(WEST ORANGE, NJ) -- Get ready to be blown away! Lynette Sheard and a group of incredibly talented friends are inviting you to an unforgettable evening packed with jazzy live music, dynamic dance movements, and even a live art experience on Friday, April 28 in the stylish Blue Room at South Valley BBQ and Lounge. Showtime is 8:00pm.
The show features performances by Lynette Sheard, Dana P. Hawkins, Jeff Foote, Monet Sheard, and Lawrence Allen,
Tickets are $10 (plus service fees) and available for purchase online. South Valley BBQ is located at 34 S Valley Road in West Orange, New Jersey.
Lynette Sheard is a gifted versatile vocalist with a five octave range. She is an actor, producer and director. She is the unseated “West Orange Idol”. Her performances have been acknowledged in numerous publications including the New York Times, The Record and the Chronicle. The Star Ledger proclaims that “Her voice reaches deep into one’s soul and finds a soft spot” She performs Jazz, R&B, Gospel, Soul and Pop music throughout the tri-state area. Theater credits include principal roles in: Dream Girls, Smokey Joes Café, Ragtime, Swing, Aida, and an encore performance as Lena Younger Mama in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. She has received countless awards and recognition for her musical service work with children, the elderly and veterans. She is a founding member of the Guiding Stars, a Medical Missions group of professional performers who volunteer to entertain veterans and children. Her performances have raised thousands for Hurricane Katrina Survivors, Haitian Relief efforts, The Red Cross and numerous other local charities.
Dana P. Hawkins - Dana P. was raised in East Orange, NJ and knew the arts was where she wanted to be. She attended Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts and was bit by the dance bug. Having joined the Dance Academy, and being the youngest member, Dana knew her hunger would lead her to excellence. Performing for artists like the late, great Whitney Houston and other celebrities, Dana was creating her own journey of a life in the arts.
It was Dana’s passion for dance, that led her to act, where she truly began to step into her purpose as an artist. A triple threat, quadruple if you count choreography, is what amazes Dana the most. “To wake up and know I’m blessed with three talents, gifts, is very humbling and I’m just truly thankful.”
Trained at Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, Dana learned how to truly tap in to her instrument and use herself unapologetically. “When truly in the work, I get lost. Free of judgment, free of the guards I put up, and free of self-doubt. It’s just me and my spirit. Exhilarating to say the least.”
“I know who I am, who I am to be, and where I am going. Everything else just falls in line.” DPH
Jeff Foote is an actor, singer and tap dancer, and has been performing for over 20 years. Jeffry has trained in the art of tap with Deborah Mitchell, Karen Calloway Williams, Omar Edwards, and many others. Some of his past credits include "Riffin & Tappin", "Dance Bojangles Dance", "42nd Street", "Shades Of Harlem", and recently New York City Center Encores “Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" directed and choreographed by Savion Glover.
Monet Sheard - As a young girl, Monet Sheard’s canvases were her living room walls. Her creative soul has always made its presence in the physical world. Art, for her, is a crucial means for simply living, gathering inspiration from imperfection, and not taking life too seriously. Monet’s art is driven by her interests in perception, embodied experience, musicians, and feelings of self. She strives to make the concerns of art relevant to society at large.
Her work explores the varying relationships between popular culture and fine art. Monet admires the beauty of faces, unique expressions, depth, color, and geometry. Within her work, she aims for realism and a beautiful, unique portrayal of her subjects. Monet’s digital works span graphic design, website development, animation, and logo design. For her physical art, Monet’s choices in mediums are abundant, ranging from paint to plaster.
Lawrence Allen - Born on December 28, 1977, in New York, New York, a musician was born by the name of Lawrence Wade Anthony Allen. Surrounded by a musical family, including a father who played the saxophone, a grandmother who played the organ and siblings who sang and played a variety of musical instruments; a love for music was inevitable for Lawrence. It wasn’t until he moved to New Jersey at the age of four that he actually showed an interest in music. Trying his hand at different instruments as a youngster led him to discover his true passion – the piano. At four years old, he practiced drumming which lasted for a year. When he turned seven, he discovered a keen interest in the guitar and began playing for approximately two years. It wasn’t until Lawrence asked his father to show him some chords on his tenth Christmas present, a synthesizer keyboard that he realized where his true passion lied. After learning three chords in every key, Lawrence began to intensely study by ear, playing with his brother’s and his father’s gospel group, and ultimately practiced relentlessly.
At twelve years old, Lawrence began playing for the church that he grew up in, New Zion Revival Temple in Newark, NJ. At the age of seventeen, Lawrence had become a keyboardist for the Live Recording of Newark’s Deliverance Crusade Choir. This was just the beginning of a promising musical career. At eighteen years of age, he was the musical director for another live recording project which took place at The Love of Jesus Family Church. Listening to music by artists such as James Hall, John P. Kee, Hezekiah Walker, and Richard Smallwood, inspired Lawrence and his desire to play the piano the most. He not only listened to and learned gospel music, but he developed a deep interest in the pioneers of the classical music genre, in particular, Ludwig Von Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Frederic Chopin, and J.S. Bach. His love for the classical sound was so intense that it rapidly became apparent in his own music.
By the age of 23, Lawrence had been the musical director for another live recording and had begun working in the studio, writing and producing his own music. Lawrence has worked with such artists as, Lauren Hill, James Hall, and Hezekiah Walker. Lawrence developed an intense desire to share his talents with the world at the age of 25. He has traveled to Japan on numerous occasions for six, eight, and ten-week tours in 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Today, Lawrence has created an entirely unique sound of his own due to his love of gospel and classical music. His ultimate goal is to have his music heard through live performance and recordings so that he may share its beauty with the world.
Gregory Burrus Productions invites you to come join us in one of our favorite places for music, movement and now art. It's going to be a truly fabulous night of live music, tap dance. art and more. It's time to let loose, groove to the beat and soak up the electrifying atmosphere! Be there April 28th at 8:00pm! Limited seating so please register today.
