On Sunday April 25, 2010, I had the opportunity to be the MC at Danielle and Brad’s wedding reception.  The party was at the Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, and it was truly amazing. People were dancing the entire night, and I had a lot of fun being a part of the action.   A couple weeks after the wedding Danielle emailed us with this to say…

Rich at Cutting Edge is the BEST DJ/MC you could ask for. We had such a pleasant experience working with him, he’s a true professional and I would recommend him to my friends. Rich kept the dance floor packed during our wedding reception and all of our guests had the time of their lives dancing to all the great songs Rich had to offer. Go with Cutting Edge and you will have an amazing party!

This was my first opportunity to do a wedding at the Rittenhouse Hotel, and I enjoyed working with their team.   I got to work with Lori, Emil, and the rest of team. The food they had was great and the staff provided the guests with excellent service.  I also got to work with Nicole Leigh Photography.   Nicole does a great job and took the newlyweds all over the hotel and in the park to take pictures.   Thank you Nicole, for providing us this great picture of the bride and groom.  Finally, a thank you to Eddie Bruce for referring Danielle and Brad to Cutting Edge Entertainment. Eddie is a very good friend to Cutting Edge and we enjoy working together with him when we get the chance.

-Richie

Photo courtesy of Nicole Leigh Photography - www.nicoleleighphotography.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

On Saturday, May 22 of 2010 Cutting Edge Entertainment had the opportunity to perform for Nicole’s Bat Mitzvah at The American Helicopter Museum in West Chester, Pennsylvania. With most Bar & Bat Mitzvah clients, we deal with Mom and Dad from the booking stage all the way through planning, but once in a while I get to deal with Grandmothers and Grandfathers, which, for me, is a rare treat. When Lori Paradis (pronounced “paradise”) first contacted me she introduced herself as the grandmother of the Bat Mitzvah girl, and explained that she had been charged with interviewing and choosing the entertainment. Admittedly, I’ve got a soft spot for grandmothers, and have a photo from my own Bar Mitzvah framed at home in my study… It’s a photo with my Grandmother.

Lori’s concerns weren’t unique, they are ones we encounter quite often with clients inquiring about our DJ services. “Can we keep the kids engaged and entertained?” Throughout the process the Paradis family was pretty awesome to work with. Nicole herself was quite the young lady, with her own concerns, much like her Grandmother. Even Dad made a point to make clear that the kids should be the focus, and I assured him that that’s just what we do. At one point Lori even said to me “I entrust you with the success of this event”, and again, I reassured her that everything would be just fine.

The party was a huge success, and not only were the kids engaged and entertained, but the adults were too. It’s just what we do.

Being the MC for the event, and the Director of the company, I assembled an all-star cast of dancers, DJ, and crew. The event was a huge success, but I couldn’t even begin to take full credit for it’s outcome. Not only did my staff rock the house (or in this case, the museum), but we worked alongside Sherron Trio, the Director of the Museum as well as John Serock from John Serock Catering. True professionals, who were invaluable allies in the phenomenal outcome of the Mitzvah.

The party had a club theme, and our guy dancers seconded as bouncers (see photos), checking IDs and a guest list before anyone was admitted into cocktail. Introductions, candle lighting and a hora soon followed, and then it was fun, fun, fun. Games and dancing and fun. It’s what we do every weekend, and while Nicole and her friends were having the time of their life, I glanced over to see an expression on Lori’s face (yes Lori, I caught it) of pure joy. It’s moments like that that are the most rewarding part of my job.

The week following the party I received this email from Lori…

In September of 2009, I was asked to help plan the event celebrating my Granddaughter Nicole Paradis’s Bat Mitzvah. It was an honor to be asked. (If you knew Nicole, you would know why).

As any Bubbie knows, when all is said and done, at the end of the party, the place may not be remembered (although in this case it will be), or the food (although in this case it will also be), but the one part that will be remembered the most and which determines the success of the evening, is the success of the party itself depends on the entertainment.

So, one Saturday evening, I phoned Cutting Edge Entertainment to get information fully expecting to get a message machine. Instead to my huge surprise, Craig Sumsky, the owner of the DJ Company answered the phone, and proceeded to chat for a long time about not only his DJ Company, but life, religion, the world in general and his Bubbie!!

