Sunday, December 9, 2007 - Michael Rapposelli -

With a voice that is a blend of Mario Lanza and Frank Sinatra, Michael performed the standards with the sensitivity of a crooner and the power of an operatic tenor. He delivered, with perfection, impersonations of Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis, Jr., Robert DiNero and so many others. Our members and guests went wild! Not only is Michael an accomplished singer, he's an actor as well. His mother agrees that he is wonderful. In her very own words, "He's not a doctor but still he's marvelous. And such a voice!"

Sunday, November 11th, 2007 - Sandy Warren was the entertainer du jour, certainly knowing how to please our members and guests with her wonderful personality and quick wit. A vocal powerhouse and a born singer, Sandy delighted us all with her show stopping repertoire from Broadway to Opera.

Sunday, October 7th - Entertainer: MICHEL FAYER

It didn't take but a few minutes to know that we had a very special performer on our stage. Michael Fayer's opening number was "Mac the Knife", singing not only in his voice, but impersonating a dozen others as well. And this he did to perfection!

Mike didn't stop with one or two impersonations during his 45 minute act. He has the uncanny ability to perfectly impersonate anyone and everyone. He proved this when he did the voices of Sammy Davis, Jr. ("Candy Man"), Dean Martin ("Amore"), Frank Sinatra ("Summer Wind"), Jimmy Stewart, Katherine Hepburn, Louis Armstrong, and Bill Clinton.

Mike danced, did rap music, hilarious parodies, and was a very funny comedian. Also in his repertoire of voices was Sylvester Stallone, Mike Tyson, Jack Nicholson, Clint Eastwood, Tom Jones, and Archie and Edith Bunker.

Before Mike concluded his performance, he dedicated a song to those who served in the Armed Forces. His closing number, wearing a black toupee, was a tribute to Elvis singing "Vive Las Vegas".

For an early morning performance, Mike's engines were sure revved up. He was all over the stage and captivated the audience. A standing ovation was a given.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2007 - Entertainer: Christy Mauro

Charming and very talented vocalist, CHRISTY MAURO, entertained us with her beautiful voice and a wide variety of songs from Barbra Streisand ("The Way We Were", "People Who Need People", and "Hello Dolly") to Al Jolson ("Swanee", "Mammy"). She also shared some interesting facts about her show business family and how she has been singing since the age of four. Christy is proud to say that her mother is Jewish, which makes her Jewish. Her father is Italian. He arranges her music. She is married to David Cohen, a musician. The two of them perform together on Los Olas in Fort Lauderdale.

The entire family is most talented, from her parents, right down to their 8-year old son who is doing his own movie. Christy has toured all over the world and was in the movie, "Scapegoat". At the conclusion of a special tribute to Judy Garland, singing "Somewhere over the rainbow" and "Come to the Cabaret", Christy received a standing ovation

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 - Guest Speaker: MARCI SHATZMAN

Once again we had the pleasure of hearing Marci Shatzman, Senior Copy Editor with the Sun-Sentinel. She mesmerized us with the journey of her career and some inside information about Philadelphia during Mayor Frank Rizzo days.

During her climb to success, Marci worked for several local papers in the Philadelphia market before relocating to Chicago. Fortunately for us Philadelphians, she had the desire to return and the Evening Bulletin had the foresight to put her on staff. With her mentor and good friend, Rose DeWolf, Marci enjoyed much success until the demise of the Bulletin.

Marci's move to Florida was made perfect by her position at the Sun-Sentinel, where, for the past seven years, she has been the 55+ condo “Guru” in the Palm Beach County western communities.

Marci finished her talk with a quiz on Philadelphia sports and events trivia. Stuffed teddy bears, compliments of the Sun-Sentinel, were given to those who supplied the correct answers.

Sunday, July 8 - The DooWop Kids, Vinnie & Paulie
Vinnie and Paulie, our DooWop Kids, took us on a wonderful journey down memory lane with songs like “Venus” and “Don’t Be Cruel”. They took us on a “Sea Cruise” and brought us back “In the Still of the Night”. Vinnie and Paulie never fail to bring us a fun party! Many of the Philly crowd were inspired enough to get up and dance - our own Philadelphia Social Club “Bandstand” right here in South Florida.

Vinnie charmed the ladies as he walked around and sang at our tables. It made us all feel like screaming teenagers again and without a doubt, everyone enjoyed their wonderful performance.

This meeting will long be remembered by a very special couple - Co-president Carol Weiss and her new husband, Jack Singer. Carol and Jack were married in Las Vegas on July 2nd, 2007 and The Philadelphia Social Club celebrated this happy occasion.

There were several Philly Club members who sponsored the meeting in honor of their marriage. One of our members, Ann Chudnoff, created a wedding cake complete with bride and groom on the top and decorated the happy couple's table with silver balloons, pink rose petals, and streamers.

Co-president Dellie Rosen paid tribute to Carol and Jack by reading a poem to them that she wrote - from the time they met to the present.

