Ocean City Plays a Big Part in Saturday's Miss America Pageant Parade

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The Ocean City Theatre Company Show Choir, including Justin Smith (right), Cole Carlin and Jimmy Berry, participated in the 2013 Miss America Pageant Parade and will return for the 2014 parade on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014. The Miss America Pageant returns again to Atlantic City this weekend, and Ocean City will contribute a lot of talent to the Miss America "Show Us Your Shoes" Parade on Saturday. The parade starts at 5 p.m. Sept. 13 and travels the Atlantic City Boardwalk from Connecticut Avenue to Albany Avenue. Ocean City Theatre Company Artistic Director Michael Hartman returns as a creative consultant to the parade and this year oversees staging for production numbers in front of Boardwalk Hall. The groups who will perform for an audience in special seating at the heart of the parade route (but not march in the parade itself) include the OCTC cast of the Broadway musical 'Swing!' and the OCTC Show Choir, which is comprised of 18 area high school students.

Members of high school marching bands from throughout Atlantic and Cape May counties, including 11 from Ocean City High School, will perform in the Miss America "Show Us Your Shoes" Parade on Saturday, Sept. 13 in Atlantic City. The "Swing!" cast will perform numbers from the show, and the Show Choir will perform in a special opening number featuring an original song, "Show Us Your Shoes," written for last year's parade. The Show Choir also will perform with Miss America 2007 Laura Nelson singing "You Can't Stop the Beat" from "Hairspray." The Show Choir also will join reigning Miss America Nina Davuluri in the finale featuring "God Bless America." The show choir and "Swing!" cast include:

Andrew Lavern
Justin Smith
Jimmy Berry
Robert Monzo
Connor Wynn
Zachary Galloza
Shannon Wallace
Madison Kennelly
Alana Palombo
Nora Faverzani
Erica Stuchel
Janeena Pinero-Deniz
Fiona Flynn
Cassidy Diamond
Kylie Marshall
Darby Grant
Samantha DelSordo
Hailey Migot
Morgan McLees
Maggie Wallace
Natalie Katsiff
Mae Fluharty

The parade also will feature 11 Ocean City High School students marching with the Atlantic Cape Honor Band, featuring nominated students of all Atlantic and Cape May county high schools. The Honor Band put together this parade band specifically for the return of the historic Miss America pageant to Atlantic City. Band members represent: Cedar Creek High School, Egg Harbor Township High School, Lower Cape May Regional High School, Mainland Regional High School, Ocean City High School and St. Augustine Prep. “It has been a wonderful experience for all of the students and directors of the participating schools to collaborate and share in this musical and social experience," Founder and Director Keith Hodgson said. "With the very exciting return of the historical Miss America Pageant to Atlantic City in 2013, there was a very unique opportunity for the band programs in Atlantic and Cape May counties to join forces to experience the thrill of the Miss America parade crowd and bring wonderful experience back to each and every band program in our area." The band held four practices over the summer months in preparation for the parade. The director of the Ocean City High School band is Donna Schwartz, and the Ocean City High School representatives in the Honor Band are: