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Tuesday, 20 March 2007 16:05 |
| | Garrison Keillor |
By ELIZABETH MEADS
Garrison Keillor, famous for his close-to-home stories, radio voice and hilarious novels, gave a memorable and moving performance during his March 13 appearance at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.
The auditorium was filled near its maximum capacity of 2,400 people, as a sea of faces laughed and sang along with Keillor and his entourage.
Joining him on stage were Virginia-based Rob and Linda Williams, known for their rich harmonies and their 1993 appearance on ìA Prairie Home Companion,î Keillorís weekly program on National Public Radio.
Keillor
began the show by chiming together in song with the duo, then
intertwined stories from his fictitious hometown of Lake Wobegon and
various melodies throughout the evening.
He told of
Evelyn Peterson, who had recently passed away, and whose daughter
Barbara was planning a memorial service. The story revealed secret
lives, true love, personality characteristics of Lutherans, broken
marriages and the miraculous occurrence of 24 Lutheran ministers
apparently hovering above water (while actually sinking in a pontoon
boat).
The stories were ingrained with Keillorís noteworthy mixture of love, humor, family and small-town gossip.
As an avid reader of Keillor,, found myself entranced by his soothing voice and side-splitting stories.
The highlight of
the show took place during the intermission, when Keillor asked the
auditorium staff to turn up the lights and let the audience take a
break. He offered to allow whoever was left behind to sing with him.
As the crowd
stood and began singing ìWhen Fools Rush In,î many in the audience
turned to their loved ones in a heartfelt moment. The next song, ìDown
in the Valley,î introduced members of the younger generation to the
Burl Ives classic.
Finally, Keillor
led the crowd in singing ìAmerica the Beautiful.î It seemed as though,
in just an instant, all of the nationís pressing issues of war,
politics and crime vanished as every individual in the crowd harmonized
together in a priceless moment of patriotism.
During the
program, people of several generations came together to hear of a
better time, when crime didnít plague the streets and the largest
problem was that Carl Bunson started drinking again.
The entire auditorium laughed at the dry, Midwestern humor that Keillor incorporated into his tales of Lake Wobegon.
In a single
evening, Keillorís songs and stories reminded all present that there is
life beyond materialism, full of family, laughter, values and real
characters.
It was enough to make even this dissenting liberal feel patriotic.
ï
Elizabeth Meads, a junior at UNC Asheville majoring in Multimedia Arts and Science, works for the Daily Planet.
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