SOMA Rocks

SOMA’s backing band, The Local Heroes, is thrilled to announce the sixth in a series of benefits: SOMA Rocks 6 – A Singer Showcase. The show will be Saturday night, January 24, 2026, at the Woodland in Maplewood, New Jersey.

January’s concert and party will feature the singing talents of South Orange / Maplewood’s own Becky Gulsvig, Miguel Cervantes, Jeiris Cook, Kevin Kern, Alex Jones, Manu Narayan, Graham Rowat, Joanna Young, Danielle Ferland, Kat De Bari, Ben Thompson, and Jared Zarilli, along with The Local Heroes’ full-time lead singers, Diane Davis and Charlie Pollock. All vocalist bios are below.

This year we have a theme - 90’s rock! Join us for a kickass evening with songs selected by the singers and arranged by, and performed with, The Local Heroes. 

Doors 7:30 pm. Music 8:00 pm. Adults only. Get there early. Have some drinks.

All proceeds will benefit the Columbia High School Music Parents Association (CHSMPA). 

The Local Heroes are SOMA’s own Charlie Pollock, Diane Davis, Matt Katz, David Pohl, Dave Shields, Dave Macarone, Mark Litwin, and special guest Tom Gregorio.

Artwork by Sarah Gifford Design @sarahgdesign 

Becky Gulsvig

BECKY (Fisher) GULSVIG most recently appeared on Broadway in A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical. Other Broadway credits include: Hairspray, Legally Blonde The Musical, School of Rock and Come From Away. She also starred in the 1st National Tours of Legally Blonde, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Come From Away. Becky is the creator and owner of Little Apple Arts, a children's theatre enrichment program in SOMA. She lives in Maplewood with her husband, daughter and two dogs.

Jeiris Cook

Jeiris Cook, former warehouse manager & mattress salesman turned musician started his professional journey around a camp fire with his oldest son (Jeiris Xavier). It was on this fateful camping trip where he was inspired to learn to play guitar in 2016. He was further motivated by the fatigue of working a bureaucratic traditional corporate job. Deciding to gamble & strike out on his own, he pursed music as a full-time career with a young family in tow. 

Fast forward 6 years and he has performed at various music festivals (such as Musik Fest) showcases and notable venues in the New York Metro area. Two such recent performances were in Nashville at Studio Mama Supper Club and Daryl’s House (of Hall & Oats) in September. 

Cook draws his musical influences from the Motown area and 90s RnB. His sound is an infusion of vintage soul, folk and rhythm and blues rolled into a smooth velvety serenade. 

Jeiris is a Columbia High School graduate.  For more info, videos, pictures and show dates, visit www.jeiriscook.com 

Kevin Kern

Kevin Kern starred as JM Barrie in the National Tour of Finding Neverland.  He performed this role over a hundred times in the Broadway production as a standby for Matthew Morrison, Alfie Boe, and Tony Yazbeck.

Other Broadway credits include Wicked (Fiyero), The Bridges of Madison County (Standby for Robert Kincaid), First Date (Standby), The Wedding Singer (Standby for Robbie Hart), and Les Miserables (Marius).  He has also performed in London where he was a part of the West End production of Hair. He has also performed in the Los Angeles Pre-Broadway production of 9 to 5 The Musical and across the country in the National Tour of The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber. 

When he’s not working in New York, Kevin has performed across the country in such venues as The Papermill Playhouse in New Jersey, The St. Louis MUNY, Sacramento California Music Circus, The Virginia Opera, and The Signature Theater in Washington D.C. He has also performed at the world famous Carnegie Hall.  

Kevin originally moved to New York City to attend New York University where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. He and his wife, Megan Lawrence, have four crazy kids named Gus, Sunny Jo, Nolie, and Clover!

Manu Narayan

Manu Narayan most recently co-starred on Broadway as Theo in the Tony Award-winning revival of Sondheim’s COMPANY.  Other Broadway credits include Lincoln Center’s revival of MY FAIR LADY, GETTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER, and the lead in A.R. Rahman’s BOMBAY DREAMS, the first South Asian musical on Broadway.  Off-Broadway highlights include Tobias in A DELICATE BALANCE (Transport Group), Charley Kringas in MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG (Roundabout / Fiasco Theater), Mike in THE LISBON TRAVIATA and Uncle Ernie in The Who’s TOMMY at the Kennedy Center, as well as numerous regional credits. Recent TV and film credits include ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE (AMAZON), AND JUST LIKE THAT (HBO), BULL (CBS), THE BLACKLIST (NBC), PRODIGAL SON (FOX), 99 HOMES, THE LOVE GURU, CINDERELLA STORY: ONCE UPON A SONG. Manu has sung around the world: for the Queen of England and her family in London, at the Jewish Singers’ festival in Warsaw, at the Jewish Cultural festival in Krakow, in Italy, Russia, India, and most recently at the Lyrics & Lyricists series at the 92nd street Y in New York City.  Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Manu lives with his family (both human and canine) in Maplewood, NJ.

