IN THE ARTS
Compiled by Gloria Stravelli Designed by Eileen Russell Gerber

Nancy Scharff will present her annual

"God & Country Patriotic Concert" on Friday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m., at King of Kings Lutheran Church, 250 Harmony Road, Middletown. Joining Nancy will be an ecumenical choir made up of singers from local churches. The special concert celebrates the Fourth of July and will benefit the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation, a nonprofit that aids children with cancer and their families. There will be a slide show of loved ones in uniform, whose pictures will be displayed on screens. To have a loved one honored at the concert, send a photo to NScharff@aol.com, or drop off pictures to be scanned at King of Kings Church. Photos will be returned. A free-will offering will be collected. Refreshments will be served following the concert. For more information, call: 732-671-3348 or 732- 671-3314 or visit www.NancyScharff.com

Can an aspiring novelist handle an unwelcome guest, a meddling mother and a budding romance? He can, and in hilarious fashion, in the production of "Roommates" today, Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at First Avenue Playhouse, 123 First Ave., Atlantic Highlands. Tickets are $20. For information and reservations, call 732-291-7552 or visit www.firstavenueplayhouse.com.

The Fab Faux is the band to see if you want to know what it might have been like if The Beatles toured behind their later albums. The band's appearance at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank June 28 at 8 p.m. is an annual and always-sold-out tradition. All five band members are strong lead vocalists and are committed to the accurate reproduction of The Beatles' repertoire. Tickets $35-$500.

Their Top 10 Hits include "A Horse With No Name," "Ventura Highway" and "(This Is for All the) Lonely People," and at 8 p.m. on June 27, America will perform at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank. The members of America all met in high school in England and were barely teenagers when they became an overnight sensation. Original members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell still do more than 100 shows a year. Tickets are $20-$55 at the box office, 99 Monmouth St., www.countbasietheatre.org. or 732- 842-1900.

Back by popular demand, Julie Budd will perform in concert at 7 p.m. June 29 at the Ruth Hyman Jewish Community Center in Deal Park. Budd's credits range from television to film, to the most lavish casinos and showrooms in the country. The concert will take place in the Axelrod Performing Arts Center, 100 Grant Ave. Tickets: $25, seniors and students $20, patron seats $54. For tickets and information, call 732-531-9100.

The 29th annual Asbury Park Jazz Festival will take place June 28 and 29 in scenic Sunset Park. The two-day outdoor music festival showcases some of the world's finest contemporary jazz musicians.

This year's lineup includes trumpeter Tom Browne, who won prestigious Billboard honors of Best Instrumentalist, Best Jazz Crossover and Best Jazz Solo Album; legendary keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith, who has performed with some of the biggest names in jazz history; and Roy Ayers, vibraphonist virtuoso and one of the most respected artists in music history.

Gospel music dominates the stage on Sunday, featuring New Jersey's most famous choirs. The festival is free and runs from noon until 7 p.m. each day. Sunset Park is located at the corner of Main Street and Sunset Park. A full schedule can be found on cityofasburypark. com.

Performance With Passion Players at Eatontown Playhouse will hold open

auditions for a children's musical review 4-7 p.m. June 30.

Prepare to sing something and wear comfortable clothing for dancing. The musical review of shows through the years for ages 5 and up will be performed by and for children. Eatontown Playhouse is located at 37-13 Route 35 north, Eatontown. For information, call 732-888- 0339 or visit www.eaton-townplayhouse. com.

Atlantic Artisans gallery in Atlantic Highlands will host "Opera in the Gallery," a free night of music and art Friday, June 27. Opera by Carly McIlvaine and art by oil painters Eunice Vellon, Highlands, and Michael McCrink, Atlantic Highlands. Preview party 5 p.m., opera 7 p.m.

McIlvaine, a member of the National Chorale, the resident professional choir of Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, will present a concert of best-loved opera arias. The concert brings opera music to the public in a more relaxed setting than the traditional concert hall. Atlantic Artisans, a gallery showing local and American artists, is located at 68 First Ave., Atlantic Highlands. For information, visit www.atlanticartisans.com or call 732-291-0100.

The Gallery at the Market in Asbury Park will host a fundraiser in support of the Arts Coalition of Asbury Park on Sunday, June 29. The Art for Life event will showcase the work of artist Dawn von Suskil, muralist and co-owner of The Muralists Painting Studio in Bradley Beach.

Her work explores color, the abstraction of nature and fluidity of line, creating lyrical, expressive and joyful pieces. The reception will begin at 4 p.m. at Market in the Middle, 516 Cookman Ave. in Asbury Park. A donation of $20 is suggested. For more information, call 732-776-8886. To learn more about ArtsCAP, visit www.artscap.org.

Plein air paintings will be on exhibit June 28 to Sept. 3 at the Guild of Creative Art in Shrewsbury. The exhibit features work by the Plein Air Painters of the Jersey Coast. Hours are noon to 4:30 p.m. but the guild is being renovated, so call to verify the show schedule. The guild is located at 620 Broad St. For information, call 732-741-1441 or visit www.guildofcreativeart.com.

The Newark Black Film Festival (NBFF), produced since 1974 by The Newark Museum, returns to Asbury Park this year beginning with the showing of "The Promised Land" episode of the highly acclaimed civil rights movement documentary series

"Eyes on the Prize" at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 27, at the Asbury Park High School Auditorium, 1003 Sunset Ave.

Of local interest is "The Ditchdigger's Daughters," which tells the story of Donald Thornton, a Long Branch native, and his six daughters who would beat the odds of growing up black and female in the 1950s and '60s. This film is a testament to a father's love and the persistence, as well as strength, of his daughters who overcame poverty and racism to become accomplished professionals. Showing on July 25 at 7 p.m., the event includes a reception and book signing by one of Thornton's daughters, Dr. Yvonne Thornton, author of the book on which the movie is based.

Other films in the festival include: "Back to Africa," showing July 8 at 7 p.m.; "Blackout," showing July 11 at 7 p.m.; "Hallelujah!" one of the first all-black films produced by a major studio, showing July 18 at 7 p.m.; and a special night celebrating the Paul Robeson Award-winning films, with discussions with filmmakers and Paul Robeson Jr.

All films are shown at the Asbury Park High School Auditorium and include post-film discussions with special panelists including filmmakers, historians and authors.

The festival also includes a children's series at 2 p.m. each Friday. For a full schedule, visit the Monmouth County Arts Council's Web site, www.monmoutharts.org.