I knew right away that this would not just be a business relationship, and that a person with such compassion, caring, and kindness, along with great salesmanship would handle our party better than anyone else could ever do. I was more than right!!

On May 22, 2010, the BEST Party anyone could ever hope for was led by Cutting Edge Entertainment, with the BEST STAFF you could imagine. They brought joy to a gaggle of kids and adults as well, and they made Nicole feel like a princess for an evening (which she so deserved). Guests sang, danced, laughed, cried (candles!) and at the end of the party left wishing it weren’t over.

My deepest thanks to you Craig and your outstanding staff, Tony, Brittany, Nate, Louis, and the DJs.

With Love and Gratitude,

Lori Paradis

No Lori… Thank YOU. Mazel Tov to Nicole, and the entire Paradis family.

-Craig

Photos courtesy of Alexandra Horvath Photography – http://ahorvathphotog.wordpress.com/

Catering by John Serock – www.serockcatering.com

The American Helicopter Museum

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

On Saturday, the first of May, I had my first experience “beaming” my guest of honor into the room. Yes, you read correctly, beaming as in transported. May 1st was a Star Trek themed celebration for Ian’s Bar Mitzvah.

Ian is a huge Star Trek fan which he will no doubt tell you if ever you should meet him, and when we walked into the ballroom, there was no doubt in our minds of his love for all things Star Trek. From the centerpieces that included framed pictures of Star Trek characters and rock candy “dilithium crystals”, to the huge diagram of the Enterprise displayed at the entrance of the room, Ian’s mother, Karen, made sure that every detail was covered.

The night went off with out a hitch. The crowd was incredible and really knew how to party. Another first was that we had a sign language interpreter because about a quarter of the guests were deaf. It was a unique experience to work with an interpreter because not only did I have to let my own staff and the photographer know what was going on, I also had to make sure I was communicating clearly with the interpreter because she was signing the toasts, announcements, and games to all of the guests.

I think I can speak for my entire staff when I say that this party was not only fun but one of the coolest (and most educational) events we’ve ever done. It was wonderful to see how happy Dean, Karen, Jenna, and Ian were with the evening. It’s working with clients like the Staller family that reinforces my love of this job.

-Shoshana

To the Cutting Edge Staff,

Absolutely out of this world!!! We have not come down out of the clouds!!! Shoshana and her dancers MADE our party!!!

Craig wanted to know every detail during the planning phase and I started to feel confident he would do “a good job” with our son’s bar mitzvah. Then we met our MC, Shoshana, and fell in love with her. She had FABULOUS ideas, hit it off with our eight year old daughter and was so full of fun and effervescence and that we just knew, “this is gonna go well”. When we found out our party was going to be smaller than we thought, Shoshanna reassured us it would still rock. Craig came up with a way to “beam” our son into his Star Trek themed reception and we were beside ourselves. We were READY!

When we walked into the reception and the whole Cutting Edge crew was wearing Star Trek uniforms, we lost it! They rocked the room for FOUR HOURS straight . . . their energy was UNBELIEVABLE, the kids AND adults loved them and we were just . . . beyond words. Cutting Edge will do ALL of our affairs and we will recommend them to everyone we meet!

Thank You,
Karen Staller

Photos courtesy of Michael Duretz – www.michaelduretz.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

My Name is Wayne Gustafson and I’ve been performing as a bandleader for Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs in the Philadelphia area for almost three decades.  In all those years I’ve seen both trends as well as entertainers come and go, yet some things I’ve found I can always depend on.

One day in the fall of 1995, after ending my tenure with The Entertainment Group, I was scheduling my musicians and dancers for upcoming events.  Speaking with my lead dancer, she informed me that she was retiring from the mitzvah dancing business.  I was disappointed, but more than that, unsure of where to start looking for a replacement.

Not ten minutes later, I answered a phone call from Craig Sumsky, who introduced himself as the owner of Cutting Edge Entertainment, and was calling to offer the services of the dancers from his company for my Bat and Bar Mitzvah clients.  He told me how well they work with bands at Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and . . .

