A Prairie Home Companion from American Public Media

December 31, 2005
This Saturday, from the Fitzgerald Theater, we'll attempt a feat many thought impossible. A New Year's Eve triple play. Our first show will feature the formidable talents of Butch Thompson, Duke Heitger, Howard Levy, Andy Stein, Sally Dworsky, and poet laureate Billy Collins, along with The Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band and the Royal Academy of Radio Acting. Afterwards, Garrison will host a gala dinner party for a few hundred of our beloved listeners, while we Web cast some of the best New Years material from the past. Then, we'll be back for a special late night show (10 pm–1 am CST), featuring all of the early cast, completely new material, plus singers Jearlyn Steele and Suzanne Ohlman. With the help of some B vitamins, an espresso machine, and pure oxygen, we're going to party like it's 1999. Again.

Listen to all 8 hours of New Year's Eve from A Prairie Home Companion.

Listen to the early show
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Segment 1

00:00:00 Logo

00:00:13 Tishomingo Blues, opening credits

00:02:21 GK opens, talks about New Year's Eve, various years according to various calendars

00:03:23 "I Like It Like That" - Pat Donohue and women's quintet

00:05:36 GK talks about Eubie Blake

00:06:01 "Bandana Days" - Guy's All-Star Shoe Band

00:09:00 GK remembers that New Year's Eve is a good night for babysitting

00:09:33 "Leaves That Are Green Turned to Brown" (Drunk lyrics) - GK and Pat

Segment 2

00:12:26 Rhubarb script

00:17:12 "Art is Calling For Me" - Maria Jette and Dan Chouinard

00:21:11 GK intros Billy Collins

00:23:00 Billy Collins reads 'The Trouble With Poetry'

00:25:20 Billy Collins reads 'The Lanyard'

00:28:04 Billy Collins reads 'Flock'

00:28:59 "Howlin' For My Darlin'" - Pat Donohue and Shoe Band

00:31:54 Powdermilk Biscuit Break

00:33:18 SFX script, with Tom Keith

Segment 3

00:43:08 GK introduces Jearlyn Steele

00:43:25 "Gonna Build A Mountain" - Jearlyn Steele and band

00:45:19 Guy Noir script

00:57:50 GK announces intermission/"Linger Awhile"

Segment 4

01:02:00 Welcome Back to the Second Half, greetings

01:04:02 Bush script

01:08:04 "Sidewalk Blues" - Howard Levy and Guy's All-Star Shoe Band

01:13:30 "All The Good Times Are Passed and Gone" - GK and Prudence

01:16:30 Catchup script

01:19:45 "What's Good About Goodbye" - Suzanne Ohlmann

01:23:27 GK introduces Butch, Duke, band

01:24:41 "Aintcha Got Music" - Butch Thompson, Duke Heitger

Segment 5

01:27:00 GK talks with Billy Collins

01:29:24 Billy Reads 'The Revenant'

01:31:50 "Why Don't You Love Me" - Billy Collins, Prudence Johnson, and band

01:34:22 Club script

01:35:48 "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" - Sally Dworsky and band

01:38:48 News From Lake Wobegon

01:52:26 "Body & Soul" - Butch Thompson, piano and Duke Heitger, trumpet

01:55:46 Credits, "Having A Party" closer

Listen to the Best of 2005 3-hour compilation
In its entirety
Listen to the whole best-of 2005, Web cast on December 31, 2005.

Listen to the late show

In its entirety
Listen to the whole late show, broadcast on December 31, 2005.
In segments
Play individual show segments as listed below.

Segment 1

00:00:00 Logo

00:00:15 GK opens New Year's Eve broadcast, talks about New Year's Eve as a holiday

00:03:28 "Oh Lady Be Good"/"Lulu's Back in Town" - Pat Donohue, GK, band

00:06:03 "As Time Goes By" - Sally Dworsky, live audience, band

00:08:48 GK intros Jearlyn and the other women

00:09:05 "A Fool in Love" - Jearlyn Steele, women's quintet, band

00:11:58 GK talks to Prudence Johnson

00:12:48 "Lazy River" - Prudence Johnson and band

Segment 2

00:16:18 GK talks to Duke and Butch about the next tune

00:17:05 "Shake it and Break it" - Guy's All-Star Shoe Band

00:20:15 RCA script

00:21:53 "K.C. Moan" - Pat Donohue and band

00:25:22 "Coffee Jingle" - GK, Jearlyn

00:26:24 GK brings up the women's quintet

00:26:46 "Chain of Fools chorus" - women's quintet and band

00:27:35 Virtue script (part 1)

00:33:08 "Will You Love Me When I'm Old" - GK/ Rich

00:35:14 "Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms"

