A pair of local musicians will bring dreams to life tonight in "Night- ingale," a tribute to musical theater and American jazz.
The event, to be held at 7 p.m. at the Sovereign Majestic Theatre, 209 N. Centre St., Pottsville, will include a program that showcases the talents of local musicians and performers Jenna McBreen and Bruce A. Marianelli.
A 2006 graduate of Schuylkill Haven Area High School, McBreen, 24, lives in Allentown, where she vigorously pursues her lifelong dream of entertaining audiences as an actress and a singer.
After getting a start here in the county thanks to the encouragement of her parents and friends, the tutelage of Marianelli and the chance to work with other local talent, she is well on her way.
A daughter of Robert and Linda McBreen, Schuylkill Haven, she earned a degree in theater, music and dance from Muhlenberg College, Allentown, in 2010.
One of her early performances was a part in "Tuxedo Joe (2007)," a film directed by former county resident Michael Sanchez, and several films made by local author Stephen J. Pytak, including "With Love (2011)" and "Angel 116 (2011), " when she was cast as Marci Matejick, a former FBI agent obsessed with one of her targets - and Pytak's most famous character - the low-rent mercenary known as "The .40 Caliber Mouse."
She returns to the county with a concert she hopes will "treat the crowd to the beat of her heart."
McBreen recorded her first original song in 2011 and works hard every day to further her acting career, aspiring to what she calls her ultimate goal. That is, McBreen said, determinedly and simply, "Broadway."
The show will include a spirited variety of selections from the greatest writers and composers, ranging from Cole Porter ("I Get A Kick out Of You" and "Anything Goes") to Andrew Lloyd Weber ("The Last Man In My Life") and much more.
Marianelli, Pottsville, who will accompany McBreen on piano, is a native of Old Forge. He graduated from Wilkes College and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., with master's degrees in music education and performance. He taught music for 38 years in the Schuylkill Haven Area School District, where he met McBreen, before retiring in 2010.
Marianelli also served as accompanist for another former student, Corinna Sowers-Adler, and her theater students while Adler was director for the Wilkes University Conservatory. He has been a pianist for the After Hours Big Band and is currently an adjunct professor at Alvernia University, Schuylkill Campus, where he teaches courses on "The Development and History of Early Rock 'n' Roll" and "Integrating the Arts into the Classroom."
Marianelli said he is "constantly working with music."
The thing he enjoys most, he said, is performing with his former Schuylkill Haven students, including Corinna and Jenna.
Doors open for the concert at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 18 and under. Tickets are available by calling the Sovereign Majestic ticket office at 570-628-4647.