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A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor

July 1, 2006
This week, from the beautiful Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts, we bring you the official Prairie Home Companion season finale and Independence Day Special. Broadcasting from the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood, the performance will be live on radio and filmed for broadcast on the PBS television program Great Performances, Sunday, July 2 at 9 pm Eastern. With very special guests, two-time Academy Award winner - and star of Robert Altman's "A Prairie Home Companion" movie, Meryl Streep, Canada's finest female trio, The Wailin' Jennys, and spine-tingling Gospel singer, Jearlyn Steele. Also with us, the Hopeful Gospel Quartet with Robin & Linda Williams, Carol Elizabeth Jones, and Mr. low G himself, Carson Wyler. Actress Erica Rhodes will join the Royal Academy of Radio Acting, and sitting in with the Guy's All-Star Shoe Band, Mr. Andy Stein. Join us for the fireworks, this Saturday on your local public radio station, and again Sunday on your local public television station.

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In its entirety
Listen to the whole show, broadcast on July 1, 2006.

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In segments
Play individual show segments as listed below.

Segment 1
00:00:00Logo
00:00:15GK intros - Happy Birthday America!
00:01:51Tishomingo Blues
00:03:38GK reminisces about America
00:08:46"One Love" - Hopeful Gospel Quartet and Guy's All-Star Shoe Band
00:11:30GK talks with Meryl Streep
00:13:23Mother Script
00:24:47"How I Got Over" - Jearlyn Steele, Shoes
00:28:20"Twelve Gates To The City" - Jearlyn Steele, Hopeful Gospel Quartet, Shoes
00:31:03Powdermilk Biscuit Theme Break including "Horses Stood Around", "Pigs in a Blanket", "Be Kind To Your Web-Footed Friends", and "Dogfight" - Hopefuls, Shoes
Segment 2
00:33:40"Jazz Names" - Pat Donohue and the Shoes
00:37:30SFX Script
00:42:37GK Intros The Wailin' Jennys
00:43:02"Bring Me A Little Water Sylvie" - The Wailin' Jennys
00:46:13GK Talks about The Wailin' Jennys
00:46:37"One Voice" - The Wailin' Jennys
00:50:18Guy Noir Script
01:05:06Intermission - "Dr. Jazz" - Guy's All-Star Shoe Band
Segment 3
01:09:04GK Welcomes Back
01:09:30"All I'm Thinkin' About is You" - Hopeful Gospel Quartet and the Shoes
01:12:54Gehry Script
01:13:50"Green Summertime" - Hopefuls with Rich Dworsky and Gary Raynor
01:17:57Poems - GK, Meryl Streep, Andy Stein
01:28:45"Calling All Angels" - Wailin' Jennys
Segment 4
01:34:27The News from Lake Wobegon
Segment 5
01:46:32GK Intros Jearlyn Steele
01:46:47"I Shall Be Released" - Jearlyn Steele, Hopefuls, Shoes
01:50:20Lobster Script
01:53:19"What'll I Do" - Meryl Streep, GK, and Richard Dworsky
01:56:27Credits
01:57:25CLOSER - "Goodnight Ladies" into "Waitin' for You"- Hopefuls Gospel Quartet, Wailin' Jennys, Shoes


Photos from the show
Click images to view slideshow. (Photos taken by Russ Ringsak)

Stage Manager Albert Webster adjusts a microphone before the show A view from a monitor
The Hopeful Gospel Quartet as seen from side stage Meryl Streep lends a voice to the Mother script
Linda Williams on the guitar Meryl shares a poem with us


Guest Information
  • Meryl Streep
  • Erica Rhodes
  • Hopeful Gospel Quartet
  • Jearlyn Steele
  • Wailin' Jennys
  • Andy Stein
  • Guest Recordings
  • Wailin' Jennys
  • Robin and Linda Williams


  • Scripts
  • Mother script
  • SFX script
  • Guy Noir script
  • Gehry script
  • Lobster script


  • Online Greetings
  • This week's greetings
  • Submit a greeting
  • Music Information
    Performers, music sources and credits


    The News from Lake Wobegon
    Is available as a podcast from Audible.com.


    Your Invitation to Lake Wobegon

    SCHEDULE/TICKETS

    On July 4th, help us celebrate the 35th Anniversary of A Prairie Home Companion and the Fourth of July with a free live nationally broadcast show from Avon, MN.



    77 Love Sonnets by Garrison Keillor

    77 Love Sonnets From Garrison Keillor:
    “When I was 16, Helen Fleischman assigned me to memorize Shakespeare’s Sonnet No. 29, ‘When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state’ for English class, and fifty years later, that poem is still in my head. Algebra got washed away, and geometry and most of biology, but those lines about the redemptive power of love in the face of shame are still here behind my eyeballs, more permanent than my own teeth. The sonnet is a durable good. These 77 of mine include sonnets of praise, some erotic, some lamentations, some street sonnets and a 12-sonnet cycle of months. If anything here offends, I beg your pardon, I come in peace, I depart in gratitude.”


    Robin and Linda Williams: Buena Vista

    Robin & Linda Williams are among the most popular guest performers of A Prairie Home Companion (they also appeared in the movie, have performed as part of the The Hopeful Gospel Quartet, and made appearances as Marvin & Mavis Smiley). This CD features some of the duo's best harmonies from the show. Among the 12 tracks are familiar fan favorites, including "For Better or Worse", "Visions of Mother and Dad", "Tied Down, Home Free" and the title track. A collection that is muy bueno!


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