The Red Jacket Jamboree

Last updated
The Red Jacket Jamboree
Red Jacket Jamboree logo with cast.jpg
Genrecomedy, variety
Running time58:59
Country of originUnited States
Language(s)English
Home stationInterlochen Public Radio
Hosted byLena Dorey/Martin Achatz
Created byRebecca Glotfelty
Written byRebecca Glotfelty, Martin Achatz
Directed byRebecca Glotfelty
Produced byRebecca Glotfelty
Executive producer(s)Real People Media
Senior editor(s)Jerry Younce, Rebecca Glotfelty
Recording studioRPM Studio at the Keweenaw Storytelling Center
Original releaseAugust 2018
No. of series2
No. of episodes40
Sponsored byMichigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs
Website http://www.redjacketjamboree.org
Recording of The Red Jacket Jamboree with guest Nellie McKay Live Recording.jpg
Recording of The Red Jacket Jamboree with guest Nellie McKay

The Red Jacket Jamboree is a throw back radio variety show which is offered to American public radio networks [1] through PRX Radio Exchange. Hosted by Lena Dorey and Martin Achatz, two-time Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula, [2] [3] the show shares stories, music, history and comedy that revolves around life in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, [4] especially that of the Keweenaw Peninsula, also known as Michigan's Copper Country. The show is recorded in front of a live audience at venues within the Keweenaw Peninsula for later radio broadcast. The show is named after Red Jacket, the original name for the village of Calumet, Michigan, where the show is headquartered.

Contents

The show is produced by Real People Media, Inc., a nonprofit organization which helps to share people's stories through the literary, visual, performing and media arts. Real People Media is headquartered in and the show is administered from, the Keweenaw Storytelling Center, which is located in a historic Woolworth's building in downtown Calumet. The Red Jacket Jamboree has received support from the Keweenaw National Historical Park, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Michigan Humanities Council as well as from individual and corporate donors.

Two hour-long radio episodes are recorded during each theatrical performance. Each episode has its own distinct theme and stories, history and musical selections are chosen to help interpret themes.

Show format

The Red Jacket Jamboree is an old-time radio variety show which is reminiscent of A Prairie Home Companion and old-time shows such as Fibber McGee and Molly. The show, which is composed of approximately 16 segments, shares history and culture from Michigan's Upper Peninsula and that of the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Principle characters

Lena Dorey, Host

Lena Dorey has hosted the show since October 2017. In addition to introducing the show, Dorey takes place in sketches, conducts interviews with guests and sings on occasion.

Martin Achatz, Two-Time Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Achatz first appeared as a guest on the show in December 2017. He appeared again as a guest in February 2018 and then assumed a "co-host" position in March 2018. In addition to hosting and sharing his original poetry, Achatz occasionally ends the show by performing, "Radio, I Miss You So" with the Copper Cats.

The Red Jacket Actors

The Red Jacket Actors change from show to show and include both Dorey and Achatz and Ralph Horvath. Guest performers may also be asked to take on acting roles and occasionally even pianist Bill Carrothers has contributed his acting talent.

The Copper Cats, stage band

Under the direction of guitarist Jerry Younce, the band includes Bill Carrothers on piano, Harry South on bass. Percussionists have included: Travis Aukerman, Carrie Biolo, Zach Ott, Jonathan Taylor and Devin Drobka. The band performs a variety of musical styles.

Singer songwriters/musicians

Episodes of The Red Jacket Jamboree include guest singer-songwriter or musician. Guests have been either solo or duo acts and often perform with the stage band.

Guests singer/songwriters and musicians:

Storytellers/authors/historians

The show often features guest storytellers who help convey the theme of each episode. These guests include local historians, sport enthusiasts, and professional storytellers.

Segments

The show is broken up into approximately 16 segments which includes the intro and closing presented by host Lena Dorey. The introduction usually begins with the phrase "recorded in the Keweenaw Peninsula, in front of a live audience, it's The Red Jacket Jamboree." During the introduction, the theme of the show is established and guest performers introduced. Following the introduction, the Copper Cats begin the show with an instrumental tune which helps to support the theme of the show. Following the opening tune, Host Lena Dorey and Martin Achatz, share local news and reflect on the topic of the episode. Achatz will frequently shares original poetry. Guest singer-songwriters typically perform four tunes during the show. The show's structure evolved over time and includes several regular segments and humorous sketches. These segments are interspersed throughout the show. The main segments include: Featured person or place within the Keweenaw Peninsula; "Madame Blanc," "911 in the 906," "Time Traveler."

