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ARTS & LEISURE PAGE 28 — THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2011 LOCALSOURCE.COM UNION COUNTY LOCALSOURCE Entertainer started singing and he 'hasn't stopped yet' m m ^ Singer mesmerizes audience at Schaefer Gardens in Union with selection of songs from music legends By Bea Smith Staff Writer It took all of 30 seconds for the senior citizens at Schaefer Gardens in Union to communicate happily with the singer-guitarist, Julian, during a dinner meeting in the Community Room. The very moment this incredible musician, who hails from Bloom- field, became Louis Armstrong — or at least, his impressionist voice did — the women in the audience sighed and swooned, and the men smiled and cheered. And before long, the bearded wonder caught the eye of one woman, Marion Perl- mutter, brought his microphone right to her and sang his rendition of "It Had to Be You." And she sang along with him. It took Julian less than an hour to court all the entranced female ten- ants with his deep, rich voice, and there was wild applause as he imi- tated, with perfection, such icons as Johnny Mathis, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. For a touch of opera, there was the voice of Andre Bocel- li — or was it Pavarotti? What real- ly brought the house down — truly uncontrollably — was Julian's impression of Nat "King" Cole, and believe it or not, Natalie Cole, singing "Unforgettable." Julian, whose last name is Her- nandez, has been doing this sort of thing, professionally, for the past 20 years, I le has his own band, records his music on CDs, tours cities and towns and states. He admitted dur- ing a recent chat, however, his best audiences are senior citizens. "I do a lot of concerts for assist- ed living sites, senior residences and nursing homes. And I get such a thrill when the ladies and gentlemen all look like they're having fun," Julian declared. "It's therapeutic for me." He said he counts his blessings that he is able to bring some form of happiness to the senior citizens. "God opened my eyes to a real appreciation of life," Julian said. "When I see what my music does to these people, I thank them for shar- ing this hour with me. What is life really about? When their eyes are smiling giving me love, it some- times brings a tear to my eyes. Somebody's got to entertain these people," he said. "I thank the Lord for my blessings. I could be enter- taining 10,000 people or just some- one in a wheelchair, and I feel the same way." Julian said that "I've been in front of every kind of audience, but to me, I give and they take. I like to surprise them, too. And when I walk out of their building, 1 feel like I'm on a high." His other appearances included Mario's, Galloping Hill Inn, Beni- to's and the Knights of Columbus, all in Union. Julian has entertained in Linden, Rahway, Cranford, in concerts in the park and in numer- ous Essex County halls. Born in the Bronx, N.Y.. Julian was raised in Hoboken. "I'm that other singer from Hoboken," he mused. "There was Sinatra, and there was Julian." He became interested in music at the age of five. "My mother bought me a toy piano. That was the start of it," Julian recalled. "My uncle played a guitar, and when 1 was 11 years old, I said, 'I'd love to do that. Actually, that was the first time 1 got the bug. Then when I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show on television, I became in love with the guitar. After that, it was music, music, music." In 1969, he joined a band, by filling in for a guitar player who became ill. "I was 14 years old, and I put on dark sunglasses, I was so nervous. But everyone thought that I was so cool," he said. He said he didn't know he had a voice until "I auditioned for a vari- ety show. The lead singer got sick, so they asked me to sing one song. I sang it, and the leader said, 'This guy's great!' So, I started singing, and I haven't stopped yet. And in addition, I do impersonations. I trav- eled with bands in road shows from 1975 and came back home in 1979." If Julian had listened to his father, who wanted him to have an education — he attended New Jer- sey City University to study com- mercial art and become an art teacher — he would never had real- ized that he "had a knack for music, for mimicking the artists by listen- ing to their records and being influ- enced by them." Julian has done "voiceovers, a lot of singing and a lot of records. I was featured as Joe Fortunato, the singing cook, in the movie, 'Among the Jones.'" Julian Hernandez sings 'It Had to Be You' with Mari- on Pertmutter, former president of Union's Schaefer Gardens Tenant Association, at an event in Union. He has appeared on the CD, "GrooveScape Records," had a hit single, "Can't Go This Way Again," which reached number 46 on the Billboard Chart of "The Top 100," and in 2002, was a New York Idol finalist on the radio. He wrote music for and sang in such movies as "Grandview USA," "The Survivalist" and ""True Love," and received a number of musical awards. \The CDs of this man of 1000 voices can be purchased from Fortune Entertainment at www Voicel000.com. "If I had a choice," Julian stated, "I would love to go with a micro- phone in my hand and sing to some- one. Preferably a senior citizen." 'Follow' Kean theater group to 1950s Mississippi Premiere Stages, celebrating its seventh year as the professional Equity theater in residence at Kean University, announces the premiere of "Follow Me to Nellie's" by Dominique Morisseau. "Follow Me to Nellie's," takes place in the home of the infamous Nellie Jackson's, where a hopeless blues singer is looking for a way out, a brave freedom fighter is look- ing for a way in, and a house of downtrod- den women are looking for a new day. In 1955 Mississippi, during the reign of segregation, the price of attaining their dreams may cost them everything. The play takes a harrowing look at those who risked everything so that all Americans could be afforded the opportunity to vote. "Follow Me to Nellie's" opens July 14 and contin- ues through July 31. The exceptional cast features veterans of Broadway, off-Broad- way, television and film, including Lynda Gravatt in the title role. Gravatt appeared on Broadway in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," 45 Seconds From Broadway, King Hedley II and Doubt. She has won numerous accolades for her off- Broadway work including the AUDELCO Award and the Theatre World Award. Tele- vision appearances have included roles in "Law & Order" series, "One Life to Live," ""As the World Turns," and "Sex and the City." The Premiere Stages production of "Fol- low Me to Nellie's" will include an interac- tive lobby display and patrons will have the opportunity to register to vote at all per- formances. "Follow Me to Nellie's" is the winner of the 2011 Premiere Stages Play Festival and was selected from more than 300 submis- sions. The Festival features a uniquely accelerated process in which the region's most promising new plays are developed and fully produced within a year of submis- sion. Playwrights are also afforded the opportunity to retain the coveted "world premiere" brand. "In many professional theaters the time span between meeting a writer, staging a reading and producing the play can be years," noted artistic director John Wooten. "When we discover a dramatist we believe in, our play festival process allows Premiere Stages to fully commit the time, talent and resources necessary to share that writer's work with a broad regional audience." For reservations call the Kean Universi- ty Box Office at 908-737-SHOW, or visit Premiere Stages online at uuir. kean. edii/premierestages. All performances take place on the Kean University campus, located at 1000 Morris Ave., Union in the Zella Fry Theatre in the Vaughn Eames Building. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinee per- formances begin at 3 p.m. Premiere Stages offers air-conditioned facilities and free parking. Premiere Stages provides discounted tickets to patrons with disabilities and provides facilities that are fully accessible. Patrons should call for a list of sign-interpreted, audio-described or open-captioned performances. Assistive listening devices and large print programs are available upon request.
