She's kind of a "gutsy, bawdy broad with lots of heart," says Britt Tany Wells of her alter ego, Klondike Kate. Yet that description also could be applied to Wells herself, whose irreverent sizzle and bighearted laugh could melt the sturdiest of snow sculptures.
As this year's Klondike Kate — the legend's designated "lady of song and merriment" — Wells will lead the St. Paul Winter Carnival's cabaret (8 p.m. Saturday at the Radisson City Center).
Kate is modeled after Kathleen Rockwell, a saloon singer of the 1898 Alaska Gold Rush who had "beauty, charm and 'a man who done her wrong,' " according to the Klondike Kates Web site, http://www.klondikekates.org/.
Wells, 52, of Inver Grove Heights talked about her newfound fame and a life of juggling different roles.
Who she is: Britt Tany Wells (pronounced "Brittany"), a name she created for herself about 20 years ago after a divorce left her wanting a kind of reinvention.
Her former name: "Penelope Wendelwasp."
Really? "No! (followed by intense laughter) Sorry, I couldn't resist. Christine Williams. My family still calls me Chris."
How she earns her keep: Wells is an administrative assistant for the College of Business at the University of St. Thomas on the Minneapolis campus.
On coming out to her colleagues: On her first day back to work after winning the Klondike Kate contest, her co-workers were all shocked. "They didn't know I had this private life," she said, laughing. "They took me around the campus and showed me off, so to speak. I did a little song for the dean. 'Big Spender.' It floored him. He turned red."
How she knew she wanted to become Klondike Kate: "(Thirty years ago), I saw the Pea Soup Parade in Somerset (Wis.). I saw the float was going by, and I saw a woman singing, 'Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey?' She was having all kinds of fun. That's when the seed got planted."
Her favorite song from the final competition: "I think the last song is what nailed it for me. It was a Bessie Smith tune called "Put It Right There." It's about a woman who supported a man for 15 years, and finally she got fed up and said, '(He's got to) get it, and bring it, and put it right here, or else he's gonna keep it out there.' "
Ever draw from personal experience? "Oh, totally. Is the pope Catholic, and does he wear little red shoes?"
Other sides of Britt Tany: Grandmother; barbershop-harmony baritone singer for the Lake Country Chorus Sweet Adelines; former blackjack dealer for private parties.
Is performing Kate empowering? "I've been divorced for 23 years. The empowerment process doesn't happen overnight. You pick up the pieces and pick yourself up by the bootstraps and you learn what you can and you move on. It isn't the role of Klondike Kate that does it. For me, it's the opportunity to perform and entertain. … There's something to be said for bringing a smile to someone's face, even if it's for a short time. You can cheer yourself up by cheering someone else up."
Kate as role model for girls: Despite Kate's saloon persona, "the little ones watch her. They aspire. Especially the ones who want to perform and sing. She's a fun character, and wholesome almost."
Copyright 2006 Pioneer Press.