Segment 3

00:36:34 GK intros next tune

00:36:50 "Wang Wang Blues" - Guy's All-Star Shoe Band

00:40:16 GK and Sally talk about the next tune

00:40:41 "Lazy" - Sally Dworsky and band

00:43:28 GK introduces Billy Collins

00:44:20 Billy Collins reads 'Eastern Standard Time'

00:46:52 Billy Collins dedicates and reads 'The Country'

00:48:55 Billy Collins reads 'No Time'

00:49:50 "High Society" - Pat Donohue

Segment 4

00:52:25 GK talks to Michael, from Scotts Valley, CA

00:54:00 "Lean On Me" - Jearlyn Steele, band, live audience

00:56:40 GK talks about watching the ball drop in Times Square on television

01:00:01 "Auld Lang Syne" (hum)

01:01:09 "Auld Lang Syne" (full band)

01:02:36 "Chain of Fools" (chorus) - Women's Quintet

01:03:17 Virtue script (part 2)

01:07:20 "My Way" - Audience

Segment 5

01:12:34 GK talks to Steve, who was just singing

01:13:20 "I Like It Like That" - Pat Donohue and women's quintet

01:17:35 GK intros Howard Levy

01:18:08 "Rhumba in A minor" - Howard Levy and band

01:20:40 "Modest Maid" - Maria Jette and Dan Chouinard

01:24:10 "She is More to Be Pitied Than Censured" - GK, Prudence, Rich, Andy

01:25:48 GK intros Butch Thompson

01:26:55 "I Got Rhythm" - Rich, Butch, Dan

Segment 6

01:30:09 GK talks to Jearlyn

01:30:30 "Sittin' on the Dock of The Bay" - Jearlyn Steele, Prudence Johnson, band

01:33:33 "Having A Party" - Women's Quintet and Shoe Band

01:36:55 GK talks to Billy Collins

01:37:40 Billy Collins reads 'Ballistics'

01:39:20 Billy intros and reads 'Litany'

01:42:15 Billy intros and reads 'Surprise'

01:43:41 Billy Collins reads 'New Year's Day'

01:45:43 "Come On" - Pat Donohue and band

Segment 7

01:49:08 GK invites the dancers to stay on stage, greetings

01:52:52 "Stand By Me" - Jearlyn, band, live audience

01:57:10 GK talks about resolutions

01:59:00 "Auld Lang Syne"

02:03:50 "I Found A New Baby" - Guy's All-Star Shoe Band

02:08:22 GK intros Rich Dworsky

02:08:50 "Dr. Wang" - Rich Dworsky and Butch Thompson

02:11:35 "We're Going Down" - GK, Rich

Segment 8

02:13:27 "Seems Like Old Times" - Prudence Johnson and Dan Chouinard

02:16:06 GK talks to Sally about her kids

02:16:43 "Stay Awake" - Sally Dworsky, Richard Dworsky, Gary Raynor, and Howard Levy

02:19:46 GK talks with Sarah, from the American University of Paris

02:22:14 GK talks to Bill and Lucy, who are going to get married

02:23:38 "Hello Young Lovers" - Suzanne Ohlmann, Rich Dworsky, Gary Raynor

02:26:58 Bertha's spot

02:27:43 "Rossini Cat Duet" - Maria Jette, Suzanne Ohlmann, and Dan Chouinard

Segment 9

02:30:40 GK talks about "if you see something, say something" with Billy Collins

02:31:45 Billy Collins recites 'Dancing Toward Bethlehem' for Steve the baggage handler

02:33:19 Billy talks about majoring in death, recites 'On Turning 10'

02:36:20 Billy Collins recites 'Fool Me Good'

02:38:13 GK brings Jearlyn Steele back

02:38:33 "This Little Light of Mine" - Jearlyn Steele and band

Segment 10

02:42:05 GK talks to Duke Heitger about the steamboats in New Orleans

02:42:43 "Rhythm Man" - Duke Heitger and Butch Thompson

02:45:41 GK talks about our five fine women

02:46:30 "Chain of Fools" - Women's Quintet, band

02:48:10 GK recites his New Year's poem

02:48:44 "Dinah" - Guy's All-Star Shoe Band

02:52:50 "A Fool Such As I" - GK and band

02:54:30 "God Bless America" - GK, Women, audience

Photos from the show
Click images to view slideshow. (Photos taken by Andrea McAvey)


Just moments before the curtain rises backstage at the Fitz		The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band


Maria Jette sings "Art is Calling for Me," accompanied by Dan Chouinard.		Billy Collins reads his poem "The Lanyard."


The Royal Academy of Radio Actors with the Guy Noir script		A spectral staging for the "Catchup" script.