Justin Boccitto Performs George M. Cohan Tonight! At YM-YWHA August 26

Performer, choreographer and tap teacher Justin Boccitto will be performing in Chip Deffaa's award-winning Off-Broadway show, "George M. Cohan Tonight!" at the Wayne, NJ YM-YWHA Theater, 7 p.m., Thursday, August 26th in a special free presentation to cap the Y's summer concert series. This rousing one-man show--which has wowed audiences from Milwaukee to Miami, from Edinburgh, Scotland, to Seoul, Korea--packs nearly 40 songs into 90 minutes, to tell the story of the quintessential song-and-dance man. You'll hear not just such rousing Cohan classics as "You're a Grand Old Flag," "Give My Regards to Broadway," and "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy," but a wealth of wonderful rediscoveries--rich with sentiment, syncopation, and joyously life-affirming melody. "George M. Cohan Tonight!," starring Justin Boccitto and directed by Deffaa, opens a window onto a fabulous era in show business.

Known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway," Cohan (1878-1942) founded modern musical comedy--making Broadway, not Europe, the standard-setter for the world. And he remade the American songbook. For his contributions to the American spirit, via patriotic songs like "Over There," Cohan became the first member of his profession ever honored with a Congressional Medal. ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award-winning writer Chip Deffaa--the leading authority on Cohan-notes: "Cohan's songs are timeless bits of Americana."

Justin Boccitto has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, Willow Cabin Theatre Company and teaches tap and theatre dance at Broadway Dance Center. Other performance credits include: Tap City, Papermill Playhouse, Centenary Stage Company and the Drama League's "Salute to Chita Rivera" featuring Ann Reinking, Bebe Neuwirth, Elaine Stritch, Alan Cumming and Liza Minnelli. Justin also performed with the New Jersey Tap Ensemble in "Broadway To Brunswick" starring Marvin Hamlish and Rachel York. Bocittto has choreographed most of playwright Chip Deffaa's shows for the past decade, from Deffaa's various musicals celebrating Cohan, to "The
Seven Little Foys" (both regionally and in New York), and most recently to
the Off-Broadway-bound "One Night With Fanny Brice," which had its premiere
at the Wayne, NJ YMHA in April. Deffaa's "George M. Cohan Tonight!" will also
be opening at the New Players Theatre on the West End in London, September
21st, 2010. And while Boccitto will not be starring in that London production-an actor who resides in England will have that honor-some of Boccitto's choreography will be seen. Boccitto will be performing his own choreography at the "Y."

"George M. Cohan Tonight!," will be presented 7 p.m., Thursday, August 26th at the YM-YWHA of North Jersey, One Pike Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470. This special free event will cap the Y's Summer Concert series. The running time is 90 minutes. Richard Danley will be the musical director. For more information or reservations, please contact the YM-YWHA of North Jersey at (973) 595-0100 (extension 237), or visit www.ymha-nj.org. The cast album is available from Sh-K-Boom / Ghostlight Records.

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