WESTWOOD—Mark your calendar for a night of musical magic as Parkside Community Church, at 545 4th Ave., hosts “Westwood Goes Broadway: Part Deux” on Saturday, July 20 at 7 p.m.
This event promises an unforgettable evening filled with both classic and contemporary Broadway hits, brought to life by an exceptionally talented cast of performers who call the Pascack Valley area home.
Returning by popular demand, this second installment of Westwood Goes Broadway features performances by Nancy Feldman, Shane Long, Christopher Doran, and Janica Carpenter. Feldman and Carpenter are with Bergen County Players; Long is fresh from a run as Gaston in “Beauty and the Beast” with Plays in the Park, Edison.
The show’s producer and Parkside’s musical director, Lisa Bontemps, says these gifted artists are set to deliver an array of show-stopping numbers that will captivate and entertain audiences of all ages.
Attendees are encouraged to register at ParksideChurch.net. There is a suggested donation of $25 at the door, and all proceeds will go toward the Parkside Food Pantry, which serves all of Bergen County.
Bontemps, who also directs Parkside Food Pantry and is poised to lend her talents as piano accompanist, says, “If you enjoyed last year’s Westwood Goes Broadway concert or our Christmas Spectacular at Parkside Community Church, you won’t want to miss Westwood Goes Broadway–Part Deux on July 20 at 7 p.m. And if you didn’t make either of last year’s concerts, then you definitely want to come to this one!”
She adds, “We will be featuring some super-talented local singers who will be bringing alive a number of both classic and contemporary Broadway showtunes, all designed to provide a fabulous evening of entertainment suitable for all ages.”
The venue will offer complimentary refreshments during intermission.
Bontemps says, “We are asking for a donation of $25 that will be used to support the work of our food pantry, where we prepare hot meals every week and give out fresh foods to those most in need in our community. But feel free to give whatever you are able at the door. Cash or check.”
According to Bontemps, Parkside’s food pantry is a standout in its service area in offering vital hot meals.
More than 150 turned out to Parkside Community Church on June 16, 2023 for the inaugural Westwood Goes Broadway, a cabaret revue of 17 showtunes featuring professional singers from various towns in North Jersey.
All performers donated their talent to help raise what rang up as a solid $1,000 for The Tyler Clementi Foundation, which helps to combat anti-LGTBQ+ bullying in schools, workplaces, and faith communities.
Bontemps a founder of the Westwood/Washington Township Pride Committee—she wears many hats—told Pascack Press at the time, “We we really wanted to do something that was fun, entertaining, and for a good cause. We were fortunate that these incredibly talented singers jumped at the opportunity to perform, and even thanked us for allowing them to be a part of a special evening that really brought people such joy.”
The cast and crew treated the audience to hits from such Broadway favorites as “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Cabaret,” “Carousel,” and “La Cage Aux Folles.”
The cast included Christopher Doran and Mary Kate Portera from Westwood, and Brandon Conti and Ava Tirri from the Township of Washington.
Those from other towns in North Jersey included Fallon Goskowski, Colleen Renee Lis, and Jonathan Krouse.