ATLANTIC CITY — Resorts Casino Hotel confirmed that singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett will be strummin’ his six-string as the special guest during Saturday afternoon’s free-and-open-to-the-public beach concert at the newly opened $35 million Margaritaville complex.
Word began circulating a while ago that the world’s most famous bronzed beach bum (pictured left) might be part of the show — the first in a series of summer entertainment Resorts says it has in store at Margaritaville — but Buffett’s presence was either intentionally kept under wraps (attendance will escalate to an insane degree as Parrotheads flock in), or the superstar simply decided on a whim to show up and give his latest business venture the initiation it deserves.
Buffett is currently on a six-week hiatus from his Songs from St. Somewhere Tour, which picks back up at the Comcast Center on June 22 in Boston. He’ll return to South Jersey three days after that, at Camden’s Susquehanna Bank Center, on June 25.
The free concert will also include musicians Andy Grammer, Mac McAnally and Wilson Phillips. Staged on the LandShark Beach (adjacent to the LandShark Bar & Grill) at Resorts from 1pm into the evening (the last concert starts at 7pm), the event will be a series of 90-minute sets interspersed with DJ entertainment, prize giveaways, and more. It has not been specified when Buffett will take the stage.
McAnally, the Country Music Association’s Musician of the Year for five years running, and a longtime associate of Buffett’s (as a member of the Coral Reefer Band) will be part of the lineup, as will pop singer Andy Grammer and the trio Wilson Phillips, comprised of sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson (daughters of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson) and Chynna Phillips (daughter of The Mamas & The Papas’ John and Michelle Phillips).
ATLANTIC CITY — Entertainment tryouts are being held on the 13th floor Screening Room of Resorts Casino today and tomorrow (Thursday and Friday, April 18-19), as local entertainers vie for the opportunity to perform at the soon-to-be-opened Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville and LandShark Bar & Grill, which is set to open in May.
The band Route 9 auditions at Resorts Thursday afternoon, April 18
The tryouts are by appointment only both days from 10am-6pm. Auditions are available to full bands, duos and trios, and solo acoustic guitar solo artists.
Musicians will compete for a spot on an entertainment roster that will feature seven-night-per-week performances at the new Margaritaville Café and at the LandShark Bar & Grill — the first-ever full-service bar and restaurant directly located on the famous Atlantic City beachfront at Resorts.
Talent scouts will be evaluating talent with a particular focus on fun, upbeat acts specializing in cover songs ranging from classic rock to Top 40.
ATLANTIC CITY — Gallagher’s Burger Bar, located directly across from Gallagher’s Steakhouse on Resorts’ dining level, will present a Craft Beer & Small Bites event on Friday, Feb. 1, from 7-10pm at the Burger Bar.
Among the brews to be sampled will be the New Jersey Beer Company's Hudson Pale Ale (above).
For a $25 per-person cost, guests can enjoy an extensive selection of craft beer choices and scrumptious small-plate items while helping Gallagher’s select its new craft beer list. Prizes will be awarded throughout the night, including tickets to the eighth annual Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival (the “Celebration of the Suds”) April 5-6 at the A.C. Convention Center.
Several draft and bottled beers will be available for sampling, including various Belgium pale ales, India pale ales, dark ales, bocks and stouts, wheat and white beers, and fruit beers and ciders.
This is a reservations-only event.
Call (609) 340-6555 to make reservations or for more information. Tickets can also be purchased at Gallagher’s Steakhouse.
ATLANTIC CITY — Gary Van Hettinga, the newly named president and CEO of Resorts Atlantic City, was the featured speaker at the Atlantic City Hotel & Lodging Association (ACHLA) luncheon Thursday, Sept. 17, at Resorts Ballroom.
New Resorts CEO Gary Van Hettinga
Resorts recently entered into a partnership with the Connecticut-based Mohegan Sun, which has full ownership of casinos in Connecticut and Pennsylvania and will have a minority ownership in Resorts. Van Hettinga also serves as president of Mohegan Gaming Advisors, the management subsidiary of Mohegan Sun.
Van Hettinga says that Resorts and the Indian-owned Mohegan Sun is a synergy that will include an exciting new cross-marketing program to allow customers at Resorts and Mohegan Sun’s casinos in Connecticut (Foxwoods) and Pennsylvania (Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs) to use their hotel, dining and entertainment comps at all three properties.
ATLANTIC CITY — Girls Night: The Musical recently opened at Resorts Screening Room and runs through Sept. 1, with shows every Thursday and Friday at 7:30pm, and Saturday at 3:30pm and 7:30pm.
The Thursday, July 26, show will serve as a benefit for Tom Palermo, a Somers Point resident and active community member recently diagnosed with colorectal cancer that requires surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
“Girls Night is all about having fun and letting loose, and it’s about friends and friends helping each other out,” says director Sonya Carter in a media release. “We realized the show can be a great platform to giving back to the community and that is what we want to do to help Tom and his family.”
Tickets are $45 and can be purchased at Resorts’ box office or by clicking here. All those who attend the July 26 show will receive a gift card for ONEHOPE Wines at the event.
