Song Sung Blue is a true Milwaukee love story hitting the big screen this Christmas — and one hometown actor is helping bring it to life. While Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson may be the marquee names behind the new film, Mequon native Carey Van Driest is proudly carrying the Wisconsin torch.
READ ALSO | Reliving Lighting and Thunder ahead of the premiere of 'Song Sung Blue'
On Tuesday, Kopp’s Frozen Custard in Greenfield will turn into a movie-themed celebration, complete with a visit from Jackman himself and a special flavor of the day, Song Sung Blueberry. But beyond the buzz and blueberry swirls, Van Driest says the heart of this project is the uniquely Wisconsin story it tells.
“I got to be a part of telling a Wisconsin story— A very, very, very like Easter egg of a Wisconsin story,” Van Driest said. “I get to do my job, celebrating untold stories about a place and about people who lived in a place that I still call proudly, where I'm from.”
The film follows Milwaukee couple Mike and Claire Sardina, who launched their Neil Diamond tribute band, Lightning and Thunder, in 1989. Van Driest says the story captures something unmistakably local.
“Like New York has their own versions of only in New York. And then there's like, only in Wisconsin, and I feel like a Neil Diamond tribute band, like, yes please! Yes, please!” she said.
Van Driest plays a doctor in the film — a full-circle moment for the actor who grew up in Mequon and graduated from Homestead High School. She’s now a working actor in New York City, and says her Wisconsin roots played a role in her audition for this film.
“I did the audition with my native accent, and then I said at the end of it, ‘Oh. And by the way, like born and bred, this is my world,'” she said.
The movie goes live in theaters Christmas Day, and Van Driest hopes her hometown feels the same pride she does.
“I am so happy for everybody who has been involved with the journey of this and telling these people's truly remarkable little slice of life,” she said.
Locals at Kopp’s say they're excited to see Milwaukee spotlighted on a national stage.
“It feels nice to have us on the map, you know, like our name and stuff,” customer Alejandro Garibay said. “I think the only thing that you could really like we have the Bucks, you know, stuff like that. So it's nice to have, like, something in the media about Milwaukee."
Kopp’s embraced the celebration with their themed custard flavor. Manager Jeff Feist said the collaboration came as a surprise — but a welcome one.
“Whenever we can find a connection, you know, with something like that, and we can tie it into a flavor, it's great. They approached us, and we were all very shocked that, you know, they wanted to do this, but it's, it's gonna be a lot of fun,” he said.
The first 500 fans in line will receive a free scoop of Song Sung Blueberry. If fans want to participate and see Jackman, they can start lining up at 1:30 p.m., and the event will start at 2:30 p.m.
Feist says the local police department will be there to help fans navigate parking, and he reminds folks to dress warm for waiting in the cold weather.
Jackman will only be visiting the Greenfield location, but the flavor of the day will be available at all Kopp’s locations.
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