Linda Gentille to Bring “American Piano Show” to WCU

Entertainer Linda Gentille, whom the late Liberace called the “piano princess,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 8, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center on the campus of Western Carolina University.? Gentille’s “American Piano Show” features music of the great American composers, including George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Hoagy Carmichael, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Scott Joplin, John Philip Sousa and Neil Diamond.? Gentille was just a teen when Liberace selected her for a 1986 tour, and she entertains in the style of the man she considered her mentor and friend. Critics have called Gentille “a virtuoso” and “as spectacular to watch as she is to hear.” The China Daily reported that her “masterful presentations rival, and even surpass, those of Liberace.” ? Since she was a child, Gentille has impressed teachers and audiences with her memory. Her repertoire includes more than 2,000 songs, and each of her performances features a medley of audience requests that she plays from memory in the reverse order she received them. Gentille speaks eight foreign languages and during her worldwide performances frequently communicates with audiences in their native tongue. She has recorded more than a dozen CDs and DVDs. Teachers and home instructors are invited to bring children to Gentille’s matinee performances at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., part of WCU’s program “Learning Live,” designed to introduce students in the region to the performing arts and to complement classroom curriculum. This family friendly show is the final installment of FPAC’s 2008-09 Galaxy of Stars Series. Ticket prices are $25 for the general public; $20 for senior citizens and WCU faculty and staff; and $5 for all students. For tickets and more information, contact the FPAC box office at (828) 227-2479. To order online, go to www.ticketreturn.com and select “need tickets” on the left-hand side. Select the “arts & entertainment” tab, and then find “FPAC events” under the “Western Carolina University” heading. Individuals interested in learning more about the student matinees should call the box office or e-mail FPAC director Paul Lormand at lormand@wcu.edu.