December 4, 1998 - Every once in a while someone has an idea that is so crazy, it might just work. Take the case of Colin and Susan McAllister of St. Paul. This weekend they are mounting a small festival in St. Paul, gathering... what they hope will be hundreds if not thousands of people to celebrate LINCOLNSHIRE!!!! "Where? What?" you say... "Lincoln-who?" Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Stucky reports on the attempt to focus Minnesotan attention on what's known as England's "Forgotton County"..... Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Stucky reports.
December 4, 1998 - MPR’s Mary Stucky reports that the hottest toy this Christmas season reflects the old adage "we want what we can't have.” The toy in question is called a Furby, a furry electronic pet. In the business of toy marketing, scarcity drives consumer demand. The day after Thanksgiving people lined up at local toy stores at six in the morning. One store at the Mall of America sold out 300 Furbys in just ten minutes. It's another example of how advertising, a limited product supply and the demands of children can create a monster demand. But the Furby may be something new; in an age of global communications there is a worldwide demand...and an international shortage.
December 8, 1998 - Those who erroneously think of books as simply words on pages between two covers might consider visiting the Minnesota Center For Book Arts in Minneapolis. The MCBA's first juried exhibition of "artist books" is on display, redefining in an age of desktop publishing and digital printing, what a book can be. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts reports.
December 8, 1998 - MPR’s Martin Kaste reports that Governor-elect Jesse Ventura says he intends to keep working in the entertainment business, even after he takes office. Ventura is in the process of closing a deal to tell his life story in a ghost-written autobiography. Ventura calls it a "standard" book contract, and he says he doesn't think he's cashing in on being the governor-elect.
December 10, 1998 - It has taken 7 years but a former pornographic bookshop in Minneapolis, is now a community theater..... opening it's first holiday show. Some of the actors now performing were once outside on the sidewalk protesting against the store. The Central City Theater-- on the corner of 4th and Lake was once known as the Lake Street Bookstore-- but it's now part of what the city hopes will be a turnaround of troubled Lake Street. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Stucky reports.
December 10, 1998 - It has taken 7 years but a former pornographic bookshop in Minneapolis , is now a community theater opening it's first holiday show. Some of the actors now performing were once outside on the sidewalk protesting against the store. The Central City Theater-- on the corner of 4th and Lake was once known as the Lake Street Bookstore-- but it's now part of what the city hopes will be a turnaround of troubled Lake Street.
December 14, 1998 - *******USE THIS VERSION********* A new film which opened last weekend offers an inside look at the music business and a slice of the Minneapolis music scene. Producer and Director Steven Greenberg, best known for his international mega-hit single "Funkytown," followed several Minneapolis bands for more than three years, documenting the glamour and excitement of their performances and the harsh realities of being a musician. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts has this report on "Funkytown" the movie.
December 14, 1998 - Mainstreet Radio’s Tom Robertson attends an early morning ritual in Bemidji, as locals of Swedish descent keep the Santa Lucia tradition alive with an annual celebration said to be one of the largest of its kind in the U.S.
December 22, 1998 - The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis is taking steps to broaden its mission beyond its longtime role as purveyor of the classics. The Guthrie has appointed a well known figure in the New York theater world as "artistic advisor", to help it focus on living writers and contemporary work. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts has more.
December 22, 1998 - Productions of "A Christmas Carol" are a holiday staple, most notably in Minnesota at the Guthrie Theater. For the last two years, visitors to the St. Paul Hotel have been going directly to the source to get their annual dose of Charles Dickens' classic tale, or at least to the great great grandson of the source. Gerald Charles Dickens is winding up a 43-day American tour, performing his great great grandfather's work while his audience sips an afternoon tea, or digs into an evening feast. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts met up with the present-day Dickens this afternoon....