FOOD & DRINK
Taj Thinks Pink
On Friday, Oct. 23, the Taj Mahal’s Ego Lounge will host Pink Angels Night to support breast cancer awareness By Ray Schweibert
Taj, comedian Ron White of Blue Collar Comedy Tour fame was having a good ol’ time dancing with The Angels. “He hung out, we got some pictures with him — it was nice to see that,” says Mulhern. Gietka helped put together an Angels audition in New York City that drew hopefuls from all over the country, and was under the supervision of choreographer and Angels’ lead vocalist Gina Cannuscio. Known as “Gina C” and the lone blonde of the six Angels (including one who deejays with two male musicians while the other five girls sing and dance), Cannucscio is the only original member from the summer 2008 show. “We auditioned hundreds to put this group together and sort of started from scratch with the first ingredient being Gina,” says Mulhern. “It’s something Steve [Gietka] wanted, so we all talked about how we could improve this and we proceeded to do that. It went beyond our expectations.” The Angels perform renditions of the Pussycat Dolls’ song “Buttons,” AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long,” The Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow” and others. “It’s like going to any female headliner show — Britney Speers, Rihanna, Madonna, Pink — except this show is free,” says Mulhern. n
Pink Angels Night
When: Friday, Oct. 23, 6-10pm Where: Ego Lounge at Trump Taj Mahal, Boardwalk & Virginia Avenue On the Web: shirleymaefund.org, angelsliveonline.com see more online @
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The Angels
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NE OF THE SMASH HITS OF the summer — so much so that it’s been extended at least another six months into March — was the all-female vocal dance group The Angels performing at the Taj Mahal’s Ego Lounge. The seductively donned, six-girl ensemble generally performs every Thursday through Sunday from 10pm-2am, and will be the feature act this Friday evening (6-10pm) in what the Taj is touting as “Pink Angels Night.” The event will be hosted by WAYV’s Diane Mitchell and WZXL’s Michael James, and benefits the Shirley Mae Breast Cancer Assistance Fund. There will be pink-themed drinks and hors d’oevres, a silent auction and a pink-jack (blackjack) tournament. “The executive board of the Taj was the driving force behind this, and from what I understand it’s a charity that [Taj Mahal general manager] Rosalind Krause is very passionate about,” says Angels producer Dan Mulhearn. “We’re glad to lend our support.” The Angels arrived on the A.C. scene in summer 2008, but what event-goers will witness Friday night, and what Ego Lounge patrons have enjoyed since the start of summer 2009, is nearly a completely different act. “Last year’s version was basically a group I brought in from Chicago, and what we learned from that experience was that there were elements of the act that we liked, but we also saw an opportunity to take it to a higher level,” says Mulhern, owner of the Atlantic City-based Daniel Mulhern Entertainment, Inc. “The producer out of Chicago and I sort of joined forces to present an amped-up version of The Angels for 2009, and [Trump Resorts vice president of entertainment] Steve Gietka did a tremendous job theming the lounge with these incredible female platform club dancers, so everywhere you look there’s something for the senses. I don’t think there’s anything quite like Ego anywhere in the city.” Two of the four Ego club dancers are stationed in front of the lounge entrance near the Mark G. Etess Arena, and their lit silhouettes are seen in motion through curtains outside the lounge. There are two others dancing on a long platform adjacent to Ego’s spacious bar next to the gaming-area entrance. On a recent Friday night and fresh off a performance at the