Judi Vaillancourt: Historical Reference in Design
Historical Reference in Design
December 22, 2009Vaillancourt Folk Art comes to Solomon Pond Mall
December 1, 2009
Thursday, December 3rd — 11:00am – 8:00pm
Friday, December 4th — 11:00am – 8:00pm
Saturday, December 5th — 11:00am – 8:00pm
Sunday, December 6th — 12:00pm – 6:00pm
The Solomon Pond Mall in Marlborough hosts Vaillancourt Folk Art for four days during the holiday season, featuring special handcrafted holiday pieces. On Dec. 3, Vaillancourt will present the 20th annual “Starlight” piece to the Starlight Children’s Foundation. For the past 26 years Vaillancourt has created a special piece every holiday season with the proceeds benefitting Starlight, a nonprofit organization dedicated to lifting the spirits of seriously ill children and their families. Vaillancourt founder and designer Judi Vaillancourt will be on hand for artists’ signings and Vaillancourt will also unveil its special 2009 holiday creation. The event takes place Dec. 3-5 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Dec. 6 from noon to 6 p.m. in the mall’s lower level Macy’s Court. The mall is located at 601 Donald Lynch Blvd.
A real Dickens: THE ORIGINAL’S GREAT-GREAT-GRANDSON
November 24, 2009A real Dickens (Full Article)
THE ORIGINAL’S GREAT-GREAT-GRANDSON
By Donna Boynton TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF (Nov 24, 2009)
Gerald Charles Dickens will perform his one-man show of “A Christmas Carol” at Vaillancourt Folk Art. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
SUTTON — He remembers the first time he heard “A Christmas Carol.” It was Christmas Eve, he was 5 and his father had gathered the children to read the story that included the miser, the trio of holiday ghosts and the ever-hopeful child. He remembers how he was caught up in the magic of the tale.
Now, when Gerald Charles Dickens reads his great-great-grandfather’s classic tale to audiences during the holiday season, he tries to capture that same magic of Christmas.
“What I remember most about it, and what I always try to capture, is the sudden realization that Scrooge hasn’t missed Christmas Day at all,” Mr. Dickens said from his home in England. “It’s absolutely magical — he doesn’t know how long he’s been gone or how far he has traveled, but he wakes to find out he hasn’t missed Christmas.”
Mr. Dickens will perform his one-man show of “A Christmas Carol” Saturday and Sunday at Vaillancourt Folk Art in Manchaug Mills, which has been transformed into Blaxton’s Hall for the event.
Vaillancourt Folk Art is a local Christmas tradition in its own right, and to prepare for the performance, Judy Vaillancourt researched Charles Dickens at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which is home to the Robert Fellman Dickens Collection, one of the largest in New England.
“We really want him to be proud,” said Mrs. Vaillancourt of the venue her family business is creating for the performance. “We’re in a textile mill, what could be more fitting than that because that is what his great-great-grandfather wrote about.”
And his great-great-grandfather visited Worcester twice in the 1800s.
The first visit was a three-day stay in February 1842, when he celebrated part of his 30th birthday; his second visit came March 23, 1868, when he gave a reading of “A Christmas Carol” in Mechanics Hall, said Joel J. Brattin, professor of humanities and art at WPI and curator of the Robert Fellman Dickens Collection.
And now his great-great-grandson will visit Central Massachusetts, giving a similar reading of the famed tale.
Though not formally trained as an actor, Mr. Dickens has been acting since he was cast in a school play at 9 and has remained active in theater in England.
Mr. Dickens has been offering his one-man performance of the holiday classic since 1993, when he was asked to give a reading to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the tale’s publication.
“At that time, I did the readings in much the same way that Charles Dickens did — standing at a lectern, reading from the book,” said Mr. Dickens. “It grew from just a reading to something that took a life of its own.”
Mr. Dickens first began touring in 1996, giving readings of “A Christmas Carol” in large settings to an audience of 2,000 people, and in small settings to a family of 12 in their home.
It was on one of those tours that what could have been a performer’s worst nightmare, turned into a fortunate mistake that has created Mr. Dickens’ unique performance.
He was scheduled to do two readings in Tennessee, and the time between performances was tight. He raced out of the first venue, traveled several miles to arrive just before his second performance was to begin, only to discover that he had left his copy of “A Christmas Carol” behind.
“There was no time to do anything about it, so I did it from memory,” said Mr. Dickens. “What started as something I did out of sheer necessity, became a one-man show. It was the best thing that ever happened, and it completely changed the show.”
His props are few — a walking cane, a hat stand and a chair. What makes his performance unique is the way he brings voice and life to all 26 characters in the tale. Mr. Dickens said “A Christmas Carol” incorporates so many changes in scenes, that he wants the focus to be on the words, on the characters, and not be distracted by scenery.
“A Christmas Carol” was first published in 1843 and has helped to create a certain perception of Christmas.
“At the time he wrote ‘A Christmas Carol,’ the celebration of Christmas in England was changing,” said Mr. Dickens. “It was the year the first Christmas card was published. Decorating was becoming much bigger, and he was there to capture it — to capture Christmas in the Victorian Era.”