It was truly a memorable meeting from start to finish.

Sunday, June 10 - FREE BINGO - something a little different, rather than the usual entertainment. A total of $300 in cash prizes was awarded. The meeting went quite well and was most enjoyed by members and guests alike.

Each player received one sheet containing five free Bingo cards. Additional cards were sold to those wishing to play more than one card at a time. It was one hour of fun, especially for the winners.

Our thanks to Richie Cerota who called out the numbers and to Gil Sobel who helped him with the big board. Additional thanks to both Carol Weiss and Richie Cerota for organizing and setting up the Bingo. It was so successful that we plan to do it again some time next year.

Sunday, May 6 - Entertainer: Michael Rapposelli, Harvard Graduate, Singer, Actor, Comedian - From the second Michael set foot on stage, he bonded with our members and guests, especially when he told us that he hailed from South Philadelphia and was half Jewish. His charismatic stage presence filled the room as much as his powerful voice, funny antics, and ability to REALLY tell a joke.

Michael's act sure packed a wallop! His impersonations of Elvis Presley, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, and Tom Jones were beyond excellent! But when he did his version of Jackie Mason, you actually thought you were looking at the real JM. Same for Sammy Davis, Jr. Equally entertaining was when he sang "Faniculi, Fanicula", replacing the Italian words with his own hilarious lyrics.

In other words, Michael did a lot more than sing. BUT when he sang, you never heard anything like it, as evidenced by the song, "Bring Him Home" from the show "Les Miserables". Michael received standing ovations after practically every song, and we would have loved him to continue even after his time was up.

Michael's talents are endless. His professional appearances have ranged from portraying historical figures on the Broadway stage to being a resident pianist at the world famous Comedy Store on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. He was a musical director and band leader for the longest running comedy in off-Broadway history - "Tony 'N' Tina's Wedding" and when he lived in L.A., he guest-starred in a number of television sitcoms.

Michael Rapposelli performs the standards with the sensitivity of a crooner and the power of an operatic tenor. We were indeed fortunate to be in his audience today and can't wait for him to return again next year!

Sunday, April 15 marked the 3rd Birthday of The Philadelphia Social Club and joining us were over 230 members and guests.

At 11:00 a.m., the room came to life when the spotlight focused on the very pretty and talented, Mindy McGee. Mindy started off with a few popular oldies and within seconds, everyone was singing right along with her.

Next, Mindy did an excellent impression of Louis Armstrong, both vocally and on trumpet. But Mindy's talent did not stop there. She was equally proficient on guitar and she surely mesmerized the audience with her most captivating and powerful voice.

After a bit, Mindy introduced her significant other, Robert Alicea, who sang in Spanish the beautiful love song, "Besame Mucho" while playing his guitar.

To diversify her act, and what a delight this was, Mindy introduced her mother, Jeannie Reynolds, whose show business career included many years of entertaining in the Catskills. Jeannie, too, had a lovely singing voice and surely captured the audience.

To close the show, Mindy and her mother sang a delightful song, written and produced by Mindy about their lives together. It was an incredible end to a spectacular show, which needless to say was certainly enjoyed by all, attested to by a couple of standing ovations.

Sunday, March 11 - Our members were treated to, and enjoyed, a special catered breakfast in honor of both the Opening Meeting of the New Season and the Installation of Officers.

After a few announcements by co-presidents Carol Weiss and Dellie Rosen, the new Board was sworn in by Marci Shatzman, a former Philadelphian and journalist/editor for the Sun-Sentinel.

Our performer was 18-year old Chad Juros, handsomely dressed and looking adorable as he breezed thru his magic act with the stage presence and talent of David Copperfield.

Speaking of Copperfield, Chad had been cast as the young David Copperfield in a primetime TV show. His many credits also include several performances at the Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn, as well as an appearance on Criss Angel's mind Freak Show for the A&E network.

We would be remiss if we didn't mention Chad's latest honor - he was recently named "Man of the Year" by the American Cancer Society.

Chad's magic, coordinated with upbeat background music, amazed us all. When he asked someone in the audience for a bill, Carol Weiss produced a fifty. As expected, it disappeared, but then reappeared moments later inside a fresh lemon that Chad cut open before our very eyes. Chad's mesmerizing performance will long be remembered by everyone in attendance at the meeting.

February 11 - With the return of our snowbird members, year- rounders, and many guests, our room was bursting at the seams. Over 350 people enjoyed the morning, especially when vocalist entertainer, Lenny King, took center stage.

A former Philadelphian, Lenny, dressed in an elegant black tux, sang many familiar love songs to the delight of our members. If Lenny King were to audition for American Idol, he'd be off to the finals in the blink of an eye. What a powerful and great singing voice! It was indeed a privilege to hear him sing. Lenny had the attention of our audience to the very end of his performance and received a standing ovation.

January 28 - No General Meeting. Instead Third AnnualMummer's Luncheon- See EVENTS for report.