Ah, the Midwest. The hot dogs of yore, the farmers of yesteryear, the vast plains of … plain. It’s hard to make America’s breadbasket sound like it isn’t full of stale crackers, but NPR veteran and Peabody award-winning humorist Garrison Keillor did it for 40 years with his radio show
A Prairie Home Companion. A veritable mascot for the region, Keillor’s known for his loping verbal style and appreciation for a simpler time, and he’s bringing the glory of North America’s cornfields to Rollins College with his one-man show. A self-described “flatlander,” Keillor finds beauty in the little moments in a Midwestern life: the tree branches covered in icicle exoskeletons after a cold snap, the gentle “achoo, achoo” echoing through the air as pollen floats in the spring breeze, the shuddering “pop” of an ACL as you slip on a patch of black ice and crash to the sidewalk – OK, maybe that last one was a little specific to us. Maybe we’re a little bitter about incurring a major athletic injury on a minor walk to our car. But Keillor’s narratives are convincing arguments for appreciating the charm of a simpler time in a quieter place. Ah, the Midwest.
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13 | Warden Arena, Rollins College, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park | 407-646-2145 | rollins.edu | $15-$30
This article appears in Sep 7-13, 2016.
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