Woman blends singing and brittle-making talents together at the Fair
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (KMSP) - Amidst the chaos of the Minnesota State Fair merchandise mart, you’ll find the sweet brittle and smooth sounds of Thomasina Petrus.
For this performer, it’s brittle by day and Billie Holiday by night - and sleep when she can during the 12 days of the Fair.
“I already had a captive audience because I did theater, and they did concessions,” said Petrus. “And I thought I need to make a bag that’s quiet - that doesn’t sound like that crinkle that’s quiet enough that they can open it in theater.”
What started as two separate hobbies have found a way of blending in a mutually beneficial way for Petrus. Where her product is – her performance is too.
“This year finally, I get a chance to sing in the state fairgrounds, on one of the main stages,” she said. “So I am really excited about that.”
Though the brittle business is booming, the passion for Petrus is and will be in her performing from jazz clubs to theaters to the stages of the Fair.
“My dream would be to sing and make a great living, and being an entertainer in that way,” said Petrus. “How you saw me, that’s where I feel the most comfortable, where I come alive. An entertainer, a performer, a teacher, and I feel like I have all that stuff.”
While she continues to work on achieving that dream, it only makes sense to continue to merge her worlds.
If brittle and performances weren’t enough, Petrus is also the co-founder of the New Dawn Theater in St. Paul. Also, she will be performing at Crooners on October 15.