‘Piano Princess’ brings fun to Packard show

By John Benson

The pianist took to heart some advice she got from Liberace.

If Liberace is the king of the pianists, Linda Gentille is the “Piano Princess.”

At least that’s the nickname bestowed by Liberace on a teenage Gentille, who as a precocious, classically trained pianist was selected by the glitzy piano man to play on his last major tour in the mid-’80s.

“I auditioned for his show when I was 17, and that was in 1985,” said Gentille, calling from her Cape May, N.J. home. “It was quite a wonderful experience to go on the road with him because everyone loved him. He was just a great person and never had temper tantrums. He never played a diva at all.

“And that started my career into being a professional pianist. From there, I want to Las Vegas, developed my own show and now I’m touring all over.”

To this day, Gentille said she is still influenced by a few simple words Liberace passed on her to decades ago.

“I used to get very nervous as a classical pianist when I did competitions and after working with him, his basic philosophy was just relax and have fun,” Gentille said. “He said, ‘If you’re having fun, the audience is having fun.’ And that really made a big difference in my career. It’s what I’ve taken with me throughout the years.”

While revered around the globe, Gentille has found a special audience in China, where for over the past decade she’s performed more concerts (more than 105 to date) than any other foreign artist. Not only has the piano made a comeback in post-cultural revolution China, but Gentille speaks fluent Mandarin, which she believes gives her an edge when performing for Chinese audiences.

“People ask me, ‘What kind of show do you do in China?’” Gentille said. “It’s like a Liberace show, but in Mandarin and without the diamonds and furs.”

Actually, her current performance is billed as the “American Piano Show,” which is the title of her 2006 DVD. Gentille said she’s looking forward to her Friday show at Packard Music Hall.

From Billy Joel (“The Root Beer Rag”) and John Denver (“Country Roads”) to George Gershwin (“Rhapsody in Blue Medley”), Irving Berlin (“Alexander’s Ragtime Band”) and even Gentille’s ragtime-composing grandmother Anna Louise Deal (“Rebecca at the Well”), this veteran concert pianist will be playing a wide variety of material. More so, she promises something special.

“If people enjoy piano music and like to have fun, it’s a great family show for all ages,” Gentille said. “I do some unusual arrangements of songs that most people have never heard, which is nice.

“So it’s always nice to be exposed to new music, and if someone is looking for the out-of-the-ordinary piano concert, this is it.”