We surprised Mr. K’s parents with tickets to see the season opener of a Prairie Home Companion in St. Paul, MN. Unless you are from the midwest or an NPR fiend, you probably have never heard of Prairie Home Companion (PHC) or Garrison Keillor, its creator and radio host. He is also an author, storyteller, performance artist, and is best known for his comic tales of fictional small town, Lake Wobegon where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking and all the children are above-average.
The Fitzgerald theater seats 1000 and sets a cozy stage for the live radio variety show which offers fast paced comedy sketches, music, and Garrison Keillor’s signature monologue, The News from Lake Wobegone. We had great seats on the balcony level, but my little point and click digicam was very challenged with focusing on the subject from the distance.
It was great entertainment to see the show performed live, I especially loved the skits with the radio actors: Tim Russell, Sue Scott, and the fantastic sound effects man Mr. Tom Keith, and the The Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band really kept the pace going.
This was followed by a street dance and meatloaf supper on Exchange Street downtown.
The lines for the meatloaf supper were super long, but wrapped around and around just like at Disneyland, so you kept moving and felt that progress was being made. The Prairie Home Companion ensemble moved to the outdoor stage and continued to perform for the masses gathered outside. There were additional items for sale: apples, fresh baked bread with butter and jam, hot coffee and a variety of cookies and sweets.
At last we were able to purchase our tickets
Here is my plate, with a knob of meatloaf, covered with brown gravy, a half scoop of mashed potato with more gravy, and a biscuit. Pretty good food for a $5 plate and what must have been near the last of thousands served.
We ate our supper on a grassy hillside where we enjoyed listening to the music outside on a blissfully warmish summer night.
6 Comments
What a great event!
Cheers,
Rosa
ha–i love that the biscuit is the biggest thing on the plate. also, i’d like to move to lake wobegone.
grace´s last blog ..the picture of purity
I think what California needs is more community meatloaf dinners. Five bux is a steal!
Gastronomer´s last blog ..Los Angeles Luxury Chocolate Salon: Top 10 Tastes
How fun! I always liked the idea of seeing a radio show live, either PHC or Wait Wait Don’t tell me…and meatloaf for $5? Nice!
hungry dog´s last blog ..Flank steak with bok choy and black beans
Rosa, it was so much fun
grace, yes although it would have been better heated up with butter, and me too, lake woebegone sounds like fun
gastronomer, it was such a deal – the entire event was so laid back compared to CA, hardly any police, parking was a snap…
hungry dog, it was better than the movie!
How cool to see “Prairie Home Companion” performed live on stage. When my friends and I visited New Orleans years ago, we did something a little similar. We drove out to sit in the audience of this live radio show that was performed on stage with Zydeco music. It was so much fun, and it really gave you a slice of the real community there, rather than just the usual tourism spots.
Carolyn Jung´s last blog ..Burgers, Oysters, Wine & More