Meenan teams with Monmouth to 'Deck the Halls' with Wows 'n Follies

(WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ) -– He was an accomplished theatrical pro when he was barely out of his teens — not just a legend in his native Monmouth County, but a Broadway veteran of such smash hits as "A Chorus Line" and "42nd Street."

Still, David J.V. Meenan didn't stop at being an actor, a singer and a dancer — he was also a writer, a director, a producer and an impresario who operated his own playhouse in Red Bank. As an executive at the Count Basie Theatre, he presented the world premiere of his original musical Transatlantic — and in 1996, he hoofed his way into the Guinness Book of World Records as the global champion of long-distance tap dancing.

If David Meenan seemed to vanish from show business at the dawn of the new millennium, it was merely due to the re-channeling of his energies into a new and fruitful endeavor —with The Pampered Chef, for whom the singing "Broadway Chef" became the top salesperson on the planet.

When that showbiz bug bites, however, it's not so easily swatted away — and in December of 2009, the legend emerged from self-imposed retirement to produce and direct his own large-scale adaptation of the Dickens chestnut A Christmas Carol — with his venue of choice the Pollak Theatre on the West Long Branch campus of Monmouth University.

The partnership with the Center for the Arts at Monmouth was such a happy one that Meenan himself tapped onto the stage once more in February 2011, for the benefit revue Sing Sing Sing — and on the afternoon of December 11, David J.V. Meenan returns to the Pollak with a company of 40 singers, dancers and musicians, in the debut of the never-before-seen holiday extravaganza Deck the Halls!

The first of two Meenan musical productions to be staged at Monmouth University in the 2011-2012 season, Deck the Halls! presents the dynamic star and a formidable troupe of friends in a revue that offers a fresh look at many of the most beloved holiday standards — with colorful costumes and the live Royale Orchestra adding to the festive atmosphere.

Presiding over the show like Santa at his workshop will be Meenan the master entertainer — singing, emceeing, and (of course) tapping in a way that suggests the word "retirement" might soon be retired from his vocabulary. With a presentation that recalls the classic holiday stage shows and specials of yesteryear, Deck the Halls! is as timeless as the spirit of the season — the kind of family entertainment that never goes out of style.

David J.V. Meenan returns to Monmouth University in March 2012 with the all-new variety revue On Broadway. To purchase tickets for Deck the Halls!, or for additional information on the 2011-12 Performing Arts season, please contact the Monmouth University Performing Arts Box Office at 732-263-6889, or online at www.monmouth.edu/arts.