Post to the Host

Host Garrison Keillor answers your questions about life, love, writing, authors, and of course, A Prairie Home Companion.

Send GK Your Question »

Home Vs. Visitors

September 3, 2008 | 1 Comment

Dear Mr. Keillor,
in considering which location to travel to to catch the show, I wonder if the show is any different, not better necessarily, right home in the Fitzgerald Theater. Is there a comfort associated with being in the Fitzgerald that has the cast enjoying the performance more than being on the road?

Lee H.
Katy, TX.

Always wanted to do a show in Katy, Lee, and if we did, we'd sure do our best to impress and leap the Katy/Lake Wobegon gap and we would be aware of the advantage of surprise: there would be Katyans (Katydids?) who wouldn't know us from a bale of hay. That's not a bad thing. At the Fitz, we do our best but it's mostly a local audience and that is a different challenge. It's like me standing up at a family reunion and giving a speech about child-rearing: they know me too well, know what sort of father I was and they aren't about to accept anything I say. I had a wonderful time once in Cologne, Germany, talking to an audience of German university students about Lake Wobegon, and once they got their ears tuned to English, they were quite amused. As for enjoying the performance, the cast loves being on the road. So if you're thinking of attending the broadcast in Tulsa or the one in Abilene this fall, come on ahead. In Abilene, we're in a basketball arena, so there's plenty of room. You'll be surrounded by Baptists but surely you can deal with that.