It was a glorious 4th of July weekend as Garrison Keillor’s ” Prairie Home Companion” finished this year’s season at The Ravinia Festival in Highland Park Illinois.
The great singer/songwriter, John Prine joined us and performed some of his best songs including the powerful “Hello In There”. 
Another Chicagoan, Howard Levy added his harmonica virtuosity to the proceedings.
We had some fun scripts to work with as noted in the “Evanston Review” this week. Reviewer Dorothy Andries wrote:
“The show included not only music, but dramas, vividly enacted by The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, two men and a woman who are a trio of a million sounds and voices. Tim Russell did a spot-on imitation of Chicago radio legend Studs Terkel and was a pretty good Ira (“This American Life”) Glass. He even mastered President Obama’s measured cadences, while Fred Newman did zany sound effects. Sue Scott played everyone from a sweet encouraging Montessori mother to a hard-boiled seller of Chicago hot dogs — and no, she would never serve ketchup on a Chicago dog.”Guy Noir-Chicago
A great end to a great season. Fred Newman will join Garrison and “The Guys All Star Show Band” and singer/songwriter Sara Watkins for a late summer tour of over 20 cities across the country. Check out the schedule on the Prairie Home website.
Sue and Tim will hopefully rejoin the cast and crew for the annual Minnesota State Fair Grandstand performance on the Labor Day Weekend Show.
We just finished our run at The Town Hall in New York City. What a show! Elvis Costello and Tom Snow as our special guests, along with one of our favorite people, Heather Masse. Elvis was terrific in our “Guy Noir” and “Lives of the Cowboys” scripts.Be sure to listen to the April 18th show on Prairiehome.org.
After the show we joined Fred Newman and family at a new outdoor restaurant in Bryant Park, The Bryant Park Cafe. A Beautiful Spring night, 70 degrees at 10pm.
I had hoped to be with you Liiiiive! ( OK, I’m hooked on “Dancing with the Stars”) on WCCO, Monday the 16th, and this weekend on “A Prairie Home Companion” at the State Theater In Minneapolis, but when I made the announcement about returning to work one week after TURP prostate surgery, my Urologist said not so fast, I need to go back on the 23rd at the earliest, so that’s the new plan. I’m glad he did because, as I’m learning, it does take a while to heal those innards.
I’m going to have to miss another week on “A Prairie Home Companion” and that kills me, but they are bringing in Fred Newman so how can you go wrong with two Sound Effects guys. I hope Garrison arranges another “Sound Off” between Frad and Tom Keith.
I did have my first meaningful physical therapy session yesterday, and my range of motion with my broken ankle is coming along although my foot turns dark purple when I put it toward the floor. The therapist says that once the muscles learn how to fire up the blood should learn how to pump out of that foot again. It was a shock to be out of the house in 70 degree weather, I loved it. Two more weeks before any weight bearing on that foot, but I’ll be back on WCCO’s “Morning News with Dave Lee” doing entertainment news next and on Prairie Home Companion in Appleton,WI on the 28th.
It was a glorious 4th of July weekend as Garrison Keillor’s ” Prairie Home Companion” finished this year’s season at The Ravinia Festival in Highland Park Illinois.
Another Chicagoan, Howard Levy added his harmonica virtuosity to the proceedings.
A great end to a great season. Fred Newman will join Garrison and “The Guys All Star Show Band” and singer/songwriter Sara Watkins for a late summer tour of over 20 cities across the country. Check out the schedule on the Prairie Home website.
