Gala Event to Celebrate Moravian Church’s
550th Anniversary
to Raise Money Two Ministries
Steel drum bands, Handbell choirs, instrumental soloists, and vocal choirs of all kinds from Moravian Churches around the region will headline a gala variety show that will take place at the State Theatre in Easton on November 10, 2007 beginning at 7:00 PM. The show is part of what has been a year-long celebration of the Moravian Church’s 550th Anniversary. Fourteen separate acts will fill up the evening with a wide variety of sounds and emotions. Proceeds from the gala will benefit the Moravian Open Door, located in New York City, which provides transitional housing for older adults, and the Hope Conference and Renewal Center, located in Hope, New Jersey, which houses the area’s youth camping program, as well as provides space for congregational retreats throughout the year.
Noted comedian and actress Hazelle Goodman will host the evening. Ms. Goodman, who is the daughter of a Moravian pastor, has starred on the stage as well as in television and movie venues. Among her many credits, Ms. Goodman starred opposite Woody Allen in the ground breaking role of “Cookie” in Allen’s Deconstructing Harry; as the diva, drug lord, “Georgia Rae Mahoney” on NBC’s Homicide; and as Evelda Drumgo in the block buster film Hannibal. Featured in Vogue, People, and Vibe magazines, her self-titled HBO Special received unprecedented ratings and was nominated for two Cable Ace Awards – Best Comedy Special and Best Performer. She has performed alongside noted celebrities Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Glenn Close, and others at the Madison Square Garden premier performance of the Vagina Monologues. Ms. Goodman recently brought her extraordinary talents to the wonderful work of the late Spalding Gray entitled “Leftover Stories To Tell “ and received rave reviews. The show will be filmed by Whoopi Goldberg next year.
“This evening will be a celebration of the wonderful and wide variety of gifts possessed by the members of our congregations. It will give these folks a wonderful stage on which to let their lights shine, their talents are really quite remarkable,” said the Rev. Chris Giesler, event coordinator. He continued by saying: “What makes the evening even more special is that we hope to provide some much needed financial support to two very worthy organizations.”
Joining a handful of choirs and individuals from around the Lehigh Valley, will be youth Steel Drum bands and a Soul Choir from New York City, and a Handbell Choir from Washington DC. Individual acts will include an organ performance by Ms. Rebecca Kleintop Owens, organist and Choir director at Central Moravian Church; and the cello work of Mr. Sean Conover from Palmer Moravian Church. Group performances will include ensembles from Advent, Calvary, East Hills, Midway Manor, Mountainview Moravian Churches. Multi-church groups such the Bethlehem Area Moravian Trombone Choir, the Unitas Chorale, and the Lehigh Valley Area Moravian Handbell Choir will also be featured.
The event is open to the general public. Tickets for the evening can be purchased by calling the State Theatre Box Office at 610-252-3132, or by visiting the State Theatre’s web site www.statetheatre.org. This show is a production of the Eastern District of the Moravian Church, State Theatre Member Benefits and Gift Cards do not apply.
The Moravian Church, celebrating its 550th anniversary March 1, 2007, is one of the oldest Protestant denominations, dating back to 1457 in Europe and first coming to America in 1735. Moravians have a strong tradition of ecumenical work and are best known for their missionary work and rich musical heritage. The Moravian Church in North America is comprised of the Northern and Southern Provinces. The Northern Province has approximately 28,000 members in 102 congregations in 13 states in the U.S. and Canada. The Southern Province includes nearly 20,000 members in 58 congregations, which are located primarily throughout the Southeast. The worldwide Moravian Church consists of 19 provinces with nearly 789,000 members, half of which live in Africa.
