Gosh! Napoleon Dynamite actors coming to Logan for 20th-anniversary event

LOGAN, Utah (ABC4) — If you’re a fan of “Napoleon Dynamite,” well, you’ll want to grab your tots and moon boots and head over to the Ellen Eccles Theatre next month.

On May 8, presented by the Cache Valley Center for the Arts, fans will be treated to a screening of the popular movie, followed by a community conversation with fan-favorite cast members Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) and Efren Ramirez (Pedro).

Tickets are still available online, but you’ll want to move quickly as they’re selling out fast. There are also VIP opportunities available where fans can make all their wildest dreams come true by snapping a photo with Heder and Ramirez.

Originally, Jon Gries, who plays Uncle Rico was slated to attend, but will not be able to anymore due to filming a movie in Germany.

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Or, as Wendi Hassan, the director of the Cache Calley Center for the Arts, likes to put it — Uncle Rico discovered time travel and is soaking it up in a hot tub with his soulmate, as is fitting for his character.

The show is expected to be a “wild and hysterical blend of Q&A, comedy improv, game show, and party”, with plenty of chances for the audience to participate.

Hassan said they’re excited to host this event as the actors are touring in honor of the film’s 20th anniversary.

“They’ve taken this show to Florida and they’ve been to Idaho Falls. They’ve been all over the country commemorating this anniversary. And it’s so fun to welcome them home,” she said. “…It was filmed just north of Logan in Preston, Idaho. There were a couple scenes that were filmed in Cache Valley on the Utah side of the border. When this event, which is a pairing of the movie and a talkback with some of the stars from the show, when it started making the rounds of the country, we thought we have to make sure we get it as close to Preston as we can.”

Hassan spoke to the movie’s popularity, saying it’s incredible to see it hitting this milestone.

“It’s so quotable. People will say things and you’ll be able to recognize that they were from the movie,” she said. “I’m looking forward to seeing it with a group of people who like it and having that in-theater experience, which I haven’t had since it first came out.”

She added they’ve been working with the city of Preston on “Napoleon Dynamite” celebrations. She said the mayor of Preston is working on declaring a “Napoleon Dynamite Day” and that members of the Chamber of Commerce from Preston will be in the lobby on the day of the 20th-anniversary event with maps of locations you can visit in relation to the movie. Hassan said Preston is also planning on hosting a Napoleon Dynamite festival in July, where fans can join in on a tater tot eating contest and have their own thrift prom.

Hassan said they hold about a hundred shows in the Ellen Eccles Theatre each year, with many other exciting events coming up, including dance recitals and performances from the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre. For more on events with the Cache Valley Center for the Arts, visit their website.

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