The Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed a big name entertainer, from the small European nation of Latvia. Latvia is located on the Baltic Sea coast, just west of Russia.

Entertainer Janis Jarans (pronounced “Yanis Yarans”) has been staying in Beaver Dam with local businessman and Chamber member Andy Magurs who has been acting as his North American agent. Magurs is a Latvian immigrant to the U.S. who owns S.O.S. Remodeling Company in Beaver Dam.

Jarans is a comedian, actor, and producer of live Broadway type shows in Latvia. He has appeared on Latvian TV shows and in full feature movies in his homeland.

Magurs has scheduled a 10 city comedy tour for Jarans in U.S. cities with large populations of expatriate Latvians, including Boston, Milwaukee, Chicago and Los Angeles. Jarans will be returning to Latvia after the tour and has hopes of coming back to the U.S. for similar tours in the future.

Beaver Dam Chamber Executive Director Philip Fritsche and Jarans exchanged gifts during his visit. Fritsche was excited to learn that Beaver Dam is being proudly featured as part of the story of Jarans’ American tour in a European version of “People” magazine.

Photo: Latvian Entertainer Visit.jpg

“Latvian entertainer Janis Jarans joins Chamber Exec Phil Fritsche with the Chamber’s mascot Golden Beaver during his American Comedy Tour.”

This magainze was sent to us by Andy at SOS Construction. It is apparently a Lativian version of "People" magazine, and the Chamber was featured in the inside.