Frohliche Dorf Show returns to CCS
Central Christian School in Kidron will welcome the second annual Frohliche Dorf, the hilarious live variety show, to its Performing Arts Center (PAC) on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m.
Frohliche Dorf, or “happy village” in German, was written and produced by Central Christian’s choir director, Tim Shue, in the style of an old-time radio program similar to Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. It features advertising jingles, a panel of actors performing skits and sound effects, local authors and personalities, and special musical performances, a total cast of about 50 emceed by Bruce Detweiler Breckbill, vice president of direct sales for Lehman’s. Shue said it’s a light-hearted show that pokes fun at life in and around Amish Country.
“It’s a slice of self-mockery and a good laugh at who we are in this community,” said Shue. “It’s about celebrating our own unique quirkiness.”
Shue said the 2011 show was a tremendous hit, and, just like last year, he predicts it will pack the PAC.
“It turned out to be a lot funnier than we anticipated,” Shue said. “I guess people needed a good reason to laugh.”
This year’s audience can expect more of the same hilarity during the two-hour show, plus a few new treats, including the return of Clip and Clop, the Buggy Talk Guys, who, this year, will be endeavoring to diagnose the cause of their buggies’ engine exhaust issues.
Frying Pan Dan, played by Dan Hunsberger of Johnstown, Pa., will also make an encore appearance on Frohliche’s daytime talk show spoof, The Few, sharing the multitude of recipes that can be created using a can of cream of mushroom soup.
And what would a variety show be without a high-stakes quiz show? That’s where Cheperdy comes in, with contestants choosing from categories like food groups and family names, capping out at a whopping $500.
“It’s corny as all get-out,” said Shue. “We’re also doing a skit to celebrate our 50 year anniversary, where graduates from different years will talk to different classes, holding a frame in front of their face, representing their high school graduation photo.”
To add musical variety to that skit, the eclectic four-piece group Honeytown will perform songs harkening back to each era, including a bit of Bieber Fever for the 2010 grads.
Other music includes the specially-assembled Doofendorf Polka Band, plus the black gospel powerhouse Leslie Parker Barnes of Akron, soloing for both Sonnenberg Station men’s ensemble and an area women’s choir assembled by Tim Shue.
Special speaking guest will be Sugar2Salt’s Jon Detweiler, the young man who embarked on a three-month canoe adventure from the Sugar Creek near his Dalton home to the Gulf of Mexico. Also featured will be area birder Greg Miller, whose fowl adventures were chronicled in the book The Big Year by Mark Obmascik and portrayed by comic actor Jack Black in the Hollywood feature film.
Ticket sales for this year’s Frohliche Dorf will again fund CCS’s choir festival trips and help eliminate debt on the school’s music wing. Last year’s show brought in about $6,000.
Tickets are on sale now and selling fast. They can be purchased for $15 per ticket by calling Central Christian School at 330-857-7311.
Frohliche Dorf, or “happy village” in German, was written and produced by Central Christian’s choir director, Tim Shue, in the style of an old-time radio program similar to Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. It features advertising jingles, a panel of actors performing skits and sound effects, local authors and personalities, and special musical performances, a total cast of about 50 emceed by Bruce Detweiler Breckbill, vice president of direct sales for Lehman’s. Shue said it’s a light-hearted show that pokes fun at life in and around Amish Country.
“It’s a slice of self-mockery and a good laugh at who we are in this community,” said Shue. “It’s about celebrating our own unique quirkiness.”
Shue said the 2011 show was a tremendous hit, and, just like last year, he predicts it will pack the PAC.
“It turned out to be a lot funnier than we anticipated,” Shue said. “I guess people needed a good reason to laugh.”
This year’s audience can expect more of the same hilarity during the two-hour show, plus a few new treats, including the return of Clip and Clop, the Buggy Talk Guys, who, this year, will be endeavoring to diagnose the cause of their buggies’ engine exhaust issues.
Frying Pan Dan, played by Dan Hunsberger of Johnstown, Pa., will also make an encore appearance on Frohliche’s daytime talk show spoof, The Few, sharing the multitude of recipes that can be created using a can of cream of mushroom soup.
And what would a variety show be without a high-stakes quiz show? That’s where Cheperdy comes in, with contestants choosing from categories like food groups and family names, capping out at a whopping $500.
“It’s corny as all get-out,” said Shue. “We’re also doing a skit to celebrate our 50 year anniversary, where graduates from different years will talk to different classes, holding a frame in front of their face, representing their high school graduation photo.”
To add musical variety to that skit, the eclectic four-piece group Honeytown will perform songs harkening back to each era, including a bit of Bieber Fever for the 2010 grads.
Other music includes the specially-assembled Doofendorf Polka Band, plus the black gospel powerhouse Leslie Parker Barnes of Akron, soloing for both Sonnenberg Station men’s ensemble and an area women’s choir assembled by Tim Shue.
Special speaking guest will be Sugar2Salt’s Jon Detweiler, the young man who embarked on a three-month canoe adventure from the Sugar Creek near his Dalton home to the Gulf of Mexico. Also featured will be area birder Greg Miller, whose fowl adventures were chronicled in the book The Big Year by Mark Obmascik and portrayed by comic actor Jack Black in the Hollywood feature film.
Ticket sales for this year’s Frohliche Dorf will again fund CCS’s choir festival trips and help eliminate debt on the school’s music wing. Last year’s show brought in about $6,000.
Tickets are on sale now and selling fast. They can be purchased for $15 per ticket by calling Central Christian School at 330-857-7311.
Published: January 18, 2012
