Volleyball a Lutheran legacy

Madrigal singers serenade diners

LITHIA - About 50 colorfully costumed members of the Newsome High School chorus program presented a medieval-style madrigal dinner Jan. 28 for about 120 diners at First United Methodist Church in Brandon.

The Madrigal Singers, under the direction of Jeffry Bogue, who performed comical and musical selections and strolled from table to table singing, were Paul Anderson, Darby Bell, Annie Brooks, Jacob Bukaweski, Jessica Costanzo, Alyssa Dessoye, Amanda Godfrey, Jessica Heard, Anne Hermansen, Brittany Himert, Corrie Hodges, Alex Maiello, Zach Meckstroth, Ezekiel Minguela, Zach Pearson, Cesar Razza, Lyssa Seiden, Brooke Summerlin, Lynn Swe, Quincy Tashman, A.J. Vaughan, Tyler Waring and Marissa Wood.

About two dozen other chorus students served the meal.

The food was good at the wholesome, positive event that helped a local school, said Jeff Brant, the church's director of music ministries, "and the students were in pitch, in tune and in character."

Barbara Brooks, mother of Annie, loved the singing and said the setting, inside the old chapel, complete with stained-glass windows, enhanced the medieval feeling.

Bogue has done this once before, said Denise Godfrey, president of the Newsome Chorus Boosters, but this year's production was such a successful fundraiser that it's probably going to become an annual event.

Volleyball players make an impact

BRANDON -Immanuel Lutheran School graduates are having an impact on public high school volleyball teams, Principal Dave Geidel said.

This school year 12 graduates of Immanuel Lutheran School played for five local schools' girls' volleyball teams. Four served as captains and one was voted Most Valuable Player.

Immanuel Lutheran School, with 164 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, is celebrating its 30{+t}{+h} anniversary of providing Christian education in the Brandon community.

Students in fifth through eighth grade compete against a dozen other local schools in the Brandon Christian Athletic League, and often these student athletes continue in their sports on public high school teams.

Playing for the Riverview High School volleyball team this year were senior Mandi Dykes, freshman Lia Fernandez and sophomore Sarah Jane Burrington, who was selected Most Valuable Player this year and made the second All-County team.

Immanuel Lutheran School graduates who played for the Newsome High School Sharks were senior Emma Shelley, senior Lauren Zellmer and her sister, ninth-grader Hannah Zellmer, who was captain of the varsity team that made it all the way to the state finals.

The Brandon High School team included senior Devin Whale, who played on the varsity team four years and served as captain in 2008; junior Missy Pueschel, who was captain of the junior varsity team for two years until moving up to varsity this year; and senior Aly Woodlee, who was captain her sophomore and senior years. Woodlee made first team in 2007; second team in 2008 and 2009; and honorable mention in 2006. The Eagles won back-to-back district championships in 2007 and 2008 and came in second in this year's regional competition.

Senior Chelsea Albritton plays libero and defensive specialist for Durant High School. In her sophomore year she was second in the state.

The Bloomingdale High School team had ILS graduates sophomore Megan Guerra and junior Jessica Sawicki, who was captain.

"Immanuel gave us all the skills to become better volleyball players," Sawicki said. "Without that I don't know if I would even be playing volleyball today."

"Shalom" wins film festival award

VALRICO - Greg Summerall of Valrico and Mollie Anderson of Riverview spend their spare time acting in local community theater. Recently they starred in a film, "Shalom," which won third place in the 14{+t}{+h} annual Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival Short Film Contest.

"Shalom" was written and directed by Michael Matteo, a Catholic man who at one time was married to a Jewish woman. They still get along great, he said, and the idea for the story came from his strong longings for peace between people.

Anderson was recommended to him by theater friends. When she read the script, she was moved to tears and wanted to be part of this story. It's about a Nazi SS officer's grown granddaughter's attempt to right a wrong and make amends for her grandfather's part in the Holocaust by returning an heirloom necklace to the grandson of a Jewish man killed at Auschwitz.

Anderson saw her character as a heroine and said it was her "extreme honor to play the part." She studied German-language CDs to acquire an appropriate accent.

Taymí Montalvo of Spring Hill, who played the wife of Summerall's character, studied Holocaust documentaries and drew on her own childhood experiences of persecution by the communist Cuban government in the 1980s that, "though not as excruciating as the Holocaust" helped prepare for her part.

"The music (written by Tom Jemmott) put me in the mood for the film," said supporting actor Carol Cira. She described her research of Holocaust survivors' stories as "draining; you became part of it."

During more than eight hours of editing, Matteo and editor Vinnie Natale of Valrico realized that something "very interesting happened," said Matteo. "In one scene Summerall's character ... asks where God was during the Holocaust. Even though it was an overcast day, the sun suddenly came out."

The film was produced by Steven Stock, director of photography. Peggy and Loren Kerzner, and Lyndsay Matteo, daughter of Michael Matteo and Peggy Kerzner, contributed to the production.

The public is invited to view all the award-winning 5-minute films at 8 p.m. Thursday on the opening night of the festival, at the Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St., Tampa. Tickets, $18, may be purchased at the door.

Brandon Idol Teen auditions set

Auditions for Brandon Idol Teen will take place 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday in the Music Showcase auditorium, 402 Oakfield Drive. The competition is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, April 24 in the Music Showcase auditorium.

There is no charge to audition for either category: junior, ages 10 through 13, and senior, ages 14 through 17. There is a small entry fee to compete. Cash prizes will be awarded.

To request an audition, e-mail take2thestage

@gmail.com and prepare a pop-rock or country song. Bring a CD accompaniment that has no back-up vocals.

Proceeds will benefit Rotary's Camp Florida, which provides a camp experience for children with medical, physical, mental or emotional challenges. For details about the camp, visit www

.rotaryscampflorida.org.