Valley Fellowship Players
Past Shows

Spring 2009 Production

Read the article about this production in the North County News.

Fall 2005 Production

"Oliver"

            Every four years, youth from the Long Green Valley Church raise funds to travel to Colorado for a National Youth Conference. Two of our youth leaders who also love doing theater, David & Judy Ricci, dreamed of doing a musical that would involve many of our young people. Thus, "Oliver" became our Fall 2004 Valley Fellowship Players. During two weekends in October, our hall resounded with Charles Dickens' touching tale (put to music by Lionel Bart) of an orphan boy who runs away from the orphanage and tries to pick a pocket or two for Fagin, but gets caught. As Fagin tries to save him, all Oliver wants to do is go to his uncle, and live a good life.

            We were blessed with an abundance of talent, both within and beyond our congregation. The cast of 40 formed a strong bond, thoroughly enjoying working together. For a behind the scenes look at cast life, check out this slideshow of photos taken and placed online by one of the cast members. The lyrics to the songs can also be found online, as well as extensive midi files with music soundtrack for each song. Read the original 19th century novel by Dickens, "Oliver Twist."

            An article on our production of "Oliver" can be found in the North County News, click here to read it.

Photos of the Production

Spring 2003 Production

"Godspell"

Our May 2003 production of the classic musical “Godspell,” was held in two different venues.  The first four productions were performed in our fellowship hall in Glen Arm, MD, to benefit the Shepherd’s Spring Outreach Ministry Center debt reduction effort.  The last two were held at the Dundalk United Methodist Church in Dundalk, to benefit the Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County.

For an in-depth look at the Valley Fellowship Players production of "Godspell" click here.

Directors:                                     Musical Director:
David and Marge Ricci                    Zermain Breidenbaugh

Choreographer:
David Ricci 

Cast:  
David Ricci as  Jesus                                    Nicole Smyth   
Peter Haynes as John the Baptist/Judas         Terri Smyth
Albert Boeren                                              Chris Tarnowski          
Caitlin Haynes                                              Judy Ricci
Mark Lane                                                   Russell Knight

Rehearsal Photos:

           

             

An article was written in the North County News about "Godspell", click here to read it.  

Winter 2002 Production

"Amahl And The Night Visitors"

Although “Amahl” was not presented by the Valley Fellowship Players, the opera by Gian-Carlo Menotti was performed by members of the church and we felt it appropriate to include on the Church Web Site.  The proceeds from this production, totaling $2,850, were shared between The Kanner House, a short and long term housing facility for teenage boys in Baltimore and for the sponsorship of youth from the Dominican Republic to travel to the United States for the National Youth Conference of our denomination.

Amahl and the Night Visitors is the first musical commissioned especially for television.  It was given its premiere by the NBC Television Opera Theater in New York City on December 24, 1951.  The first professional stage production was presented on April 9, 1952 by the New York City Opera.  So, with this production we, too, celebrate the 50^th anniversary of this delightful work.

It is the story of a poor widow and her young, crippled son who live in the Judean desert.  One cold wintry night, there is a knock at the door of their hut.  They are surprised to find three, elegantly dressed, and obviously wealthy, travelers at their door.  They invite the travelers in for the night and learn of a new king, the “Holy Child,” recently born in their region.  There is some unexpected excitement in the little hut that night!

Director
Zermain Breidenbaugh

Cast
Amahl              Shawn Smyth
Mother            Chris Tarnowski
The Page         Terence Sullivan
Kaspar            David Ricci
Melchior          Ronald Webb
Balthazar          Thomas Welzenbach

                                    The Shepherds’ Chorus   

Shepherds                           Children                               Shepherdess’s
Norman Bollinger                  Mitchell Haynes                     Gail Hanna
Chris Breidenbaugh               Morgan Scala                        Kay Kearns
Israel Rosas                          Lynn Shenk                            Dottie Krause
Chuck Tipton                        Sara Shenk                            Gayle Lane
Jeff Wolf                               Rebekah Wheatley                 Edna Mueller
                                             Christopher Wolf                   Vickie Raistrick
                                                                                           Judy Ricci

 Photos From Amahl  

The Amahl Set

Amahl and his Mother

The Visitors are Welcomed

The Three Kings & Page

The Entire Cast & Crew

The Shepherds’ Chorus

Spring 2001 Production  

"Exit the Body"   

Our second production was “Exit The Body”, a farce by Fred Carmichael, which we performed in May of 2001.  Now you see it and now you don’t.  Is there a body or isn’t there one?  Crane Hammond, mystery writer, rents a New England home for a month to work on her latest novel.  What she and her secretary experience in their short time there is better than any novel she could write.  The action in this farce is frantic at times and hilarious all the time.

Director          -              Albert Boeren

Cast    

Lillian Seymour                Fran Teller
Jenny                               Judy Ricci
Randolph                         David Ricci
Helen O’Toole                Judy McCormack
Kate Bixley                      Regina Rose
Crane Hammond              Marge Ricci
Vernon Cookley               Mark Lane
Lyle Rogers                      Ronald Decker
Phillip Smith                      Albert J. Boeren
Richard Hammond            Gary Miller

Photos from “Exit The Body”  

The Hall is Ready

The cast from left to right:  Mark Lane, Steve Lane (Sound, Lights), Judy Ricci, David Ricci, Gary Miller, Grace Miller, Marge Ricci, Albert Boeren, Lisa Boeren (Stage Manaager), Ron Decker, Judy McCormack, Regina Rose, Fran Teller

Ron is definitely not ready to come out of the closet

This is a Pontiac signaling for a left turn?

The Sheriff appears to be a little “Tipsy”  

There’s always plenty of good eats at our dinner theatres

For a related article about “Exit the Body” from the North County News click here.  

Spring 2000 Production

"God's Favorite"

Our premiere production was the Neil Simon Comedy “God’s Favorite”.  We performed this show in 2000.  In this play, which is a modernized telling of the biblical story of Job, wealthy tycoon Joe Benjamin has about everything a person could want in his mansion on Long Island.  That is until one winter night when his life is changed by a series of unexpected events announced by a very special messenger.

Director:  Zermain Breidenbaugh  

Cast:  
Sidney Lipton                           David Ricci
Joe Benjamin                            Thomas Pryer
Ben Benjamin                           Albert Boeren
Sarah Benjamin                        Judy Ricci
Rose Benjamin                         Marge Ricci
David Benjamin                        Mark Lane
Mady                                       Grace Miller
Morris                                      Gary Miller 

Photos From “God’s Favorite”:

 Zermain on the Set

The Cast

Before the Holocaust

After the Holocaust

Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren

Last Updated 10/14/10