Now, this will be fun. A variety show with attitude. On Friday, November 14, The Black Hills Travelin’ Medicine Show will feature Gordy Pratt, Kenny Putnam, Paul Larson, AND two puppet theater production companies–Dragons are Too Seldom Puppet Productions and Butterfly Puppet Theatre. These last two acts are the “attitude.” Markie Scholz, Susan Hey and Leonard Running will make sure their special characters dish out plenty of insults and sarcasm from The Matthews’ box seats over the stage. Tickets on sale now. BUY TICKETS
Variety shows mean just that, variety. Enjoy the artistry of professional puppeteering. Markie, Sue, and Leonard combine their two production companies in our box seats over the stage. Music and comedy will be the main act during the evening. The ornery puppets are providing commentary throughout the night as Gordy, Kenny, and Paul perform.
TICKETS
The show starts at 7:30 p.m. sharp in The Matthews’ theater. Tickets are $25 adult, $10 youth (18 and younger), and $10 BHSU students. Tickets may be purchased online anytime or by calling or visiting The Matthews’ Art Gallery during business hours. Phone: 605-642-7973, Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. BUY TICKETS
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Gordy Pratt
In 1990, Gordy began writing and performing his unique brand of stand-up musical comedy and now does more than 100 corporate comedy shows a year across the country. His 90-minute concert shows, which include a generous sprinkling of comedy, classical guitar, favorite songs and original songs, have been seen in concert halls and other venues from Vancouver to San Francisco to New York.
He continues to write comedy and original songs, while performing “sensational songs” by some of his favorite songwriters: Guy Clark, Don Henry, Craig Carothers and many others. He also performs the one-man living history show about Deadwood’s most famous sheriff: Seth Bullock.
Paul Larson
Paul is a native of southern Minnesota who now makes his home in the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota, just a bit outside the small community of Rochford. He’s spent many years competing in and judging rodeos throughout the Midwest. He’s a talented carpenter, and his music remains true to authentic cowboy music. Known for his baritone voice and cowboy yodel, he was once introduced by an announcer as a man with the voice he’d hire to ride circles around a rangey herd of cows to keep them quiet through the evening.
Paul is grateful to have the opportunity to write and play his music in many places, but likes most to sing with his good friends on the radio, at Gatherings, at The Moonshine Gulch Saloon in Rochford, in Hill City and the area that surrounds him. There’s also a good chance you could catch him on the front porch of his cabin with his guitar and his dog, Rita.
Kenny Putnam
Musician and graphic artist Kenny Putnam is from Rapid City but has studied, lived and worked in many locales. As a professional musician he performed on stages big and small both internationally and all over the US. These include; The Grand Ol’ Opry, The Tonight Show, Hee Haw the JFK Center for the Performing Arts, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and the Oktober Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia. He performed with Country Music Hall of famer, Roy Clark for eight years.
He is a two time South Dakota Fiddle Champion and a long-time member of The Red Willow Band in addition to A South Dakota Acoustic Christmas, which has raised more than one million dollars for South Dakota non-profits. He is a Grammy and Emmy nominee and has played on many recordings. He earned a BFA in painting and an MA in Journalism from the University of Iowa.
Putnam currently owns Image Up Creative Services at the Fairmont Creamery in Rapid City, specializing in photo and historical document restorations as well as the imaging and reproduction of original artworks and photography. He plays regionally with several bands including The Song Pilots based out of Sioux Falls.
Markie Scholz of Dragons Are Too Seldom Puppet Productions
Markie Scholz is on of the founders of Dragons Are Too Seldom Puppet Productions. She has been involved as a performer in all productions and workshops done by the Dragons throughout its more than 30 year history. She received a B.S. in English Education from the University of South Dakota in 1969. After teaching junior high school in Santa Fe, New Mexico for a year, Markie became the Educational Coordinator for the Head Start Program in Day, Roberts and Marshall Counties in South Dakota. She later served as the director of that program. In 1971, Dragons Are Too Seldom Puppet Productions was formed by Markie and her sister, Claire Scholz.
In 1993, Markie received her MS degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Black Hills State University. For more than 30 years, the Dragons have traveled around the country performing anywhere there was a need, or a want for laughter.
Sue Hey & Leonard Running of Butterfly Puppet Theatre
Butterfly Puppet Theatre is a two-person creative team; Leonard Running and Sue Hey. Their live performances are “people and puppet” shows combining human actors with a colorful cast of original puppet characters.
Each show is a collaborative writing effort with original music by Leonard Running and specially designed puppets by Sue Hey.
Besides performing for literally hundreds of thousands throughout the Midwest, Butterfly has written, designed, constructed and performed two environmental shows for the Rapid City Public Works Department: Alice in Waterland and Danny and the Methane Monster. In addition, they have produced a video version of their holiday show, The Christmas Star, which has been presented on South Dakota Public Television.
Leonard Running is, among other things, a musician, performer, songwriter, puppeteer and playwright. He has written and performed his songs and plays with Dragons Are Too Seldom Puppet Theatre, Butterfly Puppet Theatre, Storybook Island Theatre in Rapid City and the Adams House in Deadwood.
