schwartz who then invited him to join the revue STEPHEN SCHWARTZ & FRIENDS. That revue (starring Schwartz and Coulter along with Liz Callaway and Tony Award-winner Debbie Gravitte) has been performing all over the world since 1999. Schwartz has said, “One of the greatest things that can happen to a composer is to have his music interpreted by Scott Coulter.”

As a director Scott’s credits include many shows for The Town Hall in NY (BROADWAY BY THE YEAR, BROADWAY’S RISING STARS, BROADWAY ORIGINALS, BROADWAY UNPLUGGED) and BBTY for The Berkshire Theatre Festival and Broadway by the Bay. Along with Michael Kerker and ASCAP, he’s produced and directed several installments of Michael Feinstein’s STANDARD TIME at Carnegie Hall. He is creator, arranger and director of several touring shows including CINEMA TOAST, SOUTHERN COMFORT, BROADWAY’S ELITE, THAT’S LIFE: A TOAST TO SINATRA, YOU’VE GO T A FRIEND: CAROLE KING, NEIL SEDAKA AND THE MUSIC OF THE BRILL BUILDING, BLOCKBUSTER BROADWAY! and his critically acclaimed solo show, THE FELLA SINGS ELLA, which honors the life of the legendary Ella Fitzgerald. His concert creation THE KING: THE MUSIC OF ELVIS premiered with the Calgary Philharmonic and is currently playing symphony halls across America and Canada. Scott recently wrote the book for the new musical GOT TO BE THERE which celebrates the life and music of songwriter Elliot Willensky.

Scott is founder/owner of Spot-On Entertainment. He’s a resident director of programming at 54 Below (Broadway’s Supper Club) in NYC and is a graduate of the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

KELLI RABKE

Kelli Rabke got her “big break” playing the role of Dorothy in Paper Mill Playhouse’s acclaimed production of THE WIZARD OF OZ. Shortly thereafter, she was handpicked by Andrew Lloyd Webber to play the lead role of the Narrator in the Broadway revival of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (US Cast Recording). Following that, she played her dream role: Eponine in LES MISERABLES on Broadway. She went on to perform in regional theaters across the country in such roles as Mabel in MACK AND MABEL, Christine in PHANTOM, and back to Paper Mill Playhouse in Stephen Schwartz’s CHILDREN OF EDEN as Yonah (American Premiere Recording). She is one of the only Broadway stars to originate a role in both a Stephen Schwartz and an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical — a distinction for which she is incredibly honored.

She has been seen and heard in tons of TV commercials and voice-overs, and was the voice of several animated characters, including Kat in the Discovery Kids series KENNY THE SHARK. She also played the recurring role of Bernadette on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.

Kelli left the bright lights of the stage for a few years and turned her attention to her family. Her proudest accomplishments to date are her son, Joseph, an daughter, Abigale. A new chapter in her career began when joining the board of the BergenPAC in Englewood, NJ. There she developed the Kidz Cabaret series, the BeyondMusic program of instrumental lessons, and her personal favorite: MUSIC SPEAKS – an early childhood music education class for infants through 4 years old. She has sung on numerous CD’s for Music Speaks (including a duet with her son!) and is so excited to see the new Performing Arts School at BergenPAC opening this fall. Kelli also served as producer and creative director for “Beyond the Storm” – a Hurricane Sandy relief concert which raised money for local towns hard hit by the storm.

Kelli was thrilled to return to the NYC stage at the beautiful and historic Town Hall where she has been seen in numerous concerts including BROADWAY ORIGINALS and BROADWAY UNPLUGGED. Recently, she was the headliner for the BROADWAY ON THE BOARDWALK concert in Ocean City, NJ, performed at BROADWAY BALLYHOO at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. Her solo cabaret debut,”No Place Like Home” has it’s NYC premier at 54 Below in June. Her concert work has taken her all over the world and she couldn’t be happier.

OC Pops Roster:

Guest Conductor: Jonathan K. Kreamer

Violin 1:

• Luigi Mazzocchi
• Reina Inui
• Funda Cizmecioglu
• Shannon Lee

Violin 2:

• Inna Nedorezov
• Gared Crawford
• Greg Teperman
• Michelle Bishop

Viola:

• Jonathan Kim
• Steve Heitlinger

Cello:

• Tony Pirollo
• Charles dePasquale

Bass: Laura Ruas

Flute: Pamela Whitman

Oboe: Steve Labiner

Clarinet: Doris Hall-Gulati

Bassoon: Andrea Herr

Horn:

• Dan Wions
• Karen Schubert

Trumpet:

• Jay Webb
• James Hala
• Steve Heitzer

Trombone:

• Cathy Bridge
• Rick Linn

Bass Trombone: Barry McCommon

Harp: Sophie Bruno

Drums: Matt Becker

Percussion: Brenda Weckerly