His voice is a smooth as melted milk chocolate, and has a gentle quality I find instantly soothing. Lee and I have been fans of Garrison Keillor for years, enjoying his “Prairie Home Companion” show on NPR. It has been our entertainment on many a weekend road trip.
So when I read that he was coming to Savannah, I immediately snatched up a pair of tickets. It wasn’t a “Prairie Home Companion” broadcast – instead it was just a live Garrison Keillor show with a backup band. I wasn’t sure what to expect.
The show was fantastic. My favorite parts of “Prarie Home Companion” are his tales from Lake Wobegon, a fictional city in rural Minnesota. The stories are sweet, sad, silly, and mostly funny. Well, the live show was basically an hour-and-a-half tale from Lake Wobegon, with occasional musical numbers to emphasize a point or help with a transition.
Although I saw him in his recent movie, it was still strange to see him on stage. I’m so used to just hearing that voice on the radio. For years I’d sit in my car, listening to NPR, and I’d picture him looking something like Sean Connery. But instead, he has dark hair and glasses, sporting a suit and bright red tennis shoes.
We were definitely some of the younger people in the crowd. I was amused by the demographics of the people assembled at the theater. Not surprised, but amused. They lived up to the NPR stereotype. Very lily white. Driving nice cars. As we pulled onto the street next to the Civic Center to look for a parking space, I saw a line of nice rides rolling into the parking deck. I was honestly a little surprised to see so many luxury cars all in a row – until I realized they were parking to see the show. As we entered the theater, a message on the speaker system announced that an illegaly parked Jaguar was about to be towed. Everyone milled around the concession stand, sipping wine from plastic cups.
I even enjoyed the intermission. Instead of leaving the stage, the house lights came up and Garrison Keillor asked everyone to stand together for a little sing-a-long. This way, people who needed to use the restroom or get a drink could exit their row without climbing over everyone. But for those of us who stayed put, we had fun singing campy songs with the one and only Garrison Keillor. I stepped out for a moment to call the sitter and check on Camille, then came right back to join in the singing.
It was a great date night – listening to my favorite radio host, holding hands with my sweet husband.