Allentown, PA — The Allentown Public Theatre, a non-profit 501C3 organization, based in downtown Allentown, is thrilled to announce The Spotlight Cabaret and Piano Bar with regular performances at The Allentown Brew Works. The shows will take place the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday of every month in the High Gravity Lounge on the second floor of The Allentown Brew Works. The next performance is scheduled for September 8th. Doors open at 7pm for pre-show dinner and drinks. The cabaret begins at 8pm with open piano bar to follow. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own sheet music or sing from our books. Admission will be $8 per person, $5 to seniors and students with ID. There is a two drink minimum which includes all bar drinks, soda, and bottled water. Interested patrons can call The Allentown Brew Works at 610-433-7777; the restaurant is located at 812 W. Hamilton St in Allentown. All proceeds benefit the Allentown Public Theatre.

Opening night on August 25^th was a hit with the audience. Over 70 people attended to see the cast of the Spotlight Cabaret sing classic and contemporary Broadway and standards. Performers included professional actors from around the Lehigh Valley. When the cabaret concluded the microphone was passed to the audience. APT was especially excited to see the level of talent from the audience that night!

A company of theater professionals, Allentown Public Theatre was founded in 2008 under the artistic direction of Equity actor Joshua Neth, to perform plays for the public in downtown Allentown and help revitalize the city through the arts.

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JOSHUA NETH is originally from San Diego, California and studied Acting and Directing at Northern Kentucky University. Josh has numerous regional theatre credits, the most recent being the Beast in Civic Theatre of Allentown’s production of Beauty and the Beast. He has directed shows at The State Theatre of Easton, Stage Door Workshop, and Bangor High School, where his production of Guys and Dolls received the school’s first ever Freddy Award nominations.

As a member of Actor’s Equity, the professional stage actors union, Josh has performed in national tours with The Metamorphosis Company, The Chamber Repertory Theatre of Boston and Theatre IV Virginia. Joshua played Off-Broadway in New York as the leading role “Joe” in The Grove St. Theatre’s production of Lanford Wilson’s Balm in Gilead. He was a member of the 2004 resident acting company for the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and also performed at The Cincinnati Public Theatre.

Joshua now resides with his wife in the Old Allentown District. He is the Artistic Director for the Allentown Public Theatre and also directs the The Associated Mess, an improv. comedy group. Josh is very active with Choch-Key productions, a local independent film and television company with whom he directed and acted in the feature film, Spitting Water.

THE PEOPLE OF THE SPOTLIGHT CABARET

Justin Brehm (Allentown) – Muhlenberg grad, actor, accomplished pianist. Has conducted numerous productions at Civic Theatre of Allentown.

Kristin Sgarro – (Allentown) – Actress, and pianist. Current Muhlenberg student.

Kirsten Rani Almeida- (Hellertown) Numerous local/ national credits. Accomplished NYC cabaret performer.

Shawn Salevsky (Allentown) – DeSales grad. Drama teacher at Nazareth Middle School, vet of Civic productions.

Melissa Egan (Allentown) – Muhlenberg grad, recently seen as “Belle” in Beauty and the Beast.

Cheryl Moritz (Allentown) – Muhlenberg grad, numerous national and local credits. Performed Off-Broadway and toured nationally with Biggs Rossoti and Chamber Theatre.

Stephen Malloy (Allentown)- Muhlenberg grad. Played “Billy” in MST’s production of Carousel.

Jeramie Mayes (Allentown) – Currently playing “Jack” in Penn. Playhouse’s production of Into the Woods.

Katelyn Roof (Allentown) Recently seen in Civic’s production of Parade.

For more great photos visit the gallery on the FACEBOOK page.

Former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Mike Fegley, and Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.). Photo Credit: Mike Laws

Read all about the 9/2/2009 event:

The Hill’s BLOG BRIEFING ROOM “[It was a] night of bipartisan discussion and imbibing…”

The Philadelphia Inquirer “The beer’s on me,” Toomey said.

The Morning Call “The two candidates have agreed to meet afterwards at the Allentown Brew Works over a beer.”

And From Politics PA.com:

Sestak, Toomey share a Brew at “beer summit”

By Alex Roarty
PoliticsPA Staff Writer
roarty@politicspa.com

ALLENTOWN – They arrived at Muhlenberg College, they answered health-care questions, they spoke to reporters afterward.

And then Pat Toomey and Joe Sestak drank.

Following through on an idea meant to echo President Barack Obama’s famous “beer summit” with Henry Louis Gates Jr. and James Crowley, the two Senatorial candidates and their staffs met at Allentown Brew Works shortly after their health-care town hall. The downtown location was near Toomey’s campaign headquarters, and the bar’s relatively close quarters meant the campaign staffs, on completely different sides of the ideological spectrum were forced to mingle.

Not that that was a problem for the candidates themselves. The two shared a table for about an hour, each with a beer. The town hall had gone well, with neither candidate personally attacking the other. In fact, the two took time to compliment the other for engaging in honest, civil public discourse.

The two campaigns had mostly set up on either side of the narrow bar area. Facing away from the bar itself, the Sestak staffers sat on the left, Toomey staffers on the right.

Perhaps even more appropriately, a small group of Specter campaign members sat in the middle.

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Senator Arlen Specter and Mike Fegley

NOTE: Not wanting to leave out Senator Arlen Specter, I was able to say hello to him too in Philadelphia recently.