In almost every episode, the show spotlights a historic person or place within the Keweenaw Peninsula. This place may also be featured within a sketch or via an interview with a guest. Places of business may also be featured but generally these businesses have been in operation for over 100 years. Places are chosen for there historical importance and are not featured as a way of endorsement.

Madame Blanc

Madame Blanc is a sketch inspired by Guy Noir from A Prairie Home Companion In season one of The Red Jacket Jamboree, Madame Blanc was written by Wyndeth Davis, Superintendent of the Keweenaw National Historical Park. Today this sketch is written by the show's principle writer, Rebecca Glotfelty. Madame Blanc is a no-nonsense woman who has immigrated to the Copper Country to help solve mysteries of a historical nature. She operates the fictional "Copper Top Detective Agency" from the fifth floor of the Jutila building in Hancock, Michigan. Although the Jutila building is a real place within the Keweenaw, the characters and circumstances in the sketch are fabricated.

911 in the 906

"911 in the 906" is a sketch in which usually a male caller (performed by Martin Achatz) or a little girl (performed by host Lena Dorey) calls the 911 dispatch man in the 906 (906 being the area code for the entire upper peninsula) after some calamity, only to have the man dispatch advice instead of help. This advice usually comes in the form of Sisu, which is a Finnish word roughly translated as tenacity, resilience, perseverance. The word is widely used by people in this region of the U.P.

Location

The first two seasons (30 episodes) of the show were performed/recorded at the historic Calumet Theatre in Calumet, Michigan. [5] In December 2019, the show moved recording to the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts at the campus of Michigan Tech University located in Houghton, Michigan for 2 showings. The show is now recorded at the Keweenaw Storytelling Center in downtown Calumet (the village formerly known as Red Jacket).

Broadcast/distribution

The show is offered through PRX Radio Exchange and was first broadcast on Interlochen Public Radio Network in August 2018 [6] [7] and on WNMU's Public Radio 90 broadcast out of Marquette, Michigan during October 2018.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Peninsula of Michigan</span> Northern major peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan

The Upper Peninsulaof Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P.—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac. It is bounded primarily by Lake Superior to the north, separated from the Canadian province of Ontario at the east end by the St. Marys River, and flanked by Lake Huron and Lake Michigan along much of its south. Although the peninsula extends as a geographic feature into the state of Wisconsin, the state boundary follows the Montreal and Menominee rivers and a line connecting them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontonagon County, Michigan</span> County in Michigan, United States

Ontonagon County is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,816, making it Michigan's third-least populous county. The county seat is Ontonagon. The county was set off in 1843, and organized in 1848. Its territory had been organized as part of Chippewa and Mackinac counties. With increasing population in the area, more counties were organized. After Ontonagon was organized, it was split to create Gogebic County. It is also the westernmost county in United States that lies within the Eastern Time Zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houghton County, Michigan</span> County in Michigan, United States

Houghton County is a county in the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 37,361. The county seat and largest city is Houghton. Both the county and the city were named for Michigan State geologist and Detroit Mayor Douglass Houghton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet, Michigan</span> Village in Michigan, United States

Calumet is a village in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The village is located within Calumet Township, Houghton County, and had a population of 621 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet Charter Township, Michigan</span> Charter township in Michigan, United States

Calumet Township, officially the Charter Township of Calumet, is a charter township of Houghton County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,263 at the 2020 census. Even with a decreasing population, the township remains the largest township by population in Houghton County.

The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northernmost part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States, leading to its moniker of "Copper Country." Its major industries are now logging and tourism, as well as jobs related to Michigan Technological University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copper Harbor, Michigan</span> Census-designated place & unincorporated community in Michigan, United States

Copper Harbor is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Keweenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located within Grant Township. The population of the CDP was 136 as of the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keweenaw National Historical Park</span> U.S. national historical park in Michigan

Keweenaw National Historical Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park Service. Established in 1992, the park celebrates the life and history of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of 2009, it is a partly privatized park made up of two primary units, the Calumet Unit and the Quincy Unit, and 21 cooperating "Heritage Sites" located on federal, state, and privately owned land in and around the Keweenaw Peninsula. The National Park Service owns approximately 1,700 acres (690 ha) in the Calumet and Quincy Units. Units are located in Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Calumet Theatre</span> United States historic place

