On Saturday Afternoon, November 12 of 2011, the Cutting Edge team and I had the absolute pleasure of being the DJ entertainment for Cally’s Bat Mitzvah party. First, it’s important to say that Cally and her parents were awesome to work with. The fun really began at the planning meeting, where everyone was laughing and having fun picking songs and games for the party. Cally’s parents – Marcy and Ross – were so laid back and so enthusiastic, that that feeling trickled down to Cally and her brother, and everyone seemed psyched even before the party started.

At the party, held at The William Penn Inn, the mood was electric. Often times, afternoon parties – or luncheons – for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah can have a different groove than an evening event, but not in the case of this Bat Mitzvah. From the minute (literally the minute) Cally and her friends came in the room, they were dancing non-stop. Of course, the adults quickly followed, and The William Penn Inn rocked from the beginning to the end of the Bat Mitzvah as if the guests had battery packs filled with energy. Grandparents, parents and kids alike were rocking out on the dance floor to everything DJ Adam would play, and our dancers did a great job of getting everyone involved in everything from games, to a soul train line.

The staff at The William Penn Inn did a fantastic job of executing the time line, to serving great food. I found their staff to be almost as enthusiastic about their work as the guests were about partying… But perhaps the energy was just that contagious. Sergio, the photographer, also did a phenomenal job of capturing the action (as you can see in these photos), without being intrusive… He was just that good. All in all, it was a great day. Great guests, great team, great party.

Thanks again to Cally’s parents for being such fun clients to work with, and to Cally (and her friends), for being so darn cool. It was an honor to be your MC and to have you choose Cutting Edge to provide the DJ entertainment for the Bat Mitzvah. I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Mazel Tov Cally

~Craig

Images courtesy of Photography by Sergio

The William Penn Inn

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

It isn’t often that a DJ company can boast that it had the great honor and privilege to be the Bar Mitzvah DJ for the President of the United States of America, and to my knowledge, none has yet to date – but a future President of the United States? – now that’s a totally different story.

Meet Allen.  Allen’s Bar Mitzvah theme was just that… Presidential.  From the moment I first spoke to Allen’s mother while she was inquiring about Cutting Edge Entertainment performing as Bar Mitzvah DJ at Allen’s Bar Mitzvah, she couldn’t have spoken more highly of her son, and his aspirations to become Commander in Chief.   Upon meeting Allen for the first time I could clearly understand why.   Allen is an upstanding young man of character, mature beyond his years with a sense of humor and wit that simply amplified his charm. As far a Bar Mitzvah kids go, Allen was ‘the man’.

His Bar Mitzvah party was held in April of 2011, and I, Craig, presided as the MC to the President and all of his presidential guests, colleagues (his friends), and most significantly his family.  Now, all kidding aside, Allen’s parents couldn’t have been more perfect clients, and were a pleasure to work with throughout the planning process.  I was accompanied by DJ Steve (Foltzy) and his assistant Cameron, who achieved a fantastic mix of Russian and American popular music keeping the dance floor packed all evening.  I had Carl, our production manager, design the lighting for the reception held at Middletown Country Club in Bucks County, and Nate, Brittany and Jessica were the dancers who kept the kids and adults engaged in dancing and games all evening.

But back to Allen’s parents, I really must say that mom was great. She was organized, and had specific and creative ideas of what she wanted the Bar Mitzvah party to be like. Dad, whom I dealt with more directly regarding some of the requested Russian selections that were to be played, was insightful, and would sit in my office discussing with me not just music, but politics, the economy, and any other topic that came up.  Having such a learned and wise father and an intelligent and creative mother it’s no wonder that Allen is the man he is (not to mention the rest of his delightful family, particularly his grandparents), and may very likely reach for that office of offices someday.

So Allen, if you do run for office someday, know I’ll be watching, and you have my vote. In the meantime, Mazel Tov on your Bar Mitzvah.

