The 14th season of Granite City Radio Theatre kicked off by introducing new host Lee Adams and welcoming special musical guest Witness Trips.

Lee Adams has been part of GCRT from the very beginning, and he stepped into the hosting role with aplomb. He presided over several comedy sketches, including an eventful fishing trip and the introduction of new product from Successo. There was also an instance of humor expertly mixed with sentiment when Lee read a letter purported penned by his dog Rick.

Of course, Lee also maintained his important place in Shades Brigade, the radio drama troupe who serve up more installments in the adventures of Jack Shade and his crew of intrepid agents. As usual, the episode features three installments in the ongoing adventures of Shades Brigade.

Witness Trips, the episode’s special musical guest, is a folk-oriented singer-songwriter who calls nearby St. Joseph, Minnesota his home. He performed four songs with the GCRT house band, Collective Unconscious.

Although there are plenty of changes on the GCRT stage, familiar favorites were present, too. Dan Barth hosted his onstage trivia quiz with a trio of contestants: special musical guest Witness Trips, KVSC Trivia writer Raine Hokan, and Shades Brigade performer Dave Gangler.

The festivities wrapped up with Lee taking a test to earn St. Cloud citizenship. The test is tough, so he required coaching from a surprise guest who has unquestioned expertise on the city. To learn who that expert is, you’ll have to listen to the episode.

The next episode of Granite City Radio Theatre takes place on March 4, 2026. You can be part of the live audience at Pioneer Place on Fifth in downtown St. Cloud. Tickets are available for purchase at the Pioneer Place website.

This program was made possible through support from the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

Photographs by Joseph Bigelow.

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