AMERICAN PUBLIC MEDIA AND MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO PRESENT THE SPRING SEASON OF WITS

Jan 20, 2015

(St. Paul, Minn.) Jan. 20, 2015--American Public Media™ (APM) and Minnesota Public Radio® (MPR) present the spring 2015 season of Wits™. Shows this season will present the likes of George Takei, Brandi Carlile, Neko Case, Eric Stonestreet, Har Mar Superstar and many more.

In between shows at the Fitzgerald Theater, Wits will again host a show at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, with guests Takei and Serengeti. Wits will also travel to Nashville, TN where it will host a special show on April 17 as part of the Vince Vaughn Wild West Comedy Festival.

Performers join host John Moe for irreverent conversation, comedy, sketches and songs. Wits provides a one-of-a-kind experience for audiences by presenting a favorite artist through a new lens and shining a light on emerging talent.

The Wits' spring line-up is:

•February 27 - Eric Stonestreet with Brandi Carlile •March 5 at the GUTHRE THEATER- George Takei with Serengeti •March 20- Cary Elwes with Kat Edmonson •April 24 - Paul Scheer with Neko Case •May 1 - Mary Lynn Rajskub with Ryan Bingham •May 8 - Danny Pudi with Har Mar Superstar

WHERE: The Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul (unless otherwise noted)

WHEN: All shows at the Fitzgerald Theater start at 8 p.m. CST, but the party starts at 7 p.m. as a Current DJ rocks the house for the Tweet-up. Happy hour drink specials will be available from 7 to 8 p.m. The show at the Guthrie Theater starts at 7 p.m. CST (doors at 6:30 p.m.).

TICKETS: Phone Sales: Tickets will be available to members in the Wits Social Club starting at noon on Thursday, Jan 22. Call the Fitzgerald Theater Box Office at (651) 290-1200. (Box Office hours T-F, Noon-5 p.m.) For tickets to the show at the Guthrie Theater, call their Box Office at (612) 377-2224. (Box Office hours M-F 11-5 p.m.; starting February 7 M-F 11-8 p.m.) General public ticket sales: Tickets are available for the general public starting at noon on Tuesday, January 27th. Tickets will be available to the general public in person at the Fitzgerald Theater and Guthrie Theater, or online at witsradio.org.

Ticket prices: For single shows at the Fitzgerald Theater, general admission is $29 and reserved seating is $45. Additional fees may apply. Ticket buyers can save $5 off each ticket when purchasing the season ticket package for all four Fitzgerald Theater shows. Single and season ticket packages are available at the Fitzgerald Box Office via phone or in person as well as online. For single shows at the Guthrie Theater, ticket prices are $45 and $35. All seats are reserved.

WITS SOCIAL CLUB: For $35, fans can join the Wits Social Club or renew their membership for spring season live shows (expires June 30, 2015), which has the following benefits: • Buy Tickets Early! Wits Social Club participants will have exclusive access to a Social Club pre-sale where they can buy tickets for shows this spring starting Thursday, January 22. The pre-sale lasts until January 27. Guthrie Theater subscribers will also have early access to tickets to the March 5th show, as well as the same 10% discount. • 10 Percent Discount on up to four tickets per show at the Fitzgerald Theater and the March 5th Wits show at the Guthrie Theater (in addition to the Season Package discount, if applicable). • Other exclusive rewards will be announced throughout the year.

MORE ABOUT WITS: Wits airs weekly in Minnesota on MPR News, Saturday nights at 8 p.m., Sunday afternoons at 1 p.m. and on 89.3 The Current, Sunday nights at 9 p.m. To get the latest updates on everything Wits, follow @wits on Twitter, witsradio on Tumblr, and visit it on Facebook, as well as sign up for the Wits newsletter at witsradio.org. The Wits podcast is available every week on iTunes, Soundcloud and witsradio.org. Wits continues to expand its reach as a weekly radio show and now can be heard on over 130 public radio stations across the nation, including Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Nashville, Austin, Portland, and more. Continue for specific show dates and details about the guests.

Friday, February 27: Eric Stonestreet with Brandi Carlile

Eric Stonestreet Actor Eric Stonestreet currently stars as Cameron Tucker on ABC's comedy series, Modern Family, a role for which he earned two Emmy Awards in the "Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series." Stonestreet also garnered a 2011 Emmy Nomination, Golden Globe Nominations in 2011, 2012 and 2013, Screen Actors Guild Nominations in 2012, 2013 and 2015, and a TCA Award nomination for his portrayal. Stonestreet has built an impressive resume of memorable characters on television shows including Dharma & Greg, Malcolm in the Middle, Party of Five, Spin City, ER, The West Wing, American Dad, Providence, Close to Home, Crossing Jordan and Bones, as well as The Mentalist, N.C.I.S., Pushing Daisies and Nip/Tuck. On the big screen, Stonestreet stars in the newly released thriller The Loft, directed by Erik Van Looy and also starring James Marsden and Keith Urban. Stonestreet also had memorable roles in Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous, Bad Teacher with Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake, and was a scene-stealer in Identity Thief directed by Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses) and starring Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman. Upcoming, Stonestreet is lending his voice to Universal's animated feature, The Secret Life of Pets with Louis C.K. and Kevin Hart.