-Craig

Image courtesy of Boris from Classic Photo and Video
www.classicphotoandvideo.com

Decor by The Party Decorator

Middletown Country Club

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Ever been at an event where it feels as if an energy is flowing from right under the floor, up through your feet and filling the entire room? Well on February 26th of 2011, during Dara’s Bat Mitzvah at the Westin in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, you could have harnessed some of that intensity and powered all of Philadelphia with it. From the moment of Dara’s entrance – which was accompanied by multiple aerials and back flips by our dancer Ron (whom Dara claims she could do better than) – the electricity throughout the party was palpable, and would get even the most steadfast wallflower’s heart pumping, with feet moving uncontrollably towards the dance floor.

This atmosphere was not only a credit to my awesome staff of DJs Steve and Joe, and Dancers Ron, Ashley and Brittany, but to the Giglio family and their friends. The dance floor was packed from the first song as we danced our way through the afternoon with Michael Jackson, KC & the Sunshine Band, Rick James, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Usher…and, of course, plenty of Justin Bieber – Dara’s future husband. During Music Trivia, all the kids stood up and sang every word to Justin Bieber’s “Baby”, complete with Dara’s trademark choreography. I even had my JB shoes on in just for the occasion! I’m still not sure who partied harder, the kids or the adults. I might have to review the tape to end the dispute. Dara breezed through her candle lighting ceremony cool as a cucumber, and the crowd was treated to a surprise montage created by her parents and older sister. There were plenty of games and prizes for the kids, and more dancing by everyone than Gene Kelly himself would have known what to do with.

We received this email at the office the week after the show:

The Giglio family just wanted to let you know that you did it again. Thanks to Cutting Edge our 2nd Bat Mitzvah was also a great success. Tony and his team were amazing. They took great care of us down to the last detail. The dance floor was full the entire time and the dancers kept the excitement going. Our family had a great time and our guests are still calling to tell us what a great time they had and how tired they were after dancing so much!! When it comes to entertainment Cutting Edge is the only call we have to make.

Thank You,
Susan, Jim, Jamie & Dara

I would like to thank Dave, Melanie, Tuwana and their staff at the Westin in Mt. Laurel who were phenomenal throughout the afternoon. A huge Mazel Tov to Dara and her family, Ya’ll are cooler than a polar bear’s toenails . Thank you for having my staff and me as part of your special day!

-Tony A.

Images courtesy of Benjamin Kramer Photography

To learn more about MC/DJ Tony, click here:
DJ Tony A. : Southern Hospitality

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

It was a Sunday in November of 2010, at a synagogue in Philadelphia where we (the staff of Cutting Edge Entertainment) rocked out at Abby’s Bat Mitzvah. The party was awesome, and – as always – we had the dance floor packed with kids and adults the entire night.

I met with Abby (and her father) prior to the party to go over the details, games, and of course Abby’s music selection, and she could hardly hide her excitement… which was contagious. She couldn’t hold back a huge smile the entire meeting.

Things got off to a great start, and once we were set up the family arrived and our staff met mom and Abby’s sister Rachel, and shortly after that the guests began to arrive. During cocktail hour, the dancers and I hung out with the kids. This is a great time for our staff to get to know everyone, and build a rapport with all of Abby’s friends who were equally enthusiastic and ready to dance.

After the cocktail hour concluded, we began the candle lighting ceremony, an old Bat Mitzvah tradition, and then had the guests up dancing to Hava Nagila, where guests lifted Abby and her family up in chairs to celebrate the joyous occasion. Throughout the evening, Abby’s friends were kept entertained with lots of fun dancing and interactive games like Coke & Pepsi, Singled Out, and Levitation (which is really cool to watch). My dancers for the Bat Mitzvah were Nate, Brittany and Ashley, who did an amazing job keeping the kids engaged and involved in the party, as you can tell from the photos. Justin was our DJ, playing hit after hit, and doing an awesome job keeping the energy levels on maximum… these kids just didn’t stop.

