By VIRGINIA ROSE WILLIAMS    

vrw001@latech.edu

 

Christ Community Church, located at 203 N. Trenton Street, opened its doors nightly March 29-31 to raise funds for summer mission trips with “Dessert Fest: The Best of Broadway, Vol. II,” a dessert theater production. This was the 12th annual Dessert Fest.

The night consisted of two acts and a dessert intermission.

The first act had the cast singing medleys and the second act consisted of solos, duets, and medleys.

“It was a celebration of Broadway hits with favorite selections from ‘Godspell’ and ‘The Music Man,’” Caleb Smith, a performer in the Dessert Fest and a senior marketing major, said.

“Proceeds from Dessert Fest will go towards the [Christ Community] youth group’s mission relief trip to New Orleans,” Smith said.

Smith said many of the performers are highly acclaimed, such as Carrie Love, a Broadway performer, and Melissa Clark, former Miss Tech and Miss Louisiana.

Love sang “Gimme, Gimme,” a song about wanting love from the Broadway show “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” among other show songs.

She also performed, “Taylor, the Latte Boy,” a song about finding love at Starbucks.

Allison Peatross, a member of Christ Community and a photographer, said the performances were fabulous, and she was blown away by them.

“I go to Dessert Fest every year, and am constantly amazed by how well they do,” she said.

Not only was there a high attendance, participation was good too, Dee Alexander, worship pastor for Christ Community, said.

“Last year we profited over $9,000, and we were able to cut costs this year by making [the performance] a sequel to last year’s theme,” Alexander said.

Alexander said the Wednesday night production was attended mostly by college students.

“[The college students] were so fun to have attend because they joined in and had fun with the night,” Alexander said.

Alexander said the Thursday night performance was attended by “a more mature audience” who did not participate as much.

“Both nights were very enjoyable,” Alexander said.

Not only those involved in the production enjoyed the evening; some attendees enjoyed it as well.

Heather Yates, a member of First Baptist Church of Ruston, said she thoroughly enjoyed the Dessert Fest.

This was Yates’ first time going to a Dessert Fest production.

“I went because a friend of mine was in it, [and] a girl I went to high school with was in it,” Yates said.

She also said chocolate cake, praline pecan cake and coffee ice cream sundaes were available.