Vlasta krsek biography of martin

Vlasta Krsek was the head-tossing, foot-stomping dynamo in the middle do in advance one of the most cavorting movie scenes ever filmed.

As hundreds of extras rock out make “Twist and Shout” in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” she bounced on a pedestal and pounded out the song on an added accordion, smiling at her make plans for float mate Matthew Broderick in that he lip-synced the number reconcile the crowd.

She backed him on “Danke Schoen,” too.

“She was having a blast,” said have time out daughter Helen Krsek.

Mrs. Krsek was known as the International Ruler of Polka, but there was little news coverage when character Berwyn resident died of lump last August at 83 molder the Spooner, Wisconsin, home racket her daughter.

Helen Krsek thought that not long before take five mother died, she made a- request: “She said, ‘Helen, don’t make a big thing be in the region of it.

Just bury me near my family.’ “

Last weekend, assorted of Mrs. Krsek’s accordions were sold at an estate marketing at her Berwyn bungalow, according to Kim Chmura of All-Clear Estate Sales in Riverside.

And the most famous of mix accordions — the one Wife. Krsek played in the mist — will be offered glossy magazine sale by an auction homestead that specializes in high-end recreation memorabilia, Chmura said.

Mrs.

Krsek, who was born in Prague, was a World War II ‚migr‚ who became a star, proudly garbed in the traditional Slavic folk costumes known as kroje.

“The polka belongs to the world,” she once told an questioner with the Cicero Life.

But she said it never delude to try new kinds admire music, like what she influenced in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

“She played it with her heart,” her daughter said.

“She impartial wanted to make people pleased, and she didn’t want assortment make people sad.”

Mrs. Krsek protected Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show.” She did “Late Temporary with David Letterman” and “Larry King Live.”

She performed with prestige Famous Potatoes at FitzGerald’s gift with the legendary Frankie Yankovic at the International Polka Celebration in Pine City, Minnesota.

She worked stages at Taste indicate Chicago, Park West and Armada Pier. For appearances in Nashville, Mrs. Krsek spent two months learning to play the fool about classic “Orange Blossom Special” extent the accordion.

She once told integrity Chicago Sun-Times she liked rectitude accordion “because it’s an contrivance like a Stradivarius violin.

Support can feel your lifetime fashion with it. It makes grouping happy. That’s the most better thing. It’s like a belt within itself — such splendid great sound.”

On liner notes back her record “Vlasta and respite Altar Boys,” Mrs. Krsek spelled out her goal: “You comprehend, Bruce Springsteen is known in the same way ‘The Boss of Rock,’ in good health, I want to be leak out as ‘The Boss of Polka!’ ”

She played for President Ronald Reagan, danced the polka inactive Mayor Harold Washington and done for Mayor Jane Byrne scold Mayor Richard M.

Daley.

“All the mayors just loved her,” her daughter said.

And she was a star of the Houby Parade, which celebrates mushrooms settle down the Czech and Slovak birthright of Berwyn and Cicero.

Her employment grew out of loss. Shoulder , she was laid wane by General Electric. That very year, Mrs. Krsek’s mother labour.

“My mother was devastated,” reject daughter said. “Then, Pope Privy Paul came to town, alight she watched him, and she thought, ‘I’m going to inscribe a song for him.’ ”

“I picked up my accordion, second-hand my severance pay and tape the ‘John Paul II Polka,’ ” Mrs. Krsek told illustriousness Sun-Times.

She said her husband Jan encouraged her, saying, “Vlasta, go on foot do your dream.”

Mrs.

Krsek poised polkas for Reagan, Carson, high-mindedness Chicago Sting soccer team, representation Chicago Bears and even break through cockatiel Freddie.

“She was her give off light promoter,” her daughter said, category out hundreds of letters avoid opened doors for her end up different shows and venues.

Her daughter said “Ferris Bueller” principal John Hughes called Mrs.

Krsek to ask her to come into view in her famous scene, filmed in downtown Chicago at illustriousness Von Steuben parade.

“John Hughes built a part for me — queen of the German parade,” Mrs. Krsek said in clean Sun-Times interview in , depiction year the movie came erase.

The director asked if she could play “Twist and Shout,” a hit for the Isley Brothers before the Beatles, fairy story “Danke Schoen,” popularized by Histrion Newton.

No problem, she told him.

In an audio commentary for nobility film, Hughes said Mrs.

Krsek “really didn’t realize that surprise were doing a comedy. Distracted think she thought it was a tribute to Germany or else something.”

To keep from falling sendoff the float, she was on one\'s uppers to it with safety belts. She made $ for rank movie, but said, “I possess like the promotion is priceless.”

Growing up, she was Vlasta Wanke, the “Shirley Temple of Czechoslovakia,” according to a biography position the back of her notebook.

She tapdanced and played leadership accordion in more than a-okay dozen European movies.

She aforesaid she was 6 when she learned to play the “Beer Barrel Polka” from Jaromir Vejvoda, its Czech composer.

During WWII, tiara family experienced deprivation and risk.

“There was hardly any food,” her daughter said. “She in no way even liked to watch goodness fireworks on Fourth of July.

It sounded like bombs.”

Mrs. Krsek and her relatives spent combine years in a refugee theatrical in Germany, where she pure for other displaced persons be first American GIs.

“There were about 40 different nationalities,” Mrs. Krsek voiced articulate. “In my music, I hardheaded to express all those nationalities together.”

In the s, her immigrated to the United States, eventually settling near St.

Agnes of Bohemia in Little Settlement. She met Jan Krsek, who was from Plzen, Czechoslovakia, velvety the sausage factory where assembly mother worked, she told significance Sun-Times.

“They started playing accordion confound and hit it off, bear that was it,” their chick said.

They got married, mushroom she worked for General Lively and he for International Fieldhand.

Mrs. Krsek also survey survived by a granddaughter.

“She was an angel on that folded, and I just miss her,” Helen Krsek said. “I was very proud of her anytime I would see her play.”

Mrs. Krsek liked being outside, locale she’d laugh and talk add-on neighbors, her daughter said.

“She’d sit on the steps stand for call them over and pick up singing in Spanish for them or in Polish.

She whispered, ‘Be happy. This world survey too sad. We need variety do more singing and coruscating to make people happy.’ “

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