The Alternative Press

Atlantic County has declared a State of Emergency and the Atlantic County Emergency Operations Center is at full activation as of 3 AM, Saturday, June 30 in response to severe storms that moved through the area Friday evening.  A travel restriction is in effect and Officials are asking residents to stay off of the roadways so that crews can remove fallen trees and debris. 

Atlantic City Electric is working to clear utility wires and restore power.  According to the Atlantic City Electric web site, more than 168,000 customers are without power at this time.

If you see damage or downed wires in your area, please report them to your municipal emergency management office.

The Bay-Atlantic Symphony is proud to announce the signing of one of today’s hottest show business acts to perform with them at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City on Sunday, September 23.

Straight from America’s Got Talent and worldwide fame, The Texas Tenors will bring their unique blend of opera, pop, and country music, seasoned with a Texas flavor, combined with the sound of the Bay-Atlantic Symphony, conducted by Music Director Jed Gaylin, to the Symphony’s fifth annual gala concert at 3 p.m. that day at the Borgata’s Music Box.

“We are thrilled and excited to have The Texas Tenors perform with us,” said Bay-Atlantic Symphony Executive Director Paul Herron. “This tremendous group is in demand in top venues all over the world and so it is a true honor to have them make their Atlantic City premiere with the Bay-Atlantic Symphony.”

Tickets ($65 and $50) will go on sale July 14. For ticket information, call (866) 900-4849. The ticket price is subsidized by a generous grant from the PNC Arts Alive grant program.

“I’m sure that tickets will be going fast, as soon as they are available, so I would advise everyone to get their tickets early, as soon as they go on sale,” Herron said.

The Texas Tenors bring something for everybody to their show, which they have taken from Branson, Missouri, to Great Britain, China, and Australia. They will leave you amazed and craving for more as they blend skills in classical music and opera with country, pop, and show music. All this will be combined with the backing of the full Bay-Atlantic Symphony.

“The PNC Foundation has a long history of providing grants to non-profit organizations that strengthen and enrich the lives of our neighbors,” said Bill Mills, president of PNC for Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. “We understand the valuable return that investing in the arts can deliver. Today more than ever, the businesses we attract, the jobs we create and the visitors who extend their stay are drawn by what the greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey region has to offer.”

For this prestigious grant award, only 26 arts organizations in the Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey region were selected for bold thinking around increasing arts access and engagement and the Bay-Atlantic Symphony was one. For more information on PNC Arts Alive and the grant recipients, visitwww.PNCARTSALIVE.com.

For more information on the Bay-Atlantic Symphony’s concerts and programs, please call the Symphony at (856) 451-1169, visit their website at www.bayatlanticsymphony.org or visit them on Facebook.

 Sophisticated Productions returns to the Wildwoods Convention Center Sunday, July 15 through Friday, July 20 for National Dance Competitions. 

The six-day event will feature solos, duets, trios, small groups, large groups, lines and productions, featuring a range of dancers – from amateur to experienced – from all over the country. All performances are choreographed to music and prizes will be awarded.

Dancers will compete in the following categories: Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Open, Musical Theater, Character, Hip Hop, Acro, Modern, Pom Pom, Clogging, Ballet, Pointe, Song/Dance, Voice and Contemporary.

Sophisticated Productions dance competitions focuses on professionally organized dance competitions across the nation that educate dancers in a positive, fun and, most importantly, stress-free environment. Competitions will be held 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Admission is FREE.

For additional information, please call 413-568-4815 or visit www.SophisticatedProductions.com. For additional information about the Wildwoods, visit www.WildwoodsNJ.com or call 800-992-9732.

Effective July 1, 2012, general admission to the Philadelphia Museum of Art will increase from $16 to $20 and will now be offered as a two-day ticket, enabling visitors to return the next day of operation to take full advantage of all of the Museum’s facilities, including the Main building and Anne d’Harnoncourt Sculpture Garden, the Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building, and the newly restored Rodin Museum (Reopening on July 13, 2012). Additionally, complimentary shuttle transportation will now be available for the first time between all three buildings during operating hours, the Museum’s popular Pay-What-You-Wish admission policy on the first Sunday of each month will remain in place, and beginning in the fall, the Museum will expand the hours it is open to the public to include Wednesday evenings from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. with Pay-What-You-Wish admission. Membership prices will also remain unchanged, offering members free, unlimited general admission for one year.