I want to express a big thank-you (and Mazel Tov) to Mom, Dad, Rachel, and of course, the guest of honor Abby. It was a pleasure working with you to create such an exciting Simcha.

-Richie

Photos courtesy of Mitchell Birnbaum Photography
215-837-7236

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Simply put, Sydnee’s Bat Mitzvah was AMAZING. From the first time that I met with the family, I knew I was in for an awesome party.  Sydnee was very chill and just wanted to have a great time. As for her parents, Wende and Jerry, they were awesome, and their focus was on wanting their guests to have an amazing time. We spent some time talking about the details of the party, but it felt more like we were just hanging out – it was like I had known them for years. There was such a comfort level between all of us, that it made the planning process a lot of fun. It probably helped that Craig (my boss) has known Jerry for years.

My dancers and I knew it was going to be a great party when the kids and adults were dancing during cocktail hour (they just wouldn’t sit down). We started with a few games and the adults joined in as well. As soon as cocktail hour ended, we opened up the dance floor and it was packed – and it stayed that way for the rest of the night. The guest followed along with my dancers, and Sydnee was so enthusiastic it almost seemed like she one of our staff! Sydnee’s family and friends danced from everything to the Jackson 5, to the Black Eyed Peas, to Lady Gaga, to Journey and then some. What an amazing crowd!

My dancers and I would like to thank Sydnee and her family for letting us be a part of their special day. We look forward to seeing you guys in a five years at Mackenzie’s Bat Mitzvah. To my new friends… I hope you had as much fun as I did. I look forward to talking to you guys soon.

Marc

To learn more about Marc, click here:
“Some Thoughts From a Philadelphia DJ”

Craig, Marc, and the Cutting Edge team,

What can we say? We had a blast at Sydnee’s Bat Mitzvah! Marc, our MC/DJ was perfect, and the dancers were great. It was non-stop dancing from start to finish. Our guests are still talking about how great the event was. The music choices were perfect, there was something for everyone from thirteen to ninety-three! There was not one break in the action, the party flowed perfectly, and the adult guests were actually able to enjoy themselves as much as the kids. This is no small accomplishment. We have all been to events where the kids music was so loud, the adults couldn’t enjoy themselves. NOT SO AT SYDNEE’S PARTY! Thank you so much for a very memorable evening. See you in 2015 for Mackenzie’s party.

Jerry & Wende

Photos courtesy of Lisa Pagano – www.lisapaganophotography.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Jordyn’s Record Hop was held at the Richboro Senior Center, which is of course, in Richboro, Bucks County Pennsylvania. The theme Jordyn and her parents came up with was “Club Jordyn”, kind of a kids nightclub. Along with other event professionals, it was our job to help accomplish this, particularly the “lights and DJ” aspects of the night club.

We invited photographer Erin Duffy to ride shotgun with us to create a sort of photo documentary of what goes into putting together one of our production events. To this end, all of the credit for pulling it off (on our end) goes to Carl, our Production Manager. Carl is sort of the unsung hero of Cutting Edge, and with the help of event planner Renee Grande and a crack Cutting Edge team, we transformed the room at the Richboro Senior Center.

Carl checks things out upon arrival.

The unload begins.

And continues…

So much stuff to unload.

As Carl diligently checks in all the lighting gear.

Nate, Adam and Carl take a short break while Marc calls his mom.

Carl screwing around (figuratively) as he picks out the screws and bolts that will connect the trussing structure.

Adam putting together the legs of the trussing structure, attaching the corner blocks.

And then it’s time to raise the structure.
Once the sides are up, both are bolted together.

Once the truss legs are raised, they are quickly secured together.
Here, Carl bolts together the unattached pieces while standing on a scaffold.
(the structure stands at eleven feet).

Adam is happy to see things looking up, while Marc realizes his laces are untied.

Nate, in a moment of confusion asks, “Wait, has anyone seen my iPhone?”
As Marc and Carl begin to hang the lighting from the truss.

