Show History

History

Inspiration

The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, commissioned The Portable Pioneer and Prairie Show. Although the story is fictional, the idea of  Swedish immigrants escaping a bad harvest in the mid-1800s is based on factual events. During the nineteenth century, Sweden underwent a series of political, social and economic changes that resulted in large-scale emigration to the United States. Many Swedes who came over during the time period in which The Portable Pioneer and Prairie Show is set, ended up in Minnesota.

Productions

The original Guthrie production of The Portable Pioneer and Prairie Show premiered during the 1973-1974 season.

In 1974, there was a production at Washington, D.C.'s, historic Ford's Theatre, where the authors did some more work on the show.

After touring extensively over the years to great acclaim, the show was lured to New York for a limited engagement at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 1985 with a cast that included superstar Donna Murphy as Cordelia.

The Portable Pioneer and Prairie Show returned to New York in 1997, where it was produced by the Melting Pot Company at the Theatre of the Riverside Church.

Cultural Influence

• The libretto and vocal book of The Portable Pioneer and Prairie Show was published in 1985.

• The New York Public Library's Theatre on Film and Tape archive recorded the 1997 production of the The Portable Pioneer and Prairie Show.

Trivia

• The Portable Pioneer and Prairie Show's co-author, Mel Marvin, wrote and performed in the musical, Tintypes, and has since collaborated with the Guthrie Theatre on a number of family-oriented musical theatre pieces.

• The Portable Pioneer and Prairie Show was Melting Pot Theater's inaugural production.