“Stop”, I said.  “I’m sold”.

He went on to say how well they are trained, and . . .

“Stop”, I said.  “I’m sold”.

He also added that they were very experienced with working with kids, and . . .

“Stop”, I said.  “I’m sold”.

You get the point, I was a motivated buyer.  But after all these years, I am still very fortunate to have a great relationship with Cutting Edge.  I have had the privilege of working with many different artists – Alison, Justin, Monica, Pedro, Regina, Kelly, Shoshana and Tony just to name a few.  Throughout the years there has always been one constant;  every single dancer has been the consummate professional.  They are overly prepared, energetic, enthusiastic, and extremely easy to work with.  It’s no wonder that every party that I do with them is a huge success.

So I look ahead to a bright future of many great parties with Cutting Edge Entertainment, and yes Craig, I’m still sold!

Wayne Gustafson
The Untouchables
www.wayneron.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Our first experience with Cutting Edge was at our Nephew’s Bar Mitzvah, who is now twenty three! When it came to picking a DJ for our own son’s affair… there was no question who we would use. We called Craig three years in advance and signed up Cutting Edge for our son’s Bar Mitzvah party! It was a great night and all the attention ahead of time put me at ease. Everyone from the kids on up to the Grandparents enjoyed themselves out on the dance floor.

The day of our Sons party, we got the date for our Daughter’s Bat Mitzvah and signed him right up for hers. The second time around (December 5, 2009) it was like dealing with family in the planning process, again it was pleasant to meet with and deal with everyone on the staff there. We had just dealt with the death of my Mother, and Craig was so understanding and helpful when it came to song choices and music when it came to candle lighting and dances.  Her night was just as fun and exciting as our son’s. I sing Craig’s praises to anyone who asks about who we used as our DJ.

We have run out of children to have Bar and Bat Mitzvah’s but if anything ever came up and we needed a DJ…..Cutting Edge Entertainment would be our only call!

Samantha & Andrew Sklar

Photo by Jordan Cassway – www.casswayphoto.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

We’d just like to thank Richie and Cutting Edge Entertainment for a wonderful wedding experience. Our big day wasn’t an easy set-up for a DJ, as our parents had also hired a live Greek band! Nevertheless, Richie did a great job managing the event and the music. When our family wasn’t crowding the floor for Greek line dances, he played all the songs we wanted to hear, blended smoothly with his own stuff. The dance floor never stopped moving! We will definitely recommend him, and we hope to use Cutting Edge again.

Thanks and good luck,

Byron and Christina

Photo courtesy of Little Wing Studio – www.littlewingstudio.com

Cairnwood – www.cairnwood.org

DJ – www.cuttingedgedjs.com

On February 20th, I had the pleasure of being the DJ at Kelsey’s Sweet 16,  at the Washington Crossing Inn in Bucks County.  Although I believe each party I do is special, working for the Klitus family was particularly special because I had done Kelsey’s 13th birthday party three years before! Kids grow up so fast don’t they?

This time around, Foltz was on the scene to help out. When they walked into the room, it was like seeing old friends, and I barely recognized Kelsey because she was all grown up! Needless to say, the party absolutely rocked. After Kelsey shared a dance with her dad, the dance floor was packed all night long. As Foltz and I took turns as DJ, I danced and joked back and forth with Kelsey and her friends, as well as her family. The party flew by way too quickly and no one wanted the party to end. As we said our good-byes, I felt as if I was leaving a family dinner; it was as if I was her goofy older brother for another night. Jokingly (perhaps seriously) they verbally agreed to book the two of us for her graduation party in two years.

