The wait is finally over. The TV series Lovetown, USA, is finally filming. The big kick off event is a “Love Rally” at Howard Gilman Waterfront Park in downtown St. Marys, GA, taking place on Sunday, February 11, 2012 starting at 2 pm. This is going to be the first official event for the TV series. As you probably know, the series is a co-production between the BBC and Opray Winfrey’s Network, and the series is schedule to start broadcast in the summer. The crew is already in town, and you might see them around. If you are interested in getting seen on the Opray Winfrey Network, don’t miss the big Love Rally in downtown St. Marys. We want to make a big impression, so help spread the word by sharing this post on facebook and social networks.

Due to an early sellout of The Drifters Star Spectacular Show in St. Marys, a second performance has been added. Tickets are now available for a 6:00 pm performance on February 4 and can be purchased at the St. Marys Welcome Center, 111 Osborne Street in St. Marys.

The legendary music that inspired Rolling Stone Magazine to name The Drifters #81 on their list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Times” is coming to St. Marys February 4, 2012.

Bill Pinkney’s Original Drifters will be bringing back some of baby boomers’ greatest memories with hits like “Under the Boardwalk”, “This Magic Moment”, “Up on the Roof”, “On Broadway”, and “Save the Last Dance for Me” at the Theatre by the Trax.

The Drifters originally formed in 1953 and achieved 13 chart hits during their career, writing and performing doo-wop and blues all over the world.

Star Spectaculars

Doug and Jeanne Vaught, proprietors of Theatre by the Trax, are planning a series of “Star Spectaculars” that will feature some of the music industry’s most beloved performers. They felt that launching the series with The Drifters would set the perfect tone for future concerts.

“The Drifters are legendary,” said Doug Vaught. “Their music is a blend of nostalgic magic and on-stage excitement that few new artists can lay claim to.”
Vaught was referring to the showmanship for which groups like The Drifters are famous.

Dr. Roy’z Magical Musical Time Machine is the opening act for the February 4th concert, a great choice to get the audience thinking “oldies but goodies,” Vaught said.

200 Tickets

Only 200 tickets will be sold for The Drifters concert and Vaught said that tickets were going fast. Tickets can be purchased in Kingsland at Kingsland City Hall, and in St. Marys at On the Green Salon and Day Spa, Once Upon a Bookseller, Cedar Oak Café, and St. Marys Seafood & More. Vaught said if people outside the area could not get into town
to purchase the tickets, they can call 912-552-5559 and arrange to have them mailed.

For more information, about the Bill Pinkney’s Original Drifters concert or Theatre by the Trax, call 912-552-5559.

The Drifters 1955

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the news reached Kingsland – the city of Kingsland, Georgia, has been named Lovetown, USA. After a nationwide search, Oprah Winfrey Network and BBC Worldwide Productions have selected Kingsland, GA, to be the location for a new TV series. In the month of February, two expert matchmakers including the real-life “Hitch,” Paul Carrick Brunson, and Kailen Rosenberg, with more than 200 successful marriages to her name, will help eight singles embark on a journey to find true love.

From the local mayor to restaurateurs, bosses and even married couples, everyone in the town will be involved in the biggest social experiment in TV history. The new series, scheduled to premiere this summer, will film 8 episodes in Kingsland over a four week period beginning in mid-February.

If you would like to be a part of this ground-breaking experience, send your name, age, contact information and photos of yourself along with a brief story about why you are ready to fall in love to: LovetownUSA@gmail.com The casting deadline is right around the corner, so contact us today!!

LOVETOWN CASTING DEPARTMENT: (323) 785-4616

Also, visit Lovetown on Facebook.

The St. Marys Little Theatre will be holding auditions for its upcoming production, “River of Life,” on January 28, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. at the Theatre by the Trax, 1100 Osborne Road, in St. Marys.

“River of Life” is an original musical written by local citizens and is based on the history of St. Marys. Performances will be March 30, 31, April 6, 7, and 8 at Theatre by the Trax.

Theatre Director Barbara Ryan encourages all who are interested in performing or supporting the production as a volunteer to show up at the audition.

“If you go into the St. Marys Welcome Center near the waterfront and see the 30-foot historical mural on the wall there, you’ll know exactly what the play is about,” Ryan said. “River of Life is that mural come to life.”

