The other day, Sandra and I were discussing the upcoming interview of Kara Lindsay and Kevin Massey for The Homesteader, and I commented that in all of the stories I’ve seen in the media on Little House on the Prairie: The Musical, only Melissa Gilbert gets any attention. The other actors are mentioned in passing, and the stories revolve around Melissa.

The folks at the Nashville Entertainment Examiner must have heard my lament, for today up went a great interview with Kate Loprest (Nellie) and Kara Lindsay (Laura). Read it here!

The Ruths lived in this beautiful home for about twelve years before leaving De Smet. In 1989, Larry and Connie Cheney purchased and restored the home as a bed and breakfast, The Prairie House Manor, where they have provided a wonderful place for Laura tourists to stay while in De Smet for nearly twenty years.

Last summer, the Prairie House came under new ownership. Andy and Jenny Todd and their four children left their home in Marlton, New Jersey, to come to De Smet, South Dakota, to run the Prairie House.

“It has always been my dream to own a bed and breakfast in a historical town,” Jenny Todd explains. “When our family visited De Smet in July 2007, we loved the slow pace and small town feeling. We knew that De Smet would be a great place for our kids to finish growing up.”

The Todd family spent several months in contemplation and prayer before making such a life-changing decision, and then they took a family vote. “It was unanimous to move to De Smet!”

Those who have visited and loved the Prairie House in the past need not fear — the Todds have maintained the same traditions established by the Cheneys and are wonderful hosts with a contagious enthusiasm for their new venture.  And if you haven’t visited before, you should.  Not only will you be treated to a comfortable stay in an updated historic home once owned by a Little House character, but you will enjoy socializing with other Laura fans on the front porch in the evenings, or over a delightful breakfast served by your hosts.

And if you have children, they will be told the story from Little House in the Big Woods of Christmas breakfast, where Ma made the children pancake men, and then be treated to a pancake man of their very own!

The Todds have really enjoyed their first year as bed and breakfast owners. Their favorite part is meeting so many different people.  “We have had guests from Denmark, Ireland, Italy, England, Canada, France, and, of course, all over the United States.  We’ve even had a few guests from South Jersey where we are from,” Jenny adds. “But we all have one thing in common — our love for everything Laura.”

The Prairie House slept some very special guests last September, as Melissa Gilbert, Kevin Massey, Kara Lindsay, and Jenn Gambatese (cast members from the “Little House on the Prairie” musical) unexpectedly appeared on their doorstep looking for a place to spend the night.  “It was exciting not just for us, but for the whole town.”

We highly recommend a stay at the Prairie House to enhance your visit to the “Little Town on the Prairie” and gladly welcome Andy and Jenny Todd into the Little House community.  Learn more about the Prairie House or reserve a room at their web site.

Onstage I was falling in love with Laura every night. But the more I read, the more I fell in love with her in the books as well.

Kevin Massey, “Almanzo” in “Little House on the Prairie,” the musical

This lovely quote comes from a story in the Homesteader newsletter. Kevin was interviewed along with his co-star Kara Lindsay, who played Laura to his Almanzo at the Minneapolis run of the “Little House on the Prairie” musical last fall. (You can read the entire story in the Winter 2008-2009 issue.) As the person who conducted the interview, I have lots to say but will keep it to this: these two actors get Laura and Almanzo. I was more than ready to be critical of the musical, although I secretly hoped I wouldn’t have to be. Those hopes were realized. Instead of sighing in disappointment in the renowned (and very red) Guthrie Theater, I sighed in happiness and wished I’d drained my bank account to invest in another trip to Minneapolis.

As it turns out, I don’t have to. News is starting to trickle in regarding the upcoming national tour of the musical. The play will spend a month in New Jersey at the Paper Mill Playhouse from September 10 – October 10, then officially launch at the Ordway Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota on October 13 and remain there till the 25th. From then it’s 30 cities in the US and Canada. Among those announced are Denver (December 15-27), Toronto (likely January 2010), Houston (April 28-May 9), Tempe and Sacramento. We’ll keep you up to date at Beyond Little House as new cities are added.

It’s long been known that Melissa Gilbert will stay on as Ma, but it’s also now official that Kara Lindsay will continue as Laura (yippee!) and Steve Blanchard* will continue as Pa. The word seems to still be out on Kevin Massey—that is, the official word. But word on the street is that he’s in, too.

An official website on the traveling musical was launched a few months ago so it’s worth bookmarking, but so far we’ve yet to see an update.

* Steve as Pa? Hmm. Sounds pretty good overall, but there’s just one little line I’d like to talk to him about …