Happy Birthday, crazymaryt

Hope that you had a good one!


 

Michael Emerson: Wallpaper

What a talented person greenleaf is. Here's her most recent work:



It is housed here:

http://michaelemerson.net/coppermine/displayimage.php?album=10&pos=18


 

Garrison Keillor's public radio program takes on an Ann Arbor flavor at the summer festival

Posted by Roger LeLievre | The Ann Arbor News

June 14, 2008 22:42PM

Lake Wobegon came to Ann Arbor Saturday night, thanks to a live broadcast from Hill Auditorium of Garrison Keillor's public radio variety program "A Prairie Home Companion."

A crowd of around 3,400 attended the long sold-out show, which helped mark the Ann Arbor Summer Festival's 25th season, said festival executive director Robb Woulfe. Aside from regulars The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band, musical guests were country music singer Suzy

Lon Horwedel | The Ann Arbor NewsGarrison Keillor sings a song to warm up the audience minutes before the "A Prairie Home Companion" radio show was broadcast live from Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor on Saturday night.

Bogguss and the Detroit area Americana duo The Milroys.

From the buzz in Hill's lobby before the event, it was clear fans were thrilled to be there.

"This is on my list of things to do before I die," said Vern Kamp of Clio, who had his picture taken next to a "Prairie Home" display.

Fifteen minutes before air time, the lights went down, and Keillor ambled on stage.

He warmed up the crowd with a rendition of the slightly off-color song "Bad Jokes," looked around Hill and quipped, "We were waiting for you to renovate the place."

The broadcast started with a song about the University of Michigan ("Wolverines, wolverines, ferocious creatures small and green, do not go for fine cuisine, but what a football team...").

Ann Arbor was referenced several times during the show, with a line about newly-legal backyard chickens drawing an especially huge laugh.

Keillor, dressed in a black suit with a white shirt, red tie and red tennis shoes, was impressive in the mastery of his art. There were no obvious miscues, and his timing was impeccable, aided by a clock placed near his feet.

All the show's familiar segments were present, including one of "Guy Noir Private Eye," commercials for fictitious products like Be-Bop-A-Re-Bop Rhubarb Pie and, of course, Keillor's signature monologue, "News from Lake Wobegon," which he offered, amazingly, sans script.

Highlights included segments with veteran sound effects guy Fred Newman (including one that took place at the U-M's Baird Carillon) and Shoe Band harmonica ace Howard Levy, whose solos drew some of the loudest acclaim.

Speaking of the band, an instrumental that segued into the Michigan fight song was understandably well received, as was a jazzy riff on local business names, street signs and outdoor flyers.

The show ended with a rendition of the classic "You Are My Sunshine," with the audience singing along. After the broadcast ended, Keillor and the cast came back on stage and acknowledged a pair of standing ovations with two more tunes.

According to the "A Prairie Home Companion" Web site, more than 4 million people tune in on more than 580 public radio stations across the country, including Michigan Radio, which hosted Saturday's show.

"It's the Lake Wobegon stories for me - it's something that really hits home," Tom Grish of Ann Arbor said after the show. "(Keillor's) a really good singer too, and such a variety of music."

Bill Furtwangler, another local, said he enjoyed watching sound effects expert Newman.

"It was neat to see him after all these years," Furtwangler said. "He was much more animated than I thought. And I loved how (the show) used local talent - the couple from Detroit was marvelous."

 

SOURCE: Ann Arbor News