The FDR show goes on for Ellsworth star

• Jay Nesseth

Jay Nesseth

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For Jay Nesseth, show business didn’t start with an acting gig—his road to stardom began with singing.

Nesseth said Wednesday he was a singer in the choir at Ellsworth’s St. Francis Catholic Church when he met Judy Johnson, the director of many productions by the Great River Road Theatre in Prescott. It was shortly after Easter one year when Johnson encouraged him to become involved with that troupe. In fact, she “called and called,” he said, describing her persistence.

“I finally gave in,” he said, explaining about his initial reluctance, “I didn’t know what to expect.”

Since then, Nesseth’s celebrity may not be overly widespread, but demand for his stage talents has expanded. Most recently, he’s portraying former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) in a play entitled “Roosevelt’s Economic Engine: Rural Electrification,” which debuted at Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services’ 75th anniversary annual meeting last month.

Read more in the print version of the Herald April 18.

Tags: lifestyle, entertainment, wisconsin