PIGEON FORGE — An attraction set to open in June is moving forward on its plans to have folks sawing logs, though they mean literally, not in the fallen asleep and snoring sense.

Construction crews are expected to work this week on pouring the foundation for Lumberjack Feud, an expansive new dinner show that will cover several acres with demonstrations and a 1,000-seat arena. Officials with the production have been working in recent days to line up the male and female leads as the building effort moves forward.

“We have had 13 people audition so far and we’re going to have call-backs next week when our owner is in town,” says Danny Devaney, director, co-producer and host of the new show. “The people who showed up have been incredible. There are just so many great people looking for jobs with several theaters closing. It’s going to be hard to pick the two.”

Flanking that pair in the production will be Devaney himself and a collection of what Lumberjack Sports International CEO Rob Scheer, who is building the theater, calls “world-class lumberjack athletes.” That staff will be drawn from a similar show Scheer already operates in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Even with those employees imported to the area from the Last Frontier, there will be crowd of positions that will need to be filled by local residents, with as many as 70 jobs likely to be available as the attraction nears its June opening.

“Once we get closer to that date, we’re going to need everything from servers to box office to other office staff,” Devaney says. “We’re definitely going to be hiring.”

Exactly when that will happen, and even the actual date when Lumberjack Feud will open, hasn’t been set yet, Scheer says.

Still, Devaney is confident the attraction, which will fill a 4.3-acre parcel that includes a small lot on the Parkway and most of its space on Smoky Drive, will be a huge draw. He says he’s seen the script for the show and believes it will be a hit with audiences.

“The show’s going to be incredible,” says Devaney, who is filling out the year as Scraps at the Hoot ‘n Holler Dinner Show, which is closing at the end of 2010. “I’m really excited about getting the show up and running. It’s going to have something for everyone.”

The multi-million dollar complex won’t just host Devaney and his cohorts in the production. Scheer now has control of the Ironjack competition and already has three years’ worth of television rights sold for various contests in the lumberjack arts. He hopes to film some of those at the Pigeon Forge location, with plans to sell tickets at “reasonable prices” so that locals can attend the events, which will likely occur in the mornings.

Later in the day, the location is set to host performances of Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud, a theater-style performance that will star athletes in the lumberjack field. It will follow the fictional story of two families that worked together in felling the trees of the Smokies until tragedy strikes and a wedge is driven between them. The climax of the show will be a contest between the two sides to determine who gets to stay on in the mountains and who must leave.

Scheer says he’s confident in his decision to expand into the Smoky Mountains, with the area’s millions of annual visitors an attractive draw. He looked at purchasing land here more than two decades ago, though discussions then fell through. While he since developed two other attractions up north, he said he never gave up on building in Pigeon Forge, believing the area’s high tourist volume and history with logging will help make his venture successful.

“We’re really looking forward to being there,” he said. “We’ve had plans to be in that area for so long that it’s almost hard to believe it’s actually happening now.”

dhodges@themountainpress.com