Dancers Ashley and Emily arrive and greet Jordyn and her mom.

Carl takes command, giving instructions to the crew and telling Adam (the DJ) and Joe (the other DJ) to start hooking up the sound system.

Carl reading the instruction manual,
“Wait, okay, am I doing this right?”

Dancer Qadir.
Is he doing a flip, or falling off the truss?

Carl positioning lights, while DJ Adam tests the sound in the lit up DJ booth.

Photographer Scott Duretz snapping a few photos as the team finishes up while ladders, scaffolds and road cases are stowed away.

And finally “Club Jordyn” is ready for the guests to arrive.

Many hours of preparation go into the setup (and later, the tear down) of this sort of production.  Special thanks to our team: Carl and Marc on production, our DJ team Adam and Joe, and MC Nate on sound and production assistance and the event coordinator Renee Grande from Events By Monroe for making this all possible.

A very special thanks to photographer Erin Duffy, for helping us to create this play-by-play photo documentary and capturing these images that helped to tell the story of what goes into creating a Cutting Edge Entertainment DJ and lighting production.

To view the prequel to this  blog post, see “Jordyn’s Record Hop”.

Photos courtesy of Erin Duffy

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 May 15, 2010, I had the privilege of being the DJ for Lauren’s Bat Mitzvah at Keneseth Israel Synagogue in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. This was particularly special for me as I have known the family for many years now, and I’ve seen Lauren grow up through the years. It all started about eight years ago when I was Lauren’s driver to a small summer camp called Indian Valley. Melanie (Lauren’s mom) was pretty nervous at the time about having her little girl starting a camp and being driven by someone she didn’t even know. As the summer went on, Melanie got more comfortable with me, and we began to talk fairly often. Lauren was comfortable with me from the beginning, and she wasn’t shy… she would chat away for the entire van ride. The next summer, Melanie began working at Indian Valley as our nature specialist and that is where our friendship really blossomed. I became friends with the entire family as Lauren and AJ (Lauren’s brother) both attended camp and Anthony (Lauren’s father) started playing softball with our counselor team. I would like to add that Anthony is one of the funniest guys I have ever spoken to. We all became friends and our friendship continued as we worked together for several more years.

When I received a call from Craig to see if I was available for the date, it was a no-brainer that I would be the MC for Lauren’s Bat Mitzvah. It would be my pleasure. The entire family was very laid back with all of their planning as I told them “Cutting Edge” would take care of everything the day of the event. Most parents are very nervous for their first Bar or Bat Mitzvah, but as I tell all of my clients “Let me take care of all the worrying for you.” Lauren’s Bat Mitzvah felt like a camp reunion of sorts, as a few counselors that I worked with, as well as a few campers were there. My disc jockeys Steven “Foltz” and Matt “Dirk” were former campers and friends with the D’Orazios as well. I even got to work with Chad Kramaroff, (the Director of Indian Valley Camp), who did digital photos.

My staff had an amazing time!I It was a pleasure to work with my DJs, and my dancers (Nate, Q, Ashley, Brittany and Elana), as well as an amazing family. We had a great time with the guests who were up dancing and partying with Lauren and her family. The kids followed along with whatever the dancers did and played all of the games with us. Mom and her girlfriends were out on the dance floor for the adult and kids sets. Anthony even danced for one song (if I called him out any more, he might have hurt me). I couldn’t have asked for the party to go any better!

As always, it was great to work with Barnett and Alfie from Hy Paul Studios, whose photos you see here.

I’m looking forward to AJ’s Bar Mitzvah in a few years, which I’m betting it’ll be a hockey theme. More importantly, although Indian Valley is now closed, it will be great to spend with the summers with them again at Camp America Day Camp where we will be working together again.

Mazel Tov Lauren!!

Marc Mednick

Photos courtesy of Hy Paul Studios – www.hypaul.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com