Brandi Carlile Singer/Songwriter Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile is known for her critically acclaimed albums and songs like The Story, as well as her non-stop touring. She has toured with the likes of Ray LaMontagne, Dave Matthews Band and The Avett Brothers. Her 2007 album The Story was produced by T Bone Burnett and elicited praise from Elton John, who appeared on a track from her 2009 album, Give Up the Ghost, which was produced by Rick Rubin. Bear Creek, Carlile's 2012, debuted at No. 10 on The Billboard 200. Her new album 'The Firewatcher's Daughter' will be released in March on ATO Records.

Thursday, March 5: Wits at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis featuring George Takei and Serengeti

George Takei Actor, activist and social media star George Takei is best known for his portrayal of Mr. Sulu in the acclaimed television and film series Star Trek. He's an actor, social justice activist, social media mega-power, star of the upcoming Broadway musical "Allegiance," host of the AARP-produced YouTube series "Takei's Take" and subject of "To Be Takei," a documentary on his life and career. Takei's acting career has spanned five decades, with more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television guest-starring roles to his credit. In 1991 he left his signature and hand print, in cement, in front of Grauman's Chinese. His first book, his autobiography, To the Stars, was published in 1994, and in 2012 and 2013 he published his second and third books, Oh Myyy! There Goes The Internet, and its sequel, Lions And Tigers And Bears: The Internet Strikes Back - both about his forays on social media and the Internet, making the Amazon e-book and paperback best-seller lists in 2012 and 2013.

Serengeti Mid-North Rapper David 'Serengeti' Cohn is as hard to peg down stylistically as an artist as he is diversified in his collaborations. Coming off of the success of Sisyphus (with Son Lux and Sufjan Stevens) and breaking onto the Billboard charts with his Kenny Dennis III in 2014, serengeti looks to the future with a series of Kenny Dennis promotional reels, a follow up to 2013's hypotonic Saal with Tobais Vethake aka Sickerman and a return to Family and Friends territory with a new full length LP with Yoni Wolf.

Although David Cohn has never performed sketch comedy before, he is looking forward to trying his best.

Friday, March 20: Cary Elwes and Kat Edmonson

Cary Elwes Writer and actor New York Times bestselling author and actor Cary Elwes (ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS, TWISTER, Bram Stroker's DRACULA, SAW) is best known for his role as 'Westley' in one of Hollywood's most popular and successful films to cross generations, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, dubbed "one of the greatest love stories ever old," and ranked by the Writer's Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays ever produced. Elwes brings this classic, timeless fairy tale to life again for the first time in his New York Times bestselling memoir As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales From the Making of The Princess Bride from Simon & Schuster. Up next, Elwes can be seen in films Sugar Mountain with Jason Momoa and THE GREENS ARE GONE with Catherine Keener. In his free time, Elwes devotes his philanthropic efforts to Mercy Corps.

Kat Edmonson Singer-songwriter Kat Edmonson critically acclaimed album The Big Picture, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart, #1 on Contemporary Jazz Chart, and #2 on the Total Jazz Chart. The Big Picture is Edmonson's label debut and was recorded with Grammy-nominated producer Mitchell Froom (Paul McCartney). This album follows her 2012 release, Way Down Low, which The New York Times hailed as "fresh as a spring bouquet" and The Boston Globe called "one of the greatest vocal albums I've ever heard." The record debuted at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart and was featured on several major year-end "Best of 2012" lists including Downbeat Magazine, WNYC Soundcheck's "Best Live Performances" and Daytrotter's "Best Sessions of 2012." Texas native Edmonson grew up in Houston and sang in the local club scene in Austin for several years before self-releasing Take To The Sky in 2009.

