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Church House Band, Holy Roller Radio Players, writers, techs and crew at the May, 2011 show.
Photo by Jeff Dunnicliff
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| Writers |
The shows are written by Head Writer Jeff Hoyt, Cindy Hoyt, Jim Farrell, Richard Rogers, Greg Wessel, Bill Wood, Wendra Lynne, Harris Levinson and Will North.
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Bill Wood labored as a screen and TV (mostly TV) writer for 34 years in Hollywood and removed to Vashon Island to escape all that. Clearly, he has been unsuccessful. Bill is completely successful helping to keep Vashon weird.
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Greg Wessel is a geologist and unusual character posing as a writer. In his words, “People have said to me ‘Greg... you’re a scientist. Why don’t you stick to your core talents instead of writing?’ And, you know, they are right! I should write more about Science! Maybe someday my parole officer will let me.”
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Wendra-Lynne came to Church seeking redemption for her many years as a commercial art director.
Writing, teaching yoga and watercolors, are all part of her 'three fold path' to reverse her years of advertising karma. |
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Harris Levinson Trusted with our children for 8 hours a day, Harris now provides proof positive with his CoGR efforts that the public has made a grave mistake. Petitions that will send him back to Boston, where his brand of "humor" is apparently accepted, are available at the concession stand. Stop sitting there and go sign one.
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Will North hasn't had an honest job since Reagan fired his sorry butt out of the federal government on Inauguration Day. Since then, he's written seventeen books, was entered into the Witless Protection Program, relocated to Vashon and drafted into the CoGR writers group because he was knocking 'em dead as a humorist... at the Burton Coffee Stand.
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Richard Rogers began his show biz career with a poster promoting a 1973 event in the Astrodome attended by 30,000 featuring 15-year old Guru Maharaj Ji, known then as Lord of The Universe. By comparison, conjuring up skits, posters and web media for Church of Great Rain is a walk in the park and far more enlightening.
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Technical Crew
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Video & Audio
Kings of the Kameras are Dan Schueler, Michael Monteleone, Dennis Lambert, James Culbertson, Pam Ingalls, Derrick Reed. Post-production video editing by Michael Monteleone, Dennis Lambert, James Culbertson and Dan Schueler. Our awesome audio is provided by Bob Moses and John Sparks.
Stage Manager is Mary Shackleford with her assistant Meredith Harton and Intern Garnet Swan. Wendra Lynne handles props.
Web Media and Marketing
Media Director is Richard Rogers.
Cherub logo and animation created by Terri Bassett.
Church of Great Rain Broadcasts
Church of Great Rain is rebroadcast on VoV-TV, Comcast channel 21.
In The Beginning Was the Band
Church House Band was formed in 2007 by Greg Parrott and Frank Hein, of folk rock duo Great Rain, following an invitation from Vashon Island music promoter Pete Welch to perform a monthly Sunday night gig at The Red Bicycle. Great Rain had been hosting jams at their Lisabeula studio every Sunday morning with a gaggle of island musicians - a gathering which they jokingly referred to as ‘church’.
Church moved to The Red Bicycle in October 2008 for 'evening services' once a month and incorporated sketch comedy and variety with the vision of becoming the Northwest's answer to A Prairie Home Companion - with a Monty Python twist.
The result is Church of Great Rain, the music / comedy / variety show show that has taken Vashon Island by storm, drawing near capacity crowds at Open Space for Arts & Community.
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HOME • MISSION • CAST & CREW • SHOWS • PRESS • VIDEO
THE CHOIR
The people who bring Church of Great Rain to life
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Greg Parrott
Show Producer, Lead Guitar, Vocals
Greg formed Church House Band with Frank Hein, a fellow member of the folk rock duo Great Rain. This collaboration has evolved into the Church of Great Rain shows we enjoy today. Greg has been a software engineer at Microsoft for many years and has the piercings to prove it. |
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Fletcher Andrews
Drums
Fletcher grew up playing drums in the Midwest with rock, funk, punk, and jazz bands. He has played with George Duke at the Jazz Alley, opened for Jack Johnson in Hawaii in addition to playing with Vashon bands including Resonance, Turner Down, Brent Magstadt and SubPop. Fletcher thinks of himself as a musician trapped in a drummer’s body. |
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Doug Ringer
Bass Guitar
When he's not laying down funky bass lines for Church House Band, Doug plays with Poultry in Motion, The Great Divide, 5:01, Turner Down and virtually anywhere a bass player is needed. He sat in with Michele Shocked at her Island concert. |
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Mike Nichols
Harmonica
Lonesome Mike Nichols plays harp for One More Mile and Captain Dick and the Portholes. In past lives he has performed with Elvin Bishop, Norton Buffalo and Commander Cody. He brings such an intensity to harp playing, he will often have to spend a couple days recovering after a show.