“(Charles Dickens) helped move society away from the old, the days of the Puritans when there was no celebration of Christmas,” said WPI’s Mr. Brattin, noting that Dickens introduced a holiday celebration that includes the hanging of the green, food, drink and family. “You get the sense from the Cratchit Family that Christmas is not all about money or the giving of Nintendos, that there is so much more to it than that … The story has lasted for such a long time because of its own strengths; it is a story of the possibility of change and conversion.”
What Charles Dickens was also able to capture in his tale were the feelings of hope, generosity and frustration that the Christmas season brings.
“There’s a bit of everybody in all of the characters,” said Mr. Dickens, adding there is even a bit of the author in the personalities he created. “He (Charles Dickens) could be mean, miserable and pig-headed as Scrooge, but he could also be generous and fun-loving like Fezziwig.
“What I like to have happen is that people come at the beginning of the evening to see a show, and they leave having been part of the show,” said Mr. Dickens.
While the reading of “A Christmas Carol” has become a holiday tradition for many, what is Mr. Dickens’ holiday tradition?
“This is my tradition,” Mr. Dickens said. “I get to live Christmas two to three months out of the year. What could be better?”
Mr. Dickens will perform “A Christmas Carol” at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and at 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased by calling (508) 476-3601 or online at www.valfa.com.
Copyright 2009 Worcester Telegram & Gazette Corp.
Starlight Children’s Foundation New England Hosts Afternoon Tea to Honor Gary and Judi Vaillancourt
February 10, 2009
Starlight Children’s Foundation New England Hosts Afternoon Tea to Honor Gary and Judi Vaillancourt
by Tabitha Berg
BOSTON, Mass. — Starlight Children’s Foundation New England is hosting a special Valentine’s event, Purses & Pearls, A Classic English Afternoon Tea, at the Four Seasons Hotel Boston on Saturday, Feb. 14 from 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. At the Tea, Starlight is honoring Gary and Judi Vaillancourt of Vaillancourt Folk Art with its prestigious Heart of Gold Award to acknowledge the couple’s longstanding commitment to seriously ill children in New England. Guests are invited to gather all the special women and girls in their lives, grab their favorite purses, adorn themselves with timeless pearls and join Starlight in brightening the lives of local seriously ill children and their families!
Adult guests will delight in a delicious menu of teas, sandwiches and Valentine’s Day desserts, as well as enjoy exclusive shopping from regional artists and a silent auction featuring autographed purses from Desperate Housewives star, Teri Hatcher and Boston-based indie rock artist Juliana Hatfield.
In keeping with Starlight’s family-focused mission, children are also invited to attend and experience the importance of philanthropy firsthand. Children will be served a special menu, spend time with Victorian era characters in costume, partake in cupcake-decorating and learn dining and tea-time etiquette from Judith Bowman, Protocol Consultant and author of Don’t Take the Last Donut: New Rules of Business Etiquette. Everyone will have the chance to create crafts, which will be sent to hospitalized children throughout New England.
Starlight will present its Heart of Gold Award to Gary and Judi Vaillancourt of Vaillancourt Folk Art for their steadfast dedication to seriously ill children for nearly 20 years. The Heart of Gold Award is reserved for individuals with a deep commitment to children and a generous heart. Since 1990 Vaillancourt Folk Art Studios of Sutton, Massachusetts has partnered with Starlight in the creation of a limited edition chalkware “Starlight Santa.” This 19-year tradition has provided funding for Starlight New England’s programs and services helping seriously ill children and their families face the daily challenges of a chronic or life-threatening illness. The Vaillancourts’ annual donation has brightened the lives of thousands of children and their families through outpatient family activities and inpatient entertainment programs for hospitalized children.
Adult tickets for Purses & Pearls are $55, and children’s tickets are $25. A table of 10 can be purchased for $500. Event parking is available at the Four Seasons at the discounted rate of $20. To purchase tickets, visit www.starlight.org/newengland.
All gifts of more than $100 can be made in honor, in memory of, or in recognition of a special person or event, and these gifts will be listed in the event program. For more information including participating in the event program, sponsorship availability and ticket sales, please contact Jonelle Prill-Tate at 617-241-9911 or jonelle.prilltate@starlight.org.
About Starlight Children’s Foundation New England
When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For 25 years, Starlight Children’s Foundation has been dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight’s programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
‘Dancing’ host joins Starlight fundraiser
December 12, 2008
By Nancy Sheehan TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
As a kid, Tom Bergeron had a dream, and, no, it wasn’t “I want to be an Emmy-award-winning television host when I grow up.”
“My fantasy was to work at WBZ Radio because I would listen to Larry Glick and Dave Maynard and Carl DeSuze and people like that,” said Bergeron, who grew up in Haverhill. “To get to work with them was really the big goal in my mind.”
Then, TV happened — sort of by accident.
“When I was doing radio in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the early ’80s, some people who worked in Boston television called and said, ‘We’re doing some TV shows we think you might be good for. Would you like to come down and audition?’”
