An iconic radio personality is bringing his signature voice to the local stage.
Garrison Keillor, acclaimed host of public radio staple, “A Prairie Home Companion,” will bring his solo show to Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St., at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30.
With a now easily recognizable voice and wit to boot, Keillor began his career on the airwaves in 1969, when he joined Minnesota Public Radio. An interest in “Grand Ole Opry” inspired Keillor to create a similar show, and five years later, he hosted the premiere broadcast of what would go on to become one of the most beloved and long-running radio programs of all time.
Today, four million listeners tune in to “A Prairie Home Companion” each week on more than 600 public radio stations from coast to coast to hear the latest news from the fictional Midwestern town of Lake Wobegon. The variety show includes comedic sketches like “Guy Noir: Private Eye” and live musical folk acts, which Keillor himself is often known to join on stage for a song or two.
The radio raconteur, who also hosts literary logbook “The Writer’s Almanac,” is an accomplished author, having penned a number of books including “Lake Wobegon Days,” “The Book of Guys” and “Pilgrims: A Wobegon Romance.” Keillor is the editor of several anthologies of poetry, most recently “Good Poems: American Places.”
Keillor’s contributions have earned Grammy, ACE and George Foster Peabody awards, as well as the National Humanities Medal, and election to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2006, Keillor played himself in the movie adaptation of his show that was directed by Robert Altman. In 2007, he opened an independent bookstore, Common Good Books, in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he lives with his wife and daughter.
The master storyteller will be solo when he comes to Thalian, sharing amusing anecdotes about his childhood in the Midwest, the people of Lake Wobegon and late-life fatherhood.
Tickets for “An Evening for Garrison Keillor” are $65-$99 and can be purchased through Thalian Hall’s website.