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Adrienne Selvy Mildon
Currently on Sabbatical
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Musicians Sitting in With Church House Band
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Maggie Laird
Keyboards, Vocals
Maggie grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and has lived in the Pacific Northwest since 1980. Her initial professional life was in the theatre and, having played piano since age 4, she was driven to perform in bands including Blackwood/Laird, Island Jazz Quintet, and the Portage Fill-Harmonic Big Band. Maggie teaches piano and voice in her home studio on Vashon.
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Jennifer Sutherland
Vocals
Jennifer is not only an amazing singer, super-mom and all around awesome being, she is a founding member of the Washington State Fairies Singing Telegram Company and an Unofficial Vashon Mayor. |
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Luke McQuillin
Lead Guitar
Luke is about music. He’s been playing it, writing and performing it for over 30 years. Hs original compositions include country rock, usually recorded with his friends in the band 5:01; rock’n’roll; and instrumental jams performed with his comrades in a band called Turner Down and now Car/go Jam.
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Holy Roller Radio Players
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David Godsey
Artistic Director
David performs as a member of the Holy Roller Radio Players and brings the Reverend Hunter Davis to life for each show. He is a founding member of UMO Ensemble and presents interesting and amazing events at Open Space for Arts & Community which he stewards with his partner Janet McAlpin. It is rumored that David is fueled solely by fair trade organic dark chocolate. |
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Jeff Hoyt
Head Writer
Jeff Hoyt wanted to be a DJ when he grew up. After a few years of that, he discovered he couldn't do both. Jeff's voice and his stories can be heard on radio, television and that series of tubes called the Internets. He'd also like to apologize to the audience for any temporary blindness caused by the glare off his forehead during the show. |
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Mik Kuhlman
Assistant Director
Mik is a regular performer and director in Seattle and on Vashon Island with UMO Ensemble, 14/48 and Sandbox Artist Collective.
For the past two years she has been invited to Jerusalem to tour the West Bank in joint American/Palestinian productions with the Palestinian National Theatre. Mik loves to dance in shadows cast by moonlight.
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Karen Biondo
Princess of Placards
Karen is seen at each show holding up signs to encite the audience to holler out loud. Karen helped create Open Space for Arts & Community and serves as Hub of O, a title best explained while she tends her goats at La Biondo Farm and Kitchen. |
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Jon Whalen
Foley Artist
Jon brings an exciting trifecta of comic acting, singing and sound effects to Church of Great Rain shows. When he's not juggling Rainbow Serpents, he may show up unannounced somewhere and emit amazing and potentially hazardous sound effects in exchange for secret pie recipes. |
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Jeanne Dougherty
Jeanne started life as an actor and has taken many detours since. Church of Great Rain marks a return to her performing roots. She plans on staying on the straight and narrow of the actor’s life from here on out. Nothing beats it. |
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Karen du Four des Champs
Many know Karen as Ida Claire Ferdwaller who enthusiastically greets the congregation at Church shows, a far cry from the last role she played in Vagina Monologues. When not performing at Church of Great Rain or entertaining guests at MiKo's Guest House, Karen may be found dressing her Malibu Barbie in grunge attire. |
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Jim Farrell
Writer
Jim brings an uncanny knack for stand-up comedy timing to his skit writing and performances with the Holy Roller Radio Players. In certain circles, it is whispered that Jim is in fact the love child of Baron von Fupps, the deranged master brewer, and a Swedish consort of ill repute. |
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Cindy Hoyt
Writer
One of Cindy's greatest difficulties has been to take life seriously. It has been a great relief for her to finally find an extended therapy group among Church of Great Rain's writers, cast, crew and audience! |
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Janet McAlpin
Janet is a founding member of UMO Ensemble and Open Space for Arts & Community where she hosts Burlesco Notturno and other fascinating productions. Her alter ego Bucky has an elaborate plan to create a commune for retired burlesque stars and aerialistas on Vashon. |
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Lyn McManus
Lyn was born Vianna Lyn Veitenhans, grew up on Verndardson Street, is a Virgo, a Voice Talent, lives on Vashon, and yes, she has a Vagina.
V stands for a heaVenly experience at Church of Great Rain!
Verify Vianna's Very Versatile Voice. |
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