Plenty of Awesome-ness and Interactive Games for Jason at his Maplewood Country Club Bar Mitzvah
The MMP Entertainment team had a blast helping the Krakower family celebrate Jason’s big day at the Maplewood Country Club. By request, we provided an interactive cocktail hour designed to keep the young adult guests entertained and then went on to play several games during the reception for Jason and his friends between the dancing and food courses.
Jason’s first hour included three of our most requested premium upgrades; The Interactive Game Show, Paparazzi and DJ Hero. Throughout the reception, we facilitated a few current and classic Bar Mitzvah features like; Survivor Island, Structure, Stuff It and Face The Cookie.
Debbie and Keith wanted Jason’s celebration to be a fun, classy and memorable event with plenty of peace of mind from start to finish. As you can tell from the candid video testimonial below that the Krakowers gave after their event, I’m delighted to report that MMP delivered in fine fashion once again.
Ryan, Jason’s younger brother, will be having his Bar Mitzvah next in the summer of 2012 on the weekend of Cinco De Mayo… We are looking forward to another exceptional family fiesta!!
Special thanks Ken Alswang, from At Home Studios, for once again providing his photos for our blog. Like the best photographers in the business, Ken is always in the right place at the right time with an easy-going personality and an unobtrusive shooting style. –mp
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The Fischer Family Celebrates Their 4th Bar Mitzvah with Marcello and the MMP Entertainment Team at Portobello in Oakland, NJ
Zach and all of his friends pose for the traditional group photo after cocktail hour at Portobello
If you had to choose the ideal venue for your Le Chaim finale, you’d want a location that was close to the Temple, had great food and offered excellent service. If you’ve ever been to lunch or dinner at new Portobello Feasts in Oakland, NJ, you already know that those bases are covered. But what about their sister property… the original Portobello right next door? Under new management and featuring some notable renovations, Portobello Banquets deserves your attention once again if you’re planning a Bergen County social or corporate event in the near future.
Time Flies... Zack with his older brother Jared- We did Jared's Bar Mitzvah 9 years earlier at the Westmount Country Club
Over the past nine years, we’ve had the honor of providing the entertainment and event production for the Fischer family. We did Jared’s Bar Mitzvah first back in ‘02, Samantha’s Bat Mitzvah in’04, then Julie’s Bat Mitzvah after that in ‘06, and this past October, it was time for Zachary to be the guest of honor.
If you’re getting a little stressed out just thinking about what it’s like to have to plan 4 Bar Mitzvahs… relax. It actually gets easier. Once you find just the right combination of professional vendors and resources, you just keep hiring them back and let them do most the work. On the other hand… having to pay for 4 Bar Mitzvahs, now that’s a different story. 
Zack’s mom and dad, Jeanette and Glen, once again trusted our recommendations for the kids cocktail hour and reception enhancements. We provided the MMP trifecta for the kids cocktail hour. It included The Interactive Game Show, Paparazzi and DJ Hero.
As you can see from the photos, these activities were very well received by all of the young adult guests as usual.
Jeanette and Glen take it all in and enjoy a romantic dance after dessert
For the reception, the Fisher’s upgraded to our dual plasma multi-media package. We created custom visuals for Zack’s Casino theme, we designed personalized video clips for the dance sets and featured candid photos of all the guests on the screens during dinner and dessert. As you can see from the photos, Zack and his friends were entertained and kept busy from the moment they walked into Portobello until the moment they walked out, so Jeanette and Glen were very pleased with the return on their additional investment.
Special thanks to Vincent Amen, Portobello’s Director of Catering, for his hospitality and professionalism. He was instrumental at the site survey when we needed to ensure the necessary spacing for the activities, to review the planning logistics, to confirm the timing of the food courses and verify our power requirements. (just a few of ways that an Entertainment Director can enhance your over-all experience) Vincent can be reached at 201-337-1383 ext. 4 or Vincent.Amen@PortobelloNj.com.
We’re looking forward to our next collaboration with the Fischer family and Portobello … which by the way time seems to be flying by lately, will be Jared’s Wedding Reception. Unreal. –mp
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MMP Entertainment Goes International: The Celebrate Life Team Will Perform In Costa Rica Next Month
Over the years, we’ve taken the show on the road to places like New York City, Palm Beach, Florida and Sun Valley, Idaho, but this will be the first time a U.S Passport will be required to fly out of Newark Liberty.
I’m delighted to announce that The Kahn family, owners of Kayak Jaco, has chosen MMP to provide the entertainment and event production for their upcoming Bat Mitzvah celebration.
Needless to say, we are honored and very excited!
The beautiful guest of honor, Melanie, is a very talented young lady who loves to dance, sing and of course, text her friends all day long.
Melanie’s theme will be “Masquerade In Paradise.” I love it! -mp
The New Standard: “The Most Amazing Night of Our Lives” -Another Signature Event from Marcello and Jani at The Grand Summit Hotel
There’s an expression from card playing that I’ve always liked, it’s “Stack the Deck.” The legitimate philosophy behind it is to win by arranging the cards so they are dealt out to your advantage. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t endorse cheating, but if you’re fortunate enough to look like Tom Cruise in Rain Man and know that your brother can outsmart the shoe, you drive him straight to Vegas, buy him a nice suit and sit him down at the Black Jack table. The winning ensues.
