The Dragon Coaster won’t be the only iconic attraction visitors will flock to at Playland this summer. On June 29, Rye’s Carly Rose Sonenclar, who’s on the verge of becoming the next pop sensation, will make her concert debut at Playland.

 

By Janice Llanes Fabry

 

The Dragon Coaster won’t be the only iconic attraction visitors will flock to at Playland this summer. On June 29, Rye’s Carly Rose Sonenclar, who’s on the verge of becoming the next pop sensation, will make her concert debut at Playland.

 

“I am so happy that it worked out that my first live concert is at Rye Playland which is practically in my backyard,” said the 14-year-old who became a singing phenomenon on “X Factor.” Carly added, “The fans from Westchester were amazingly supportive during the show, and continue to be great to me now. I am so grateful that I can get to share this experience with them.”

 

Since her superstar turn in Simon Cowell’s singing competition, Carly’s life has drastically changed despite her family’s efforts to restore normalcy. She is recognized and approached by Carly’s Angels, as her fans are called, everywhere she goes. She received gifts and heartfelt messages from all over the world on her birthday in April. Her recent cover of Bruno Mars’ song “Runaway Baby” has garnered over a million hits on YouTube, and her “X Factor” audition has been viewed by almost 40 million.

 

Nevertheless, the soft-spoken, modest eighth grader returned to Rye Neck Middle School, doing homework and studying hard alongside her peers. She acknowledged that she didn’t “have very much time to myself, especially now with finals and Regents exams coming up, writing and recording original music, and rehearsing for shows. Sometimes, I have to give up things that I really want to do, but I so appreciate having all of these opportunities that it makes up for it.”

 

Carly was signed to Simon Cowell’s Syco record company a few months ago, and her first album is currently in the pre-production phase. Once the school year is over, she will be spending more time in the studio writing and recording with various producers.

 

“It is going to take time, but I am working hard to make the album the absolute best it can be,” she said.

 

This summer, Sonenclar will also be appearing at the Encore Event Center in Freehold, New Jersey on June 30 and at Universal Citiwalk in Los Angeles on July 5. On August 10, she will headline a full-length concert for Stand Up for A Cure in New York City. “That one is extra special because it supports the charity I am an ambassador for, the Starlight Children’s Foundation,” she said.