Joanna Young Shubart

Joanna Young Shubart is happy to call Maplewood home! She is an actress who has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tours and regional theatres across the country. She is currently on the voice faculty at Rider University and has a private voice studio in her home. Joanna is a mom of three boys, one in college and two involved in the music program at Columbia High School. She loves to sing with her SOMA friends and the Local Heroes and you might have spotted her last year dancing her totally eclipsed heart out on Fleischman Is in Trouble.

Jared Zarilli

Most recently recurring on HULU’s Wu Tang: An American Saga. Also seen playing the role of George Washington in Jay Craven’s war drama Lost Nation, and costarring on Broadway originating the role of Bruce Sudano in SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical. Broadway: Lysistrata Jones. Tours: Wicked, We Will Rock You. New York: Romance Language (Ars Nova), Pretty Filthy (The Civilians), The Jerusalem Syndrome (York), Michael in Beaches (Theatre Row), Fat Camp (Dodgers). Regional: Alfred Davidson in the World Premiere of Michael John LaChiusa’s RAIN (Old Globe), Dracula in the World Premiere of Dracula: A Comedy Of Terrors, SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical (La Jolla Playhouse), Lt. Sam Weinberg in A Few Good Men (Alley Theatre), Jerry in The Full Monty (North Shore) Nate in LMNOP (Theatre Under The Stars, Goodspeed Musicals), Radames in AIDA (Drury Lane), Roger in RENT (Hangar Theatre), Matthew in the DC premiere of Altar Boyz, Giuseppe in The Light in the Piazza (Maine State Music Theatre). Readings: Vanity Fair and Pride & Prejudice (Bedlam), Tommy in New York New York (Susan Stroman), Rob Camiletti in The Cher Show, Vinnie in Life After High School (Roundabout), Elton in Clueless, Rodya in Crime and Punishment (Old Globe), Jamie in 50 First Dates (Dir Casey Nicholaw), Jacob in Twilight: The Musical (New World Stages). Television: Guest stars on Law And Order: SVU and Blue Bloods. Costars on Blindspot and Pan Am.

Diane Davis

Diane is the co-lead singer of The Local Heroes.  Best known for starring as Ginny Potter in the acclaimed Broadway production of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child", Diane Davis previously appeared on Broadway in Golden Boy, Festen, and Old Acquaintance. Off-Broadway she has been seen in Nice Girl (LAByrinth), The Model Apartment, Regrets Only (Manhattan Theater Club), The Young Left (Cherry Lane). She has also worked regionally, most notably starring in An American Daughter at the Williamstown Theater Festival, The Qualms at Steppenwolf, and The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window at The Goodman Theater. Diane was nominated for both a Lucille Lortel and a Drama Desk award for “Outstanding Actress in a Play” for her portrayal of Debbie in The Model Apartment. Her work in Nice Girl was designated by the New York Times as “one of the Stage’s Best Moments of 2015.

Charlie Pollock

Charlie Pollock is the co-lead singer of The Local Heroes band.  He is also a veteran of stage and screen.  Currently, Charlie is starring in the role of George Wilson in The Great Gatsby on Broadway.  Other Broadway credits include: Violet, Urinetown, 9 to 5.  Encores: The Wild Party, Really Rosie.  Shakespeare in the Park: Love’s Labour’s Lost. Off-Broadway: David Bowie’s Lazarus, Tick, Tick, Boom!, I love You, You’re Perfect... National Tours: Urinetown, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber

T.V./Film: Jesus Christ Superstar Live! The Good Wife (recurring), The Good Fight (recurring) Elementary, As the World Turns (recurring), Law and Order, The Guiding Light, P.S. I Love You

Charlie lives with his family in South Orange.

The Local Heroes

The Local Heroes band hails from South Orange and Maplewood, NJ.  Featuring the powerhouse vocals of stars of stage and screen, Charlie Pollock and Diane Davis, the band typically performs a mix of Americana, country and rock music and can be seen at various New Jersey venues throughout the year.  For more information and to join the band’s mailing list go to www.somalocalheroesband.com.

In addition to their regular performances, The Local Heroes are the backing band for SOMA Rocks -- A Singer Showcase.  This annual event showcases the amazing singing talent from the South Orange and Maplewood community, while raising money for local causes.  For each SOMA Rocks event, The Local Heroes band invites its talented neighbors and members of the SOMA community to be guest vocalists.  The singers pick some of their favorite rock and pop songs to perform with the Local Heroes.  All proceeds benefit the Columbia High School Music Parents Association (CHSMPA).

The Local Heroes Band is:

Charlie Pollock (vocals) Diane Davis (vocals) David Pohl (guitar) Matt Katz (drums and percussion) David Macarone (bass) Mark Litwin (violin and viola) Dave Shields (keyboards)

For SOMA Rocks, the band is joined by special guests, Tom Gregorio on guitar, Fred Guterl on trumpet, Ray Patton on baritone sax, and Manu Narayan on alto sax.