It's show time for Thaddeus

It’s showtime, folks.
Five years after moving to Jay County, Thaddeus Rex will be taking the stage at Arts Place for the first time this weekend.
“We’ve been talking about this for years,” said Arts Place executive director Eric Rogers.
Thaddeus (aka Thaddeus Holmes) has built a national reputation with his imaginative and educational children’s programs, performing in 46 states.
A native of Covington, Ind., he moved here with his wife, the former Sarah Link, who is a physical therapist with Jay Schools. They came to Portland in 2006 to be closer to her family.
“I’m on the road about 100 days a year, and I do about 150 shows a year,” said Thaddeus.
That grueling schedule has made appearances before local audiences a challenge.
“Eric and I have tried for the past two or three years,” said Thaddeus.
This year, everything fell into place.
Thaddeus will bring his kid-friendly and family-friendly show to Hall-Moser Theatre at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students, and Rogers expects the show to be sold out.
“They’re selling like hotcakes,” said Rogers.
Thaddeus describes the show as “a rock concert that has a few humorous skits.”“I think The Washington Post summed it up best when they said it was part Monty Python and part Dr. Seuss,” he added.
Thaddeus received his degree from Indiana University in philosophy, but has played guitar and written songs for years. For two years, he starred in “T-Rex In the Zone,” an educational program for children on public television in Bloomington.
He then took his T-Rex “Read Like a Rock Star” program on the road, performing at schools to encourage kids to read.
That show, which has evolved over the years, will be the basis for Saturday’s performance.
“Joining me onstage will be a 7-foot dinosaur named Rock-a-saurus Rex,” said Thaddeus. That’s a mascot-like character who acts as a foil.
He now has 3 CDs on the market, including “We Wanna Rock, Nonfiction and Nonsense from the Heartland” and “Martian Television Invasion.”
“My third CD is called, ‘Shakin’ in Chicago,” said Thaddeus.
Over his years of performing, Thaddeus has seen some of his focus change.
“I’ve started doing professional development for teachers,” he said.
When he started traveling on the road as Thaddeus Rex, he figured that his educational performances would open a door into the entertainment world. Instead, he’s found that his entertainment work has opened a door into education.
“Music has helped me sell motivation, and that’s the product,” he said. “My demand at schools has skyrocketed.”
But at the end of the road, it’s time to come back to Jay County and his family.
“This is now home,” he said. “I have very much fallen in love with Jay County.” He particularly enjoys the fact that though he’s in the entertainment business, he’s not treated like an entertainer.
“People treat me like a normal guy,” he said.
For tickets, contact Arts Place at (260) 726-4809 or go to www.artsland.org.[[In-content Ad]]