LUDLOW, Vt. – Fred Marple brings his one-man show of yankee humor, music, and assorted nonsense to benefit the Black River Academy Museum in Ludlow, Vt., on Saturday, June 15, at 7 p.m. Fred Marple is the unofficial spokesman for the mythical town of Frost Heaves, and he’s on a one-man campaign to put the town back on the map. “It’s a one-man crusade because everyone else has real jobs,” says Marple.
Marple will bring the latest news from Frost Heaves, and introduce a few of the town’s notable citizens, including Sophie Hamilton, 94-year-old organist at the Frost Heaves Community Church (“She’s slowing down,” says Marple), Homer and Elmer Cratchet, two brothers who are a few crackers shy of a full box, and Edith “Telegraph” Wyer, town clerk. Marple will also introduce the local businesses in Frost Heaves, including the Frost Heaves House of Pizza, and the Bait and Beauty Salon, now featuring the Shampoo and Shiner special.
Marple has appeared on radio and television, and in the pages of Yankee Magazine and New Hampshire Magazine, among others. He has also been seen at town halls, church basements, and the homes of most of his friends, usually right around dinnertime. He is the author of “Welcome to Frost Heaves,” a collection of semi-true tales, rumors, and outright lies from his home town, and the creator of the video spoof “Yoga for Yankees,” which has been viewed over six million times online. “That tells you something about how far our culture has declined,” says Marple.
This show is appropriate for all ages. Folks have called Marple’s show “hilarious,” “absolutely brilliant,” and “much more professional than I thought it would be.”
The evening is a fundraiser for the Black River Academy Museum, whose mission is to preserve the academy building, the alma mater of Calvin Coolidge among others, and to foster history, education, and culture in the Black River Valley of Vermont.
The performance will take place at the Black River Academy Museum, 14 High Street in Ludlow, Vt., on July 15, at 7 p.m. tickets can be purchased at the door. For more information, call 802-228-5050, or email glbrehm@tds.net.