Parts that need to be filled include: Timucuan Indians, St. Marys founding fathers, tall ship workers, Acadians, Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, choir members, Major Admiral Cockburn, War of 1812 troops, Civil War soldiers, children ages 5 and up, paper mill workers, three women to play the sisters who owned the Riverview Hotel, and sailors.

Ryan said though all parts include singing, you don’t have to have a great voice to sing some of the original songs.

The Theatre also needs volunteers for costumes, house managements, stage assistance, tech support, sound and lights.

Interested parties should come to Theatre by the Trax at 1100 Osborne Road on Saturday, January 28, 2012, at 11:00 a.m., and be prepared to sing any song of their choice.

For more information, call 912-729-1103 or email Barbara@coastalgeorgiafilm.org.

The movie “About Fifty” is screening at Kings Bay Cinema on January 18, 2012. The two stars of the film,  Martin Grey and Drew Pillsbury, will be in attendance and there will be a Q & A with the actors after the movie.

In this modern comedy, we meet two long-time golf-buddies, Adam, going through a trial separation from his wife of 15 years, and Jon, who is not only losing work to the “young guy,” but also dealing with a “generous” prostate. They decide to take off on a weekend journey to let loose and re-live the Palm Springs get-a-ways of their younger days but meet with unexpected results. Struggling to fit in with the younger crowd, they find surprising comfort through encounters with women nearer their own age. As the weekend progresses, both are forced to come to a truce with middle life’s predicaments.
“About Fifty” was an official selection of the 2011 Atlanta Film Festival and the Palm Springs, Fort Lauderdale and Amelia Island international film festivals.

The screening of “About Fifty” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 18, at Kingsbay Cinema followed by a Q&A session with the film’s stars, Martin Grey and Drew Pillsbury. Grey and Pillsbury will offer insights into how this charming film got made on an extremely low budget.
Grey has worked regularly for more than 20 years in film and television, with directors such as Terry Zwigoff, Barry Levinson, and Howard Deutsch. Most recently he recurred in NBC’s “Life” as Mark Conover and has guest starred on shows such as “Cold Case,” “CSI: Miami,” “Desperate Housewives” and “ER.” Pillsbury has worked for more than 25 years as an actor, getting his start opposite Griffin Dunne and Madonna in “Who’s That Girl.” He also starred in “Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon.” “About Fifty” marks his third produced film as a screenwriter.

The event is organized by the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance.

Tickets for “About Fifty” are $12.50 and are available at Once Upon a Bookseller, Jerry Lee’s Music, Bulldog Discount Liquors and The Cedar Oak Cafe in Saint Marys. For more information about the screening, call (904) 410-1075

By now, everyone has heard about Kingsland’s nomination to become “Love Town, USA” – and next week, it’s time for us residents to help out and make the group of visiting producers make “the right” decision and pick our town as location.

Competition

Next week the producers are going to scout the area and also interview potential candidates. It is said that about a dozen towns are in the competition right now but the exact number has not been revealed.  North Carolina has Fuquay, Clayton, Newton, Carborro and Reidsville. Other competitors include Culpeper, Va. The winner could be announced as early as January and filming starting in February.

Kingsland, GA, just received news that our area is one step closer to become the setting for the TV show, but now your help is needed to get passed all the other contestants and make it to the final round.

Join the Red Block Party

Casting producers from the show will visit Kingsland on Monday, November 28, 2011 and everyone is invited to attend the Lovetown Block Party on November 28th from 3:45PM – 6:00PM in downtown Kingsland. This is our chance to give a South-Georgia-style “Shout-Out” to the Oprah Winfrey Network. The Oprah Winfrey Network is teaming with BBC America Productions to create a show called “Love Town, USA” and Kingsland is in the running of becoming the location.

A network camera crew will be on-site to film our community block party and everyone is invited to meet with the OWN producers to tell them why you love our great community and why we should be chosen as “Love Town, USA”.

Please wear red!!Kingsland is asking residents to decorate homes, businesses, cars, EVERYTHING with red ribbons to demonstrate your support.

You can read more about the show here.

