A Prairie Home Companion facts for kids
A Prairie Home Companion is a fun, live radio show. It's a "variety show," which means it has different kinds of entertainment. Garrison Keillor created and hosted the show for many years.
You can usually hear it live on Saturdays. It runs from 5 to 7 pm Central Time. The show often broadcasts from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota. But sometimes, it travels to other cities!
A Prairie Home Companion is famous for its amazing musical guests. They often feature folk and traditional musicians. The show is also known for its funny, gentle humor. And everyone loves Keillor's special storytelling part, called "News from Lake Wobegon."
This popular radio show even inspired a movie in 2006. It had the same name and was written by Garrison Keillor. Famous actors like Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin were in it.
The Show's Story
A Prairie Home Companion first aired on July 6, 1974. It started as a morning show on Minnesota Public Radio. Only 12 people were in the audience for that first broadcast!
The idea for the show's name came from a cemetery in Moorhead, Minnesota. It was called "Prairie Home" and was right across from the radio station.
In April 1974, Garrison Keillor visited Nashville, Tennessee. He saw the last broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry from its old building. This gave him the idea to create a similar live variety show for radio. So, on July 6, 1974, A Prairie Home Companion began.
In 1978, the show moved to the World Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota. This theater is now known as the Fitzgerald Theater. Keillor later moved away for a few years. He started a new show called "The American Radio Company of the Air." But after a while, he moved back to Minnesota. He then brought A Prairie Home Companion back to the airwaves.
Over the years, the show became very popular. By 1995, it was broadcast in many countries around the world using satellite technology.
What's on the Show?
Music is a huge part of A Prairie Home Companion. You can hear many different kinds of music. This includes country, bluegrass, blues, and gospel. The show also invites guest performers who play classical music, opera, and music from other countries.
News from Lake Wobegon
One of the most famous parts of the show is "News from Lake Wobegon." This is a weekly story told by Garrison Keillor. He pretends it's a report from his made-up hometown, Lake Wobegon.
The story always starts with: "It's been a quiet week in Lake Woebegone, my hometown." And it almost always ends with a funny line: "And that's the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average."
Sponsors
Because the show is on public broadcasting radio, it can't have real advertisements. Instead, the show creates funny, fake ads for made-up products! These ads sound like old-time radio commercials.
The show pretends to be "sponsored" by funny products. Some examples are "Powdermilk Biscuits," "Cafe Boeuf," and the "American Duct Tape Council."
The program recently celebrated its 40th year on the air.
Images for kids
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A Prairie Home Companion at the 2011 Minnesota State Fair
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Chris Thile as guest host in 2016
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On Air sign at the Fitzgerald Theater
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The Rhubarb Sisters singing during taping of the show
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A sign for "Guy's Shoes", one of A Prairie Home Companion's fictitious sponsors
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Rich Dworsky playing piano on a live broadcast in 2015