Friday, April 24: Paul Scheer with Neko Case

Paul Scheer Actor, Comedian and Writer Paul Scheer is an American actor, comedian, writer, and director. Scheer currently stars on the FX series The League, The ABC series Fresh Off The Boat and in the Adult Swim comedy-action-parody series NTSF:SD:SUV::, which he created. Has had memorable roles in 30 Rock, Happy Endings, Parks and Rec, Burning Love, & Childrens Hospital. He recently starred in a web series for JASH called SCHEE-R-L which recreated classic moments from MTV's TRL. He'll be appearing in the upcoming comedy Longshots with Taye Diggs, Anne Heche and Topher Grace. You can hear him weekly on the popular movie discussion podcast How Did This Get Made? You can follow Paul on @Paulscheer or paulscheer.com

Neko Case Singer-Songwriter & vocalist Neko Case is a Grammy-nominated solo artist and one-eighth of the celebrated Canadian pop outfit the New Pornographers. The Washington-bred singer, songwriter and producer claims no genre, nor utilizes any classic formula for her songs and singing. Neko has developed a sound all her own: a mix of country, gospel, torch, and pop, and her five full-length solo albums (not to mention her two live collections and Canadian Amp EP) have won her critical acclaim and countless devotees. Her most recent solo album is The Worse Things Get The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight The More I Love You.

Friday, May 1: Mary Lynn Rajskub with Ryan Bingham

Mary Lynn Rajskub Actor and comedian Mary Lynn Rajskub is best known for her iconic performance as "Chloe" on FOX's 24, which she has reprised on 24: Live Another Day, the number-one rated show of 2014. She has also recently appeared in recurring arcs on 2 Broke Girls and Californication, and can be seen as a regular panelist on Chelsea Lately. On the big screen, Mary Lynn was recently seen in theaters in Safety Not Guranteed (Duplass Bros.), and also starred in The Kings of Summer with Alison Brie, Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally. Other credits include Arrested Development, Little Miss Sunshine, Mr. Show, Larry Sanders and Julie and Julia, Punch Drunk Love and Sunshine Cleaning.

Ryan Bingham Singer-songwriter Bingham was actually in the back of a van in North Dakota when he wrote The Weary Kind, a song that became the centerpiece of the 2010 film Crazy Heart starring Jeff Bridges. It earned him an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy, and skyrocketed him into the spotlight. Bingham never really set out to be a musician, though. His mother bought him a guitar when he was 16 years old, and a neighbor taught him a mariachi tune. When he grew tired of playing the only song he knew, Bingham began penning his own music, discovering the writing process to be a therapeutic coping mechanism for dealing with the tumultuousness of his upbringing. His first performances were informal affairs in the backseats of cars with friends on the way to rodeos, where he was competing professionally on the weekends. Every now and then, Bingham's friends would convince him to break out the guitar in a bar, and before he knew it, he had more gigs playing guitar than riding bulls.Recorded mostly live with a brand new backing band and under the guidance of producer/engineer Jim Scott, his latest album is 'Fear and Saturday Night'.

Friday, May 8: Danny Pudi with Har Mar Superstar

Danny Pudi Actor Danny Pudi has quickly established himself as a highly sought after actor in film and television. He is currently shooting the lead role of the independent feature The Tiger Hunter, opposite Jon Heder, and last year starred in Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant. Prior to that he starred in the European feature Vijay and I. Pudi's first directorial effort took him to the Sundance Film Festival in early 2014, where his short film Untucked, a documentary film about the Marquette basketball team and produced by ESPN Films, was in competition. Pudi will next be seen returning to his breakout role of Abed, in the hit comedy Community, previously on NBC and continuing its life on Yahoo.com. Pudi's other television credits include recurring roles on hit dramas Greek and Gilmore Girls and guest starring roles on Royal Pains, Hot in Cleveland,Chuck, and ER.

Har Mar Superstar Singer, songwriter, performer Acclaimed singer, songwriter and performer Har Mar Superstar (aka Sean Tillmann) named his flamboyant alter ego after the Har Mar mall in suburban St. Paul, Minn., where he spent his youth watching movies and writing songs about passersby in the food court. "Har Mar Superstar used to be a different person," he says. "It used to be my excuse to get away with the more fantastic things in life. ... I guess the confidence I got from being Har Mar Superstar translated into my real life, so now we're one and the same." His latest record, the soulful Bye Bye 17, was released in 2013 on Cult Records, with the single Prisoner having its world debut on The Current.

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About APM

American Public Media™ is one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world, with a portfolio reaching more than 18 million listeners on more than 900 radio stations nationwide each week. Programs include A Prairie Home Companion®, BBC World Service, Marketplace®, Performance Today®, The Splendid Table®, On Being™, The Dinner Party Download®, Wits™, American RadioWorks® and many others. American Public Media's nearly 225,000 participants in the Public Insight Network promote deep connections between journalists across the country and the communities they serve. American Public Media is the parent organization for Minnesota Public Radio, Southern California Public Radio and Classical South Florida. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be found at americanpublicmedia.org.

Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio. Data are estimates only.