After hitting the jackpot 2 years earlier at his son Ryan’s Bar Mitzvah, the pressure was on to keep the winning streak alive. For his son Jared’s Bar Mitzvah, the respected family man and successful real estate developer, Howard Weinerman, stacked the proverbial deck. Because, like many of us… Mr. Weinerman doesn’t like to lose.
First, he arranged the most important card in the whole deck, the Queen of Hearts- his lovely wife, Vicki. She rivals some of the best event planners that I’ve worked with. From the e-mail exchanges to the design sessions, she was always organized, creative and decisive. When you combine those traits with the fact that she’s an awesome mom, (evident from Ryan’s impressive toast to his little brother), Vicki deserved all of the credit, kudos and applause that came her way when her husband gave his welcome toast.
Next, Howard secured the best casino in town, The Grand Summit Hotel. Mark Giangiulio, Chairman of the Board of the New Jersey Hotel and Lodging Association, and general manager with his team, Jim Thornton and Terry Garcia, (acclaimed pit bosses) ensured that the location was fit to please a chance personal visit from Sam “Ace” Rothstein himself. In this case, Jared’s grandfather, one of the co-owners of the prestigious venue, would in fact be on-site as a guest. Yeah, it’s safe to say that the classic song “Under Pressure” popped into my head quite a few times leading up to the event.
Speaking of Aces, Howard also had his “Ace in the hole,” (a card that can supply a sure victory when revealed). I was really honored to recieve the call again from the Weinermans to host the event and provide the entertainment and event production. I was also really excited to get up from the poker table, yell out “all in” and reveal a pair of Aces this time around. When clients are planning a Wedding, a Bar Mitzvah or a Corporate event and require ‘the new standard‘ or in this case a “Royal Flush” to stay with the theme, we proudly offer our Signature Event level services. My partner and I, Jason Jani, from Sound Connection Entertainment, compiled an exclusive inventory of invitation-only offerings for momentous occasions just like Jared’s once-in-lifetime celebration.
From the video-recap below and from all the gorgeous photographic artistry by our “two-of -a kind” photographer friends, Wendy Robinson and Maurcio Lemonk, you can see the difference of what a Signature Event looks like.
You’ll notice the customized staging, personalized lightscaping, distinctive decor, exceptional performances, featured musicians, tastefully-interactive entertainers, incomparable mixology, classy event facilitation, and most notably… Jared feeling like a “King for a Day” and his family and friends having the “most amazing night” of their lives.
Best wishes to Vicki, Howard, Ryan and Jared. Thank you for letting us share in your joy and fireworks. It was truly, our pleasure. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank you again for your additional generosity and hospitality after the event. As I’ve said in the past, not only do I have one of the best jobs in the world, I’m very fortunate to work with a first class clientele.
If you are interested in stacking the deck and achieving dramatically different results, Jason and I would be happy to schedule a Signature design session with you. For those willing to invest accordingly, contact us at 732-547-1677 or 732-749-3223.
Encore Gallery:
Signature Collaboration – MMP + SCE – Bar Mitzvah – 2011 from Sound Connection Entertainment on Vimeo.
To Life, To Life! The Rosen Family Doubles-up on the Mozel Tov for Mark & Jillian’s B’nai Mitzvah at The Brooklake Country Club
Do you remember that vintage commercial jingle for Doublemint Gum? “Double your pleasure, double your fun?” Well, Laura and Neil Rosen did exactly that for their children by combining both of their simchas and making them one big celebration!
The traditional festivities at The Brooklake included a heartfelt dual toast from Neil, an all-inclusive candlelighting tribute in which each adult table had their own flame to ignite, and beautiful parent’s dance selections from Tim McGraw (My Little Girl) and Rascal Flatts (My Wish).
The entertainment features we provided included some of the most popular cocktail hour interactives offered by MMP; The Interactive Game Show, Papparazzi and DJ Hero. It’s not easy to keep 100 kids entertained and out of trouble for over an hour, but with proper planning, a great crew and the right activities, everyone has a great time and gets warmed-up for the main event!
Mark & Jiilian’s reception was a blast. When both guests of honor like to dance, it’s contagious. And usually, the apple (or apples in this case) don’t fall far from the tree. Mom and dad were shakin’ their groove thing to some of their requests like; Brown Eyed Girl, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough and Dancing In The Dark. Mark & Jillian had us playing all of the current hits like; California Girls, I Like It, and 2012.
One of the many highlights of the event came courtesy of Grandma, the sweetest apple of the bunch. Laura’s mom, Sylvia Gesser, who just celebrated her 94th birthday, was boppin’ her head to the beat and doing her own funky dance moves with a big smile on her face from start to finish. When we played the MMP staple, “Hey Baby, (I Want To Know- Would You Be My Girl),” me and the fellas were drawn right to Grandma’s feet to give her the serenade she deserved. It was awesome. Mike Leta, professional photographer, captured the moment to a tee.
Special thanks to Mike for sharing his photos for this entry and to The Brooklake Country Club for their hospitality and professionalism.