ATLANTIC CITY — While a singer doing a Frank Sinatra tribute in Atlantic City may not initially sound groundbreaking, 19-year-old crooner Brandon Tomasello has captivated audiences by channeling not just the sound but also the look of ‘Ol Blue Eyes — right down to wearing custom cufflinks, shoes, and even a Sinatra-esque pinky ring.
Back by popular demand after charming Atlantic City casino audiences earlier this year with his Sing Swing Sinatraprogram, Tomasello will be back this Friday and Saturday nights, July 20-21, for a show called Back in the Day that recognizes the great singers of the legendary nightclubs of the 1950s and ‘60s.
Joined by comedians and renowned impersonators of said singers of legendary clubs, Andre and Cirell, Back in the Day will be a night of laughs and music, mixing musical comedy with the fresh vocal styling of Tomasello and the classic songs we know and love.
An eight-piece orchestra will back Tomasello for the first time in his performing career, helping him to recreate the big band sound of his idol Sinatra. His vocal talent, candid between-song patter, charismatic stage presence and humble appreciation of the musical greats make Tomasello an act not to be missed.
Back in the Day will be debuting this Friday and Saturday, July 20-21, at 8pm at the Starlight Room at Resorts. Tickets are $20 and are available through Ticketmaster, at Resorts box office or by calling 800-334-6378. — Lindsey Appleton
Las Vegas regular T-Fox has been east at Resorts for a while as a popular performer at the casino’s 25 Hour Bar. Currently he has expanded his show to the Superstar Theater.
The T-Fox House Party continues through July 12 on Tuesdays, 8pm (no show July 5), Wednesdays, 3 and 8pm and Thursdays, 8pm. Tickets are $25. There is also an additional show on Sunday, June 24 at 3:30pm. Go here for video of the show.
ATLANTIC CITY — On April 11 the City Council of Atlantic City unanimously approved an ordinance to rename North Carolina Avenue Dennis C. Gomes Avenue.
On Friday, May 18, A.C. Mayor Lorenzo T. Langford and city officials will hold a street-naming dedication at the intersection of Pacific and North Carolina avenues at 1:30pm for the longtime casino executive who passed away in February.
“Dennis Gomes achieved much success and received nationwide acclaim for his important accomplishments in the gaming and hospitality industry,” the ordinance states. “Dennis Gomes was affectionately known as ‘Mr. Resorts’ and was highly respected and noted for his excellent marketing, promotional and management skills, as well as for his honesty, integrity, and professionalism.”
“My father loved Atlantic City — the potential it held, the closeness of the community and the opportunities it gave him and our family,” said Aaron Gomes, Dennis’ son and the executive vice president of Resorts, in a media release. “For Mayor Langford and the City Council to recognize his vast achievements in taking Atlantic City forward as a destination and his strength of character is a gracious gesture. It is truly an honor for our family that my father’s name will be forever part of a city in which he gave so much of his heart.”
The Atlantic City region and casino industry has lost one of its best champions and true visionaries with the shocking and sudden passing of Dennis Gomes. His most recent project was the revival of Atlantic City’s first casino, Resorts. Gomes Gaming, Inc. purchased Resorts in 2010. However, he had been a champion of the city and a successful executive every time he turned up in town.
He helped improve profits dramatically in his first gig locally as president of Trump Taj Mahal in the 1990s.
Then under his management of Aztar Corporation, owners of Tropicana Atlantic City (1995-2005), he helped create the conception and implementation of The Quarter.
I will always remember him for his enthusiasm, whether it was at a press conference for kickboxing at the Trop (he held 5th degree black belt in Tang Soo Do and a 2nd degree black belt in Hopkido), the grand opening of the IMAX Theatre, or more recently his plans to revitalize Resorts.
When he purchased Resorts he noted that, “I have disagreed with the doom and gloom analysts who have painted a bleak picture of our city. We have lost some market share because of the convenient locations of slot parlors in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York, but in the long run, Atlantic City will prevail.”
He believed in Atlantic City with as much passion as those of us who grew up here. The biggest compliment I can give Dennis Gomes is that he had sand in his shoes.
My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends.
The classic doo-wop vocal group The Duprees, celebrating 50 years in the music business, will perform Saturday, Feb. 25 at Resorts as part of the crowning of the Mrs. New Jersey and Mrs. Pennsylvania in the “Official Preliminary Competition” to the Mrs. America and Mrs. World Organizations.
The pageant begins at 6pm and the Duprees concert takes place at 9pm. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased from Ticketmaster and at the Resorts Box Office.
Word began circulating a while ago that the world’s most famous bronzed beach bum (pictured left) might be part of the show — the first in a series of summer entertainment Resorts says it has in store at Margaritaville — but Buffett’s presence was either intentionally kept under wraps (attendance will escalate to an insane degree as Parrotheads flock in), or the superstar simply decided on a whim to show up and give his latest business venture the initiation it deserves.
ATLANTIC CITY — Girls Night: The Musical recently opened at Resorts Screening Room and runs through Sept. 1, with shows every Thursday and Friday at 7:30pm, and Saturday at 3:30pm and 7:30pm.
Las Vegas regular T-Fox has been east at Resorts for a while as a popular performer at the casino’s 25 Hour Bar. Currently he has expanded his show to the Superstar Theater.