The Calumet Theatre is a historic theatre located at 340 Sixth Street in the town of Calumet, Michigan. It is also known as the Calumet Opera House or the Calumet Civic Auditorium. It is integral to, but a separate unit of, the Calumet municipal building. The structure was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It is one of the 21 Heritage Sites which partners with the Keweenaw National Historical Park. The theatre was the original home of The Red Jacket Jamboree, an old-time radio variety show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McLain State Park</span> State Park in Houghton County, Michigan

F.J. McLain State Park is a 443-acre (179 ha) public recreation area on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Houghton County, Michigan. The state park is located on M-203 halfway between Hancock and Calumet. It is about 10 miles (16 km) from each city. The park's offshore sights include sunsets over Lake Superior and the art deco–style Keweenaw Waterway Upper Entrance Light.

Calumet High School is located in Calumet, Michigan in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. It serves from grades 9 to 12 for the Public Schools of Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw. The high school shares its building with Washington Middle School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copper mining in Michigan</span> Important industry in the 19th and 20th centuries

In Michigan, copper mining became an important industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its rise marked the start of copper mining as a major industry in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet Downtown Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Calumet Downtown Historic District is a historic district located in Calumet, Michigan, on 5th Street and 6th Street, between Scott Street and Pine Street. It is also known as the Red Jacket Downtown Historic District, reflecting the original name of the village. The Historic District is completely contained in the Calumet Historic District and the Keweenaw National Historical Park. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Much of the 100 block of 5th street was destroyed in a fire that took place on May 22, 2021

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Calumet Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District that encompasses most of the village of Calumet, Michigan. The district was designated in 1989 for the community's importance in the history of the region's copper mining industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet and Hecla Industrial District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Calumet and Hecla Industrial District is a historic district located in Calumet, Michigan and roughly bounded by Hecla & Torch Lake Railroad tracks, Calumet Avenue, Mine and Depot Streets. The district contains structures associated with the copper mines worked by the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, located along a line above the copper lode, where railroad tracks connected separate mine heads. The Historic District is completely contained in the Calumet Historic District and the Keweenaw National Historical Park. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

The Lac La Belle and Calumet Railroad was an American, 3 ft narrow gauge railroad that operated in the Keweenaw Peninsula, or the extreme northern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The line was owned by the Conglomerate Mining Company and ran between a stamp mill at Lac La Belle and the Delaware copper mine from 1883 to 1888, when poor economic conditions forced the line's closure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Carrothers</span> American jazz pianist and composer

Bill Carrothers is a jazz pianist and composer based in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He has cited Clifford Brown, Shirley Horn, and Oscar Peterson as influences on his development as a musician. Carrothers performs without shoes to better feel the piano pedals, and sits in a chair rather than on a traditional piano bench in order to achieve his preferred seating height.

Clarence J. Monette was a prolific author and historian from Michigan's Copper Country, writing extensively on Copper Country history. He has published more than sixty books and has written numerous outdoor survival guides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keweenaw Brewing Company</span> Craft brewery in Michigan

The Keweenaw Brewing Company (KBC) is a craft brewer with a taproom in Houghton and a production facility in nearby South Range, Michigan. It is named for the Keweenaw Peninsula, which projects out to the north of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

The Calumet Aristocrats were a minor league baseball team based in Laurium, Michigan. The city was called "Calumet" in the era. The Calumet Red Jackets preceded the Aristocrats, playing in 1890 and 1891 as members of the Upper Peninsula League in 1890 and 1891. The Aristocrats were members of Copper Country Soo League in 1904 and 1905 and Northern-Copper Country League in 1906 and 1907. Calumet hosting minor league home games at Larium Park and Athletic Park. Calumet teams won league championships in 1891 and 1906.

References

  1. "RED JACKET JAMBOREE". miningjournal.net. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
  2. Wizner, Taylor. "U.P. Poet Laureate writes poems inspired by place". www.interlochenpublicradio.org. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
  3. "Red Jacket Jamboree | WNMU-FM". www.wnmufm.org. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
  4. Columnist, Aaron J. Brown. "Michigan's U.P. offers glimpse at past and future of Mesabi Range". Hibbing Daily Tribune. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
  5. "Throwback theater |" . Retrieved 2019-10-13.
  6. KANSIER, BROOKE. "Red Jacket Jamboree brings episodes to IPR airwaves". Traverse City Record-Eagle. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
  7. Flannery, Alex. "Red Jacket Jamboree returns to IPR for winter episodes". www.interlochenpublicradio.org. Retrieved 2019-10-13.