The ’50s all over again in Chester

CHESTER — It was time to pull out those bobby socks and poodle skirts, because the 1950s musical comedy show “Laughing with the Legends” was at Green Mountain Union High School.

“The series was really started to bring arts to the community in the winter,” said volunteer Sara Colgan. “We try and bring different types of artists, but song-and-dance shows are really popular.”

Proceeds from this show and others in the series are used to underwrite grants to bring arts into area classrooms. This year, the series has given out $20,000 in grants, Colgan said.

Brian and Joey Gurl are the husband-and-wife musical duo behind the show. While based in North Carolina, they both have deep roots in the area. Brian Gurl hails from Lebanon, N.H., and Joey Gurl is from Woodstock, and her four children graduated from Woodstock Union High School.

The two met when Joey hired Brian to play piano to accompany her singing act in Killington. The two also operated a theater in Wilmington for eight years during the late-1980s and the mid-1990s. Despite their long history in the area, Saturday will be the first time they will bring this show to Vermont.

“It’s a very high-energy comedy theatrical show,” Brian said, when reached on the road on his way to Vermont after performing three shows in Florida earlier in the week.

Through a series of rapid-fire costume changes, Brian and Joey impersonated no fewer than 15 notable 1950s icons, including Lucille Ball, Ed Sullivan, Marilyn Monroe, and of course the King himself, Elvis Presley.

“Eight-, 12-, 14-year-old kids enjoy the show, even though they might not recognize some of the characters,” Brian Gurl said, noting the show is appropriate for all ages.

Contact Josh O’Gorman at josh.ogorman@rutlandherald.com.