Recently we visited Cumberland Island to for the TV show “I Know Jax” broadcast on CW 17 in the greater Jacksonville area. The story about Cumberland Island is going to air in the Hit the Road Jax segment of the TV show on Saturday November 19 at 11 pm.

The episode is showcasing the beautiful nature of Cumberland Island with its live oaks and vast, sandy beaches.  The island is also an important stopover point for migrating birds on the transatlantic migratory flyway, but maybe it’s most known for its wild horses.

Joe visits Cumberland Island - I Know Jax on CW17

For those of you who want to find love and be on TV, this is a chance of a lifetime. The TV show Lovetown USA is having a casting call on Wednesday November 9, 2011, from 4 pm to 7 pm at Kingsland Visitors Center.  Everyone who is single is encouraged all   to come to Kingland Welcome Center and fill out the casting application. You will get your  picture taken and your application will be sent to the show.
To find out more about the show, read our previous post about Lovetown, USA – just click here.

Make sure to watch the video below to find out more.

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is developing BBC Worldwide Productions “Lovetown, USA”,
an original unscripted TV project about mass matchmaking in an American town for a potential 2012 series show.
In the show, a group of expert matchmakers would set up operations for 30 days in a city of approximately 15,000 people, looking to pair up as many eligible singles as possible. Last week, the show’s casting began its search for the centerpiece town.
On Monday, Kingsland Mayor Kenneth Smith was contacted regarding an anonymous nomination for the City of Kingsland as the featured LoveTown location. The show’s casting team has given Kingsland a one week deadline for submission to the next level of the selection process. “We have one week to garner community support to demonstrate that we are willing to work together to host this opportunity,” stated Mayor Smith. The application states that the producers are “looking for an area with real community spirit” and that the selected town should be a “storybook, picturesque location and with a definite sense of community that can come together to help match the singles and bring a new found mutual love to the entire community”.

The Kingsland Convention & Visitors Bureau has been selected as the lead agency for communication with the television network. Tonya Rosado, CVB Executive Director, commented “Local economic impact from productions can be very significant, including hiring of local residents, hotel stays and purchases of goods and services. Plus there is a great tourism draw to your community after the project is released”. According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, television productions bring substantial economic impact to the community through local employment, purchases of local goods, hotel stays, location fees, and other investments.
Every project generates word of mouth about your community’s cooperation and can lead to larger projects down the road.
Community Call to Action – Don’t Let Love Pass Us By!! We need community support by Friday, November 4th
to solidify this nomination. If you believe the Kingsland/Camden community is a great place to fall in love or if you would like to find the love of your life in your own backyard, send your name, age, contact information, and photos (of romantic places in the community) along with a brief story about why you and your town are ready to fall in love to: LoveTown@VisitKingsland.com

Most TV shows “do stuff online” and local websites never go over to broadcast television. IKnowJax.com is going to change that with the premier of a TV show on CW 17 in Jacksonville on November 5, 2011 at 11 p.m.

The fast-paced TV show focuses on things to do in Jacksonville, Florida, mixing entertainment, sports, arts & culture, music, road trips and more. The magazine style TV show contains several different segments; Relax in Jax, Taste of Jax, an entertainment segment and a sport segment – just to mention a few of the types of stories we will feature.

Many of our stories were suggested to us by our website visitors or facebook friends. We have been publishing content about fun things to do on the coast on www.CoastalCompanion.com for over five years, and the local website for the greater Jacksonville was added almost 2 years ago.

Joe Goes to Daytona for a road trip

When we realized that about a third of our coastalcompanion.com website visitors came from the greater Jacksonville area, we knew launching a local website was a way for us to increase our service to that particular audience. Now we’re adding more value for our audience by adding a weekly television show on CW 17. The TV station reaches the First Coast area from Amelia Island, Jacksonville and St. Augustine, and is also broadcast in South Georgia to Camden County, Waycross and Brunswick, and the Glynn County area.

But don’t worry. Even if you can’t get CW 17 in your area, you will still be able to follow the show. All videos will be uploaded to our website and You Tube channel after the broadcast. Make sure to sign up for our newsletter to get notified as soon as new videos are available. We will also have special give aways and contests for our subscribers, so don’t miss out.

For information about sponsorship of the TV show, please call 904.345.0755 and talk to Joe directly. Right now, we have some awesome deals going.

Check out the press release here.