Hendersonville, TN (August 2024) HolidayFest announced that the Appalachian Dinner will move to Oct. 7th with Master Storyteller Jonathan Kruk’s solo show of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” It will happen at the First Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville. Larry Phillips, President of Holidayfest, said this year, it will benefit the Special Needs Foundation and Project 22.
Tickets will be $50 and can be purchased by going to the website at HolidayFestTN.org or Eventbrite.at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/legends-of-sleepy-hollow-dinner-story-with-jonathan-kruk-tickets-999921019687?aff=oddtdtcreator
Lynda Evjen, founder of Holidayfest, said. “Jonathan Kruk is renowned for his dramatic retelling of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Since 1996, he’s entertained thousands in the Northeast, performing Washington Irving’s ghostly Fall Classic. He comes to Hendersonville in October to give a rare one-time show.”
Kruk gives each character a voice and accent. Listeners get Washington Irving’s wit and spirited jumpstarts in this haunting tale of the headless goblin who chased a Yankee Schoolmaster. Discover why the New York Times stated. “His spirited, candlelit one-man show has become a fixture of Halloween.”
He’s also been featured on The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, The Travel Channel, and the BBC. Look forward to a rollicking, theatrical, haunting experience of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow!”
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About Jonathan Kruk
Born an army brat in El Paso and raised in upper Westchester, Jonathan Kruk grew up on tall tales and daydreams. He acted as a teen travel camp counselor, worked as a union laborer, and watered Henry Kissinger’s office plants. Telling tales to his kid brothers evolved into a career as a professional storyteller.
Kruk holds a B.A. in English from Holy Cross College, studied creative drama at Bretton Hall College, York, England, and earned an M.A. in educational theater from New York University. He performed Ritual Urban Theater with Gabrielle Roth and appeared on stage as Dracula.
Jonathan is a full-time teaching artist who performs at schools, libraries, and historic sites. He’s best known for his animated and courtly solo shows of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “A Christmas Carol” for Historic Hudson Valley.
He’s been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, The TODAY Show, the BBC, The Travel, History, and National Geographic Channels. His books for The History Press are; “Legends and Lore of Sleepy Hollow and the Hudson Valley” and “Legends and Lore of the Hudson Highlands.”His eight recordings garnered awards from Parents Choice and the Sons of the American Revolution.
Jonathan served as storyteller-in-residence for Early Stages, Inc., the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, and now for the Archdiocese of NY Schools.
QUOTES about Jonathan Kruk
~ “Thrilling!” ~ Wall Street Journal Online
~ “Best Storyteller in the Hudson Valley” ~ Hudson Valley Magazine
~ Thank you again for your heart-rending version of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
…and congratulations on your amazing talent. It was worth the trip from Salt Lake City, Utah.
Annette Van Tassell-Lodder – a descendant of Caterina Van Tassel
What was the highlight of our trip to Sleepy Hollow? The dramatic storytelling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by one of the best performance artists around, Jonathan Kruk.
He made his grand entrance to organ music, dressed in colonial garb and holding an ominous pumpkin. He used dramatic tones to introduce the story and with glowing emotions. He embodied Irving’s most intricate characters. His inflections had every person in the church hanging on to the edge of their pews…never knowing when the next scare might come.
About HolidayFest
HolidayFest is an annual festival that brings together the entire community – its people, businesses, government, the arts, and service organizations – to celebrate the spirit of the season and to benefit local charities of Sumner County. Officially launched in 2007, HolidayFest builds on 10 years of bringing Holiday spirit to the community with events The Events begin in November and go until January, and Sumner County plays host to thousands of visitors at this year’s festivities. Visitors enjoy an abundance of entertainment, shops, restaurants, light displays, and holiday cheer. www.HolidayFestTN.org