Young and Musical at Heart: Applewood’s New Music Suite for Elderly Residents

At the end of one of the long residents’ corridors in Applewood Estates—the CentraState-affiliated senior living center in Freehold Township—the sound of violins can be heard singing uncertainly from inside a resident apartment.

Fran Redlich, 91, of Applewood Estates, has been playing the flute since she was 50.

“We think the acoustics sound pretty good so far,” says Marjorie Stine, 81, a resident and the center’s band and chorus leader as she taps the piano keys. Stine and five others—three with violins, one with a flute, and one on mandolin—are having their first rehearsal in the new resident music suite.
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Jewish Heritage Museum Springs Into Action with Cultural Offerings

Music, art, and theater are on the bill this month for the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County.

The cultural bastion of Western Monmouth will offer a variety of exhibits, speakers, and concerts during March, including a one-man performance entitled "Fat Selfish Bastard: Confessions of a Food Addict" on the Museum's Hayloft Stage.
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Freehold Knights of Columbus Kids Day!

Once again, the Freehold Knights of Columbus have gone above and beyond with another event. There 4th annual Kids Day was a great time for all! There was so much for the kids to do and so many snacks for them to have. Either making cards, crafts, or learning from the Home Depot staff how to build something, every child had a huge smile on there face. Then, the magic show began and the kids were front and center watching his every move. These fine people donate there time to do so many great events for our community, I even had the pleasure of speaking with councilmen George Schnurr, who happened to be one of the many dedicated volunteers. We are blessed to have such a caring organization in our town. Thank you to the Knights for a GREAT time!!!!

Army Glee Club Marching into Town

The West Point Military Academy Glee Club is coming to Freehold for a performance at the First Presbyterian Church, Main Street.

The musically-inclined congregation that hosted the African Children's Choir late last year will welcome the West Point Club on March 26th at 7:30 PM. Mark your calendars now, though, because the Glee Club has only performed in New Jersey four times in the past ten years, and the Church has been on their waiting list for three years.
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At VFW, Youth Rock

In the clubhouse, a half-dozen middle-aged adults sit around a wooden bar presided over by Mike Schwenk, post commander of the Freehold VFW. They sip beers or sodas, talk about parenting. It's a casual Friday night in a quiet corner of Freehold.

A few feet away, in the club's multipurpose room adorned with flags, military insignia, and a disco ball, a teenage boy screams into a microphone as more than 75 kids jump into a mosh pit in the middle of the room, pumping their arms and slamming their heads forward.
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Jewish Museum Celebrates Jewish Folk Tales

-Barbara Michaels-

The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County will present a Tu B'Shevat Celebration and an Afternoon of Jewish Folk Tales featuring acclaimed storyteller Gerald Fierst on Sunday, January 24, 2010 at the Museum.

http://www.geraldfierst.com

Gerald Fierst is one of America's most heralded storytellers,  As a performer, he has appeared throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, telling original stories, stories from his own Jewish tradition, and stories from world folklore; as a writer and teacher he has worked for school systems and universities across the U.S. 
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One Man Play & One Playwright to Appear at Center Playhouse

A former off-Broadway play and its star playwright are coming to town, as Center Players perform "Uncle Philip's Coat," beginning at the end of this month.

Harlan in the one-man play, "Uncle Philip's Coat," at Center Players on South Street.

Director Bernice Garfield-Szita will bring playwright Matty Selman to the opening night performance for a meet-the author reception on January 23.  The play will run through Jan 31.
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Local Author to Speak on Incest, Drugs, Prostitution

Freehold Township resident Debra Ann Brown-Davis will sign copies of her book, "My Daddy the Devil and Me," at the New Beginnings Agape Christian Center this weekend.

The harrowing book tells of Brown-Davis' 21-year sexual relationship with her father, which she says began at 15 when her father first gave her cocaine. The next two decades marked a descent into drugs, prostitution and eventually, bank fraud.

Brown-Davis will be at New Beginnings, located at 133 Throckmorton Street, from noon to 2 p.m.

Band to perform songs in Hebrew

Posted via APP.com:

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP: The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County will present David Brahinsky and the Roosevelt String Band at 3 p.m. Dec. 20.

The musicians will perform songs in Hebrew and Yiddish and material from the American and British folk traditions.

Admission is $15 for museum members, $18 for nonmembers and $12 for students.

The museum is at 310 Mounts Corner Drive. For more information, call 732-252-6990.

Kim Predham

CentraState Dabbles in Opera Offerings

CentraState Hospital in Freehold Township is expanding its health coverage to include musical education, it seems.

The renowned tenor Eduardo Villa--a Manalapan resident--will give a free performance at CentraState this week to show his gratitude to the medical staff there.

Villa said he will perform for about 2o minutes, beginning at 3PM, on December 15. The opera star performs regularly at the Met and has played the title role in Don Carlo, Aida, Carmen and more, according to his website.

South Street Players to Hold Auditions for “Harvey”

The South Street Players are holding open auditions for an upcoming performance of "Harvey," according to an announcement on their website.

The Players during their production of 20th Century this past summer.

The Players are looking for 6 men and 6 women for the cast, and auditions will be held this coming Sunday, December 13, from 1-4 PM at St. Andrew's Church in Spring Lake. The performances will also be at St. Andrew's from the last weekend in February through the first weekend in March, 2010.

Manalapan High Names Poet Laureate

Manalapan High School's new poet laureate, Devon Alessio

With poems skewering the college application process and mocking passive fairy-tale princesses, Devon Alessio stands out.

"There's something about her voice. She's a little sarcastic at first...But then you realize that there's humor there," says Judi Lagana, supervisor of the art, English and music departments at Manalapan High School.

Alessio's literary talents were celebrated today at Manalapan High, where the 17-year-old was named the class of 2010's poet laureate.

"I'm kind of in shock," the bubbly, cheerful teen said.

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Preview: ‘Legends’ in ‘Wonderland’ This Weekend

Young thespians will show their stuff this weekend on stages across Western Monmouth, as the Freehold Regional High School District launches into Fall Play weekend.

On the Freehold Borough stage, students will present The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on Friday and Saturday nights at 7PM and Saturday afternoon at 1PM.

Across town, the Freehold Township Patriot Players offer Alice in Wonderland at the same times throughout the weekend. Younger theatergoers can get their faces painted by student volunteers to look like characters from the show for the hour before each performance.

Freehold Photo Contest Winners Announced

The votes are in! No, not those votes-- the votes for our first ever Freehold Photo Contest.

We asked readers to submit up to 6 photos of Freehold places, people and nature. We got some great submissions!

The APP's photo editor Jim Connolly served as impartial judge for the contest, and viewed the photos without any information about the photographer.

Overall Best Photo

Best Photo: Nature

Fox Kit at Michael J. Tighe Park by Robin Muller

Overall Best Photo: Fox Kit at Michael J. Tighe Park by Robin Muller

Check out all the winners after the jump!

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Monmouth County Craftsmanship Celebrated

Veronica Vezeris, a Monmouth County Historical Association guide, and Laura Casaceli of Howell walk through the association's exhibit "Craftsmen & Clients" in Freehold Oct. 13.

From APP. com comes a story today about a new exhibit at the Monmouth County Historical Association. The exhibit, which opened Oct. 4, highlights the work of Monmouth County area cabinetmakers, silversmiths and potters of the 1700s and early 1800s.

The exhibit will run until July at the association's headquarters, which is located near the Monmouth County courthouse at 70 Court Street in Freehold.