Gentille brings new show to FWB stage

FORT WALTON BEACH — Linda Gentille’s “Great Balls of Fire” will heat up the Fort Walton Beach Municipal Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Saturday under the auspices of the Emerald Coast Concert Association.

“Great Balls of Fire” is a musical concert starring world-renowned pianist and entertainer Linda Gentille and the Linda Gentille Quartet. It is suited for general and student audiences as well as the whole family.

Just returning from a grand concert tour of both China and Russia, Gentille has developed this new show combining the music of Gershwin and Porter with music that appeals to younger audiences.

Enhanced with multi-media clips, “Great Balls of Fire” details the life, music and recordings of great piano legends such as Billy Joel, Elton John, Liberace, Fats Waller, Little Richard, Roger Williams, Stevie Wonder, Victor Borge, and many more.

Growing up in Pacific Palisades, Calif., Gentille began her musical studies taking classes with her father at Roger Williams’ studio in Los Angeles. Her immediate grasp of complex and advanced music, her inherent technique, and her incredible ability to quickly and accurately memorize lengthy musical scores, soon endeared Gentille to even her most senior instructors. After advancing quickly through the Williams program, Gentille then studied under Julliard-trained Richard Kohfeld of Santa Monica and won numerous piano awards and accolades as a young pianist.

It was not long before Gentille, still a teenager, auditioned for the Liberace show in Las Vegas and was selected to tour with him in 1986. Mr. Showmanship was so taken with Gentille’s natural talent and entertaining capability, he subsequently invited her to perform at his last record-breaking Radio City Music Hall engagement in New York City.

This event marked Gentille’s coming out as a phenomenal entertainer and pianist. Liberace referred to Gentille as the “Piano Princess,” a nickname that she is still known by today. Gentille’s entertaining style is clearly reminiscent of her mentor and friend.

During her concert career, Gentille has performed more than 1,000 concerts worldwide. One of the many highlights of her career was a performance at The White House Correspondents’ Dinner during President Reagan’s administration.

Gentill has recorded more than a dozen CD’s and DVD’s and successfully runs her own production company, Peacemaker Productions, producing concerts and student drug-prevention assemblies. Her CD’s enjoy worldwide popularity, and she has sold more than 5 million copies in China alone. She has performed hundreds of student assembly performances during her career and, when overseas, often donates her time to perform for sick and underprivileged children.

Tickets for the Saturday performance at $22 are available by calling 850-362-9356. Season subscriptions are still available. A Winter Season subscription for the remaining four concerts during January through March are available for $85 by calling 850-362-9356. For more details, call 850-837-1742.