The performance features sung sonnets, limericks, and musical jokes—all woven together by reflections on the beauty of growing older. Despite its inconveniences, old age brings a kind of contentment: the wisdom that less is more. With your big ambitions and past mistakes behind you, there’s nothing left to prove—and great joy can be found in life’s smaller moments.
As Keillor puts it:
“I was unhappy in college because it was a requirement for an intellectual, but then I went into show business and discovered that people won’t pay to be made unhappy—their kids will do it for free.”
The evening also includes the beloved News from Lake Wobegon, where the town is buzzing with new entrepreneurs—makers of artisanal firewood, gourmet meatloaf, breeders of composting worms, and dogs trained to do childcare. Yet, some traditions endure, like the annual Living Flag formation on Main Street, with citizens donning red, white, and blue caps. Keillor stands shoulder to shoulder with familiar neighbors like Myrtle Krebsbach (“Truckstop”), Julie Christensen (“Bruno, The Fishing Dog”), and Clint Bunsen. The evening concludes with a heartfelt a cappella sing-along, as the audience joins in from memory on a medley of patriotic songs, pop standards, and hymns—culminating in the national anthem.
