Latest Klondike Kate trained for her role

It just isn’t the Winter Carnival without this sassy lady.

St. Paul is once again graced by Klondike Kate, the bold and bawdy mistress of merriment who is sure to get the attention of anyone who likes a little cheeky fun.

Modeled after Kathleen Rockwell, a performer during the Alaska Gold Rush of the 1890s, Klondike Kates have performed at the Winter Carnival for decades. This year, the character will be inhabited by Darci Strutt, who bested five other contestants Jan. 7 to take home the title.

• How she sees Kate: “I think she represents someone who brings joy to people,” said Strutt, 48, of North Hudson, Wis. “When you look back at the true Klondike Kate of Alaska and Dawson City, she was that one ray of sunshine a lot of those miners got to see. And I think that’s what Kate represents — that chance to smile and have fun and laugh a little bit. Especially with so many things to be sad about, it’s wonderful to be a person who can try to make people smile.”
  

   

• How she got involved: Strutt’s family — she’s married and has three children, two stepchildren and a grandchild — has been involved with North Hudson’s Pepper Festival for several years, and she has attended many of the same events as Winter Carnival royalty. “I got to know them and what they were about, and I really enjoyed the Kate character and the people who played her.”
  

   

• On her first attempt at the title last year: “The experience of auditioning was so good, the crowd was so supportive,” said Strutt, an information security specialist for U.S. Bank. “I was in the top three last year. I was told it was a very close contest between the three of us, so it gave me the confidence that I had a chance.”
  

   

• What she did to win: “I needed more of the theater,” she said of last year’s performance. So, she trained with a vocal theater coach from the MacPhail Center for Music to help her embody the character of Kate. Strutt also worked with a costumer on her outfit and a friend helped her with makeup.
  

   

• What she sang: Strutt performed combinations of “Nobody Makes a Pass at Me” and “It All Depends on You” for the first round, “My Heart Belongs to Daddy” and “You Took Advantage of Me” for the second round and “A Guy What Takes His Time” and “Hey, Good Lookin’ ” for the final round. “I worked on getting the right attitude on those songs. It’s one thing to know it and memorize it, but it’s another thing to impart that attitude that Klondike Kate would have had.”
  

   
• The demands of Kate: She has learned from talking to other Kates that she’ll be making between 350 and 400 appearances around the country as Klondike Kate this year. “Winter Carnival is a very intense experience,” said Strutt. “There could be up to 100 appearances those days of the Carnival.”
  

   

• On celebrating her win: “After I won, I slept for two hours, got up in the morning and started the interviews,” said Strutt. “I think celebrating will probably wait until sometime in February.”
  

  Andy Rathbun can be reached at 651-228-2121.