Cruise Ship Entertainer John Bressler

ALPENA — Attendees are in for a visual, musical and comedic treat on Sunday afternoon.

John Bressler, the number-one entertainer on Princess Cruises, will provide a concert as part of the APlex’s Sunday Memories Concert Series.

Married couple Norman and Elaine Sommerfeld manage the APlex. They said Bressler has been to Alpena years ago, and they are looking forward to having him back.

“It’s just a very, very unique show that we don’t get to see around here very much,” Norman Sommerfeld said.

The show will include singing, acting, costumes, comedy, piano playing (with his feet), and more.

“He’s the number-one act for the last three years on Princess Cruise Lines,” Norman Sommerfeld said. “I had John here back when I was at Northern Lights Arena, and then we also had him over here, when this was Thunder Bay Rec Center. So, I’ve known John for probably 20 years.”

Doors open at 1 p.m., and the performance will begin at 2 p.m.

“Audience participation,” Norman Sommerfeld said. “He has a very raspy voice, so he sounds a lot like Rod Stewart. He does a lot of song parodies, so he’s made up a lot of his own songs, and stuff.”

Admission is $15, which includes heavy hors d’oeuvres. A cash bar will be available. Reserve your table at 989-354-6164.

This is the second in a winter Sunday series the APlex started in December, with a Kenny Rogers tribute artist.

“We’re doing a Sunday series called, ‘Sunday Memories,’ and it’s for people in our community who, maybe, don’t like driving at night, or don’t want to be out late at night,” Elaine Sommerfeld said. “The shows start at 2 o’clock. Doors open at 1.”

These concerts last about three hours, she said.

“They can come, and they’re done by 5:30, so they’re home at a decent hour,” said Elaine Sommerfeld. “And they’re fed a nice tray of hors d’oeuvres. It’s meal-sized, really.”

Norman Sommerfeld said about 150 people came to the Kenny Rogers tribute concert in December.

“The first one we had was Kenny Rogers at Christmastime, which was very well-received,” Elaine Sommerfeld said.

He will be back next December.

“Everybody loved him,” she said of the Kenny Rogers tribute artist, Alan Turner and Steel Horse Band.

“The show was just incredible,” Norman Sommerfeld said. “He brought this young lady with him, and she was in her 30s, so she would sing the Dolly Parton part,” and all the other female duet parts, he said.

Anyone age 12 and up should enjoy Sunday’s show by John Bressler, the Sommerfelds said.

“John is our second one of our series this year, and then our third one will be in February, and that is the Rod Stewart, Ronnie Milsap, and Elvis tribute.”

That show will be on Sunday, Feb. 13.

This series is only happening in Decemeber, January, and February.

“When people are not able to get out, maybe, as much,” Norman Sommerfeld said. “They can get out once a month, come on a Sunday afternoon, and just have a great show.”

He added that a woman from Traverse City called and said she will be bringing her friends over to Alpena on Sunday to see Bressler, because she had just returned from a cruise in which he was the entertainer, and she enjoyed it so much she can’t wait to see him perform again.

“Each one of our shows here, no matter when it is, we always partner with a nonprofit in town,” Norman Sommerfeld said. “The Sunday show is Hope Shores Alliance, the shelter. So, they come in and they do 50/50, so the winner gets 50% of that, and that charity takes home the other half. So, it’s kind of a partnership with the community.”

Also at the APlex, Bob Seger Tribute band Katmandu will perform this Saturday.

For more information and tickets, visit aplex.org/events.