With over 20 years of showing off both his food and science skills on the Food Network, Alton Brown is now bringing his expertise to the City of Brotherly Love. The author, host of ‘Good Eats’, ‘Good Eats: Reloaded’, and ‘Good Eats: The Return’ will be hitting the stage this Saturday, Oct.23, at the Kimmel Cultural Campus’ Merriam Theater for one show.
His live endeavor, ‘Alton Brown Live – Beyond The Eats’ is known as a culinary variety show—virtually a new form of entertainment altogether. The food connoisseur first hit the road with his variety show through the ‘Inevitable Tour’ and ‘Eat Your Science’, but with his latest show, Brown promises to showcase “more cooking, more comedy, more music, and more potentially dangerous science stuff” than ever.
To get some better insight into what inspired his show and what fans can expect, Metro sat down with Brown to get the scoop on ‘Alton Brown Live – Beyond The Eats.’
You’ve created live culinary experiences before with your Edible Inevitable Tour and Eat Your Science, but what can audiences expect from Beyond the Eats?
Beyond The Eats follows the same variety-show model but everything is new. New songs, new demos and we’ve added a live quiz show that I think is going to be a blast.
Where did the idea initially come from?
The idea sparked with me when the guys from ‘MythBusters’ took their show on the road. I love performing live, so it just seemed like a natural evolution for me. But I’m not sure I would have had the idea had the ‘MythBusters’ not done it first.
What are the benefits of getting to combine cooking with science, especially through a live format for audiences?
For me, the science angle opens up all kinds of possibilities in storytelling. Also, understanding at least a few scientific concepts has led us to create our biggest, baddest food demo yet…a device of true culinary cunning.
You say you’ll be showing “things I’ve never been allowed to do on TV.” What do you mean by that exactly?
No one is going to allow me to attempt comedy on television and certainly no one would ever let me sing my food songs. And frankly, most networks don’t want to see homemade culinary devices that could be, shall we say, dangerous.
What is the best part for you to get to take a show like this on the road?
Definitely the audiences. And after what we’ve all been through these last couple of years, I’m just looking forward to seeing new faces, or at least eyes…it might just be eyes but that’s okay.
Would you say this is a show for foodies, or could you be someone who is a newbie to cooking and such and find something you enjoy? Or both?
A lot of non-foodies have been drug to my live shows by loved ones and as far as I know, they all stayed awake the entire time.
Overall, what are you hoping audiences take away from Beyond the Eats?
Lots of merch: tshirts, posters, coffee mugs. No, honestly I just want them to have a good time. (But the tshirts really are nice.)
Catch Alton Brown will be at the Kimmel Cultural Campus’ Merriam Theater on Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. Information and tickets are available online.
