Purdue News

January 22, 2001 'A Prairie Home Companion' to broadcast from Purdue WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. æ Garrison Keillor will bring the live radio show, "A Prairie Home Companion," to Purdue's Elliott Hall of Music at 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 7. Tickets to the broadcast will be $28 and $21. Since the performance also is a fund-raising event for its presenters, Purdue Convocations and WBAA AM/FM, there will be a limited number of premium seats available for $100 and $50. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Feb. 5, and can be purchased at Purdue box offices or charged by phone at (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW. "We’ve wanted to bring ‘A Prairie Home Companion’ here for several years, and we’re thrilled that it’s finally going to happen," said Convocations Director Todd Wetzel, "We’re also excited about the opportunity to partner with WBAA on this project." WBAA station manager Dan Skinner agreed. "We consider this a real coup," he said, "not just for WBAA and Convocations, but also for Purdue and the community as a whole." For one special performance, Keillor will bring his brand of rural cosmopolitan humor from the lakes of Minnesota to the fields of Indiana. Fans attending the show will see actress Sue Scott, Tim Russell (the man of many voices) and sound-effects wizard Tom Keith. Also appearing will be "The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band" led by pianist Rich Dworsky, guitarist Pat Donohue, violinist Andy Stein, bass player Gary Raynor and drummer Arnie Kinsella. In addition to the usual sketches and music, Keillor will deliver his signature monologue, "The News From Lake Wobegon." The broadcast will include appearances from local musical acts, which will be announced at a later date. The 2000-01 season of "A Prairie Home Companion" consists of 33 live shows. About half of the shows will originate from The Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minn., with the remainder coming from tour locations across the United States. Out of almost 500 stations, "A Prairie Home Companion" has selected WBAA AM/FM, in conjunction with Purdue Convocations, to host its entire cast and crew. The broadcast is transmitted weekly to radio audiences across the nation, reaching more than 2.8 million listeners. With the program broadcast on the Armed Forces Network Europe, the Far East Network and in dozens of European cities via the Astra satellite network, the Elliott Hall of Music show also will be heard globally. "A Prairie Home Companion" can be heard locally each Saturday from 6-8 p.m. on WBAA-FM/101.3. The program also is repeated each Sunday on WBAA-AM/920 from 3-5 p.m. The program is produced by Minnesota Public Radio, distributed by Public Radio International and sponsored nationally by Lands' End Direct Merchants. Audio clips, scripts and more information on "A Prairie Home Companion" can be found online. Advance sale tickets will be available through 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, to members of WBAA AM/FM and Friends of Convocations. More information on the advance sale and how to become a WBAA or Convocations donor is available at the Convocations office, located in Purdue’s Engineering Administration building, or by calling (765) 494-9712. Source: Larry Sommers, (765) 494-5045; lsommers@purdue.edu NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: A publication-quality photograph of Garrison Keillor is available at this ftp site. It is called Keillor.jpeg. To the Purdue News and Photos Page