So he headed down to Beantown and got the job. Actually we should say jobs. Versatility became the likable host’s hallmark. After 20 years that have encompassed lots of live local shows, 10 years of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” and six seasons of being the official live-TV greeter for about 20 million viewers a night on “Dancing with the Stars,” Bergeron is now a bicoastal bigwig, albeit a humble one who hasn’t forgotten his New England roots.
He will appear at the Vaillancourt Folk Art Studio at Manchaug Mills tomorrow for an event to benefit the Starlight Children’s Foundation. We spoke with Bergeron by telephone recently. He was on his way to JFK airport in New York, shuttling between his home in Connecticut and his other one in California, where he spends about half the year shooting “Dancing with the Stars” and taping “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” (Don’t worry. He was a passenger and so could chat unencumbered by the threat of crashing.)
Bergeron said he is looking forward to reconnecting with longtime friends Gary and Judi Vaillancourt, owners of the studio. “It will be good to go back and see old friends,” he said. “In the midst of all this sort of craziness that’s happening it’s a real treat.” Bergeron has for many years been a supporter of the Starlight Foundation, which helps seriously ill children and their families cope through entertainment, education and family activities. Each year, the art studio offers a new “Starlight Santa,” the sale of which benefits the foundation.
Working in Boston TV benefited Bergeron, who said that is where he learned how to make hosting look easy. His first job for WBZ-TV was called “Super Kids,” a weekend show aimed at 6- to 11-year-olds patterned after the then-popular Evening Magazine format. He did that a couple of years, copped an Emmy and then was offered a grown-up news show called “4 Today.” The offer included a little side gig: that of tuxedoed lottery host. He wasn’t sure at first he wanted to be the one calling out the winning numbers, but in the end he was game. “So I had fun with it,” he said. “I called the tuxedo the mega-tux and I just made as much light of it as you can about people risking their food money for millions of dollars.”
He continued with “4 Today” spots throughout the news day and added “People Are Talking,” all of which proved a good training ground for his as-yet unforeseen nationwide-live-TV future.
“The ‘4 Today’ stuff that I did throughout the day and the ‘People Are Talking’ show that I did for six years at ‘BZ that ran the gamut from serious to silly and everything in between, and also all the radio work and improv theater and things like that that I did. All of it is sort of in the big stew pot in terms of building the muscles that you need to kind of be very present and focused when you’re on the air.”
It all resulted in a remarkable sense of ease in making conversation and reeling off witty remarks undaunted by the fact that millions are looking on. That would be an enormous challenge for most people.
“But doing live TV for me is something I’ve done for years so it’s a very comfortable thing for me now. I’ve said it and it’s really true: sometimes the most relaxing part of my day when we’re shooting ‘Dancing with the Stars’ is when I walk on that set live in front of 20 million people. It’s like wearing bedroom slippers. I love it.”
He says he loves the people he works with as well. “I give a hard time to the judges on the show but we’re all good friends actually,” he said. “So I walk out there trusting that there are going to be opportunities (for good quips) on the air.”
Are the now-famous judges, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba, pretty much like they seem on TV?
“Yeah, I think they are,” he said. “Len sometimes isn’t quite as cranky as he lets on. He’s got more of a twinkle in his eye. Bruno isn’t quite as nutty as he lets on, and Carrie Ann is much sweeter than she lets on sometimes …”
We had to ask about devilishly handsome pro dancer heartthrob Maksim Chmerkovskiy. He seems a tad full of himself at times. Is he?
“I said about Maks on one show, because I’m very fond of him, that he has a brash exterior and a marshmallow center,” Bergeron said. “He’s a sweetheart. I think that some of that bravado is because he’s not exactly an unattractive guy — and I say that as a card-carrying heterosexual — but he is also in the world of ballroom, which, prior to this experience of being on a massive television show, was his life. He’s a star in that world and then suddenly he was exposed to the spotlight of a major TV show. Part of what appeared to be brash ego was a bit of a defensive crouch, initially, I think. He’s gotten a lot more comfortable with it. If you spent any time with him at all you would be absolutely charmed.” (Where do we sign up?)
The future for Bergeron holds more of Maks and the rest of the “Dancing” cast as well as his new book, “I’m Hosting as Fast as I Can,” due out in April from HarperCollins. There also will be some beneficial changes on a personal level. Bergeron and his wife, Lois, have two daughters, one in college and one a high school senior in Connecticut. The idea of an upcoming empty nest has a slightly different connotation for the Bergerons.
“The last 10 years, working in Hollywood and also living in Connecticut, we’ve experienced something like the empty nest already with each other,” he said. “So next year, Lois will be able to come out and spend more time with me in California once we’ve parked both our kids in college.”
So, is he happy?
“I’m pretty happy with what’s on my plate right now,” he said. “Next year we’re looking at the 20th year of ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos,’ which will be my 10th (year on the show) … And ‘Dancing with the Stars’ will be having its eighth and ninth seasons next year and the book will be coming out so there’s a lot going on and I’m having a ball. I really am. I’m having a wonderful time.”
