The Logger returns - but, to the ballet?
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Rusty DeWees returns as The Logger on Friday and Saturday at Rutland's Paramount Theatre. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
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By Jim Lowe Times Argus Staff - Published: November 27, 2009
Rusty DeWees has been Vermont's favorite French-Canadian backwoods hero, The Logger for 11 years now. This holiday season, he is touring the latest version – a new one – of his unique and eclectic evening of hick-laden entertainment, "The Logger's Holiday Variety Show," with shows at Rutland's Paramount Theatre tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m., going on to South Burlington and Stowe in December.
But this year, the Logger is going to the ballet!
"It's just a blessing to go around and say to folks, if you come to this, I'm bettin' when you leave you'll be really happy," DeWees said.
This annual variety show features lots of Vermont humor, Green Mountain-style country music, and lots of fun – as well as the unexpected.
"I do have the young gals in there," DeWees said. "One of those girls is Keeghan Nolan from Fairfax. She's a singer whose been to Nashville and opened for David Allan Coe, and all sorts of fancy folks. She's just really, really good; you might not know the difference between her and some of the gals singing on the radio."
Keeghan will be joined on stage by fiddler Don Commo and guitarist Peter Wilder, both Logger stalwarts, as well as DeWees himself – he has released his own country album.
Kerry Izzo is the dancer. A Stowe High School senior, she worked with the Joffrey Ballet in New York this past summer.
"She's a beautiful young woman," DeWees said. "I saw her dancing in Johnson for the Stowe Dance Academy. I said to myself, 'Boy, she'd be good to get in the show!'"
DeWees, who has previously included a classical violinist in his programs, built material around Izzo, including a Kenny Rogers tune.
"I thought, boy, it would be great if we guys did the song and she danced it," DeWees said. "She and I worked on it for months."
But, the real fun will be when Izzo meets Uncle Furmon, the Logger's somewhat disreputable and very colorful relative – played by DeWees himself, of course.
"He finds himself alone during the holidays," DeWees said. "He gets a gift, opens it and it's walnuts. He says, 'I love walnuts, I wish I had a nutcracker.'
"Out comes Kerry Izzo – and the nutcracker."
Before it's done, she finds herself dancing with a most appreciative Uncle Furmon – and a little more.
"All this works fantastically well," DeWees said.
DeWees actually has a serious reason for involving the girls.
"If somebody is sitting in that audience, and they can be 20 or they can be 79, and they can see these young girls and how far they've come by way of their own will and discipline," he said, "if they can see that and leave that theater, and tomorrow picking up the harmonica they haven't picked up in 15 years, that's a bonus.
"It can happen – these girls are inspiring," Dewees said.
The show opens with DeWees' latest Logger monologue – Vermont stories and jokes. Before it's over, he's involved the other musicians, the girls – and members of the audience.
"It's really hot stuff," DeWees said.
Raised in Stowe, DeWees did a stint in New York City where he trained professionally and played numerous roles off-Broadway and in film, television and a number of national commercials. He returned to Vermont, acted with the Vermont Repertory Theatre, and created his Logger. His column Scrawlins is read throughout New England.
DeWees based his Logger loosely on Antoine, the beer and women-loving French-Canadian, from Wolcott poet David Budbill's dark but humorous play "Judevine." DeWees starred in the Vermont premiere in 1986, reprising the role several times. Antoine, though, has become a lot funnier over the years – and started singing as well – and DeWees has taken him to Boston, as well as the around Vermont, and even released a couple of videos.
"I love doing it," DeWees said. "I like the fact that doctors and lawyers come to see my shows, and cafeteria workers and custodial workers come to see my shows. I like the fact that the core audience of mine stands there and, all of a sudden, out comes this ballerina.
"It's something put up in front of them that they're not likely to tune in on the TV," he said. "They're sittin' there and I'll be darned, if in spite of themselves they're going to go out of there remembering it for the rest of their lives."
"The Logger's Holiday Variety Show" is rated SC (some cussin').