Oct. 20, 2011--Washington, DC - NPR's news quiz show Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! is hitting the road for the show's first ever live event from Detroit's Fox Theatre, 7:30 p.m., on Thursday, Jan. 19. The radio show recorded in Detroit will be broadcast at 10 a.m. (ET), Saturday, Jan. 21, on WDET 101.9 FM, and throughout the weekend on NPR Member stations nationwide. The program is also available as streaming audio and a free podcast at www.npr.org/waitwait.
Now in its 14th season, the Peabody Award-winning show, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, uses current stories (from the global to the ridiculous) for questions and comedy. Host Peter Sagal, along with official judge and scorekeeper Carl Kasell, leads a rotating panel of comedians, humorists and journalists, listener contestants and celebrity guests through a comic review of the week's news. Contestants vie for the most coveted prize in all of public radio: a custom-recorded greeting by Kasell for their voicemail.
The show will also feature a special guest for its "Not My Job" segment, a game where famous people are quizzed on subjects about which they know nothing. Former contestants include hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons answering three questions about fitness guru Richard Simmons; Star Trek alumnus Leonard Nimoy, who answered questions about childrearing expert Dr. Spock; and Elvis Costello, who played a game called, ‘Elvis...haven't I heard that name before?' about figure skater Elvis Stojko.
Tickets ($38, $58 and $68) go on sale to the public at 10 a.m., on Friday, Nov. 4, and can be purchased at www.OlympiaEntertainment.com, The Fox Theatre and Joe Louis Arena box offices, Hockeytown Authentics in Troy (without service charge), at all Ticketmaster locations and www.Ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets by phone, call (800) 745-3000. For additional information, call (313) 471-6611.
In addition, WDET is offering a pair of main floor advance tickets during its Fall Pledge Drive. More information about this offer is available at www.wdet.org or by calling (800) 959-9338.
Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, produced in Chicago, takes the show on the road to a number of cities each year. The program has an audience of more than 3.2 million listeners weekly on 595 NPR member public radio stations; its audience has grown in every ratings period since its premiere in January 1998. Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! is produced by NPR and Chicago Public Radio; Doug Berman is Executive Producer. To find local stations and broadcast times, and play games and laugh along with the show's blog, visit www.npr.org/waitwait.
NPR
NPR is an award-winning, multimedia news organization and an influential force in American life. In collaboration with more than 900 independent public radio stations nationwide, NPR strives to create a more informed public - one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.
WDET
WDET is a community nonprofit institution, actively involved in the life of metro Detroit. The station is the area's most active promoter of local music and is today one of the few remaining providers of local news. WDET 101.9 FM is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to Wayne State University, owned and operated since 1952 to serve in the public interest. WDET's growing audience reaches more than 150,000 listeners every week in southeast Michigan, northwest Ohio and southwest Ontario.