Although no one has taken a poll, the hundreds of people packing Buchmuller Park on Thursday nights over the summer proved the popularity of the Concert in the Park series.
The events, which are co-sponsored by the Town of Secaucus, the Secaucus Reporter, and a local business for each concert, has brought out increasing numbers since being introduced in the summer of 2000.
“We wanted to do this for years,” said Mayor Dennis Elwell in celebrating the growing response to his program during a week that featured Italian light opera by Leo D’Angelo.
Although Elwell suggested the concert series while still a councilman in the mid-1990s, he was unable to put the concerts into the park until he became mayor in 2000.
D’Angelo, 31, was born in Naples, Italy and began his music studies at the San Pietro Amaiella Conservatory of Music. During his studies, D’Angelo met Eduardo De Crescenzo, a well-known Neapolitan singer, who asked D’Angelo to play with his band. D’Angelo won first place in the “Le nuove voci di Sanremo” (The New Voices of Sanremo) which allowed him to participate in one of the largest musical events in the Italian year, “The Festival di Sanremo” – after which he went on to appear on television and in other venues.
For years, D’Angelo dreamed of coming to the United States to sing. In 1998, that dream came true, after which he met Mimmo Scarpulla, who asked D’Angelo to join his Opera 3000.
The series began this year on July 11 with a Tribute to Benny Goodman featuring sounds from the Big Band Era.
“That was my favorite,” said Florence Colabito, a local resident who has attended nearly all the concerts so far.
Frank Bly, another local resident, said his favorite so far was Ernie Contri, who bills himself as “The other kid from Hoboken.” Contri appeared in the park July 25, and sang the songs of a range of performers from Sinatra to Nat King Cole, the Ink Spots to Tony Bennett.
“I thought he did Frank Sinatra very well,” Bly said
The big show of the summer, however, will take place on Aug. 22 when the Grammy Award-winning Jimmy Sturr Orchestra will entertain Secaucus residents with what has been called “the big band music of Polka.”
Closing the 2002 season will be an all-star cast of local talent, which could include young Paul Iacono, Rob Fornier, and others on Aug. 29.
These events are free. Those attending are also treated to free snacks. Concerts start at 7 p.m.