This is the atmosphere and comfort that naturally comes when I work for a repeat client. There is a great deal of pride that arises in a DJ, knowing that he has succeeded in providing the ultimate satisfaction for a client. At Cutting Edge, we strive for excellence on every job, and treat every job as being the most important we’ve ever done. The reward is knowing that we left our “edge” in the client’s mind, as they consider future events that they could book us.
When someone calls and requests you again, it means you are a quintessential part of their party; this says something to me that no thank you or smile could ever say. When I am working for a repeat client, I want to go light years beyond expectations. I want to leave them with an even greater feeling of satisfaction than the previous party. I feel that they deserve this since they have given me the opportunity to entertain them more than once.
I have had many repeat clients like the Klitus family in my years at Cutting Edge, and I can never thank them enough for allowing me to be part of their memories. Each one of ya’ll rock! Happy 16th birthday to Kelsey once again, and thank you personally to Dawn and Patrick Klitus for allowing me to party with ya’ll. Let’s do it again sometime!

-Tony A.  (and Steve Foltz)


P.S.  Shortly after Kelsey’s Sweet Sixteen, we got this email from her parents, and nothing makes us happier than hearing feedback like this.  Thank you Dawn, Patrick and of course Kelsey for choosing Cutting Edge Entertainment!

Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you ! You guys did an amazing job at our daughter Kelsey’s Sweet Sixteen party . You made her special night pure perfection .It was so wonderful seeing everyone dancing and enjoying themselves all night long. We couldn’t have been happier with our decision to use you again for our DJ . I will definitely consider you for future parties and will recommend you to anyone looking for a fantastic DJ !

Thanks again ,
Dawn & Patrick Klitus

The Washington Crossing Inn – www.washingtoncrossinginn.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Photos by DJ Tony

We just wanted to take a quick moment and thank you and Cutting Edge for making our wedding a wonderful time.  I was concerned in the beginning when we spoke about how the Disney and Christmas music would work within our reception and I have to say it was wonderful!  You had the right mix at the right time and we thought it was perfect!

I’ve had a lot of our guests tell us that the wedding was the best ever and that the DJ was great!  I can’t thank you enough for making our night so perfect.  The dance floor was full and everyone was having a good time!

I also wanted to comment quickly on how professional and great you sounded while announcing all of the parents and bridal party.  I’m sure this is one of the harder things to do since names are not always easy to pronounce!

We were also surprised at how the events of the night unfolded.  You had the schedule down and worked with the event manager to make sure everything was on schedule and never once came to us with a question.  Very professional and everything went off on time and with no problems.  That just made our night even better, we didn’t have to worry about a thing!

I will make sure to recommend you and your company to anyone who is getting married.  It was easy and we couldn’t be happier!

Thank you again,
Al & Heather Nicoletti

Photo by Dell - www.photographybydell.com

Knowlton Mansion – www.conroycatering.com

DJ - www.cuttingedgedjs.com

May 24, 2009

Craig,

I have to tell you what an amazing time we had at our daughter’s bat mitzvah party this past weekend — thanks to Cutting Edge Entertainment and our fantastic MC Marc !!!  You really proved to me that you guys are definitely a cut above the rest.  Marc gave us exactly what we wanted and ‘read’ the guests so well. My daughter is still on cloud nine.  Everything was flawless- as you promised.  It almost makes me wish we had another daughter (I said ALMOST . Thanks for everything!

Randi Senderowitz
-Allentown, PA

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Thank you so much for doing such a great job at Michael and my wedding on Saturday!  We had a great time and from what I hear, so did all of our guests.  I don’t think that the dance floor was ever empty and everyone commented on how
great the music was!  Even my Pop-Pop who absolutely hates DJs and has left weddings early because of the music was up and dancing and even said how wonderful everything was!  I’m sure you may have also noticed the two younger
boys dancing away all night.  I have to tell you that shocked me the most.  They were the last people I expected to see on the dance floor.

Thank you so much again!  You were all great and I’m so happy we had you at our wedding!!  I currently have 4 weddings to go to next year and I would recommend you all to everyone of my friends getting married!

Thanks again!

Claire & Michael Arsenich

Claire & Michael hired Cutting Edge Entertainment to perform at their wedding reception which was held at The Blair Mill Inn.  Blair Mill is a part of ‘The Mills’ and is the same company as Spring Mill Country Club and Spring Mill Manor, all of which refer Cutting Edge Entertainment as a preferred vendor.  Adam was the MC assigned to the event, and says that Claire and Michael were a pleasure to work with, and we thank them for their kind words.

-Craig

http://www.cuttingedgedjs.com