Paula Deen’s coming to Salem
Are you a big fan of that Southern charm that Paula Deen exudes from every pore? If so, you might want to get your tickets to see the Food Network megastar at the Salem Civic Center on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m.
The “Queen of Southern Cuisine” will cook, share stories and — if I know anything about her — probably engage the audience, too. I interviewed Paula over the phone a couple of years ago, just before she came to the Hotel Roanoke for a Smithfield ham event. She munched on Sun Chips while we talked. Here’s the resulting Q&A.
When I met her in person at the Hotel Roanoke, she didn’t treat me like a small town reporter at all. Instead, she let me in with my puny little video camera after the professional videographers from local TV stations had finished their interviews. I found Paula and her husband, Michael, who often travels with her, to be very down-to-earth and friendly. Here’s the story about that visit.
Tickets are $53.75 $54.75, actually, and go on sale Friday, Aug. 13 at 10 a.m. Get them at the Salem Civic Center box office or www.ticketmaster.com.
August 9, 2010 - 11:17 AM
RSS feed 
I hope I can go!
At $53.75 a ticket I know I won’t be going unless I win one……hint, hint!
I agree with Liz!!! Big hint, hint!
$53.75??? Do you get butter with that?
Ought to get SOMETHING to eat for that price, eh Elena? I just had to make a correction, too. They’re actually $54.75.
That is steep in any economy.
wow. i love paula, but almost $55 to hear her speak? that seems insane to me.
Oh man. I would love to see her and I know my mom would too, but I have a really hard time with that price. A couple friends on Facebook said it could be an early Christmas present for my mom, but…….
I think you’d be watching her demonstrate how to cook dishes, like you were watching her do her show live on stage.
I remember when my sister went to Whitesnake for like $18, and that was fairly expensive. What has happened to ticket prices?
OMG! I enjoyed her restaurant, which was pretty much like Homeplace (only not quite as good). Do you get any food? That would make it worth the money. I’d love to see her, but I wouldn’t pay that much. I’m sure plenty of other people will, though!
She is a too over-the-top for me.
I’m sure she will be preparing food, so is the audience paying for the groceries? At that price, I’m thinking so.
$55 is steep. You could get a really great meal and support a local chef for that amount. Okay, I’d almost pay that to see Whitesnake today
You’ve got to remember that probably half of the price is just based on her being a celebrity. That is not a diss, but rather an explanation. You try to get Rachael Ray to come to the Texas Tavern & the Homeplace in a ‘$40 A Day’ episode, and it would cost you a fortune.
I’m not a fan of Paula, but I am sure that for those who are, it would be money well spent. She is charismatic as the dickens, and you’d be sure to enjoy it if you already liked her.
I like her, I think she’s funny and I’m sure she’s entertaining, but I just can’t justify that price. Not a Rachael Ray fan, she’s too darn perky for me.